THE DEFIANT Feat. Former Members Of MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES, THE OFFSPRING, SMASH MOUTH: Debut Album Details Revealed

THE DEFIANT, the new band featuring MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES singer Dicky Barrett alongside with Pete Parada (THE OFFSPRING) on drums, Greg Camp (SMASH MOUTH) on guitar, Johnny Rioux (STREET DOGS) on bass, and Joey LaRocca (THE BRIGGS) on guitar and keyboards, has released its second single, "Where Were You?".

"Where Were You?" and the previously released track "Dead Language" will be featured on THE DEFIANT's debut album, "If We're Really Being Honest", due out on October 27 via Side One Dummy.

"Dead Language" was a labor of love. Barrett says: "When Greg shared 'Dead Language', it was the first song anyone I ever collaborated with presented to me where I didn't want to change anything. I'm the type of egomaniac that looks at the Mona Lisa and says, 'Doesn't she need to be smiling?' It sounded perfect and it said what I wanted to say perfectly. It was at that point I knew we had something special."

Regarding the second single from the group, Barrett states: "Lyrically I tried to make 'Where Were You' a timeless pressure valve for everyone who's ever felt abandoned by anyone and step number one to healing the divide and bridging the gap that some people insist on widening." The song is accompanied by a lyric video that can be seen below.

"Dead Language" marked Barrett's first new music since the BOSSTONES broke up in early 2022, shortly after the release of the band's last album, "When God Was Great".

"If We're Really Being Honest" track listing:

01. Everybody Loves Me
02. Dead Language
03. Where Were You?
04. We Make Drugs
05. Can't Stop Cryin'
06. No Nothing
07. Where Did Lady Liberty Go?
08. As One
09. One Reason Or Another
10. Like Flies
11. These Shoes
12. It Is Over

Barrett previously stated about THE DEFIANT's distinctive combination of clever, quick-witted, thought-provoking lyrics and well-crafted punk rock songs: "All I've ever really wanted to do is bring people together and share a message of peace, love, and unity. With that in mind, the music created by THE DEFIANT could very well be some of the best I've ever had a hand in making, as well as one of the most important and thoughtful musical experiences of my career. I am thrilled to be a part of it."

Added Parada: "It is an insanely solid lineup, like Murderers Row from the 1927 New York Yankees. This project is a real throwback to when albums felt like books, and songs were integral chapters in a story. It's a tribute to the heartbroken, the misunderstood, the lost and found, the isolated, the fighters, the believers, the wildly hopeful and irrationally optimistic." "I agree with Pete but let's take it easy with the Yankees analogies," interjected lifelong Red Sox supporter Barrett.

Rioux said: "The diversity of the material is great, too. You can hear hints of THE JAM, THE POGUES, THE SPECIALS and BLUR. So many different influences make up this project. Those influences, along with incredible unifying and biographical lyrics, have resulted in something I'm really excited about."

When asked about this new musical brotherhood, Camp said: "We have all either known each other or run into each other on the road over the years. But the moment we were all in the same room at the same time, it was like we had been buddies since birth."

When it comes to THE DEFIANT, the whole is — at the very least — equal to the sum of its not inconsiderable parts. "For me, the best thing about this group is that we’re so aligned on just about every aspect of our lives. From our similar musical backgrounds and influences to our general life philosophies, we have much in common and a lot to share," said LaRocca.