Toronto’s melodic punk lifers Wasting Time are back with their new single “Ripped Blue Jeans”, out December 12 via People of Punk Rock Records. It’s a nostalgic rush of anthemic hooks and heart-on-sleeve energy that could’ve soundtracked any MTV’s 120 Minutes marathon. The track captures that feeling of late 90s freedom, cracked sidewalks, stickered guitars, the smell of sweat and stale beer in community-hall venues, and long summer nights when the world still felt small enough to dream your way out of it.
Formed in 2017, Wasting Time has steadily built a catalog rooted in melody and sincerity: five EPs, three full-length albums, and a streak of singles that echo the honesty and grit of Alkaline Trio, No Use for a Name, MxPx, Blink-182, and Green Day. Their latest release, Hurry Up and Wait, cemented their reputation as one of Canada’s most reliable carriers of melodic punk tradition, and “Ripped Blue Jeans” only deepens that lineage. Mixed and mastered by Matt Gauthier at Arc Studios, the single offers the first taste of their upcoming full-length, Are You Out Of Your God Damn Mind?, due out in the new year.
The song hums with the spirit of a simpler time, before algorithms and playlists, when discovery meant burning mix CDs or catching a new band between Tony Hawk Pro Skater soundtracks. You can almost see the baggy Dickies, chain wallets, and flannel shirts tied at the waist. It’s a nod to every kid who ever scribbled lyrics in the margins of a school binder or fell asleep to Dookie playing on repeat. Wasting Time capture that pulse without imitation; it’s not nostalgia for its own sake, but a reminder of why those songs mattered in the first place.
Having toured extensively across Canada, Japan, and Korea, Wasting Time have earned their stripes on the road through tight sets, long drives, and the kind of nights that turn strangers into friends. They’ve brought their sharp, melodic edge to major festivals including Pouzza Fest, Canadian Music Week, and Rock La Cauze, and have shared stages with genre heroes like Smoking Popes, Mad Caddies, Unwritten Law, and Econoline Crush. With more live dates on the horizon, their name continues to spread city by city, show by show.
“Ripped Blue Jeans” isn’t just a song; it’s a snapshot of a time when punk was still passed hand to hand, burned to disc, and played too loud in borrowed basements. A love letter to the 90s scene that raised them, and a promise that those melodies still mean something. Wasting Time aren’t chasing the past; they’re carrying it forward, one sing-along chorus at a time.
