Upcoming Releases

Based in the capital city of Canada, The Riptides have been cranking out high-energy blasts of melodic, poppy punk rock for over 25 years. With their new LP Burn After Listening, the band makes the move to Pirates Press Records, and are ready to bring their sound to an all new worldwide audience! The band have released the video for the lead single, “End of the World.”

It is with a wry sense of humor that the band decided to release “End of the World,” on January 20th, 2025 - AKA Inauguration Day in the USA. Are these Canadians making a statement? The lyrics to the song, says bassist and primary songwriter Bob Goblin, were written about a concern that transcended any national borders, specifically “as a satirical commentary during the dark days of the pandemic.”

Over the past quarter century, the band have amassed many fans, but if you're just arriving at the party, "End of the World" - one of several songs on the record co-written by fellow Pirates Press Records artist Matt DeeCRACK - is a solid introduction to the band: attitude-driven downstroke riffs with irresistible hooks & harmonies, combined with an aesthetic informed by everything from schlock horror cinema, nerdy pop culture, and surfing.

Upon watching the video, directed by Petr Maur, those who share the band’s predilections will immediately recognize the homage to John Carpenter’s classic classic anti-Reaganomics allegory (and Rowdy Roddy Piper vehicle) They Live! 

Originally formed in 1998, The Riptides wasted no time assembling their own studio and label, putting out their own records as well as their fellow Ottawa bands. Word spread quickly, and the band’s notoriety grew, particularly in the US, and soon the band found that they enjoyed rising to the challenge of leaving home and recording at such noted US studios as Jim Tierney’s Electric Cave in Portsmouth, NH, and Mass Giorgni’s Sonic Iguana in Lafayette, IN. Burn After Listening was recorded at the legendary Blasting Room in Fort Collins, CO, with Andrew Berlin at the helm for tracking and Jason Livermore in charge of the final master.

Alongside Bob Goblin and lead singer Andy Vandal, studio sessions included a cavalcade of friends & guest musicians, including Kody Templeman & Darren Chewka of Teenage Bottlerocket, Mike Kennerty (All American Rejects, Screeching Weasel), Joe Queer (The Queers), Merel Schaap (Lone Wolf) and Heavy Kevy (Insanity Alert).

Ultimately, Bob Goblin believes the finished product is a strong representation of the band to bring their sound to new audiences. “We've always loved fast, aggressive songs, but never shied away from the poppier stuff either,” he says. “I can't stand boring records where every song sounds exactly the same from top to bottom.” He also believes that longtime fans will be equally pleased with what they hear. “They'll get it. Our DNA from past records is all over this one.”

Burn After Listening tracklist:

1. We Came To Destroy
2. Smile
3. End of the World
4. Bad Habit
5. She’s the Most
6. Cut it Out
7. Anti-Social
8. My Heart’s Tattooed On My Sleeve
9. Do You Hear What I Hear?
10. Give Up
11. Lie To Me
12. Get Over You
13. The One Thing
14. Bottom Feeder
15. Fade To Black