Operation Ivy’s Tim Armstrong, Jesse Michaels Form New Band Bad Optix

Operation Ivy‘s Tim Armstrong and Jesse Michaels have formed a new band, Bad Optix, which also features drummer Joey Castillo (Circle Jerks, Queens of the Stone Age, the Bronx) and bassist Spencer Pollard (Trash Talk).

They announced the new band along with the release of their debut single “Raid” via Hellcat Records. The new track kicks off the Hellcat Singles Club: a collection of new releases by a variety of bands curated by Armstrong and the Hellcat team.

Michaels says “Raid” is “about every person’s spiritual autonomy from the powers that be, regardless of who they are or what their particular struggle is.”

“Like many of the tracks we have worked on, I heard the music and wrote the lyrics very quickly, almost on the spot,” he added. “This was only the second song we did but it felt hot immediately and just flowed so we thought it would be a good way to introduce the new band to the world.”

(Photo: Lisa Johnson)