Mad Caddies

The Mad Caddies, also known as the Caddies, are a ska punk band from Solvang, California. Formed in 1995, they built their reputation on high-energy shows and a sound that pulls from ska, punk, reggae, jazz, Latin music, and a bunch of left turns that still somehow land on their feet.

Across seven full-length albums, a live album, and multiple EPs, the band has kept the core idea simple: write songs that feel good live, then go prove it in as many places as possible.

How The Band Got Started

Founding members Chuck Robertson, Sascha Lazor, Todd Rosenberg, and Carter Benson started the group while attending Santa Ynez Valley Union High School. In the mid-1990s they played at school under the name Cracked Macaroni, then briefly used The Ivy League, before settling into The Mad Caddies after signing with Honest Don’s Records and wanting to avoid confusion with other bands using the same name.

What They Sound Like

The Mad Caddies are usually filed under ska punk, but that only tells part of the story. Their music pulls from third-wave ska and punk, plus hardcore, reggae, dixieland jazz, Latin music, polka, cowpunk, and even sea shanty territory when the mood is right.

Records, Labels, and The Long Haul

The band’s debut album, Quality Soft Core, arrived in 1997. After that, they aligned with Fat Wreck Chords and released most of their catalog through the label, including multiple studio albums, EPs, and a live record. Over time, the band kept putting out new material while staying active as a touring unit.

Punk Rocksteady was released June 15, 2018 and produced by Fat Mike. In 2020, the band released the five-song EP House on Fire on Fat Wreck Chords. In 2023, they signed with SBÄM Records and announced their eighth studio album, Arrows Room 117.

Touring and Road Reputation

The Caddies have toured extensively across the United States and internationally, including runs through Europe, Japan, Canada, Mexico, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and South America. If you have ever wondered how a band keeps a big, punchy horn-driven set tight night after night, the answer is usually: lots of van time and very little sleep.

Side Projects and Related Work

In 2008, Chuck Robertson started a side project, Ellwood, featuring Robertson on vocals and guitar, Graham Palmer on bass, Todd Rosenberg on drums, and Dustin Lanker on keys. The band was active from 2008 to 2012.

Former trumpet player Keith Douglas has been a member of Mariachi El Bronx since 2012, and also played in King City with members of Lagwagon and RKL.

A project with former member Carter Benson under the alias Sharky Towers called Jaws was released in 2006. The release is titled Death and Taxes Volume One and sounds notably different from the Mad Caddies’ main lane.

Bassist Graham Palmer has fronted his solo project, Kinothek, since 2008. Since 2020, Palmer has recorded as Redacted Choir alongside Jordan Dalrymple.

In 1999, Robertson, Sascha Lazor, and Benson also started a side project with Derrick Plourde called Sweet Action. The tracks were posted online in the late 1990s and are now tough to track down, with some uploads circulating on YouTube.

In 2021, it was announced that Chuck Robertson would be releasing a new solo album under his own name, and he toured the next year backed by touring musicians.

Members

Current

• Chuck Robertson, lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1995 to present)
• Jon Gazi, bass guitar, backing vocals, percussion (2007 to present)
• Sean Sellers, drums (2022 to present)
• Jason Lichau, trumpet, backing vocals (2015 to 2017, 2022 to present)
• Boz Rivera, percussion (2022 to present), drums (2000 to 2001, 2008 to 2009)
• Ian Cook, lead guitar (2024 to present)
• Nicolas Benedetti, trombone (2022 to present)
• Marcos Jose Gonzalez, trombone (2024 to present)

Past

• Stepháne Montigny, trombone, backing vocals (2022 to 2024)
• Brandon Landelius, lead guitar, backing vocals (2022 to 2024)
• Sascha Lazor, lead guitar, banjo (1995 to 2022)
• Eduardo Hernandez, trombone (1996 to 2022)
• Graham Palmer, bass guitar, vocals (2009 to 2022)
• Todd Rosenberg, drums (1995 to 1999, 2010 to 2022)
• Mark Bush, trumpet, backing vocals (2018 to 2022)
• Keith Douglas, trumpet, vocals (1997 to 2016)
• Carter Benson, guitar, vocals (1995 to 2002)
• Dustin Lanker, keyboards (2007 to 2015)
• Mark Iverson, bass (1995 to 2006)
• Chris Badham, bass (2006 to 2008, touring member)
• Brian Flenniken, drums (2001 to 2008)
• Derrick Plourde, drums (2001)
• Bobby “Moonbird” Vesnaver, trumpet (2014 to 2015, touring member)
• Chris Butcher, trombone (2015, touring member)

Discography

Studio albums

• Quality Soft Core (1997)
• Duck and Cover (1998)
• Rock the Plank (2001)
• Just One More (2003)
• Keep It Going (2007)
• Dirty Rice (2014)
• Punk Rocksteady (2018)
• Arrows Room 117 (2024)

EPs

• The Holiday Has Been Cancelled (2000)
• FlashlightBrown MadCaddies (split EP with Flashlight Brown) (2002)
• House on Fire (2020)