Bad Religion bassist Jay Bentley joins Paul Cashmere for an in-depth Noise11 interview about the band’s future, the seven-year gap since 2019’s Age Of Unreason and what it takes to keep creating meaningful punk rock after more than four decades.
With 17 albums and hundreds of songs behind them, Bad Religion face an unusual creative challenge. What is left to write about when the political and social issues that inspired their earliest music remain unresolved?
Jay discusses the band’s continuing focus on humanity, political frustration, independent thought and the difficulty of finding fresh lyrical perspectives without repeating the same arguments. He also reflects on why Age Of Unreason remains relevant and how songs such as My Sanity have found a lasting place in the band’s catalogue.
The conversation turns to Bad Religion’s live future. Jay reveals that Greg Graffin has been looking for a more sustainable approach to touring after nearly 47 years with the band. That has prompted discussions about changing the setlists, with material from The Process Of Belief onwards expected to feature more prominently in the next phase of performances.
Jay also explains why festival audiences need a different Bad Religion setlist, why Digital Boy remains essential and how the band balances familiar songs with deeper catalogue selections.
He shares the unexpected influence of Me First And The Gimme Gimmes, describing how playing Gloria Estefan songs at heavy metal festivals changed his attitude towards the music business and the expectations musicians place on themselves.
The interview also looks back at Bad Religion’s Australian touring history, including memorable package tours with NOFX and Social Distortion, and Jay’s interest in bringing another combined touring experience to Australia.
Watch Jay Bentley discuss Bad Religion’s next chapter, the possibility of new music, changing setlists and the band’s continuing relationship with Australian audiences.
Bad Religion will play Good Things 2026
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