Twins Joel and Benji Madden stopped by Kate and Oliver Hudson’s sibling-themed Sibling Revelry podcast to talk about their lasting dynamic as a part of the Pop-Punk band Good Charlotte.
LISTEN NOW: It's a Mad Mad (Madden Brothers) World | Sibling Revelry with Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson
After nearly 25 years as a lead singer and lead guitarist, you’d think that the Good Charlotte brothers would be sick of each other. But Joel and Benji Madden have grown to see each other as a “built-in support system” in all facets of life. “I think there's probably moments when you're younger where you're like, ‘I just want to be myself,'” Benji explained to the podcast. “And then I think as we've gotten older, we really see it as a strength, a secret weapon. Like, we feel like we maybe wouldn't be here without each other.”
The two are not only brothers but identical twins, which brings about an additional closeness in their relationship. “I think like everybody goes through their life and they always end up in a moment where they're completely alone,” Joel reflected. “So when you have your twin and you have your brother, you're really partners. You always have that phone call.”
And yes, the two have grown into their own identities, both as individuals, musicians, and fathers, but still find their “support system” in each other. Joel continued, “The easy parts of life are sort of where you can spread your wings and split apart… But I think the hard parts of life are where you, you stick together and you kind of, like, encourage one another. You always have a cheerleader.”
That "cheerleading" continued as both brothers pursued music together. They were first given a guitar and bass from a local church director, and when paired with a karaoke machine and microphone, discovered they could be quite the duo. “We just started making up little songs, really literally” Benji recalled. “I think I learned like three chords and that was it. And then we just started, we never learned one song. We just started making stuff up.”
Joel and Benji formed a band by their high school years, signed a record deal within three years, and said that the two of them felt unstoppable. “I think we made an agreement when we were like 16,” Benji said, “like when we started the band. 'Cause this is how sure we were of ourselves.” Joel remembered the same thing, adding, “When we were 16, we made a deal that we would always split every dollar whatever we ever made, no matter who did what.”
“I would never make that deal with my brother” podcast co-host Kate Hudson popped in immediately, with her brother Oliver joking, “And I’ve tried!”
Though that exact 50/50 deal may have fluctuated over time, the Madden brothers cited it as a kind of “foundation” when expanding their partnership into other media companies later in life. Now at 44 years old, the brothers aren’t exactly focused on music and music alone. Joel explained that Good Charlotte is like a “classic car we keep in perfect condition in the garage” and is more so on a shelf.
Regardless, the brothers still love and appreciate their die-hard fans. ”Anything we do with Good Charlotte is always gonna feel special and exciting, and we really love still doing stuff with the band” Joel continued, before adding, “We actually are gonna make some music in this coming year in 2024. We're gonna put out some music.”
To hear more about the Madden twin-ship and the good news with Good Charlotte, check out the full Sibling Revelry podcast episode on the Audacy app!