Agent Orange

Agent Orange is a seminal American punk rock band formed in 1979 in Placentia, California. They are widely credited as the first group to fuse the melodic, reverb-heavy sound of surf music with the aggressive energy of hardcore punk, effectively creating the surf punk genre. The band emerged during the peak of the Southern California punk movement alongside acts like Social Distortion and The Adolescents. Their breakthrough came with the 1980 track Bloodstains, which became a staple on KROQ-FMs Rodney on the Roq show and was later featured in the video game Tony Hawks Pro Skater 4. Lead guitarist and vocalist Mike Palm is the bands founder and sole constant member, guiding the group through decades of international touring and varying lineups. Agent Orange remains a fixture in both punk and action sports culture, with their music frequently appearing in skate and surf films. They continue to tour extensively in 2025, with scheduled performances reaching into early 2026. The bands influence is seen in major modern acts such as The Offspring and Pennywise, who adapted the melodic surf-influenced riffs that Palm pioneered.