Joan Jett Releases New Song, ‘Fresh Start,’ From ‘Bad Reputation’ Documentary Soundtrack

Bad Reputation, a documentary about female rock pioneer Joan Jett, is about to hit movie theaters, and the musician’s band released a brand-new song on Tuesday, September 11, that is featured on the film’s soundtrack.

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts’ “Fresh Start” is the group’s first new music release since the 2013 album Unvarnished, and the pop punk tune fits right in with Jett’s classic material.

The feel-good anthem, which was posted on YouTube, features the singer’s raspy vocals over an upbeat melody that fans can clap along to. Plus, there’s a great guitar solo, which is something that is very much missed from most of today’s songs.

Lyrically, Jett, who will turn 60 years old on September 22, wrote the song from an aging rocker’s viewpoint.

“Sometimes you need to say to yourself, ‘Am I still enjoying what I’m doing? I need to find the fire again,'” she told Entertainment Weekly.

“Part of it was just thinking about rock in general. It’s always been a young person’s game, writing about sex, love, and partying. As rock and rollers get older, what do they write about? I’m not sure there’s an answer, but we’re looking for it.”

“Fresh Start” is included on the 17-song soundtrack Bad Reputation — Music from the Original Motion Picture, which comes out September 28 from Legacy Recordings/Blackheart Records, according to Sony Music. The album contains Jett’s greatest hits, some songs as they were originally recorded and others performed live, like “I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll,” “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” and “Crimson and Clover.” Her first band the Runaways, Bikini Kill, and members of the Sex Pistols make guest appearances on the record, which ends with an epic version of “Androgynous” featuring Jett, Miley Cyrus, and transgender Against Me! singer Laura Jane Grace.

Listen to “Fresh Start” below.

Meanwhile, the documentary Bad Reputation will be in theaters and On Demand starting Friday, September 28. Directed by Kevin Kerslake, the 92-minute film covers Jett’s more than 40 years in the music industry, including her early years in the Runaways, starting her own record company after being rejected by 23 labels, and her influence on female rockers.

https://www.facebook.com/badrepfilm/videos/1867099656685201/

“Bad Reputation gives you a wild ride as Jett and her close friends tell you how it really was in the burgeoning ’70s punk scene and the rocky road to rock stardom decades on,” it is stated on the film’s website. “She will kick your a**, and you’ll love her all the more for it.”