Social Distortion

Did You Know?

• The band's name came from Casey Royer's distortion pedal, which he gave to Mike Ness because Ness couldn't play guitar well at age 15.
• Their debut single "Mainliner" b/w "Playpen" was issued in 1981 by Posh Boy, the label that released first singles and albums for many local O.C. punk bands.
• The band's 1982 tour with Youth Brigade was chronicled in the punk rockumentary Another State of Mind, released in 1984.

History

Social Distortion was formed in 1978 by Mike Ness, inspired by the Sex Pistols and many other British punk bands as well as rock acts such as the Rolling Stones. Early members included Ness on guitar, Casey Royer on drums, Mark Garrett on bass, and Tom Corvin on vocals. On the origins of the band's name, Royer recalled "Mike was like 15, trying to play guitar but he couldn't. Social Distortion was named for my distortion pedal, which I gave to Mike to play 'cause back then he was no good."

After Corvin left in fall 1979 to attend graduate school at Bob Jones University, Ness recruited his high school friend Dennis Danell to join on guitar even though Danell had never played an instrument before. When Danell was brought in, the other members left as they did not want to wait for him to learn. Social Distortion's first real show was in early 1979 at the Cuckoo's Nest nightclub in Costa Mesa, California. Their first single, "Mainliner" b/w "Playpen," was issued in 1981 by Posh Boy.

Rodney Bingenheimer of KROQ-FM featured the single "1945" on the second volume of the compilation album, Rodney on the ROQ. In 1982, the band—now consisting of Ness, Danell on rhythm guitar, Brent Liles on bass, and Derek O'Brien on drums—embarked on their first bi-national tour of the US and Canada with fellow punk band Youth Brigade, chronicled in the punk rockumentary Another State of Mind. After returning from tour, they recorded their debut album, Mommy's Little Monster, released in early 1983 on the band's own label, 13th Floor Records.

Ness's drug habit continued throughout 1984 and 1985, and as a result Social Distortion briefly went on hiatus in 1985. The band resurfaced in 1986 when Ness completed a drug rehabilitation program, and released its second album, Prison Bound, in 1988. The album marked a notable style change, taking on a definite country/western flavor and marking the start of the band's entrance into a rock subgenre sometimes called "cowpunk." After Prison Bound, the band signed with Epic Records in 1989 and released their self-titled third album in 1990, which produced hit singles "Ball and Chain," "Story of My Life," and a cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire," and was certified gold by the RIAA.

Their fourth album, Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell (1992), also went gold. The band has since released three more albums: Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll (2004), Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes (2011), and Born to Kill (2026). Social Distortion's current lineup, intact since 2010, consists of Mike Ness (vocals, guitar), Jonny Wickersham (guitar), Brent Harding (bass), and David Hidalgo Jr. (drums).

Musical style, influences, and legacy

Social Distortion's early music was hardcore punk, emerging from the Orange County hardcore scene of the late 1970s. Following their reformation in the mid-1980s, the band shifted its style to have strong influences from country, blues, and early rock and roll. Country legend Johnny Cash and the Rolling Stones' honky tonk style became more prominent influences on Social Distortion's music, with references to Cash and the Stones in the songs "Prison Bound" and "On My Nerves." The band's self-titled 1990 album is said to "split the difference between rockabilly and Ramones-style punk," while Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell blends "punk, blues, country and rockabilly." Dubbed by Steven Blush as "the Rolling Stones of hardcore," Social Distortion is considered one of the best-selling and most influential punk rock bands, with more than three million albums sold worldwide.