Descendents

Descendents are an American punk rock band from Manhattan Beach, California, formed in 1978 by guitarist Frank Navetta, bassist Tony Lombardo and drummer Bill Stevenson. The group is active from 1978 to the present and is associated with hardcore punk, melodic hardcore, pop punk, punk, punk rock and skate punk.

Style and themes

Descendents are known as one of the early hardcore punk bands to write about personal and comic subjects rather than the more typical scene concerns. Their songs often focus on everyday subjects such as parents, food, girls and rejection, and their sound reflects Beach Boys influence alongside punk roots.

Line-up and activity

Shortly after forming, the band adds Milo Aukerman and develops from a surf-influenced project into a full punk band. Other members associated with the group include Ray Cooper, Doug Carrion, Karl Alvarez, Stephen Egerton and Chuck Biscuits. The band also has a history of long breaks, including periods lasting around a decade, and it reunites around Milo Aukerman’s return after time away for college and later work in biochemistry.

Related details

Milo Aukerman attends the University of California, San Diego, and later works as a biochemist at DuPont Chemical in Delaware before returning to music. He also returns to academic work teaching biochemistry before leaving that path to focus on music full-time. The title of the band’s debut reflects the college theme that becomes part of their story.