NOFX has tapped Codefendants for an angst-driven punk anthem ‘What Are We Doing This For’ that embodies the best parts of both artist projects. The song marks one of NOFX’s final new recordings, and was one of just several tracks that Fat Mike considered for the band’s (unfinished) final album.
Fat Mike’s other artist project – Codefendants – lent a helping hand to NOFX on this one – making for the ultimate collaborative moment blending NOFX’s signature sound with the trio’s defiant genre-fluid sound that mixes punk, hip-hop, and hardcore.
Julio ‘Ceschi’ Ramo from Codefendants shares: “Since this NOFX song was recorded so early in the process of making the first Codefendants album, the whole experience felt surreal to me. The track had that classic hardcore / crossover energy—which reminded me of Suicidal Tendencies in the 80s—and there was Fat Mike himself coaching Sam and me through these dense, fast lyrics he’d written about the Trump Q era of disinformation and anti-intellectualism. I believed in the message completely, but what really struck me was how rare and cool the opportunity was. It was one of those life-changing moments in music where I thought: even if nothing ever came from these recordings, just having been there was enough. Now, years later, seeing it finally come out makes it all the more special.”