Good Charlotte, the pop-punk legends helmed by twin brothers Joel and Benji Madden, has evolved since its self-titled debut in 2000. Their follow-up album, 2002’s The Young and the Hopeless, shot them to rock stardom, which they’ve used to dominate radio airwaves and world tours alike.
Seven albums, countless tours, a hit podcast and three children later, collectively, Good Charlotte has established that they’re here to stay as one of the most influential career acts of the 21st century. With the success and evolution of their musical career and creative endeavors, such as hosting Paramount’s Ink Master and the smash podcast Artist Friendly, as well as having children and superstar marriages, the brothers recognize that the band has undergone significant changes over the past quarter of a decade.
They’ve welcomed these progressions, though. They aren’t looking to fight against them and recreate the sounds that first put them in the limelight. They are, however, seeking the same sense of fun and freedom that are integral parts of the band’s identity. Their newest single, “Stepper,” is a prime example of this carefree, self-assured nature. Released on July 18 via Atlantic, the track is a braggadocious take on the rockstar dad lives they’ve adopted. They’re “pissing excellence” and splurging on “good linen” for their homes. Most prominently, Nicole Richie and Cameron Diaz are shouted out as rockstars in their own right: “She’s a heart stealer, and she just wants to ride with me.”
“Stepper” is an earworm and the first offering from Good Charlotte’s eighth studio album, Motel Du Cap, out Today. The Madden brothers are presenting 13 new tracks that include four features, ranging from legends like Wiz Khalifa to fresh acts from their own label, MDDN, like Petti Hendrix. They’ve taken to Good Charlotte’s Instagram feed to tease clips from some of the record’s tracks ahead of its release. From what these videos reveal, Motel Du Cap is sure to be an exciting musical return to form featuring modernized lyrical subjects and energetic deliveries.
Good Charlotte sat down with PAPER to discuss Motel Du Cap, live performance, their love for podcasting and the impacts of family life on the band.
Let’s start with “Stepper.” How do you guys feel about its release? What has the fan reaction been like?
Joel Madden: I feel great. This whole album rollout has been really fun for us. The reception of the music has been great; it’s super warm. We don’t feel any pressure, so I don’t know how else I would feel about it. We knew we were going to make a record in its own time and only create a record that we cared about and liked. Getting it out is really nice because we like it. And then when other people like it, it feels great.
The song is super fun. It feels very classic to your sound but refreshing.
Joel: It’s a funny, weird little song that fits into a catalogue of quirky little songs. There are guitars on there that we’re really happy with. We didn’t come into 2025 and say, “Let’s make a record with those three guys that have the top songs right now.” It’s one strategy, but we were looking for something different. When we made this record, it was like, “What’s Good Charlotte in 2025? What does that record sound like?” We weren’t trying to go back, but when we make music organically, it’s going to sound like Good Charlotte.
You’re the same people, it makes sense. What inspired the song, and how does it fit into the album as a whole?
Joel: “Stepper” is inspired by my real life, by the things I care about. It’s about going into the world, trying my best. Being part of my family and being married to my wife. I wanted to write a song about it that felt “me.” My delivery of it is direct, and not at the same time. It’s a pop-rock song, but the messaging is about the person I’m building a family with.
It feels relatable.
Benj Madden: The thing I love about “Stepper” is that Joel has a way of saying things in a way that only our band can do. It’s deeply ingrained in our music. We want people to listen to our music and feel more confident, to feel a spark of self-worth and drive. We love to try and motivate people, and I think Joel has a way of delivery where there’s a little rap, a little pop punk. There’s something unique to us.
A little Good Charlotte swag. How has the writing process evolved throughout your career?
Joel: It’s been an evolution. When we started, we were so encompassed. We didn’t know the subject matter we were writing about. Cool stuff comes out of your self-consciousness. We were green and from a small town and naive, which made some cool art. But then we got some life experience and got a little jaded. You start thinking about what people are saying and who’s watching. We went through a journey of maturity to get back to that subconscious. We went into this record not thinking about anything or trying to make a formula. We want to see what comes out of us each day. What’s inside that feels like we need to say it? That’s how it was back in the day, with an acoustic guitar, just the two of us, singing. With our company, MDDN, we’re just coaching our artists to be themselves. Our advice is “Don’t be who you think you should be, be who you are.” That’s been healing for us.
You occupy a compelling space when it comes to collaboration. With MDDN, you’ve taken on a mentor role. Same with your podcast, Artist Friendly, and collaborations with artists like De’Wayne. Speak about collaboration and Good Charlotte?
