Sum 41: ‘Everything Is Just Part Of The Journey'

The Canadian rock band’s frontman Deryck Whibley on their new album ‘Order In Decline’ and writing a song about the U.S. Presidential election result

- Anurag Tagat

IF EVERYONE’S memory of 2000s rock was spiky-haired kids moshing in an empty swimming pool, you have Sum 41 to credit. The Canadian band has always been punk-leaning with that doofus-comic intent (“In Too Deep” and “The Hell Song”), but also showed emotional maturity (“Pieces”) over the two decades that they’ve been active.

Over the phone from his home in Los Angeles, frontman Deryck Whibley says most of Sum 41’s material – including their new album Order In Decline – is never thought about too much. “I didn’t really think about anything, I never really do when I’m going into an album,” he says. While Sum 41 still held mainstream rock dominance when they released Underclass Hero in 2007, guitarist Dave Baksh left the band in 2006 and 2011’s Screaming Bloody Murder was met with mixed reviews.

Even then, Sum 41 soldiered on with rock-solid intent, touring around the globe and prepping for their next. They pumped their brakes in 2014, when Whibley was hospitalized due to excessive drinking, something that nearly resulted in his death. By 2016, Sum 41’s comeback was in full swing, now reunited with Baksh and their no-holds-barred debut on Hopeless Records, 13 Voices.

With the band running on high from that album and Order In Decline as well, Whibley sounds like a content rockstar who can take his rage on stage. A few days ahead of their tour through Europe and North America promoting the new album (out July 19th via Hopeless Records), Whibley spoke to Rolling Stone India about growing up and growing old, his writing process and heavy music. Excerpts: