In April 2023, Good Charlotte performed their first present in 5 years in one of the crucial unbelievable locations: the huge, luxe halls of the Resort du Cap-Eden-Roc within the South of France. Carrying Doc Martens and black fits with tattoos peaking out, Joel and Benji Madden, bassist Paul Thomas, and guitarist Billy Martin introduced their pop-punk angle to the swanky area and delivered high-energy variations of their 2000s hits for Sofia Richie’s wedding ceremony afterparty. Sure, that Sofia Richie, the mannequin and web persona, who can also be Joel’s sister-in-law.
“Sofia and Elliot [Grainge] requested us to play their wedding,” Joel Madden says on a Zoom name. “They grew up on our band, so it was a extremely particular second for us to have the ability to deliver one thing we love that they love.”
Whereas movies of Richie dancing barefoot and singing alongside to “Existence of the Wealthy and the Well-known” went viral, the event marked a pivotal second for Good Charlotte. Within the South of France, a great distance from Los Angeles and their Maryland roots, brothers Joel and Benji appeared round and noticed simply what number of of their desires have come true. “We wished to develop up and have blissful households, and there we have been, having this unforgettable night time with our prolonged household of 19 years,” Benji Madden remembers.
Good Charlotte knew they’d tapped into one thing they hadn’t in years; one thing price exploring for the primary time since 2018. “We had such an amazing night time, and we have been all sitting round, and we have been like, ‘Ought to we do an album?’ The entire band was like, ‘Fuck yeah, sure, let’s do an album,’” Joel says.
Now, Good Charlotte are gearing as much as launch Motel Du Cap, the band’s eighth LP and first full-length undertaking in seven years. The album’s lead single, “Rejects,” is out at present, marking the official begin of the band’s new period. Rolling Stone caught up with the Madden brothers to speak about Motel Du Cap, the potential of touring the album, and what it’s wish to return to Good Charlotte.
Why did you select to commemorate that reminiscence of the marriage on the Resort du Cap-Eden-Rock with the album title, Motel Du Cap?
Benji: We have been like, “When would Resort Du Cap ever have Good Charlotte play at Eden Roc?’
Joel: Yeah, that juxtaposition of us at this fancy lodge. We couldn’t title the album after the lodge, however we may make it our personal factor.
Benji: Motel Du Cap feels extra acceptable. There’s all the time slightly coloured sarcasm in our music, there’s slightly tongue-in-cheek, however then there may be all the time some actually deep significant subject material on our data, too. It felt very acceptable to commemorate such a significant, stunning night time. It’s one among my finest reminiscences.
The album’s first single, “Rejects,” jogs my memory a little bit of your early monitor “Little Issues,” energetically and sonically. Did you guys go in with that mentality?
Joel: You’re feeling that precisely proper. It’s actually full-circle as a result of once we made the primary file in ‘99, we didn’t know any higher than to not give a fuck. We didn’t know you have been supposed to offer a fuck. We thought it was the best factor ever to make a file and to say regardless of the fuck we wished to say. Then you definately get into the sport of the music enterprise and get slightly spun round. We got here full-circle again to the place we’re all in actually good locations in our lives the place we don’t give a fuck, in a good way. We definitely care about individuals and our followers. However our households are actually the middle of our lives. So Good Charlotte is one thing that we get to be completely free in. We don’t essentially want it to carry out. We truly simply want it to be itself.
Benji: Now, once we write we solely got down to do one factor: specific ourselves. We don’t premeditate any songs. We write a stream of consciousness. It’s one thing we form of discovered through the years as we thought again to once we made our first couple of data. We got here all the best way round to what was the perfect factor for us, which is simply to let our emotions out and never attempt to management it an excessive amount of. You don’t want to put in writing 50 songs for a file; it’s good to write 12. No matter got here out in that second is the entire portrait. We made this file utterly unconsciously. We didn’t meditate, we made it. We simply stated, “We have to get some issues out,” and we hit file.
What made you guys select “Rejects” because the lead single?
Joel: I don’t even assume “Rejects” is essentially the obvious single kind tune, but it surely’s the one we really feel like individuals ought to hear first. We expect it’s a extremely nice begin and a illustration of the file and the music.
Benji: This file is the kickoff of Act Two and every little thing that got here earlier than that was a journey of a lifetime.
Lyrically, “Rejects” is tremendous trustworthy, pertaining to some darkish ideas. What went into writing traces like that hook “Generally I want I wasn’t born in any respect”?
Joel: All of us really feel that means typically. It’s OK to really feel that means. After I say, “Generally I want I wasn’t born in any respect,” I don’t imply it the place I wish to be gone. I’m not suicidal and, thank God, I’m not depressed. However I’ve had instances in my life the place I used to be, and I needed to determine that out, and it was a variety of work to determine my very own psychological well being and shallowness. I’m nonetheless engaged on all of it the entire time. We’re all a piece in progress.
