Next Offspring? Look to the Stars

The boss of Nitro Records in Huntington Beach thinks it’s expecting too much of Guttermouth and the three other grass-roots punk bands on his label to become the next Offspring.

And because the boss happens to be the Offspring’s singer and songwriter, he ought to know.

“The stars aligned. We were very lucky,” Dexter Holland said during a recent interview, reflecting on the improbable sales explosion for “Smash,” the 1994 Offspring album that has sold 8 million copies worldwide.

Holland hopes that Guttermouth will be able to find a steady audience of about 200,000 record-buyers to sustain a rewarding career pitched to committed punk fans. Instead of pushing for commercial radio and MTV play for its bands, Nitro’s promotion will focus on the grass-roots of college radio, fanzines and other punk/alternative press outlets.

“If [Guttermouth] can get 200,000 kids to buy it, they can put out a record a year for the next five years and have a real career,” said Holland, who commands a label staff of five.

The three other Nitro bands are O.C. punk veterans the Vandals, whose 1995 Nitro release, “Live Fast Diarrhea,” has sold about 30,000 copies, and new signees AFI from Berkeley and Jughead’s Revenge from Los Angeles. All have summer releases coming.