Pop-punkers Simple Plan will follow up their Good Things appearance with the release of their first illustrated children's book.
In 2002, Simple Plan sang the words, “I’m just a kid, and life is a nightmare,” and those of us who were also just kids related to it. Hard.
Twenty-four years later, the band are far from kids, but a hit is a hit, and all those former alienated kids, now well and truly adults, still want to hear them sing those words.
“At 25, I used to tell the guys that we should not play that song anymore, that we were too old for that. I was fighting to get that song off the set,” explains Simple Plan guitarist Jeff Stinco.
“I play the first two notes of the intro nowadays, and the whole crowd screams their hearts out. It’s almost more of a song about nostalgia now than it is about anything else.”
Simple Plan at Good Things 2026
- 4 December – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Victoria (16+)
- 5 December – Sydney Showground, Sydney, New South Wales (16+)
- 6 December – Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane, Queensland (16+)
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What better way, then, for a bunch of guys in their mid-to-late forties who made their names singing anthems for the kids to tell their story than with an illustrated kids’ book?
I’m Just a Kid: The Story of Simple Plan comes out in March 2027, and will be illustrated by acclaimed Filipino artist Jomike Tejido. The story will follow Simple Plan’s career while telling a story about friendship, perseverance, and never giving up on chasing your dreams.
“We wanted our kids to be proud of what we’re doing now, and not necessarily our past glories,” explains Stinco.
“Our 25th anniversary documentary was very complex. It was feuds, failed starts, ups and downs, and hard work. So, we wanted something lighter.
“There’s a little drama, but it’s very contained. It’s very ten-and-under. It’s just a beautiful story about friendship. We started as high school friends, and I think we’re still going because that’s who we are to one another.”
Simple Plan joins the wave of emo, post-rock, screamo, whatever-we-want-to-call-them bands enjoying somewhat of a revival.
Tours like the US-based When We Were Young and our very own Good Things Festival are shining a light on groups whose heyday was arguably twenty-something years ago, bringing them to newer, younger audiences, and giving them some of the biggest shows of their careers.
“People have told me, ‘These times right now suck, and we want to throw back to a time where it felt easier, simpler, lighter,’ but if it was only a trend-revival thing, it wouldn’t have lasted this long.
“The return of bell-bottoms lasted six months. It starts with a trend, and then if it has substance, I think it grows.
“You need newer bands to come in and challenge what pop punk means. And at the same time, you need the old cats to keep the flame alive. You need an ecosystem. Good Things is responsible for keeping the flame alive in Australia.”
Simple Plan join a whole bunch of nostalgia acts like Limp Bizkit, The All-American Rejects, Alexisonfire, Millencolin, Ministry, and more for this year’s Good Things run.
The festival circuit adds to their already hectic touring schedule, which Stinco explains leaves little time for anything else.
“We’re old-school musicians who wrote songs, presented them to the public until people were tired of listening, then went back and wrote some more, but we’re overdue for a new record. There’s so much demand for touring that your whole year is filled, and there’s no time to record.”
Despite the strong appeal of nostalgia, Simple Plan have maintained relevance throughout their long career.
They performed at the 2010 Winter Olympics and, with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, have raised more than $3 million through the Simple Plan Foundation, which gives instruments to underprivileged youth (and the new book will also donate some proceeds), and they had the viral #ImJustAKid challenge on TikTok.
They seem bulletproof, which leaves only one thing for Stinco to fear: AI.
“I’m afraid when songwriters are using AI to write songs. I’m afraid when AI songs are being released. Are people going to stay home with their crazy goggles and watch shows, and not live the communal experience that we’re seeking when we go to festivals?
“Luckily, I see bands saying, ‘We’re not quantising, we’re not correcting our records anymore.’ They’re doing the anti-AI. Like Angine de Poitrine, it’s almost the anti-AI music. There’s no way a computer would do that.”
Catch Simple Plan at Good Things on Friday 4 December at Flemington Racecourse. Tickets available now.
This article was made in partnership with Good Things.
