Pennywise Singer Proudly Raising Punks Of His Own

HERMOSA BEACH, Calif. (TNA) – Rock ‘n’ roll has traditionally preached an ethos of living fast and dying young, an attitude that doesn’t exactly match well with responsible parenting.

But Jim Lindberg, the lead singer of the California-based punk group Pennywise, feels that parenting and punk rock don’t have to be strange bedfellows and, in fact, are quite compatible.

"I think being a rebellious teenager or punk rocker is an advantage when you become a parent because you know what kids are really doing and saying," Lindberg said.

Parenting and punk rock doesn't clash for Jim Lindberg.

As proof, he cites his own teenage years when he would sneak out three nights a week and leave his parents’ house in Hermosa Beach, California, in order to visit various Hollywood punk clubs.

However, that only lasted until his parents finally caught him.

These days, Lindberg admits his punk rock past makes him extra vigilant with his own daughters, who are 10, 8 and 4 years of age. In fact, he puts the same intense drive into his parenting as he does into his music.

Now, he is offering his take on what it’s like for a guy who sings songs like "Fuck Authority," to become an authority figure himself with a new book, "Punk Rock Dad" (Collins).

Lindberg didn’t intend to become the face of modern fatherhood.

Originally, he was writing a book about the history of the Hermosa Beach punk scene, which spawned seminal bands like Black Flag and the Adolescents and, in Lindberg’s opinion, has been underappreciated.

But the last chapter of the book not only discussed the lasting effects of the music that inspired him, but also what it was like to evolve from rebellious youth to parental authority figure.

A friend who is a book publisher read Lindberg’s words and felt he’d be the perfect guy to discuss being a post-punk parent.

"It was kinda cool," Lindberg admits. "At first, I thought it would be sarcastic and take whatever the experts say, tell you why they’re wrong, and then tell the truth."

Instead, Lindberg decided to focus more on his feelings about fatherhood, including his initial ambivalence – a characteristic that he thinks, in retrospect, is the sign of a good Dad.

"A lot of guys are scared about being a dad," Lindberg said. "The ones that don’t seem unafraid don’t realize how hard it is to do right."

The realities of parenting also made Lindberg look at his parents in a whole new light.

"I liked my parents growing up, but, later on, I thought I should say to them, ‘Sorry, I was such a jerk,’" Lindberg said. Although he believes he would have been a rebellious teen no matter where he grew up, he figures the fact that he grew up in Hermosa Beach pushed him over the edge because, "at the beach, there’s a premium based on raging."

Lindberg’s real life has had effects on Pennywise in various ways. The band goes out on the road for two weeks at a time, instead of two months, and he is just as interested in attending soccer games as he is punk shows.

Parenting has also affected him musically.

"I came into parenting with the band’s sense of melody and structure intact, so having kids didn’t affect that," Lindberg said. "That said, it has crystallized my efforts to write songs about changing the world. Some people might say, ‘Oh, that’s tripe,’ but I’m very concerned with the world that my kids face."

Lindberg now says he doesn’t want his kids to grow up not trusting ANY authority figures, but feels it’s his duty to tell them that while the majority of teachers or policemen are good, there are a few bad apples out there.

"I’m teaching the kids to learn about the world around them," Lindberg said. "The people who’ve grown up as the ‘Alternative Generation’ have a great opportunity to teach their kids to decide for themselves and make informed choices.

"For instance, ‘The People’s History Of America’ paints a different picture of Christopher Columbus than you’ll find in most history books in school, but I think it’s important for kids to hear all sides."

Lindberg is also trying to teach his kids to be open-minded about music, but admits it’s hard for him to practice what he preaches when they express a desire to listen to Justin Timberlake or Britney Spears.

As a result, he has a standing rule that when he’s driving them to school, they can only listen to the Clash or the Ramones, but he insists he doesn’t tell them to like it.

"There are times when I will put on some Blondie and set them down and try to explain that this was an important band on the New York punk scene and I can see their eyes glaze over, but, later, I can see them digging it."

Lindberg and his fellow Pennywise members have spent the summer on the Warped tour – their sixth stint so far, and the group plans to go in the studio later this year. He figures that will be the schedule for the near and far future.

"As long as there are fans who want to see us, we’ll keep going."