News

Operation Ivy’s Tim Armstrong and Jesse Michaels launch new band, Bad Optix

Punk legends Bad Optix – featuring members of Rancid, Operation Ivy, The Bronx and more – have unleashed their debut single Raid.

Operation Ivy’s Tim Armstrong and Jesse Michaels launch new band, Bad Optix
Words:
Emily Carter
Photo:
Lisa Johnson

Operation Ivy’s Tim Armstrong and Jesse Michaels have reunited for a new band, Bad Optix.

The newly-unveiled quartet are completed by drummer Joey Castillo (Circle Jerks, The Bronx) and bassist Spencer Pollard (Trash Talk), and are showing what they’re all about with debut song Raid – which Jesse says is about “every person’s spiritual autonomy from the powers that be, regardless of who they are or what their particular struggle is.”

After forming in March 2021, Jesse reveals of how Bad Optix’s music has come together: “Like many of the tracks we have worked on, I heard the music and wrote the lyrics very quickly, almost on the spot. [Raid] was only the second song we did but it felt hot immediately and just flowed so we thought it would be a good way to introduce the new band to the world.”

Listen to Raid below:

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