The Offspring's Dexter Holland has joked that he's made his bandmates call him Dr Dexter ever since he was awarded with a PHD.
The 55-year-old punk rock legend got his doctorate in molecular biology in 2017 and has quipped that he "insists" on Noodles, Pete Parada, and bassist Todd Morse using the title.
Asked if he is a doctor now, he quipped: "I am! I insist that my band members call me Dr Dexter!
Guitarist Noodles joked back: "It’s a huge pain in the a**. I mean, first of all, lead singer disease and then you go and give him a PHD, come on!"
Dexter laughed: "It’s true, whenever I don’t agree with them on something I just ask “who has the doctorate here, oh, right it’s just me…”
Noodles, 58, is extremely proud of his bandmate and admitted it was hilarious when anti-vaxxers "came at" the band for encouraging their fans to get the COVID-19 vaccine, because he specialised in viruses for his degree.
He told MusicFeeds.com.au: "Truthfully though, we were all very supportive and very proud that he went back and got his PhD. What’s funny about that though is that we just posted a thing saying that you should get vaccinated and people came at us, trying to school Dexter on vaccinations and whether they work or not. He has a PhD in molecular biology and he specialises in viruses and you’re trying to school him on vaccination! It’s hilarious to me."
Meanwhile, the 'Pretty Fly For A White Guy' hitmakers will release their first album in a decade, 'Let The Bad Times Roll', on April 16.
The follow-up to 2012's 'Days Go By' was recorded over a number of years at various locations, including their Huntington Beach, California studio.
Dexter and co reunited for the third time with famed rock producer Bob Rock on the 12-track LP.
And Dexter doesn't hold back when waxing lyrical about America's state of affairs on the lead single.
He said in a press release: “I feel like we’re in a unique period in history where instead of our world leaders saying ‘we’re doing our best’ it’s more like they’re saying ‘f*** it’ and it's really scary.”
Noodles added: “Folks are saying, if it’s all going to Hell, we might as well make the most out of it, or at least go out swinging. ‘Let The Bad Times Roll!’"
