Reel Big Fish

The members of Reel Big Fish have shuffled around numerous times throughout the years, with Aaron Barrett as the consistent lead singer of the group. The original trio also included bassist Matt Wong and drummer Andrew Gonzales. They started off producing music independently and their demo “In The Good Old Days” was finished in 1992. After the EP was released the band focused their music on a decidedly ska sound and sought to emulate predecessors like No Doubt and Sublime.

Their first true ska album called “Everything Sucks,” released in 1995 snagged the attention of indie label Mojo Records and Reel Big Fish successfully recorded and released “Turn the Radio Off” the following year. The hit single “Sell Out” garnered mainstream success and made the Billboard charts for 32 weeks. The single also became a favorite on MTV.

Reel Big Fish put out a second album called “Why Do They Rock So Hard” in 1998 and although the album was appreciated by an underground audience, it failed to gain as much mainstream attention as their first album did. Reel Big Fish made their cinematic debut in the film “BASEketball” where they performed in a short cameo role. They also contributed to the soundtrack with a cover of a-ha’s “Take On Me.”

The band transitioned to Jive Records in 2001 and released the more rock and less ska album “Cheer Up!” in 2002. They supported the album with a tour with fellow rock bands Sum 41, Catch 22, Lucky Boys Confusion, Matches, and Zebrahead. Since 2006 Reel Big Fish has departed from Jive Records and self-produces music once again.