Generally you’ve moments in life the place it’s actually fucking arduous. It has nothing to do with your loved ones or your success or your failure or no matter. However it’s a second of aloneness, and also you query stuff, and even have to offer your self the room to really feel OK with these moments. That line, that simply got here out of me. I really feel like everybody can relate to it, regardless of who they’re. They’ve these moments the place they need to take a knee or let loose a deep sigh or no matter, after which simply preserve getting on with it.
Benji: “Rejects” may be very significant. It flips forwards and backwards between you and your interior baby. To me, the refrain is the interior baby screaming again at you as a result of we go away our interior youngsters behind. After we can discover our energy in life is once we can get reintegrated with that child. Joel, you absolutely simply by no means wrote the lyrics down.
Joel: Yeah, I don’t write lyrics down.
Benji: It’s simply increase, increase, increase.
How does it really feel to be creating new music greater than 20 years into your profession as a band?
Benji: It feels actually good. We discovered to do issues in our personal time and simply comply with the sensation, and it simply feels proper. We each felt like we had an album in us, after which we began to really feel like “We have to get this out.” The attractive factor about the place we’re at now could be it truly is concerning the course of. It’s a pleasant factor if you end up simply capable of create from this very impressed and content material place. It permits us to share it with individuals in a really “no expectations” means and let individuals have their very own expertise with it. Joel, have you ever ever been happier with an album course of?
Joel: This band is so distinctive to itself and we’re continually discovering what it means to be in Good Charlotte, particularly in 2025. It’s humorous, as a result of in some methods I may say, “Yeah, it’s the perfect I’ve ever felt.” In different methods, it doesn’t really feel just like the world is on my shoulders. We got down to make an amazing file, and we adore it, and it’s additionally stuffed us up in a means that we wish to go on tour, which is a sense we haven’t had in a very long time. It is a file we will take world wide.
Are there plans to tour the album?
Joel: We’re going to do a world tour in ‘26, and I don’t know if which means it’s 20 exhibits or 40 exhibits or 60 exhibits, however no matter it’s, it’s a quantity that we really feel each present has to really feel distinctive and particular, similar to the album does. We wish every second to really feel distinctive. The marriage present we performed felt distinctive. It felt particular, it felt significant. All of us caught that and stated, “That is how we wish to really feel each time we go onstage.” It’s attention-grabbing. Individuals haven’t truly gotten a variety of alternatives to see us stay. We simply haven’t toured in a significant means in most likely 10 years or so. There’s so many individuals that shall be seeing us for the primary time, and we wish to make it particular and thrilling that they lastly get to see us. It’s going to be a extremely enjoyable present with plenty of cool little surprises and issues that make individuals blissful. Hopefully, it simply appears like an enormous fucking wedding ceremony celebration each night time.
Some followers on-line have been asking for an “Eras” throwback tour of some form. Do you propose to form the tour like that?
Joel: We’re going to hit each period, however we’re attempting to determine how lengthy a present ought to be. Two hours is just too lengthy however we’re unsure if an hour-and-a-half will work. After we tried to suit every little thing into an hour and ten minutes in our headlining set at Welcome to Rockville, we nonetheless needed to lower 5 songs that individuals wished to listen to. It’s loopy. Some exhibits would possibly simply need to be slightly longer relying on the place and what, but it surely’s going to be a variety of enjoyable to hit all of the eras of GC stay, after which the brand new stuff goes to be enjoyable stay, too.
You introduced out Wheatus throughout Welcome to Rockville, and even joined Luke Combs throughout his Stagecoach set. How did these appearances come about? Do you hope to deliver extra visitors out at exhibits?
Joel: We’re fortunate as a result of Good Charlotte works with plenty of genres. We’re on this bizarre area the place we may go heavier, we may go poppier, we will even go nation with Luke [Combs]. These moments imply a lot to us. “Teenage Dirtbag” is one among my favourite songs, and to have Brendan [Bernard Brown] come out and do it felt like giving him his flowers for writing one of many biggest songs. It’s additionally all the time a objective of mine to have an enormous sing-along. I don’t care if it’s our songs or another person’s songs. I simply need it to really feel like a throwback night time the place you’re with your folks and also you’re residing proper now and remembering again when.
Benji: It’s simply actually enjoyable, and we’ve made all these wonderful pals through the years, and it’s so cool to share the stage with individuals. If we go anyplace, we’re bringing somebody enjoyable with us, or we’re bringing some form of loopy manufacturing. It’s enjoyable to shock individuals.
You performed When We Have been Younger a few years again. Would you be open to becoming a member of Warped Tour this yr or next year in D.C.?
Joel: I don’t know why Warped Tour D.C. didn’t work out this yr. We love Warped Tour, however once more, if we’re going to do 20 exhibits over a yr, each single present needs to be one thing that individuals are going to get their cash’s price, they usually’re going to see Good Charlotte and listen to our full set. I’d nonetheless pop up and do one. We’ll see.
Benji: Logistically, this one couldn’t work, however I’ve little doubt we’ll be again at a Warped Tour someday.
What pals did you name up for collaborations on Motel du Cap?
