In his absence, the other members of the band were performing under the group name ALL, who ended up signing with Interscope, but disputes over marketing and promotion led to the dissolving of the relationship. In the 1990s when punk rock was really starting to pick up, major record labels were signing groups by the dozens in hopes of finding the next “Green Day,” Aukerman tells me. ![]() This may have inadvertently been a product of the band’s periods of inactivity. In both of those areas you try to find your niche, your pocket, in which you can be more passionate, more idealistic and see how well you can do… The beauty with what we’re doing in music is somehow, we’ve been able to avoid the business side taking over.” Similar to music, science has become a less idealistic venture, and more of a business. “In that sense, that might’ve been why I wasn’t suited to be in science. It was only when his research became dominated by products and commercial endeavors that he found himself writing songs again. What drew him to science, and what ended up bringing him back to music, was the same impulse: the pursuit of creativity. The Descendents’ four-decade-long career was broken up first by his departure for university, second by his return to pursue a graduate degree, and again by a career in plant genetics. “I found it as creatively stimulating, at least in its heyday, as music, and that’s why I kept leaving the band… I really wanted to pursue this other passion.” “I wanted to be a scientist before I wanted to be a musician,” he tells me. This marks the Descendents’ first-ever performance in the PRC.Īt first glance, the anarchical genre and academia might seem at odds with each other in both character and form, but five minutes with Aukerman will have you thinking otherwise. He’s got an even longer stint ahead with a show in Japan, four dates across China and a show in Hawaii this April. In between drop-offs, pick-ups and family dinners, Aukerman and the band are now embarking on four-day sets of tours across the US each week, which allows them to play and live their lives concurrently. It’s an image that’s all too fun to indulge: the 56-year-old punk rock dad who holds a PhD in molecular biology driving his 14-year-old daughter and her French horn across state lines to practice classical music. in (science and music) you try to find your niche, your pocket, where you can be more passionate, more idealistic and see how well you can do ![]() “She’ll go see me play,” he says, “but in terms of it’s a whole different thing… I like classical music too though, so I really enjoy her concerts.”. Before our interview, he had just dropped his daughter off for school after her symphony rehearsal earlier that morning. “We were all geeks,” lead singer Milo Aukerman says from his home in Delaware when recalling the band’s early days. ![]() Breaking stuff and skipping school were never part of their brand, as is evident by the title of their first release, Milo Goes to College. Mohawks, neon colored hair, studded belts and leather jackets have become the stereotypical emblem of punk rock – an aggressive image that has frightened parents for decades on end. The Descendents, however, are pretty much the antithesis of the Manic Panic-clad kids coloring the scene.įormed in 1977, the pop punk band is considered a pioneer of the genre known for their signature angsty sound and a well-respected discography.
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