Bowling For Soup are weeks away from the biggest headline show of their lives – and it’s only taken 31 years.
The pop punk icons etched their names in the history books in the early 2000s with classic bangers like Girl All The Bad Guys Want, 1985 and High School Never Ends.
Over the last year or so, things have changed, with the retirement of longtime guitarist Chris Burney due to health reasons.
Just days after that announcement, the remaining members, frontman Jaret Reddick, bassist Rob Felicetti and drummer Gary Wiseman, confirmed a headline show at London’s Wembley Arena for December 13, 2025.
Speaking exclusively to Metro, Jaret said: ‘The UK as a whole embraced this band back in 2000, 2001 and never really let go.
‘You and I have talked before about the press turning on us a few years in because of the whole silly factor, “is there longevity to this”.
‘But then you get to this point in your career where the journalists, and even the new younger journalists, have to at least accept the fact that we’re here to stay!’
They certainly are, with live album A Hangover You Definitely Deserve coming this month, and brand new single Holding On To That Hate dropping a week ago.
It’s their first original material since 2022’s Pop Drunk Snot Bread, and the initial idea was to record as a favour for Soundmine Recording Studio by testing out Solid State Logic’s new equipment.
‘We walked away going, alright, when can we get back here and do a record? And so the plan is to be back in the studio in February,’ the 53-year-old musician revealed.
It will also mark their first original LP as a three-piece after Chris’ departure.
‘We miss Chris in all aspects for sure, but I do have to say, I don’t want that to take away from the excitement. Us getting back into the studio was really exciting,’ Jaret pointed out.
‘There was something about it, “Alright, this is kind of like the beginning of our new era!”‘
There’s already a few tracks written for the next record, with Jaret hoping to have between 11 and 13 make the cut for a summer 2026 release.
Before all that, there’s the small matter of a career-defining date at Wembley, with support from Teenage Dirtbag legend Wheatus, and epic Welsh cover band Punk Rock Factory.
‘Wembley is going to be such a monumental day,’ Jaret smiled. ‘We’re basking in it. It’s funny, because there’s no real pressure to us, because we didn’t expect to be here 31 years in anyway!’
For anyone making it to the big show, the Texan star promised Wembley will be ‘nostalgic, upbeat fun, and something that you’re never gonna forget’.
It’s an exciting time for the scene too, as Jaret pointed to the likes of Yellowcard and New Found Glory still flying the flag.
‘And obviously Blink-182 is bigger than U2 now,’ he said earnestly. ‘It’s just wild.’
Despite their longevity, after their 2022 album, Jaret thought BFS were done making traditional records, with the industry more focused on singles.
‘There was part of me that wondered if we would ever make a full length record again,’ he confessed. ‘But there’s just something about putting together a collection of songs, and being able to revisit that time. I really do think that this will be something special.’
The next BFS record is being created in a refreshing way, with bassist Rob – who joined in 2018 – getting more input on the writing. He composed the music for the new power pop single, with Jaret laying down lyrics he’d dreamt just hours earlier.
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‘I’m happy for Rob and really appreciate that we’re a unit, firing on all cylinders,’ he said, noting the style of their 12th album is very much at a ‘let’s see what happens’ stage.
‘The things that I’ve written are a little bit more even the other direction, more like Drunk Enough To Dance, just guitars and drums and vocals, just in your face,’ he teased.
‘But at the same time, you know, when you get in the studio and you’ve got all these fun little things around you, you just never know what you’re going to pick up and start playing.’
That’s still a way off – Wembley is still the focus with a couple of months to go, and it promises to be a special night.
‘We’ve got people flying in from the US and all over the world to be part of that night,’ Jaret smiled. ‘We have certainly developed a home over in the UK, and a family.
‘If the reader has not seen us live, this is the time, because I think this is going to be perhaps one of the most special gigs of all of our lives.’
Tickets are available now for Bowling For Soup at Wembley Arena on December 13.
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