Jim Lindberg Revives The Black Pacific with New Album

Jim Lindberg, known as the lead singer of the popular punk band Pennywise, has taken a step back into his other music venture, The Black Pacific. This band first made its mark with a self-titled album in 2010 and has recently released a new album after a lengthy break of 14 years.

Working alongside drummer Alan Vega, Lindberg has brought The Black Pacific back to life. Their latest album titled Here Comes Our Wave has recently launched, alongside a new video for the single “Best Day Ever,” showcasing Lindberg’s optimistic side.

In a recent phone interview, Lindberg shared his excitement about the new music, stating, “I have probably two boxes of cassette tapes of songs I’ve written over the years that weren’t necessarily right for Pennywise, so I just figured it’s now or never.” He reflected on the band's origins, explaining how he started it during a brief break from Pennywise, wanting to explore his creativity by playing guitar and producing his own recordings.

Lindberg took on a significant role in this album by writing all the tracks and performing multiple instruments, including guitar and bass, alongside the drums.

He mentioned, “That’s something that makes me feel good that I could write an entire album on my own and have it be received well by the public.” In contrast to the straightforward punk sound of Pennywise, The Black Pacific's new album presents a more pop-oriented vibe mixed with grunge influences and reflective lyrics. Uniquely, this album also features a love song, which is quite rare for Lindberg.

Lindberg differentiates the two bands by their lyrical themes: “Pennywise has a pretty narrow target. We play very anthemic, inspiring, sometimes political fist-in-the-air anthems. Black Pacific kind of gives me an opportunity to approach other themes.”

The new single “Best Day Ever” carries an uplifting message, even as the music video portrays various disaster scenes. Lindberg describes the song as a post-punk piece inspired by Nietzsche, encouraging listeners to accept life's ups and downs with a positive outlook.

He explained the song’s philosophy: “It’s the idea that somehow we have to love our fate no matter what it is. We can’t control things, so you have to find a way to accept all the great things and all the calamity and chaos equally.”

As with his work in Pennywise, Lindberg isn’t afraid to address social and political issues in this album. Songs like “I Think I’m Paranoid” tackle topics such as violence, terrorism, and societal conflict, while the track “No Fun” critiques dictatorial figures who cause chaos. Another song, “Here We Come,” warns about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence in the job market.

Lindberg is a dedicated consumer of news, remarking, “I’m a complete news monger. I read every newspaper, I watch tons of shows on TV, I listen to podcasts and so I’m taking in all kinds of views and just trying to put my spin on it and let everyone decide their views.”

Among the more personal tracks is “Float Away,” where he expresses the desire to escape the modern world with his wife by building a raft. “The point of the song is hey, just you and I build a raft and float away somewhere to get away from the phones and from everything now that we’ve kind of made it through this whole thing of raising our daughters,” he said.

When asked about his idea of a perfect day, Lindberg shared an easygoing vision: “Oh that’s easy. Wake up and go for a surf, get some breakfast at Uncle Bills, hang out at the beach all day with my friends and get some El Sombrero for lunch. And I would end it by having a barbecue with friends and family and maybe playing some music around the fire. That’s a perfect day,” he concluded.

music, album, punk, creativity