Lars Frederiksen
A tattooed architect of street-level punk, blending Oi! grit with catchy hooks as a driving force behind the band Rancid.
Born 1971 (age 55)·American punk rock musician·Birthday: August 30·Generation X
Biography
Lars Frederiksen didn't just join the punk scene; he absorbed its various shades and reflected them back with raw authenticity. Growing up in a turbulent California childhood, he found solace and identity in the aggressive sounds of UK street punk and hardcore. His early stint with the UK Subs was a crash course, but his true calling came when Tim Armstrong invited him into Rancid in 1993. As guitarist and co-vocalist, Frederiksen's sharper, working-class snarl provided the perfect counterpoint to Armstrong's slurred delivery, helping craft anthems like 'Ruby Soho' and 'Olympia, WA.' Beyond Rancid, he channels his love for Oi! and street punk into side projects like Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards and the Old Firm Casuals, outfits that pay direct homage to the music's roots. More than a musician, he's a curator of punk's subcultural history, using his platform to champion the bands and styles that shaped him.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Lars was born in 1971, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Lars Was Born
The biggest hits of 1971
#1 Movie
Fiddler on the Roof
Best Picture
The French Connection
#1 TV Show
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Lars's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1971Born
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1976Started school
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1984Became a teenager
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Could drive
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1989Could vote
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Turned 21
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2001Turned 30
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 40
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 50
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 55 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote and performed on Rancid's landmark 1995 album '...And Out Come the Wolves,' a multi-platinum punk revival classic.
- Founded the street-punk band Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards, releasing two albums on Hellcat Records.
- Has produced and recorded for numerous punk bands, including the Forgotten and the Business.
- Helped Rancid maintain a fiercely independent ethos, releasing music through their own Hellcat label under Epitaph.
Did You Know?
He is a dedicated supporter of the Scottish football club Celtic FC, which inspired the name Old Firm Casuals.
He has a large collection of punk memorabilia and is considered a historian of the genre.
Before music, he worked as a telemarketer and in a warehouse.
He has numerous tattoos, including a prominent 'SKINHEAD' knuckle tattoo.
“Punk rock is folk music for folks that don't like folk music.”