Joel: One in all my favourite artists is that this new man from Maryland, he’s acquired an actual place in our hearts. His title’s Luke Borchelt and he’s a rustic singer not removed from the place we’re from in Maryland. We did a tune with him that I’m actually enthusiastic about. I’m such a fan of his album. He simply acquired off the highway with Shaboozey, who’s additionally from the DMV space. It’s so cool to see individuals from house making these massive impactful musical moments. We even have a function from Wiz Khalifa. It’s been a very long time coming. We’ve been pals a very long time, and we’ve been speaking about doing one thing, and we lastly acquired to.
Benji: I like the Wiz tune. It’ll be one of many extra memorable songs in our catalog when this file comes out. It’s a extremely cool tune.
Joel: We wrote a tune with Matt Koma from Winnetka Bowling League, who’s one among our greatest pals and performs with us stay. Who else did we write with Benj?
Benji: Jordan Fish. We additionally wrote with a pricey pal of ours that I believe would shock individuals too: Charlie Puth. Charlie produced it, and I believe there’s some sneaky Charlie vocals in there within the combine. It’s not a function however you’ll hear it.
Joel: He snuck them in there for certain.
Who else produced the album?
Benji: We acquired to do a majority of the file with Jordan Fish. When Jordan joined Deliver Me the Horizon, I instantly was like, “No matter they did there, that’s actually particular.” Now that Jordan left the band and he’s producing full time, I knew I wished to make music with him.
We made many of the file with Jordan and Zakk Cevini and me and Joel collectively. It allowed for us to have a spot to be actually susceptible and simply try to sing about issues that you just don’t know if that is going to show right into a tune. For those who’re in a room with a bunch of individuals which might be enthusiastic about hit songs, it ain’t going to make it previous the primary verse. To have an area the place nobody provides a fuck, it’s not about something apart from let’s simply do one thing particular, that’s when issues can occur.
Good Charlotte’s final album was 2018’s Generation X. The band took a similar hiatus between albums again within the early 2010s. What’s the most important benefit of permitting this time between releases?
Benji: It’s like we lived a lifetime earlier than we made our first file, from once we have been born to all our experiences in early childhood and adolescence. We’ve performed out these insecurities, these nice moments, and we did it as younger individuals in entrance of the world. We took our lives again. We nurtured our personal development and spent beneficial time with our households and family members. It’s like we’ve been residing and filling the gasoline tank up with extra expertise, extra classes, extra self-realizations, extra explorations as a way to be higher and have the ability to give again to followers now.
Joel: It’s slightly less-is-more kind of factor, the place I truly actually get to maneuver by way of the world now at a tempo I may maintain and work together with individuals and have reminiscences and meet individuals. It’s a pleasant little tempo. I truly desire to stay that means. Even going and doing an enormous competition like Welcome to Rockville was nonetheless at a tempo the place we may work together with everybody and make a reminiscence versus working in and doing 1,000,000 issues.
With artist-management company, MDDN, you’ve change into mentors within the pop-punk and rock scene. How did that function inform this album?
Joel: At MDDN, we work with these wonderful bands, and we get to work together with and take part of their lives in methods which might be actually enjoyable for us. It’s extra significant to me to look at them shine and see them carrying out all their achievements. As artists, they’re simply making actually nice music they usually’re unimaginable to look at. It’s so fulfilling.
Benji: It’s additionally very therapeutic and it’s such a blessing. We don’t take it without any consideration. We actually cherish and respect that we get to inform them issues that we want individuals would’ve advised us.
Joel: They train us issues that nobody advised us, too. There’s a actual true collaboration of age and perspective and expertise.
What was the scariest a part of returning to Good Charlotte?
Joel: The one factor we’re all the time ever anxious about is how a lot time any of it is going to take away from our households. Thank God, we have now such supportive wives and children. It’s a very nice state of affairs the place all people’s on board with simply figuring it out collectively. What we don’t wish to do is make it at the price of them. The one factor we’ve all ever talked about is to have profitable household lives. We’re attempting our hardest, and every little thing we do goes to be measured by that.
What’s attention-grabbing about Good Charlotte is we’re part of this era of individuals determining the right way to stay life and never take the outdated info we have been fed as youngsters, and check out to determine the right way to be dads, the right way to be husbands, the right way to have households. It’s truly an enormous broad span of a pair generations of people that come from that prime divorce-rate era, and we will all relate to it. We truly wish to get our private lives proper and hopefully have success on this planet, however not at any prices.
Benji: Genuinely, the one factor that issues to us is profitable household lives, and the remaining will simply be additive.
Joel: We’re at a pleasant place the place we’re not actually that anxious about something apart from the those that wish to benefit from the album will take pleasure in it. Whoever hears it is going to hear it, and we’ll do as many exhibits as we will, and we’ll be pleased with it. No matter we present up for, we’re going to offer it every little thing we have now.
Benji: We’re making not-broken houses. We began going to remedy and we began engaged on our shallowness as a result of once we have been younger, we had low shallowness. We actually wanted to be validated. However as soon as we mounted that, the necessity for validation simply went and doesn’t inspire us anymore. For us, we’re motivated by experiences, by doing issues that really feel particular, and by sharing these with the individuals we love.
From Rolling Stone US.