Joel: I love other artists. I love talking to them. MDDN is our mothership. It’s our heart and soul. We built it for artists to use, most of whom we don’t even work with. Everyone knows that everyone’s welcome. You have to bring openness and bring yourself. We’re always looking to help artists that we believe in and help them achieve their dreams. We’re older now, and our own dreams are less personal. I have the dream to continue building a legacy that I’ll feel proud of. There are artists on this next record who you’ve never heard of. They’re being authentic, and it’s beautiful.
Benj: We get so much joy out of working with these artists. Whether they’re with MDDN or not. You feel like you’re on your first ride again. We met MGK in 2010, YungBlood when he started. When we see them succeed, it makes us so happy.
You’ve really opened up a space, through your podcast, for established artists to open up about their experiences in music. Tell me about Artist Friendly.
Joel: It’s my favorite thing I do. I love talking to people. I love to hear someone’s story, to know how they got here. I have so many different guests; it’s such a fun space. The success of the show is in the guests. We’re an open door, and when someone says they want to come on the show, I just ask them, “Have you seen it?” All I require is that they know we’re not here to have our guard up. It’s revealing who you are in real life. We’re approaching 200 episodes, it’s amazing.
Benj: It’s super organic. Everyone shows up wanting to have a personal conversation. It’s not looking for clickbait, so I think people really show up. I’m the biggest fan of it. I listen to every episode. From Insane Clown Posse to The Rock, all these guests wanted to come on the show and have a heartfelt conversation. I’m just so excited to see where it goes, it’s such a great microcosm of our career because we’re not trying to overmarket it and shove it in people’s faces. We’re letting people discover it, which is what we’re doing with the band, too.
So much of Good Charlotte is centered on live performance. How have live experiences with Good Charlotte evolved throughout the band’s lifetime?
Joel: When we were younger, it was throw and go, which was very exciting. It was a great show in its own right, but as we got older, we began to understand craft. We put a lot more time, effort, and detail into the live show, which I enjoy. We never used to rehearse. Ever. Now, we rehearse for our tours and I enjoy it. Coming back to live, our audiences are bigger than they’ve ever been. We’ve been compelled to put together a show that’s in line with the sizes of these crowds and the band’s legacy.
Benj: And we want to give fans their money’s worth. We want to give them an experience that’s special.
Joel: We’re realizing how many people haven’t seen us before. We want their time with Good Charlotte to be everything they hoped it would be. We put a lot of effort into the production and the run of the show.
Benj: Yeah, it’s become so much about the audience. I want to give people a show where they leave with energy with their friends, and they’re glad they came. We want to create an atmosphere and an energy. It’s so different.
It’s more selfless.
Joel: We get our self-worth from somewhere else now, from being dads. That’s a theme on the record. There’s definitely a dad rock vibe. It’s like, “Hey, this is us now.”
It’s honest, yeah. What does being family and in the band look like? How do you maintain that balance?
Joel: We’re super close. We were raised in a home that had a lot of dysfunction, from mental health to addiction to a plain lack of resources. We didn’t have great communication, Benj and I had to work on that. We really enjoy working and growing together, and we’re both married. Thank god our wives are best friends. We both married people who love us and love the relationship we have with each other because it’s very different. Our wives love that about us, but they had to learn how to. Over the years, it’s been amazing to have a brother be my best friend, business partner and backup. If I have to go somewhere, he’ll stay with my kids and vice versa.
Benj: Our wives are best friends. They love each other. We all care so deeply about each other.
Joel: And everyone has autonomy. We all have careers and do what we need to do. Our wives are both career women; they’re badasses. You can’t convince them to do anything they don’t want to. They have such strong visions. We have the ability to be such a close unit and simultaneously go into the world as ourselves. It’s awesome.
I love it. You guys have been posting snippets from Motel Du Cap out. What do you want fans to know ahead of the album’s release and about the future of Good Charlotte?
Joel: I hope fans feel like they’re hanging out with a good friend who they’re excited to see. I want there to be some comfort there.
Benj: The world can be a cold place, and we always want to bring a certain warmth. We hope there’s a general warm feeling for fans without a big expectation of how they’ll experience it or if it’ll be their favorite record. We just can’t wait to share the vibe of our collaboration and energy.
Joel: The most valuable thing you can do is to find out what it means to be you and start living that. If our record makes it feel better to do that, then that’s the goal. That’s the soundtrack I want to write. I want the album to make you think of where you’ve been and where you want to go.
Photography: Jen Rosenstein
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