STACK July 2016 Issue 141

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More inspired than ever before, honourary Australian Benji Madden tells us how his
mentoring helped shape Good Charlotte's new album Youth Authority. Words: Zoë Radas
1.2 litre
DREAM
"I t’s like malt liquor – not quite beer, and
it's big,” Benji Madden says. He’s
trying to explain a 40 ounce, but it’s
hard when the metric system isn’t your default
setting. Is it like a long neck? “Kind of! In the
‘90s it was synonymous with West Coast
gangster rap. Also, if you remember, Sublime
had that record 40 Oz. To Freedom .”
Sublime, Eazy-E, and obsolete measures of
booze – looking back at early inspirations and
how they can affect what's still ahead is a major
theme of Good Charlotte’s new album Youth
Authority. Stand-out track The Outfield starts
with the sing-song phrase “another true story”
before the lyrics proper begin, which trace the
experiences of a group of kids making their
way into the music biz. “I think it’s a tribute
to a few people – that story stands for a few
different relationships,” Madden says. “When
you get older, you look back and you see
that you were either exploited in some way,
or taken advantage of in some way, and you
come to terms with that and make peace with
it and grow through it. I think it’s a story that
a lot of people can relate to. That’s one of my
favourites – it’s one of the most honest songs
on the record.”
The compulsion to help other young
musicians, and guide them away from the
kinds of sneaky manipulations or downright
abuses Benji’s talking about, are things he and
his brother Joel have always taken seriously
– but the Maddens realised they needed to
formalise that urge if they were going to have
a real impact. “There comes a point where if
we’re really going to help younger artists, then
we need to get organised,” Benji says. Aside
from their participation in reality talent show
The Voice and their extensive charity support
(Make-A-Wish, YouthAIDS, American Foundation
for Suicide Prevention) the twins run a music
media company (MDDN) which specialises in
publishing, production and A&R. (Their roster
isn’t huge, but on it you’ll find Good Charlotte
and Jessie J alongside fledgling all-female punk
trio Potty Mouth and skate culture photographer
Brock Fetch.) “We just decided that we did
really have a passion for mentoring new artists
– helping them maybe avoid some of our
mistakes, so they can have a better experience.
I have to say, I don’t know if I’ve ever been
as passionate about the music business as
I am right now. There’re all these amazing
young artists and it’s really been one of the
visit MUSIC FEATURE
10 JULY 2016
MUSIC
When you get older,
you look back and
you see that you were
either exploited in
some way, or taken
advantage of...