Social Distortion frontman Mike Ness has opened up about his battle with tonsil cancer in a new interview.
Ness chats with Matt Pinfield in Los Angeles 95.5 KG comes after the punk legend shared a positive health update Instagram about a month ago, revealing that he was done with chemotherapy and focused on recovery. This follows Social Distortion recently announcing a Spring 2024 US co-headline with Bad Religion, as well as a series of rescheduled Fall 2024 North American dates for the originally postponed Summer 2023 tour after Ness's diagnosis.
“Well, first of all, it obviously wasn't in the plan,” Ness told Pinfield of his diagnosis. [as transcribed by Blabbermouth]. “So the shock is too much for me to take. But, yeah, the surgery — I mean, you can hear it in my voice. It's still weak, we're just talking.”
He went on to say that he still has “a lot of work to do,” namely rehabilitation, before the first tour date in April.
“It's only been a month since the treatments ended,” he continued. “But, yes, it was hell, because head and neck is a little different to other types of cancer, and it has to come in and disrupt the main structures that you've lived with all your life. I had to learn how to swallow again, and the speech is slowly getting stronger and eventually singing.”
Reflecting on the moment he got the call about his diagnosis, Ness said he was in the studio recording his highly anticipated new album Social Distortion and had to immediately pull himself out of the sessions.
“We were half done,” he said. “We were literally in the studio laying down bass when I got the call. And I just had to close it. I didn't even — I took the call and got in my car and drove away. I wanted them to finish the day.”
Social Distortion plans to “come back in January, February” to finish tracking the record, Ness said, with vocal sessions following after the first leg of the band's tour.
“I wanted to wait at least one tour behind me to build up the voice and do the vocals,” he added. “So we'll probably cut the vocals in June or July.”
Get Social Distortion tickets here
Social Distortion's US tour with Bad Religion is set to kick off on April 9th in Bakersfield, California. Ness and company will perform their 1983 debut album, Mom's monster, to the integer on exit. Get tickets here.
You can watch Pinfield's entire interview with Ness below.
