How Southern California punk veterans built 84 Days’ politically charged debut album

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Most musicians with a job in a famous punk band like Pennywise probably wouldn’t have time for other musical projects. But Randy Bradbury, Pennywise’s bassist, isn’t most people.

Bradbury, known for supporting a wide range of musical acts, is now leading a new band called 84 Days, based in Huntington Beach. The band features Bradbury on guitar and vocals, alongside Grammy-winning producer Cameron Webb on bass and Adrian Young, the drummer from No Doubt, on drums for their first album. While 84 Days sounds different than his previous band, Pennywise, it’s still rooted in punk rock.

Bradbury explains that the name ’84 Days’ began as a private joke from his youth. However, seeing how much the world has changed, he feels it now accurately reflects the current situation – something he once only read about in a book, but is now living through.

Launching a new band after so many years in music might seem surprising, but Bradbury and Webb felt 84 Days was simply too enjoyable a project to pass up. Their first performance at DiPiazza’s in Long Beach last November suggests audiences will have a great time too.

According to Webb, Randy Bradbury has a surprisingly strong reputation. While many associate him with his role as Pennywise, he’s widely liked and respected, particularly within the music community. People generally know and appreciate him, leading to a lot of support for his work.

Bradbury explains he was eager to gauge how people would respond to the music. He notes the initial reaction has been very good, and he anticipates Green Day will be opening for them in around a year.

Putting aside the jokes about how quickly this new band is becoming popular, Bradbury and Webb’s experience in the music industry has given 84 Days opportunities and connections that most bands would envy. For example, when their drummer, Young, couldn’t play the band’s first shows, Bradbury was able to call on a friend, Erik “Smelly” Sandin from the band NOFX, to temporarily take his place.

Bradbury and I have both been involved in the Southern California music scene for a long time, so I have a wide network of contacts and friends. I’ve always admired certain musicians and hoped to collaborate with them. When I learned Adrian couldn’t join the project, I immediately thought of Sandin and knew I wanted to ask him to participate.

Webb explains they’ve become friends with these musicians through work – either collaborating in the studio or because Randy tours with them, leading to frequent encounters. He’s grateful for the supportive reaction to his less frequent performances, saying people are excited and encouraging, rather than critical. Seeing the community’s enthusiasm makes him feel good about their upcoming shows.

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Bradbury is quick to emphasize that these connections only work if the music is engaging and well-made. Luckily, with Bradbury’s exceptional songwriting and Webb’s keen ear for quality music – often showcased in their work with other artists – 84 Days’ first album isn’t just a lively punk record. It’s a thoughtful exploration of the songwriter’s perspective on society and the world, tackling themes that go beyond typical punk anthems.

84 Days started as a casual project, but the members aren’t willing to continue if the band isn’t good. Although Bradbury is an experienced performer, the possibility of live shows motivated Webb to seriously improve his bass playing. He’d only played bass occasionally in the studio before, so this pushed him to practice and get better.

I’m used to picking up instruments and playing, but this project required me to really learn the songs and rehearse consistently. I need to be completely prepared and play at the same level as professional musicians. We’re aiming to be an incredible band, and that means I need to focus and practice. Instead of relaxing at home, I’m dedicating my time to learning the music, working on the guitar parts, and perfecting the riffs. It’s actually really enjoyable because Randy makes the whole process fun and positive, so we’re definitely going to keep at it.

It’s still early days for the band 84 Days, with only a handful of shows and one album under their belt. It’s hard to say how successful they could become – they might stay a local bar band, or they could really take off. Bradbury jokes that he envisions bigger bands opening for them, as long as it doesn’t mean his own new band is overshadowing the legendary Pennywise.

I’m pretty sure that tour would be rough – I’d probably get beat up, and a lot of instruments would get broken.

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2025-12-18 14:06