Lars Frederiksen

Lars Frederiksen
Lars Frederiksen
	Frederiksen in 2009
Background information
Birth name	Lars Erik Dapello
Born	August 30, 1971 (age 53)
Origin	Campbell, California, U.S.
Genres	Punk rock; ska punk; street punk; hardcore punk; oi!;
Occupations	Musician; record producer; songwriter;
Instruments	Guitar; vocals;
Years active	1986–present
Member of	Rancid; Oxley's Midnight Runners; Stomper 98; The Last Resort; The Old Firm Casuals;
Formerly of	UK Subs

Lars Erik Frederiksen (born Lars Erik Dapello, August 30, 1971) is an American musician and record producer best known as a guitarist and vocalist for the punk rock band Rancid, as well as the frontman of Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards and the Old Firm Casuals. In addition, he currently plays guitar in Oxley's Midnight Runners, Stomper 98, and The Last Resort. He was also briefly a member of the UK Subs in 1991.^[1]

Frederiksen joined Rancid in 1993 after the band was searching for a second guitar player and was present on their second album Let's Go. He has produced albums for bands such as Dropkick Murphys, Agnostic Front, The Business, Swingin Utters, Marky Ramone and the Intruders, Anti-Heros, Pressure Point, The Forgotten among others.^[2] He mixed GBH's 2010 album entitled Perfume and Piss, as well as Cock Sparrer's 2007 album "Here We Stand" both alongside Michael Rosen.

Personal life

Frederiksen was raised by his mother, Minna Dapello (née Frederiksen), after his father John left at age three.^[3] Minna Dapello was a Danish immigrant who was the only member of her family to survive the Nazi occupation of Denmark, but witnessed their murder.^[4]

Frederiksen married his girlfriend Megan in 1998. They divorced, and he married San Francisco yoga instructor Stephanie Snyder with whom had two children together, both boys. In May 2020 Stephanie divorced Frederiksen.^[5] In 2023, Frederiksen married publicist and writer Joanna Riedl, who took his last name.

On the 75th episode of That One Time on Tour podcast that aired on October 15, 2019, Frederiksen mentioned that he "always liked the idea of a big family," and that he "plans to have more kids at some point in [his] life" and would be open to adoption. ^[6]

Frederiksen's brother was Robert "Rob" Dapello, a writer for Zero Magazine and a fellow musician, who died in February 2001 from a fatal brain aneurysm.^[7] The song "Otherside" off Rancid's 2003 album Indestructible is dedicated to Rob's memory. They were raised in Campbell, California, a city bordering San Jose.^[8]

He supports Millwall Football Club, and often has the Millwall lion on his guitar.^[9] He is also a San Jose Earthquakes season ticket holder. In January 2014, Lars and The Old Firm Casuals wrote the new team anthem/theme song for the San Jose Earthquakes titled "Never Say Die". Lars called the team the "punkest" team in MLS.^[10]^[11]

Frederiksen is also a fan of the Las Vegas Raiders and Oakland Athletics.^[12]

Frederiksen was involved with San Francisco's Project Homeless Connect, partnering with Tony Hawk to donate skateboards to teenagers in the family shelter.^[13]

"It was emotional," said Frederiksen, who says he was reminded of his mother's struggles as a single parent. "But I was thinking that when people donate toys, it is always the teenagers that get left out. That's when I got Tony Hawk on the phone."^[13]

Frederiksen is a longtime fan of professional wrestling. He is friends with professional wrestler CM Punk, and featured in the WWE produced documentary CM Punk: Best in the World.^[14]

Career

Frederiksen has expressed his personal dislike for signing to major record labels numerous times.

Kids come up to us all the time and say, "We're in a band and we're never going to sign to some major label. We're going to stay independent like you guys. You guys proved you don't need to sign some major label and all that bullshit [to be successful]." That's the most gratifying thing anyone can say to me or to any of us.^[15]

Frederiksen appears in several episodes of Tim Armstrong's Tim Timebomb's Rock n Roll Theater as Dante. Lars can also be seen in the documentary film, The Other F Word.

During an appearance on the Wrestling Perspective Podcast, Lars suggested to Ruby Riott she should use the ring name Ruby Soho and assured her that he could also have the song cleared legally for her to use as her entrance theme. The name change was confirmed via a post on Prange's Instagram account.

Discography

Rancid

Frederiksen on guitar and vocals.