Reel Big Fish - Aaron Barrett
Words: Jo Taylor
Californian ska band Reel Big Fish began in 1992. Since their inception they have had numerous line-up changes, released eight studio albums, had a bit part in the movie BASEketball, covered A-ha's Take on Me and toured relentlessly with their energetic live show. 2012 saw the release of the new album Candy Coated Fury.
Touring Australia with old mates Goldfinger and Zebrahead at the end of this month, Caught in the Mosh chatted to founding member and lead singer Aaron Barrett about the new album's recording process, touring and how he has avoided being caught out writing songs about people.
You have a lot of guests on the new record Candy Coated Fury like Sonic Boom Six and Julie Stoyer who does the duet with you on "I Know You Too Well To Like You Anymore." Who have been some of your favourite musicians to collaborate with?
It’s always exciting bringing in different musicians on records, but it’s crazy now days with technology and how everything works. But in the day people would come in, you’d get to hang out and maybe go and have a few drinks and figure out what you’ll do when you get to the studio and then make it happen. Now, it’s crazy ‘cause you’ll send over wave files and email them and say “OK, this is what we’re looking for, and we want this and we want that” and then people will send stuff back. So unfortunately, you don’t have as much of a camaraderie with other musicians these days than what you used to. It’s still exciting to have other people come in and bring in some fresh blood and bring a new vibe into the mix. You know, the six of us in the band, we kinda have this sort of chemistry that we all bring, not only the studio but also in our live shows. It can be very easy to just get used to that so to bring someone else in totally puts a new spin on it. And that’s very exciting, to have someone put their personality into it.
Which songs off the new album have been working well in your live shows?
We’ve been playing Don’t Stop Skanking, which the fans have been loving. Playing Everyone Else is an Asshole has gone really well too. It’s sort of a take on the whole idea that perhaps everyones out to get you or that “I’m not crazy, everyone else is crazy. I’m the sane one!” (laughs)
You have been recording albums since 1995. Since that first recording, how has the process changed and does it get easier as time goes?
Uh, no (laughs). It’s been easier lately in the sense that the current line up is terrific. We all wanna have fun, but we’re all here to work and we’re all working towards the same goal. So in that sense, every player is a good player and that makes it easier. But, you’re always going to obsess over every song, the vocal performance or are the lyrics right for the song or could this be better, and especially when it comes time to mixing you’re always thinking “Does this sound as good as it could be?” So in that sense, no it’s always going to be a constant struggle. I think as musicians or in any art form whether its painting or you’re a writer, you’re always going to be obsessing over the project you’re working on because you’re always trying to top the last one. You always have this pressure on yourself. I think it’s what keeps artists going, you’re always trying to get better. But, the good news is, once the record is done and it’s out there you can sort of exhale. It’s all about enjoying the process as well.
Touring Australia with old mates Goldfinger and Zebrahead at the end of this month, Caught in the Mosh chatted to founding member and lead singer Aaron Barrett about the new album's recording process, touring and how he has avoided being caught out writing songs about people.
You have a lot of guests on the new record Candy Coated Fury like Sonic Boom Six and Julie Stoyer who does the duet with you on "I Know You Too Well To Like You Anymore." Who have been some of your favourite musicians to collaborate with?
It’s always exciting bringing in different musicians on records, but it’s crazy now days with technology and how everything works. But in the day people would come in, you’d get to hang out and maybe go and have a few drinks and figure out what you’ll do when you get to the studio and then make it happen. Now, it’s crazy ‘cause you’ll send over wave files and email them and say “OK, this is what we’re looking for, and we want this and we want that” and then people will send stuff back. So unfortunately, you don’t have as much of a camaraderie with other musicians these days than what you used to. It’s still exciting to have other people come in and bring in some fresh blood and bring a new vibe into the mix. You know, the six of us in the band, we kinda have this sort of chemistry that we all bring, not only the studio but also in our live shows. It can be very easy to just get used to that so to bring someone else in totally puts a new spin on it. And that’s very exciting, to have someone put their personality into it.
Which songs off the new album have been working well in your live shows?
We’ve been playing Don’t Stop Skanking, which the fans have been loving. Playing Everyone Else is an Asshole has gone really well too. It’s sort of a take on the whole idea that perhaps everyones out to get you or that “I’m not crazy, everyone else is crazy. I’m the sane one!” (laughs)
You have been recording albums since 1995. Since that first recording, how has the process changed and does it get easier as time goes?
