Toronto melodic punk lifers Wasting Time return with their new single “Ripped Blue Jeans,” out December 12 via People of Punk Rock Records. Bursting with anthemic hooks and earnest, heart-on-sleeve energy, the track feels like it could have easily slipped into an MTV 120 Minutes rotation at the height of the genre’s cultural moment. It’s a rush of melody and momentum that taps into a time when punk felt both personal and liberating.
“Ripped Blue Jeans” channels the late-’90s sense of freedom that defined a generation: cracked sidewalks, sticker-covered guitars, the mix of sweat and stale beer in community-hall venues, and endless summer nights when the world still felt small enough to imagine an escape. It’s music shaped by lived experience, recalling the DIY spaces and friendships that formed around shows, road trips, and shared mixtapes.
Formed in 2017, Wasting Time have steadily carved out a catalogue built on melody, sincerity, and consistency. Across five EPs, three full-length albums, and a run of singles, the band has earned a reputation for carrying forward the emotional core of melodic punk, drawing natural comparisons to Alkaline Trio, No Use for a Name, MxPx, Blink-182, and Green Day. Their most recent album, Hurry Up and Wait, solidified their place as one of Canada’s most dependable standard-bearers of the genre, and “Ripped Blue Jeans” continues that trajectory.
Mixed and mastered by Matt Gauthier at Arc Studios, the single offers the first glimpse of Wasting Time’s forthcoming full-length, Are You Out Of Your God Damn Mind?, due in the new year. The production balances polish with grit, letting the hooks shine while preserving the rawness that has always defined the band’s sound.
The song hums with the spirit of a pre-algorithm era, when discovery meant burning mix CDs, flipping through liner notes, or catching a new band between Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater soundtracks. You can almost picture the baggy Dickies, chain wallets, and flannel shirts tied around waists. It’s a nod to every kid who scrawled lyrics in the margins of a school binder or fell asleep with Dookie on repeat. Wasting Time captures that pulse without leaning on imitation—this isn’t nostalgia for its own sake, but a reminder of why those songs mattered in the first place.
Name:
Wasting Time
Genre:
Melodic Punk Rock / Pop Punk
Founded:
2017
# of Albums:
2 full-lengths + multiple EPs & singles
Latest Album:
Once More Without Feeling
Latest Single:
“Ripped Blue Jeans”
Latest Video:
Favourite musician growing up:
Billie Joe Armstrong
Favourite musician now:
Matt Skiba
Guilty pleasure song:
“Stand By Your Man” by Tammy Wynette, not even guilty pleasure, just a good ol banger.
Live show ritual:
Quick stretch, make a few “but what about?” (Insert pun) jokes, slam some water, check pedalboard 14 times, then say “don’t fuck up” in the mirror.
Favourite local musician:
Your Pal Bill, The Mendozaz, Doghouse Rose, Debt Cemetery, Sixteen Scandals.
EP or LP?
LP – way more room for dynamics with songs.
Early bird or night owl?
Early Bird when at home, on tour, depending on the night.
Road or studio?
Road. Nothing beats playing the songs live.
Any shows or albums coming up?
We are working on a new record, “Are You Out Of Your Goddamn Mind!?”
New single “Ripped Blue Jean” came out Dec 12 on People Of Punk Rock.
Where can we follow you?
***
Rapid Fire Local Questions:
What is your favourite local restaurant?
Crown and Royal or L&P Jamaican cuisine always hits the spot, and the food never misses.
What is your favourite street in your city and why?
Queen Street East! It’s the perfect blend of weird, artsy, and real. Great coffee, great shops, and always something happening.
What is your favourite park in your city and why?
Trinity Bellwoods great place to chill, the dogs, the people watching… It’s like the unofficial backyard of Toronto.
What is your favourite music venue in your city?
Bovine Sex Club. Legendary room, perfect size, and it always feels like something awesome is about to happen
What is your favourite music store in your city?
Sonic Boom, always a blast finding some new and old records .
