Mike Ness of Social Distortion speaks about upcoming new music

Author Benedetta Baldin – 4.5.2026

Mike Ness of punk rock icons Social Distortion discussed the band’s eagerly anticipated eighth album, “Born To Kill,” in a recent interview with Paul Cashmere of Noise11, as per Blabbermouth. “Born To Kill” is Social Distortion’s eighth album, the first in 15 years and the first since Ness’s successful cancer treatment, and it will be released on May 8 via Epitaph. Lucinda Williams and Benmont Tench (of Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers) participate on the album, which Ness co-produced with seasoned producer Dave Sardy. Shepard Fairey and Ness created the album’s artwork. Mike responded as follows when asked why Social Distortion should release a new album at this time.

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.

When asked the age of some of the songs on this album, Ness responded as follows.

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.

Mike made this statement on “how finished off” and “in shape to be released” the remaining thirty songs that weren’t on “Born To Kill.”

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I mean, look, we plan to shock everybody and put out another studio album in a timely manner. [Laughs]

When asked if he believed that Social Distortion fulfilled his ambition to set a career record, Mike responded as follows.

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.

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