Orange County pop-punk vets WANK were recently in the studio, recording a new song (“Salvation“) with longtime friend, Chris Shiflett of Foo Fighters. Check out a video of the session here.
Guitarist Danny Walker says, “Our song Salvation is a stand out on the new WANK record. Initially written as an acoustic track, we wanted to beef up the song for the album – Enter Chris Shiflett of Foo Fighters. He produced the song, requiring we lay it down “live,” improving the arrangement, inspiring a guitar riff, rocking a badass guitar solo, and driving Spider, our drummer, to deliver the big rock on the drums. We are very blessed to have him work with us on the track, so definitely, ‘Salvation’ is a special song to us.”
Shiflett says, “I had a blast working with my old buddy Danny and his bandmates in Wank on “Salvation.” There’s nothing better than tweaking good songs under the microscope in the studio with a good band and leaving in a different place than you started in.”
Featuring founding members Bobby Amodeo, Spider, Danny Walker, and the new addition of Higgins X-13 (formerly of The Offspring). WANK plans to release their new album ‘White Knuckle Ride’ later this year.
“Salvation” will appear on the upcoming album. A video for the first single “Shut You Down,” is streaming here:
WANK will play two shows at their old stomping grounds, the World Famous Doll Hut in Anaheim, CA on Nov. 16 and 17. Dubbed ‘Wank Weekend,’ the gigs will feature a different supporting lineup each night.
WANK formed in 1995 in Huntington Beach, CA. Mixing pop sensibility, rock chops, and punk energy, WANK (influenced by the Beatles and the Clash, among others) quickly gained momentum and garnered a reputation for themselves with melodic songs and highly entertaining live shows. In 1996, WANK self-released their debut, Get a Grip on Yourself. Their continuing success as a live act brought them to the attention of producer Mike Ness of Social Distortion, who oversaw the recording of “Larry Brown” for a split 7″ on Time Bomb Records (1997.) Ness also produced WANK on their version of “Auld Lang Syne,” their contribution to the comp, Christmas Gone Wrong (1997.)
In late 1997, “Forgiven” was added to rotation at the World Famous KROQ 106.7 in Los Angeles, and WANK was still unsigned. An industry bidding war ensued, and WANK signed an historic record deal with Maverick Records. In 1998, following an expedited major label re-release of Get a Grip on Yourself, WANK took their show on the road, touring with The Specials, Goldfinger, Social Distortion, and Warped Tour ’98. The band parted ways with Maverick Records in 1999 and focused on other projects.
In 2000, Amodeo was diagnosed with cancer, and after years of treatment, he’s back and rock ready. Walker formed and fronted Handsome Devil and was signed to RCA in 2001. Handsome Devil released three albums – Love and Kisses (2001), Knock Yourself Out (2004), and Fully Automatic (2007), and toured with The Used, Lit, Zebrahead, and Warped. In 2007, Walker and friends (from Lit, Adolescents, and Cadillac Tramps) formed Rockers in the Round – an acoustic showcase series. Walker released two singer-songwriter albums – Mumble & Strum (2011) and Salvation (2012). Spider focused on session work and artist management, and he’s still the hardest hitting drummer around.
WANK reunited in 2016, self-releasing their 5 song EP – On with the Show and, in 2017, added guitarist Higgins X-13, formerly of the Offspring. In 2018, WANK is in the studio finishing a new full length album for release. Enjoy – WANK is back.
