With 25 years and seven albums under their belt since Good Charlotte’s self-titled debut dropped, the Waldorf, Maryland-born band are back. Their eighth full-length, Motel Du Cap, out today, sees them returning to their pop-punk roots, with emotional depth that only decades of living life can deliver. Produced by the duo of Jordan Fish (ex-Bring Me The Horizon) and Zakk Cervini — a linchpin of the contemporary alternative landscape — the album checks more than a few boxes, with heavy moments, big, rich ballads, and more. As a group that’ve always flirted with genre fluidity, this project has more of the same. Besides their signature anthemic rock sound, the tracklist weaves through hip-hop, dream-pop, country, and soul — bolstered by features from Wiz Khalifa, Zeph, Luke Borchelt, and Petti Hendrix.
The Madden brothers have never shied away from being vulnerable. Since the start, they laid their troubles and trauma out against hooky backdrops — the heartwrenching “Emotionless” off 2002’s The Young and The Hopeless actually traces back to their ‘96 demo tape. Motel Du Cap certainly follows suit, though through a matured lens. It’s reflective, sonically and lyrically, heard on shiny pop-rock songs like “GC FOREVER,” where they take a long look back — without attempting to recreate the past with sugar-coated nostalgia. Rather, the album as a whole seems to honor where they came while reminding us that today, they are steadfastly where that path has led them. So, whether you’ve been on that journey with them all along, or are just diving in — this album can be for you.
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To dig deeper, and celebrate both Motel Du Cap and the undeniable legacy of GC — we have teamed up with Good Charlotte for a special-edition magazine.
The 72-page magazine features a premium embossed holograph cover, rare and never-before-seen images, and tells the decades-long story of the band, from their formation in Waldorf, Maryland, during the ’90s to the enduring influence they’ve had on dozens of bands — and alternative culture at large. It also contains new, exclusive interviews with Joel and Benji Madden, Paul Thomas, and Billy Martin. Along the way, members of Avenged Sevenfold, Chase Atlantic, Lit, the Maine, Stand Atlantic, and more reveal their admiration and formative memories of Good Charlotte. This special-edition issue is printed in a very limited quantity.
Additionally, the collector’s issue is bundled with exclusive merch and vinyl, including special variants of Motel Du Cap and The Young and the Hopeless, plus a MADE tee and hoodie (the clothing line that Joel and Benji created in the early 2000s).