Redd Kross bassist and songwriter Steve McDonald joins Paul Cashmere for an in-depth conversation ahead of the band’s Australian tour with The Hard-Ons. In this wide-ranging interview, McDonald reflects on Redd Kross’s long and unlikely journey from Los Angeles punk outsiders to one of underground rock’s most enduring and genre-defying bands.
McDonald discusses the band’s early connection with The Hard-Ons in the 1980s, their shared history with Tim Rogers, and why touring together in 2025 feels like a full-circle moment. He also talks about the realities of ageing rock audiences, the appeal of matinee shows, and how Redd Kross balances its deep catalogue with newer, more confrontational material.
The conversation dives into the making of Redd Kross’s latest double album, created alongside the Born Innocent documentary and the band’s oral-history memoir. McDonald explains how revisiting four decades of chaos, creativity and brotherly tension with Jeff McDonald helped fuel one of the band’s most intense releases.
McDonald also reflects on Redd Kross’s unique position in music history, moving freely between punk, glam, pop and alternative scenes without ever fully belonging to one. From opening for Black Flag to playing shows with Sonic Youth, Poison and beyond, Redd Kross carved out a space that defied easy classification.
Along the way, McDonald shares stories involving The Partridge Family, flying kiwi fruit, Suicidal Tendencies, Melvins, OFF!, and why honesty mattered more than polish when documenting the band’s story. It’s a candid, funny and insightful look at a band that never planned for the long game but somehow ended up winning it.
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