by Jason Epstein

The Offspring – A group who has utilized technology throughout their career to better connect with their fans, is now offering a daily Instagram calendar contest through May 28

Last Friday, Offspring fans were treated to a streaming of the bands brand new single “Days Go By,” the title track off their upcoming album.  Days Go By was produced by Bob Rock and will see its full release on June 26 (with international release dates TBA).  The single, available as of April 28, is accompanied by an Instagram calendar and photo contest.  Contestants are charged with submitting a photo inspired by whichever Offspring lyrics are posted each day from April 27 through May 28.  What are the prizes, you say?  The five runner-up prizes are bags of Offspring swag and the grand prize is an electric Ibanez guitar signed by the band.

Punk rock n’ roll act The Offspring have been around a long time.  They’ve toured the world, sold over 36 million records and helped punk rock “break” into the mainstream in 1994.  They’ve also had a deep relationship with technology over the years.

They were online in the mid-nineties with a community chat room, a bulletin board (remember those?), and even instructions on the best way to download their 2.6 megabyte music videos if you didn’t have yourself a blazing fast 56k modem and had to rely on an old, beat up 28.8k.

Check out an archive of their oldest web site (c. 1996) here.

In 1998, they utilized a CD-ROM function for their popular album, Americana, giving fans the ability to click through a virtual reality space that had a trailer for their new home video, (which was released on VHS and DVD), music videos, and cool Easter eggs.

In the year 2000, they fully supported Napster as a way to distribute music to fans.  In 2001 and then again in 2003, the band made video clips of themselves working in the studio available for fans.  Then, for 2008s full-length LP, Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace, they went a bit further and had a live camera feed in the studio so fans could watch as they worked.  In 2009, the band funded their own tour promo video – which was filmed as if it were a presidential campaign announcement – and then posted it on their OffspringTV channel on YouTube.  On that tour, fans were able to text their song requests, which were then tallied and honored by the band.

Continuing on to 2010 and 2011, band members Dexter and Noodles did a series of their own Offspring podcasts. Fast forward to early April 2012, the band ran a “Rock Prodigy” app contest (an app for musicians that touts the experience they provide as helping to learn music the “new, fun, fast way”).

Check out lots of other sweet legal mumbo-jumbo and contest rules here and the Offspring’s trailer for their new single and album Days Go By here.

Listen to “Days Go By” on Spotify:

Jason Epstein is a writer based in the New York City area, and has been writing as long as he can remember.  In his career he’s done a wide variety of pieces and projects including interviews with notable musicians, short stories, comedic commentary, entertainment writing, event coverage, photography and more. He can be reached at Jasonepstein84 at gmail dot com.

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