STACK #141 Jul 2016

MUSIC FEATURE

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More inspired than ever before, honourary Australian Benji Madden tells us how his mentoring helped shape Good Charlotte's new album Youth Authority . Words: Zoë Radas 1.2 litre DREAM

MUSIC

his brother Joel have always taken seriously – but the Maddens realised they needed to formalise that urge if they were going to have a real impact. “There comes a point where if we’re really going to help younger artists, then we need to get organised,” Benji says. Aside from their participation in reality talent show The Voice and their extensive charity support (Make-A-Wish, YouthAIDS, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) the twins run a music media company (MDDN) which specialises in publishing, production and A&R. (Their roster isn’t huge, but on it you’ll find Good Charlotte and Jessie J alongside fledgling all-female punk trio Potty Mouth and skate culture photographer Brock Fetch.) “We just decided that we did really have a passion for mentoring new artists – helping them maybe avoid some of our mistakes, so they can have a better experience. I have to say, I don’t know if I’ve ever been as passionate about the music business as I am right now. There’re all these amazing young artists and it’s really been one of the

it and grow through it. I think it’s a story that a lot of people can relate to. That’s one of my favourites – it’s one of the most honest songs on the record.”

"I t’s like malt liquor – not quite beer, and it's big,” Benji Madden says. He’s trying to explain a 40 ounce, but it’s hard when the metric system isn’t your default setting. Is it like a long neck? “Kind of! In the ‘90s it was synonymous with West Coast gangster rap. Also, if you remember, Sublime had that record 40 Oz. To Freedom .” Sublime, Eazy-E, and obsolete measures of booze – looking back at early inspirations and how they can affect what's still ahead is a major theme of Good Charlotte’s new album Youth Authority . Stand-out track T he Outfield starts with the sing-song phrase “another true story” before the lyrics proper begin, which trace the experiences of a group of kids making their way into the music biz. “I think it’s a tribute to a few people – that story stands for a few different relationships,” Madden says. “When you get older, you look back and you see that you were either exploited in some way, or taken advantage of in some way, and you come to terms with that and make peace with

When you get older, you look back and you see that you were either exploited in some way, or taken advantage of...

The compulsion to help other young musicians, and guide them away from the kinds of sneaky manipulations or downright abuses Benji’s talking about, are things he and

JULY 2016

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