Interview: Reel Big Fish -

Through The Lens magazine Staff Writer M.J. Rawls caught up with trumpet player John Christianson (Johnny Christmas) of Reel Big Fish to talk longevity, how fun it is to tour with Less Than Jake and more

TTL: Thank you for taking time out to talk to Through The Lens magazine. Just for our reader, can you introduce yourself?
Johnny Christmas: My official title is Johnny Christmas.

TTL: You guys are currently on tour with Less Than Jake. How does it feel to be on tour with a band that you consider friends for so long?
Johnny Christmas: It is absolutely amazing! Not only are they a great bunch of entertainers and musicians but they are also a great bunch of guys. We want to tour with them forever!

TTL: Being a band for 20 plus years with changing demographics through the years, do you see a difference in age groups with your current tour?
Johnny Christmas: I think on this tour there may be a few more people in the audience that are beyond their 20’s. But there are still a high percentage of kids that are coming to the show that have not seen either band before.

TTL: With the last question, in being in the music industry for so long – how do you maintain that creative fire and energy?
Johnny Christmas: Heavy peyote and mescaline use……… Just kidding! Dealing with other human beings on a day to day basis with all their quirks and eccentricities never ceases to provide endless fodder for songs.
TTL: Do you have any advice for any upcoming bands out there on how to keep their longevity going like Reel Big Fish has?
Johnny Christmas: Write hit songs! Practice and become exceptional at your instrument. Remember you’re not just a musician but an entertainer. Treat your band mates and your crew with love and respect (this goes for everyone that you come in contact with too). If you make a living on the road touring your band and crew will become your second family. Or possibly a gang; except without the guns, drugs and violence.

Skaildays was the Christmas EP that just came out last year. Do you guys have any plans to record anything new after the tour?
Johnny Christmas: There are always plans to record new records of original material. It’s just having enough time off in between tours, and enough money to pay to make a new record. We do not have a record company that will give us a humongous advance to take a bunch of time off the road to record an album. So we have to be careful about how and when we choose to take time off and go into the studio.

TTL: With music genres like metalcore/hardcore, it’s good to see that the ska/punk genre still has a place. Since you guys started, what is your take on how far the ska/punk genre has come and where it can go?
Johnny Christmas: SKA has come a long way from its Jamaican roots in the 1950’s and it will continue to evolve just like any other genre of music. Each generation has put its fingerprint on SKA music and bands will continue to incorporate their influences into the music they make. What do I see in the future? Ambient country metal SKA!

TTL: If you had to choose one Reel Big Fish song for a person to start off with to get into the band, what would it be and why?
Johnny Christmas: “She has a girlfriend now”. I think it is really important to support the equal rights for the gay and lesbian community. And it’s a song that puts a smile on my face every time we play it.