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The original members of the Goo Goo Dolls, Robby Takac and Johnny Rzeznik, continue to stand side by side even after 40 years of music-making. The two discussed how they have stayed together for so long, their Buffalo origins, and the things that have held them together since the mid-1980s as they mark the start of a new chapter in their career with the release of their EP Summer Anthem on August 22, 2025.
Rzeznik and Takac formed the band Goo Goo Dolls along with the band's drummer, George Tutuska (who left the band in 1995), and made their debut in 1986. Their early songs were heavily influenced by punk and garage rock, but as time went on, they developed their own style, alternative rock, which would define their biggest hits. That very same year, Goo Goo Dolls' first self-titled album was released on an independent record label, which would serve as a foundation for their 40 years of collaboration in modern rock.
In the year 1995, they scored their first breakthrough with the album A Boy Named Goo, along with the single Name. Three years later, they released Iris, and the rest is history. The ballad, which was from the City of Angels soundtrack, was Grammy-nominated, solidifying their status in rock history. Some say that the song outgrew the band in terms of popularity. The song has been referenced in multiple movies, songs, and is also a frequently used song on TikTok and Instagram Reels for trending memes. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Goo Goo Dolls' album A Boy Named Goo. Takac remembered in an interview with Billboard:
“We got to see what it was really like to be a priority at a big record label. And we worked hard, like 20 hours a day of promoting Goo Goo Dolls and being out there, going to six, eight radio stations in a day, sometimes. I don’t know if I could do that amount of work. It doesn’t feel like 30 years ago; it feels like another lifetime, if that makes any sense.”
Goo Goo Dolls' secret to staying together for so long
The hitmakers of songs like Iris, Black Balloon, Slide, and many more stayed together for over 40 years despite the upheaval that frequently breaks up bands. Takac claimed in an interview with Billboard that all it takes is some honesty and some aggression:
“John and I will actually slap each other and punch each other and get the aggression out. In retrospect, it’s funny…. But, you know, it’s just silly. It turns into slap fights.”
Takac even reassured that they “don’t want to hurt each other.”
He added that their strong relationship dates back years before. He claims that this foundation has helped them withstand their creative differences and pressures of fame:
“We love each other. John and I shared a bedroom for years, platonically of course, but that’s where we come from. People act like a------s sometimes — I do, he does. Ultimately we go have a cup of coffee and we figure it out and make it happen.”
Still famous in the new age
The Goo Dolls have been in the game for a very long time and are experiencing a comeback, this time with younger audiences. With their love ballad Iris in the movie Deadpool & Wolverine, they have attracted more fans. They played at the 2025 Stagecoach Festival and saw it firsthand. The sudden surge in new fans has shocked them. Takac stated that they “haven’t seen numbers like this probably ever in [their] career.”
He continued:
“We’ve got young kids coming out to our shows; that didn’t happen 10 years ago, I will tell you that much. There’s so many kids at these shows now."
He joked:
“Oddly, a Goo Goo Dolls show has become more family-friendly than, like, a Sabrina Carpenter show.”
Stating that their show might drop the occasional F-bomb, he said they still manage to keep it more PG. He concluded:
“I hope we have the luxury of having people be this interested in years to come."
Trending
The Goo Goo Dolls are currently touring to promote their EP Summer Anthem, which drops on Friday, August 22.
Goo Goo Dolls now includes guitarist Brad Fernquist, drummer Craig MacIntyre, and multi-instrumentalist Jim McGorman, other than Robby Takac and Johnny Rzeznik, who formed the band together.
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