Hometown punk rock band releasing new album featuring music from late bandmate

A popular hometown punk rock band is gearing up for a long-awaited release of their newest album, an album that holds heavy significance because it contains music created by a beloved band member and friend who tragically died in 2016. Another Damn Disappointment, A.D.D. for short, has been in the punk rock music scene for decades. Lead vocalist Josh Thompson spoke to the Folsom Telegraph about their upcoming album and the compelling story of the musical group's heartbreak, success and lifelong bond. Thompson, who works for an area fire service, grew up in Folsom and was an avid skateboarder since he was a tyke; and you can hardly be a skater without also being a fan of punk rock. One of Thompson's best friends and another longtime Folsom resident, Casey Marsullo, shared his love of the music genre. Eventually, the inevitable happened: The pair formed a band with several other local friends/musicians and they started creating music. "When the band first got put together, it was kind of a joke. We didn't think anything would happen, we were just skaters that liked to play music," said Thompson. As time went on, what began as a fun, casual thing evolved into a successful musical venture, with the group carving a name for itself in the punk rock music world. A.D.D. was asked to perform in shows alongside other popular punk rock groups and even invited to tour with revered bands like "Gutter Mouth" and "Pennywise." Their fan base grew when they were signed by Volcom Entertainment in 2004, which led to a higher-profile album release. Their music was played in the background of shows like MTV Road Rules and the X Games. Thompson said there are various genres of punk rock but describes A.D.D.'s sound as skate punk. Thompson laughs a bit as he acknowledges his clean-shaven, boy-next-door looks don't exactly jibe with his hardcore musical style, yet the music has always flowed quite naturally. Punk rock emerged on the music scene in the 1970s, primarily in London and New York City, with groups like the Sex Pistols and The Clash as early pioneers but over time evolving to groups like the Ramones, Black Flag and more recently Green Day and Blink 182, to bring the punk rock genre more into the mainstream. A.D.D. has been influenced and inspired by many of these groups while forging their unique space in the genre. But in July 2016, a horrific event altered the path of the band forever. Bass player Marsullo took guitarist Ross Stanley's girlfriend, Lorena Rico, out for a joy ride in his Ford Mustang Cobra. After several hours of not returning, Stanley became concerned and called Thompson to tell him he was getting worried. Thompson was able to instantly access emergency call records. "I get on the computer at work, and look at the incident history and then it comes out and I see the report," said Thompson. "It said, accident on Folsom Lake Crossing Bridge, white sedan versus black sedan. Two people going to the hospital by ambulance, two people deceased." It was soon determined the worst had happened: Marsullo was driving at a high rate of speed westbound, veered into the eastbound lane and crashed into another car. Marsullo and Rico were pronounced dead at the scene. For the band members, this loss was crushing – Marsullo was not just a lifelong friend, he was like a brother. Stanley suffered a devastating double loss, not just of a close friend but his beloved girlfriend. For a while, the music stopped. And yet over time, there was a spark of inspiration that was impossible to turn away from: Before his death, Marsullo had been badgering Thompson to complete a series of songs so they could produce another album. To get the ball rolling, Marsullo and the other bandmates had gone into the studio and recorded the instrumental part of more than a dozen songs. It was just up to Thompson to finish writing and lay down vocals. And over time, he did. "Before he died, he was able to put down all his music. So it will live on even though he's gone," said Thompson, who also re-worked some songs in honor of Marsullo. "I promised him. Because he used to say, are you ever going to finish this thing? Are you ever going to sing these songs? I promised him I would. … I changed some of the lyrics in some of the songs to make them about him." Thompson said the band received an outpouring of support from the community when they made their eventual return to the music scene. Local venues such as the Powerhouse Pub in Folsom welcomed the band back with open arms. When the songs were completed, renowned Grammy-winning record producer Jason Livermore, co-owner of The Blasting Room studio in Colorado, agreed to mix and master the group's album, which was of the highest honor, said Thompson. "He agreed to mix and master our album and he's done pretty much anyone who is anybody in the punk game, like the Descendants, Bad Religion, all kinds of great bands," said Thompson. The name of the album is Bedlam (for those needing a reminder, bedlam is defined as a state of uproar and confusion). Thompson said the name of the album and its elaborate artwork are meant to represent the state of California lately; lyrics from one song, Lights Go Out, illustrate that theme: Get up and make it through another day Middle class America is fading away You make a little money but you can't get ahead Bills are getting higher, getting over your head Hear the cries and the broken lives Living and dying in the streets of LA Look away, turn away, run away This is not my country The album cover was designed by a Spanish artist who also designed artwork for popular Celtic punk rock band Dropkick Murphys. The artwork is vibrant and intense, with a depiction of emblems on the California state flag, a grizzly bear and red star, shown in a very different light. Earth Skateboards designed a board deck with the album art just for the band – the first batch sold out in one day. The deck is currently on sale at PLA Skateboarding in Folsom at 330 E. Bidwell Street. Movement Brewery Company in Rancho Cordova is also throwing in its support; it has created a beer for the band which will be sold at local bars on Sutter Street such as the Folsom Hotel, Gaslight and Crawdad's on the Lake, among others. All of this is fun, exciting and cool, yet Thompson said one reason for the group's long-term staying power is the fact they don't take themselves too seriously, and they all have day jobs. Guitarist Stanley owns the successful Folsom Music Lessons, bass player Aaron Welch is an accountant, guitarist Alex Stephens works for the state forestry service, and drummer Carl Chang works for a company called American Energy. "We don't take it super seriously and we have always done it because it's fun and we like it," explained Thompson. "And we're all friends. A lot of bands take themselves so seriously. … When we first started, we were just a (crappy) garage band. And we were (crappy) for so long that we got good at being (crappy)." Some of the songs on the Bedlam album are 15 years in the making. Obviously, this body of work holds huge sentimental value since it contains music created by a friend and bandmate who was tragically lost, yet it also symbolizes the resiliency of the group, their love for punk rock and their friendship, which has endured the worst of times and enjoyed the best of times. "We're kind of like family. We already know what each other's going to do and it just comes across on stage as effortless," said Thompson, contemplating the reason for their decades-long staying power. "We love it and we all get along super well. As long as we've been playing together, it's just easy." The Bedlam album releases April 21 and will be available on all streaming platforms. This is the band's fourth album. A.D.D. will also be having a Bedlam album release show on April 26 at Goldfield in Roseville. A.D.D. will be joined by the bands Deviates, Knocked Down and Lesdystics. For information about tickets and show times, visit https://goldfieldtradingpost.com/