Uh, no (laughs). It’s been easier lately in the sense that the current line up is terrific. We all wanna have fun, but we’re all here to work and we’re all working towards the same goal. So in that sense, every player is a good player and that makes it easier. But, you’re always going to obsess over every song, the vocal performance or are the lyrics right for the song or could this be better, and especially when it comes time to mixing you’re always thinking “Does this sound as good as it could be?” So in that sense, no it’s always going to be a constant struggle. I think as musicians or in any art form whether its painting or you’re a writer, you’re always going to be obsessing over the project you’re working on because you’re always trying to top the last one. You always have this pressure on yourself. I think it’s what keeps artists going, you’re always trying to get better. But, the good news is, once the record is done and it’s out there you can sort of exhale. It’s all about enjoying the process as well.
You guys tour ferociously every year. How do you keep up the energy and passion to perform at 110 percent every night after all these years?
Well, I think that’s how the band has built it’s reputation, on it’s live show. I think we’ve gotten to the point that we don’t know how to do it any other way. We don’t know how to play any other way. Even if we wanted to, if we consciously went on-stage, playing to a theatre of people just sitting down who just came to hear the music and we said “OK, tonight we’re not going to get crazy, we’re just going to focus on playing” We’d probably play loose ‘cause we’re so used to running around and putting everything into every show. So, the short answer, we don’t know how to do it any other way (laughs)
You guys are touring here later this year with Zebrahead and your friends Goldfinger who you’ve toured with extensively. Can we expect some of the member swapping that usually takes place when you guys play together?
(laughs) Ah, you know about that? Yeah, that might happen. It used to be this sort of swapping in and out of players. I think the great thing is being able to tour with friends and you get to tour with not only your friends, but music that you like to listen to and makes touring a lot more fun. So hopefully, you know, we get to play some musical chairs when we’re there.
With the growth of online media and iTunes, have you found you now have fans in places that you didn’t think would ever hear your music?
Oh definitely! Even going back further to Napster when file sharing really started happening, that was the whole reason why Reel Big Fish were able to go overseas. The band was pretty much only touring in the United States but then as a result of mp3’s and being able to share music, its taken us to places we never thought we’d go. Obviously we want to encourage people to buy our music, but if by downloading it for free that then gets them to the show and they enjoy themselves and maybe buy a t-shirt then I guess it all still works out. I guess at the end of the day, the idea is to get your art to reach as many people as possible.
Well, I think that’s how the band has built it’s reputation, on it’s live show. I think we’ve gotten to the point that we don’t know how to do it any other way. We don’t know how to play any other way. Even if we wanted to, if we consciously went on-stage, playing to a theatre of people just sitting down who just came to hear the music and we said “OK, tonight we’re not going to get crazy, we’re just going to focus on playing” We’d probably play loose ‘cause we’re so used to running around and putting everything into every show. So, the short answer, we don’t know how to do it any other way (laughs)
You guys are touring here later this year with Zebrahead and your friends Goldfinger who you’ve toured with extensively. Can we expect some of the member swapping that usually takes place when you guys play together?
(laughs) Ah, you know about that? Yeah, that might happen. It used to be this sort of swapping in and out of players. I think the great thing is being able to tour with friends and you get to tour with not only your friends, but music that you like to listen to and makes touring a lot more fun. So hopefully, you know, we get to play some musical chairs when we’re there.
With the growth of online media and iTunes, have you found you now have fans in places that you didn’t think would ever hear your music?
Oh definitely! Even going back further to Napster when file sharing really started happening, that was the whole reason why Reel Big Fish were able to go overseas. The band was pretty much only touring in the United States but then as a result of mp3’s and being able to share music, its taken us to places we never thought we’d go. Obviously we want to encourage people to buy our music, but if by downloading it for free that then gets them to the show and they enjoy themselves and maybe buy a t-shirt then I guess it all still works out. I guess at the end of the day, the idea is to get your art to reach as many people as possible.
Do you think that with the introduction of online music, it’s changed how kids listen to music? I remember always going to the store, buying the record and sometimes it would take a few listens before i really got it. Now with so much music available at their finger tips, do you think that many are missing out on that experience of taking chances with albums. That if it doesn’t immediately give off a buzz, then it can kinda gets over looked?
Yeah, you know, I just saw this great documentary called PressPlayPause that talks about the whole film industry and music industry and how it seems to be over saturated these days because music is so readily available now. Some people don’t quite get the real experience of listening to music. As you mentioned before, you actually went to a record store and purchased an album, you can hold it in your hand and you can put it on whether it was vinyl or CD or cassette tape, you actually put it on and listen to it. And you would actually sit and listen to the whole record. Now, for some people, it seems to be more of a distraction, more of an activity. Taking that question in another direction, I guess that’s one reason why the band is still thriving to this day. Because we tour as much as we do and because we try to put on such a great live show so its not all based on recordings. But definitely sitting down listening to records isn’t the experience it used to be but if it gets people out to a show then I guess it’s mission accomplished.
