Room Thirteen chats to Bowling For Soup frontman Jaret Reddick [JR] after his return to the UK with bandmate Erik Chandler for their annual acoustic tour.
R13: You recently finished a seven date tour of the UK, having brought the Bowling For Soup acoustic tour back for the third consecutive year. How did it go?
JR: It honestly could not have gone better. I can't believe I am saying this, but it was too short! Normally, when I am out of the country, I am dying to be home by the end. Last year the acoustic tour was 14 dates, and this year 7. Last year it was too long. This year not long enough. I am guessing next year we will try 10 dates. But it was a lot of fun. Cool to play some cities we hadn't played before as well!
R13: In a similar manner to last year, each night of the acoustic tour was opened by Erik Chandler [solo material] and People On Vacation [Reddick's new band with Ryan Hamilton of Smile Smile]. With both acts having now released debut EPs, was there a difference in the fans' reaction compared to last year?
JR: For sure! For Erik, his performance and just overall confidence being on stage a solo act was night and day from last year. I think the crowd saw that and it was cool that the audience knew some of his songs. The same is true for People On Vacation. We have grown a LOT in the last year. We have been playing StageIt shows online and releasing tons of stuff on the internet. It was REALLY cool to see so many people knowing all the words!
R13: Last year you released a split EP with bubblegum-punksters The Dollyrots, where you covered a couple of their songs and vice versa. If you were to release an EP with Green Day (with whom you said you would love to tour one day) using the same concept, which songs would you like to be on there?
JR: Ha! Man, that would be amazing. I guess an issue would be that we would sound too much like them! I would LOVE to do Going to Pasalacqua, At the Library and Stuart and the Avenue.
R13: You've also mentioned in the past the inspiration that The Beatles, and in particular John Lennon, have given you. If he was still alive today and you could pass him a demo CD to listen to, what songs would you put on it?
JR: Wow... hmmm.... that is so hard. I have never passed a demo to ANYONE; I just feel like it is a volley for rejection! Ha! But, I guess; If You Come Back to Me, Turbulence and probably Almost.
R13: Fans have already begun to ask if you will be starting work on a follow up to 2011 release Fishin' for Woos soon. When you start work on your next album, is there anything in particular that you hope to achieve or perhaps anything new that you would like to try?
JR: Honestly, I have decided to write it later this year, probably in the winter months. I have a definite direction in mind; I want to sort of pick up where I left off on Fishin' For Woos but go even MORE simple and to the point. That said, I never follow through when I plan an album. I always end up shifting gears along the way.
R13: Are there any producers that you have worked with over the years that you feel have particularly evolved Bowling For Soup's sound in the studio?
JR: Honestly, we have been self produced for the most part. We have so much of our shit sussed out before we enter the studio. It really is just about making it all sound good. That said, we worked with Butch Walker on Drunk Enough To Dance and again on 4 songs for Hangover You Don't Deserve. He definitely taught us a LOT about simplifying some things and how to achieve tightness in the studio. But, even he never wanted to change much of what we were doing.
R13: Your record label Crappy Records (co-owned with Linus of Hollywood) will be releasing a compilation album this year. What can we expect from this?
JR: I am so fucking excited about this!!! 15 bands... all with summer feeling songs. It sounds SO cool hearing them all together and after 6 months of work on it, it is amazing that is out June 5th. It is REALLY diverse. From Madina Lake to All Star Weekend. There is a new Nerf Herder Song and a new BFS song. Both my other bands (People on Vacation and Jarinus) have songs on there, as well as a solo song from Erik.... The Dollyrots, MC Lars, Patent Pending, Linus of Hollywood and MORE! We kept it in the family on this one, so it feels really special!
R13: Bowling For Soup are known by younger generations for doing the theme of Disney cartoon Phineas & Ferb, but you also provide the voice of Danny from the show's fictional band Love Handle. Do you plan to venture out into live action acting at any point or are you concentrating on voice acting?
JR: I am doing more and more voice stuff these days. So between that, music and being a dad, I stay SUPER busy. That said, my ultimate goal is to get back into live acting. I would love to do a TV show or something stable like that. I actually just got approached about doing something on Broadway. It is definitely something I will do more of in the coming years. The timing is just bad right now. One can dream!
R13: Finally, what have Bowling For Soup got planned for the rest of 2012?
JR: Mostly one off shows until our UK tour in October with Patent Pending and the Dollyrots. We will be releasing an album around the tour where each band covers each of the other bands and puts a NEW song on as well. Pretty excited about that! It will be on BFS' label. Then some writing and laying low in the winter and recording early next year!!
R13: Thank you very much for your time, Jaret!
JR: Thank you!