10 Things You Never Knew About Pennywise

Formed in 1988 in Hermosa Beach, Pennywise are a punk rock four-piece who take their name from King’s creation. Between 1991 and 2005, the band released an album every two years on Epitaph Records, the label owned by Bad Religion’s Brett Gurewitz, which ought to tip you off to their sound. Think of fellow Californian bands The Offspring and Green Day, but with more of an edge.

Together with the band’s subsequent success, the release of the 1990 miniseries saw the clown motif become more prevalent in music, with Insane Clown Posse adopting the clown gimmick for their brand of “horrorcore” while Slipknot’s Shawn Crahan became known for his clown masks and adopted the name “Shawn The Clown.”

Eventually, each band member wore a mask and matching jumpsuit. “It’s our way of becoming more intimate with the music,” said singer Corey Taylor. “It’s a way for us to become unconscious of who we are and what we do outside of music. It’s a way for us to kind of crawl inside it and be able to use it.”