SOCIAL DISTORTION Releases Music Video For 'Tonight' From 'Born To Kill' Album

SOCIAL DISTORTION has released the official video for "Tonight", a smoking rock ballad from the veteran outfit's "best album in years" (Rolling Stone),"Born To Kill".

Shot on location in Tulsa, Oklahoma, "Tonight" was directed by John Swab, whose credits include cult classic "Candy Land" as well as the upcoming Netflix feature "Fast & Loose" starring Will Smith. The video sees the "rollicking cowpunk" (Brooklyn Vegan) of the "Born To Kill" standout track scoring a love story starring Johnny Angel Rios-Ness, son of SOCIAL DISTORTION founder Mike Ness. The two generations deliver star turns, weaving Ness's riveting performance with a narrative inspired by the song's tribute to his wife of more than three decades, Christine.

SOCIAL DISTORTION released its long-awaited eighth album, "Born To Kill", on May 8 via Epitaph Records. The new record wastes no time letting the listener know where its heart is: its hard-charging title track — named as one of Rolling Stone's "Best Songs Of 2026 So Far" — paying respects to Lou Reed ("Rock 'n' Roll Animal gonna come your way!") and Iggy and THE STOOGES ("The agenda is yeah to Search and Destroy") and lionizing David Bowie ("It's a Rock 'n' Roll Suicide") on "Partners In Crime". This is a man, a band, and a record that wear their influences proudly while creating timeless anthems and ballads that chart SOCIAL DISTORTION's path forward while celebrating its storied past.

Co-produced by Ness and Dave Sardy, and featuring guest appearances from Benmont Tench of TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS and Lucinda Williams, and collaborative cover art by Ness and Shepard Fairey, "Born To Kill" is the latest installment in a remarkable catalog that spans nearly three generations, including "Mommy's Little Monster" (1983),"Prison Bound" (1988),the RIAA-gold-certified "Social Distortion" (1990) and "Somewhere Between Heaven And Hell" (1992),"White Light, White Heat, White Trash" (1996),"Sex, Love And Rock 'N' Roll" (2004) and "Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes" (2011).

In a recent interview with Paul Cashmere of Noise11, Ness was asked why now was the right time for SOCIAL DISTORTION to release a new album. Mike said: "Well, I wish I had a good answer for you. Fifteen years ago we were touring heavily. A lot of real-life stuff started to happen. My older son got into some trouble with drugs and alcohol. I still had to tour and deal with that. I don't know, honestly, though. I mean, I could name all these things that have happened — COVID and cancer and family stuff — but I don't feel I could have made this record fifteen years ago. I wasn't in a headspace [to make an album]. So, it is what it is. All I knew is when it came time to make this record, I knew I couldn't deliver a sleeper."

Asked how old some of the songs on this album are, Ness said: "I can tell you there's two [songs] that are left over from the [1996] 'White Light, [White Heat, White Trash]' demos — 'No Way Out' and 'Don't Keep Me Hanging On' were both songs that I couldn't finish in time to record [for] the 'White Light' album. And like many ideas, they just get kind of shoved in a corner, and they didn't make the record. It wasn't because they weren't good enough; it's just we didn't have the time to finish them all. And the same thing when it came time to pick these eleven songs. I had over 40 songs to go through and 40 ideas, and we had to spend a couple of months just kind of arranging 'em and playing them and seeing which ones kind of [worked best]. And it was a very tough decision, because you're, like… I guess we can just look at it, like, 'This will go on the next record for sure.' So you just to make a decision."

Regarding "how finished off" the remaining thirty songs are that weren't included on "Born To Kill" and whether they are "in shape to be released", Mike said: "Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I mean, look, we plan to shock everybody and put out another studio album in a timely manner. [Laughs]"

Asked if he thinks SOCIAL DISTORTION delivered on his desire to make the record of his career, Mike said: "I think so. I was kind of using 'White Light' as a kind of compass of some sort. But that was in the '90s, and I was working with a producer that… I just don't personally — I don't like how he made me sing the songs. He made me sing them really at '15', where it's almost like it wasn't really singing anymore. I thought they were beautiful songs, and if I would've been more aware, like I am now, I would've sang them… Because for me, I've noticed that when I sing a song of mine, or someone else's, the attitude comes out when it's supposed to. It doesn't have to just be slamming the whole time. I feel like you lose something. That's my own critique on myself. But I do think that this is a better record than 'White Light', yes."

SOCIAL DISTORTION will promote "Born To Kill" with an extensive North American tour. The trek runs through October 3 in San Diego. THE DESCENDENTS and THE CHATS support from August 25 through October 3.