The Bombpops

The Bombpops releasing debut LP on Fat (stream "Be Sweet"), touring

Cali punks The Bombpops were formed back in 2007 by co-frontwomen Jen Razavi and Poli van Dam, and in that time they’ve released a couple EPs on Red Scare and gone through several lineup changes. At one point, they were in talks with No Use For A Name frontman Tony Sly to have him produce their record, before his untimely death. Now the band, with Neil Wayne on bass and Josh Lewis on drums, are signed to Fat Wreck Chords and set to release their debut album, Fear of Missing Out, this Friday (2/10) (pre-order).

The album includes the song “Be Sweet,” which has a touching backstory:

The music is original, but the song’s lyrics were actually written by an all-around rad dude who sadly is no longer with us. Razavi’s voice perks up as she tells the incredible story. “Back in 2009, we were partying in a hotel room with Ray and Brandon Carlisle from Teenage Bottlerocket,” she begins. “There was a guitar there, and Brandon was showing ideas for songs. He wrote all the lyrics to ‘Be Sweet’ on four sheets of hotel paper, and I held onto it.” After Brandon’s untimely passing in 2015, The Bombpops reached out to Ray to seek permission to record the song, which he granted; it was then named “Be Sweet” in tribute to the late drummer, as a nod to his catchphrase. “We didn’t leave one lyric out,” Razavi says. “Those are, word for word, Brandon Carlisle’s lyrics.”

The song is a driving, sugary dose of pop punk in the Fat Wreck Chords/Southern California tradition, and it premieres below.

The Bombpops have upcoming West Coast shows with Bad Religion, The Bouncing Souls, and others. UPDATE: They added a tour opening for Red City Radio, which hits NYC on May 20 at Knitting Factory. Russian Girlfriends are on the tour too. Tickets for the NYC show show are on sale now. All dates are listed below.

The Bombpops — 2017 Tour Dates
02/09/17 San Diego, CA The Tower Bar w/ Caskitt & Squarecrow
02/10/17 Los Angeles, CA The Redwood Bar w/ True Rivals, Murderland, The Ex Gentlemen & Bradley Riot
02/11/17 Ventura, CA The Garage w/ Bad Cop/Bad Cop, MAASK (members of Strike Anywhere) & Die Evil Die
02/12/17 San Francisco, CA The Hemlock w/ Get Dead & Sciatic Nerve
02/24/17 Las Vegas, NV The Beauty Bar w/ Western Settings & Caskitt
02/25/17 Tempe, AZ Yucca Tap Room w/ Tiki Bandits, No Gimmick, LightSpeedGo & Skull Drug
03/17/17 Los Angeles, CA The Roxy Theatre w/ The Bouncing Souls
03/18/17 San Diego, CA House of Blues w/ Bad Religion
03/29/17 Los Angeles, CA The Hi Hat w/ Nothington, Western Settings
04/01/17 San Diego, CA The Hide Out w/ Nothington, Western Settings
05/11/17 St. Louis, MO Firebird*
05/12/17 Chicago, IL Cobra Lounge*
05/14/17 Detroit, MI Magic Stick*
05/16/17 London, ON Canada Call The Office*
05/18/17 Toronto, ON Canada The Cave At Lee’s*
05/19/17 Montreal, QC Canada Pouzza Fest
05/20/17 Brooklyn, FL Knitting Factory*
05/21/17 Cambridge, MA Middle East Upstairs*
05/22/17 Philadelphia, PA Voltage Lounge*
05/23/17 Pittsburgh, PA Howlers Cafe*
05/24/17 Fort Wayne, IN Brass Rail*

* – w/ Red City Radio, Russian Girlfriends