You have some very colourful lyrics in your songs, have you ever been confronted by someone who you have written a song about or spoken about in public?
Thankfully no. I guess you try to be just vague enough that if someone ever does ask you can just go “no, no.. that’s not about you, that’s about someone else” (laughs) But I suppose some people don’t want to seem so vein that they would think “oh, that song must be about me” so maybe that’s the plus side. But I try never to get to specific anyway. I want to try and write a song in such a way that a whole bunch of people feel like they can relate to the lyrics and just keep it vague enough that you don’t have to have those awkward moments of someone coming up to you going “That really hurt my feelings!” (laughs)
I know you’ve had an album of covers, but if there was any one song that you wish you could have written, what would it be?
Oh Jeez (laughs) Well, I guess that’s what our covers album Fame, Fortune and Fornication was. Before it was called Fame, Fortune and Fornication we were actually going to call the album “Songs we wish we wrote” (laughs). I listen to some of the old ska music that I love and wish I wrote them or listen to Poison and think to myself “Man, I wish I wrote that song” but I guess at the same time, when you’re the one creating the art, you can never fully appreciate it the way an outside observer can so in a way, I don’t know. All the songs I love to listen to, I’m glad I didn’t write them because I probably wouldn’t like them as much (laughs).
Reel Big Fish touring nationally this November and December
Dates and Ticket details:
Thy 29th Nov - Brisbane, The Tivoli - tickets form Ticketek
Fri 30th Nov - Gold Coast, Coolangatta Hotel - tickets from Oztix
Sat 1st Dec - Sydney, UNSW Roundhouse - tickets from Ticketek
Sun 2nd December - Melbourne, The Palace - tickets from Oztix & Ticketek
Tue 4th December - Adelaide, HQ - tickets from Venuetix & Oztix
Wed 5th December - Perth, Metro City - tickets from Oztix
Yeah, you know, I just saw this great documentary called PressPlayPause that talks about the whole film industry and music industry and how it seems to be over saturated these days because music is so readily available now. Some people don’t quite get the real experience of listening to music. As you mentioned before, you actually went to a record store and purchased an album, you can hold it in your hand and you can put it on whether it was vinyl or CD or cassette tape, you actually put it on and listen to it. And you would actually sit and listen to the whole record. Now, for some people, it seems to be more of a distraction, more of an activity. Taking that question in another direction, I guess that’s one reason why the band is still thriving to this day. Because we tour as much as we do and because we try to put on such a great live show so its not all based on recordings. But definitely sitting down listening to records isn’t the experience it used to be but if it gets people out to a show then I guess it’s mission accomplished.
You have some very colourful lyrics in your songs, have you ever been confronted by someone who you have written a song about or spoken about in public?
Thankfully no. I guess you try to be just vague enough that if someone ever does ask you can just go “no, no.. that’s not about you, that’s about someone else” (laughs) But I suppose some people don’t want to seem so vein that they would think “oh, that song must be about me” so maybe that’s the plus side. But I try never to get to specific anyway. I want to try and write a song in such a way that a whole bunch of people feel like they can relate to the lyrics and just keep it vague enough that you don’t have to have those awkward moments of someone coming up to you going “That really hurt my feelings!” (laughs)
I know you’ve had an album of covers, but if there was any one song that you wish you could have written, what would it be?
Oh Jeez (laughs) Well, I guess that’s what our covers album Fame, Fortune and Fornication was. Before it was called Fame, Fortune and Fornication we were actually going to call the album “Songs we wish we wrote” (laughs). I listen to some of the old ska music that I love and wish I wrote them or listen to Poison and think to myself “Man, I wish I wrote that song” but I guess at the same time, when you’re the one creating the art, you can never fully appreciate it the way an outside observer can so in a way, I don’t know. All the songs I love to listen to, I’m glad I didn’t write them because I probably wouldn’t like them as much (laughs).
Reel Big Fish touring nationally this November and December
Dates and Ticket details:
Thy 29th Nov - Brisbane, The Tivoli - tickets form Ticketek
Fri 30th Nov - Gold Coast, Coolangatta Hotel - tickets from Oztix
Sat 1st Dec - Sydney, UNSW Roundhouse - tickets from Ticketek
Sun 2nd December - Melbourne, The Palace - tickets from Oztix & Ticketek
Tue 4th December - Adelaide, HQ - tickets from Venuetix & Oztix
Wed 5th December - Perth, Metro City - tickets from Oztix
