This week, I’m joined by Dryden Mitchell of Alien Ant Farm to trace the band’s journey: from the early $100 EP and Love Songs recordings—when tracks like “S.S. Recognize” and “Wishing” were still finding their final form—to the tongue-in-cheek Greatest Hits release that arrived before the band had even broken nationally.

From there, we dig into the era that launched the band worldwide: ANThology, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2026. Dryden reflects on the explosion of the band’s cover of “Smooth Criminal” (originally by Michael Jackson), the momentum behind songs like “Movies” & “Attitude,” and how hidden trac ...