With new album ‘Last Ride,’ Phoenix punk legends JFA show no signs of slowing down

Skateboarders can be a superstitious breed. One of the things you never do when hitting your local skatepark, ditch or backyard pool is call, “Last run.” Uttering those two words is akin to saying, “Please let me fall, universe” or “I hope something on my skateboard breaks.”

When JFA (Jodie Foster’s Army) released their latest record, "Last Ride," earlier this summer, some fans were probably shocked at the curious title. Why would these skateboard-riding scene vets who got their start in the ditches, pools and pipes, and on some of the jankiest ramps in Arizona, announce their impending doom? Even worse, the question on many fans’ minds was, “Is this the last JFA record?”

According to Brian Brannon, JFA’s lead singer and keyboardist, this is definitely not the last record by the band who got their start locally in 1981.

“No. Don ['Redondo' a.k.a. Don Pendleton, lead guitar player] wanted to do 'Last Ride' in the '80s, but I always said, ‘No, no, no. I don’t want to do a last ride or last album.’ For him, 'last Ride' means that if you are on your last ride, it better be a good one. Don and I surf a lot out here [in Southern California], and if you’re going to take your last ride, you better give it your all,” Brannon says.

Clarification aside, the songs on "Last Ride" don't sound like the band is ready to call it quits any time soon. Recently, JFA have been playing a fair number of shows in California, which has been their home since the early '90s, and hope to play Phoenix again in the near future. Brannon seems to be very happy with the current lineup.

“We’re having so much fun. Jamie [Reidling, drums] and Corey [Stretz, bass] are such a tight rhythm section,” he says.

Stretz has been with JFA longer than any other bass player, even though fans will remember that both Michael Cornelius (a founding member) and Alan Bishop (Sun City Girls) were there in the early days. A veteran of the Orange County punk rock scene, Stretz also plays in The Crowd, too, and was a former member of the Blades and China White, among others. Stretz wrote “Dinner with Mickey” which appears on "Last Ride."

Reidling has been drumming with JFA for the last several years and is also a longtime fixture on the punk rock scene; he's played with Cadillac Tramps, US Bombs and Die Hunns.

“We’re really happy with Jamie because he can do anything. We have a Hendrix-style song, 'Last Ride,' and we asked him, ‘Can you do Mitch Mitchell (the drummer in the Jimi Hendrix Experience)?’ We do a Who song live, 'My Wife,' and he’s just really talented. He skates, of course, and he’s a really good surfer,” Brannon says fondly.

Brannon shares that the band is quite pleased with how the record turned out. JFA recorded 'Last Ride' at Pot O’ Gold Records in Orange, California, with David Irish (Reel Big Fish, The Maxies, Lee “Scratch” Perry) engineering. Ed Colver took the album cover pictures and also provided the imagery for the video for “Stage Dive” which is on side two of the album, which is available locally at Zia Records as part of an exclusive release with the venerable chain.


"Last Ride" is most definitely a JFA record. New and old fans alike will enjoy the flow of the songs that give a healthy nod to the past while celebrating the post-pandemic future. Tracks like opener “N-Tolerance,” “Blood On My Board” and “Desert Pipes” from side one all hark back to the early days and could have easily fit in on 1984’s untitled record (Placebo Records).

While the band has definitely matured over the years and Brannon’s lyrics are still often nearly indecipherable at first listen, it’s fun to hear the inventor of the Bobobba skate trick doing his thing in 2023. On “N-Tolerance,” Brannon and the band take on the right-wing establishment in pure punk rock fury.

He shouts at the end of the song: “And on top of being wrong / I’ve got news for you / And on top of being stupid / you picked the wrong brand too / Your vision of America / Is from the KKK / You won’t destroy this country / If we have anything to say!”

Many of the lyrics are inspired by people and places from Brannon’s life. “Blood On My Board,” for example, is inspired by one of Brannon’s surf spots.

“That’s a true story about surfing out here in Huntington Beach. It’s about not wanting people to get their blood on my board. I don’t want your blood on my board, man, so get out of my fucking way because I’m coming down, fucker. That is what that song is about. It doesn’t matter who you are or whatever. Get out of my way, because here I come,” Brannon says.

Pendleton wrote a song about Brannon’s driving for the record called “I-5,” which starts off with an almost classic rock sound but kicks in at about the 20-second mark. According to Brannon, he used to have a bit of a heavy foot when driving on the freeway, but has learned to mellow a bit and take things more in stride when he drives.

“If you lean your seat back and recline a little bit, I’m mellow now. It’s a total change in mindset. I’m just cruising. Fuck that guy who’s all pissed at everybody, flipping people off. What a jerk?” shares Brannon self-deprecatingly.

With 18 songs and clocking in at just under 36 minutes, "Last Ride" is the longest JFA record yet.

“All songs are about skateboarding, really,” Brannon says, but this one includes songs about surfing, eating at a posh restaurant next to Mickey Rourke (“Dinner With Mickey”) and dropping out of society (“Motorhomeless”). There's also a pretty fun cover of the Steppenwolf classic “Magic Carpet Ride,” too, which was chosen by Pendleton.

As our chat ends, Brannon is quick to throw in one last thought:

“We want to come out and do a show. We love everybody out there [in Phoenix]. We missed being out there, you know?”

It’s safe to say the Valley loves JFA, too. But don’t ever say “last show.”