Rancid were formed in 1991 in Berkeley, California, by Matt Freeman and Tim Armstrong, both of whom were former members of Operation Ivy and Downfall.
Rancid includes Armstrong on guitar and vocals, Freeman on bass and vocals, Brett Reed on drums and Lars Frederiksen on guitar and vocals. Reed left the band in 2006 and was replaced by Branden Steineckert, former drummer of The Used. As of November 2006, Armstrong and Freeman have been permanent members of the band and Frederiksen did not join Rancid until 1993 after the band was searching for a second guitar player.