I still remember being blown away by an album I was asked to review back in 2020. That album was Death in Venice Beach, and the band responsible for this gloriously energetic slab of music were The Bombpops.
There was an irresistible energy running through the record, guitar licks to die for and an underlying bite to the lyrics which could easily be missed if you became distracted by those wonderfully saccharine choruses. This was not a band content to sing about romantic yesterdays and broken hearts.
Take ‘Zero Remorse’.
Here we enter the world of the killer — “killing to get caught.” And then there is the video, which is almost as much fun as the song itself. There are little touches of homage to James Bond, including the girl in the white bikini emerging from the sea, while Death in Venice is left behind by the corpse. It is slick, darkly humorous and delivered at the breathless pace of modern American punk.
I was hooked.
But who were The Bombpops?
Meet The Bombpops
The Bombpops were founded in San Diego in 2007 by school friends and co-frontwomen Jen Razavi and Poli van Dam. The two women provided the songwriting partnership and the instantly recognisable central image of the band, while a succession of musicians passed through the lineup before things eventually settled with Josh Lewis on drums and Neil Wayne on bass.
This was the combination that produced two studio albums for Fat Wreck Chords: Fear of Missing Out in 2017 and, in 2020, the aforementioned Death in Venice Beach.
And what an album it was.
There are records which you listen to because you have been asked to review them, and there are records which make you forget that you were supposed to be reviewing them because you are too busy enjoying yourself.
Death in Venice Beach belonged firmly in the second category.
Exploring the band’s videos and back catalogue, I quickly realised that The Bombpops were something rather special. They had the speed and attitude you’d expect from punk, but there was also an extraordinary melodic instinct running underneath it. The songs could be catchy without becoming lightweight and sharp without losing their sense of fun.
Sadly, for a UK listener, The Bombpops were never anything like the household name they deserved to be here.
They were, however, an active presence on the US live circuit, and if you ever got the opportunity to catch them, you should have taken it.
At this point, though, I began to wonder about the band’s future.
The Bombpops Without Poli?
In August 2021, Poli van Dam announced that she would be unable to join the band for an upcoming tour because of health and family issues. Then, in November 2021, came the news that she was officially leaving The Bombpops.
For a band founded by two school friends who had spent years writing and performing together, this was obviously rather more significant than an ordinary lineup change.
Van Dam subsequently discussed her decision in considerable detail on Jughead’s Basement podcast, talking about diabetes, pregnancy and the difficult balancing act between family life and life in a touring punk band. It was a fascinating and very personal conversation, and I genuinely hoped that whatever came next would work out well for her.
But it left a very large question hanging over The Bombpops.
What happens when one half of the band’s creative partnership walks away?
The Bombpops continued touring, with their guitar technician Remmington stepping in to help fill the gap. But Jen Razavi had lost not simply a bandmate, but her original songwriting partner and the other founding member of the band.
Would The Bombpops continue?
At the time, I wasn’t sure.
UPDATE: The Bombpops Continue!
As it turns out, I needn’t have worried quite so much.
In May 2023, Rock the Joint Magazine was fortunate enough to speak directly to Jen Razavi, and suddenly this story had come full circle.
In our interview, Jen talked about her solo single ‘Saw in Half’, her work as Jen Pop, the departure of her longtime friend and musical partner Poli, and — most importantly — the future of The Bombpops.
And the answer was clear:
The Bombpops continue.
What had looked in 2021 like it might be the end of the story became something rather more interesting: a new chapter.
Jen has continued to combine her solo work with The Bombpops, demonstrating that losing one of the band’s founding members did not mean losing the band itself. The Bombpops have continued to play live, including a successful tour of Japan, proving that there is still plenty of life in those guitars.
You can read our full 2023 interview with Jen Razavi here, where she talks about Saw in Half, Poli’s departure and what the future holds.
And that brings this rather old article neatly up to date.
When I first wrote it, The Bombpops were a band I had discovered almost by accident through an album review. I heard Death in Venice Beach, followed the trail, watched the videos and thought: people need to hear this band.
Four years later, that instinct still seems pretty sound.
The Bombpops may not have become the huge UK name I thought they deserved to be, but they have survived a major change, continued making music and remained a force on the live circuit.
And somewhere in the middle of all that is a rather wonderful reminder of why music journalism exists in the first place.
Sometimes you hear a band and simply want to tell somebody else about them.
So here I am, still telling you.
Go listen to The Bombpops.
2026 UPDATE: When we first published this article in 2022, we wondered whether The Bombpops could survive the departure of founding member Poli van Dam. They did, and when Rock the Joint interviewed Jen Razavi in 2023, she was emphatic that the band was continuing. Three years on, however, the picture has changed again. The Bombpops have not formally announced a split, but there are currently no 2026 live dates listed, while Jen Razavi — now performing as Jen Pop — has developed an increasingly substantial solo career. Her current work is acoustic and considerably removed from the pop-punk sound of The Bombpops, and she is now preparing for a new chapter in her life in Ireland. The Bombpops may not officially be finished, but for now, Jen’s musical journey appears to be heading somewhere new.
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By Mark C. Chambers
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