Stuck in Limbo

Being stuck in any sort of record label limbo-land is hell... and waiting in that limbo-land for three years could break the spirit of many people, but it didn't destroy Orange County ska band, Reel Big Fish. They've gigged their hearts out, almost have an album finished and they have "the best lineup right now, some of the best players and creative people," said front man Aaron Barrett.
Reel Big Fish came through in 1997 with their hit "Sell Out," a tune mocking the entertainment biz…Well, right now selling out almost has to sound good to this band, because then they would know what was going on. Originally, they were on MOJO Records and that worked for a while, until a few years ago when they started working on an album. First the label didn't like the songs, then they didn't like the producer they paid six-figures to work on the album. Meaningless excuses were flowing and Reel Big Fish was pissed and that's when MOJO was sold to Jive. "Now the album is going to come out for sure," Barrett said. "MOJO didn't like the album and wouldn't tell us what to do or anything," he said. Now the five-piece (they were a six-piece until Tavis Wertz quit due to an internal band scuffle), are excited, spending much time in the studio to ensure the album is out in the next few months.
Aaron explained what it's like to be in the band and what Reel Big Fish is all about:

What are you working on?
Our album is almost done. We've been working on it for a couple of years [and] we've got about 12 songs done and have three more to do.

Is this album different than what you've done before?
It's a little different. We like to write different songs every time we write a song (laughing).

That works…
It's just different, but it's still fun. We've got horns, songs.

Are you excited about it coming out?
Yeah, we've been fighting with the record company for a long time. MOJO didn't like the album and wouldn't tell us what to do or anything. They were doing this deal [selling to Jive] and didn't want anyone to know about it.

So you guys suffered?
Yep.

What are you excited for on this tour?
We like to be on the road and play every night, but we're more excited to get back in the studio and finish up the album. We get back in the studio on December 1st.

You recently lost a band member, Tavis Wertz…
Sometimes people don't get along.

Was it for the better?
I think it's all for the better, we're looking for a new guy right now.

When you guys came out with 'Sell Out,' the music scene was very open to ska then, in 1997. Do you feel like the industry is still an open place for that genre?
Yeah, I think there is [a place for it]. I don't understand why everyone always fights it so much in the industry. They're just like, (in a disapproving tone) 'Oh, people don't like horns, horns are over.' But I hear stories that they've been saying that since the '60s.

Is it harder now because you've been around a while before that song hit and now the charts are dominated by teen pop? Do you feel the environment is good for you guys?
We're doing pretty good not being on the radio or anything. We're still playing big shows and we've been on tour this whole year, all over the world. We've been to Europe three times, we toured Japan, we've toured the US with Goldfinger [and also] Canada. But I think the radio might be ready for something like this right now, because I'm getting sick of what's going on right now.

When you guys tour overseas, do you feel people react to your music differently than the US?
It's pretty much the same, people all over the world you know, they like to dance and jump around and have a good time. It's cool; it's the same. We go to places where we don't speak their language, but we play music and we know what's going on. They go nuts over there, they're not as jaded as we are over here, but its pretty much the same at our shows, just people jumping around and going crazy.

How has your music changed since you started?
When we first started we were awful, we could barely play our instruments. It was horrible, but we've gotten better at our instruments and the songwriting has gotten a little bit better. But, I think it's kinda charming when you don't know how to write a song, the stuff comes out so interesting, the honesty. You don't know what you're doing. So, it's kinda good we got better.

What is your take on the music industry today?
I don't really think about it anymore. I've got my 1,000 CDs that I listen to, so I don't care if anything new and good comes out, because I've got so much good stuff. I'm the kind of person that just likes to listen to the same old stuff all the time. I'm happy with the stuff I have. Maybe that's not good, but I'm still listening to stuff like I listened to in high school...

You guys started the band in high school, right?
Me and my friends were just driving by a music store and stopped in. I was 16. This guy told us he gave guitar lessons and started ripping it up on the guitar. I thought it was awesome, got a guitar, learned how to play and started a band. I had no idea what I wanted to do.

What is your focus now?
We're just trying to keep it going, trying to put out albums, trying to stay a band. Of course we want to be rich and famous and all that good stuff, but our immediate goal is to get the album out. That's the most important thing right now. It's been three years; we were waiting for the record company's stuff to get straightened out.

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