Matt Wong

Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California.

The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold-certified album Turn the Radio Off.

Soon after, the band lost mainstream recognition but gained an underground cult following.

The band formed in 1991 while the members were in high school.

The group started as a cover band until they released a demo in 1992, titled In The Good Old Days.

With the departure of Ben Guzman soon after, then backup vocalist Aaron Barrett took his place as lead singer.

The band then changed its genre to ska.

Reel Big Fish's self-released debut album, Everything Sucks, was successful and became an underground hit spread by word-of-mouth, which led to the band signing a deal with Mojo Records.

In August 1996, the band released the album Turn the Radio Off on the new label, which appealed to fans of ska punk style, and the band began touring throughout the United States.

After the single "Sell Out" became well known in mainstream venues, including MTV, the album peaked at number 57 on the Billboard charts, staying on the charts for 32 weeks.

However, the ska revival was short-lived, and the group's 1998 album Why Do They Rock So Hard? failed to match the sales of the band's previous record.

In 1998, the band appeared in the movie BASEketball, performing in the stands to rouse the crowd.

The band also appeared on the film's soundtrack with a cover of A-ha's "Take On Me".

Why Do They Rock So Hard? was the last album for two members of the band.

Trombonist Grant Barry was fired for his conduct, culminating with him committing battery on a security guard at Mississippi Nights during a concert in St. Louis, and drummer Andrew Gonzales left the band to spend more time with his family.

Trumpet player Tavis Werts left the band in 2001.

Former Suburban Rhythm drummer Carlos de la Garza and former Spring Heeled Jack trumpeter Tyler Jones, who tracked for two songs on Cheer Up! (because Werts had already recorded the majority of his trumpet parts before his departure), were brought in.

De la Garza's last concert with Reel Big Fish was on June 20, 2003, at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California.

That concert was later released as a DVD in The Show Must Go Off! series.

Jones appeared in the music videos for "Where Have You Been?"

and "Monkey Man" (although neither featured any trumpet-playing), and continued to play live with the band until September 2004.

Jones was replaced by trumpeter John Christianson, who had previously played with Barrett in the band, The Forces of Evil.

On April 5, 2005, the band released its fourth album on Mojo, We're Not Happy 'Til You're Not Happy.

Justin Ferreira (who replaced De La Garza) was on drums for the recording, but left before the album's release to join the Orange County band Takota and subsequently is listed as an additional musician on the CD.

He was replaced by Ryland Steen.

Compared to the previous album (Cheer Up!), which was more lighthearted and cheerful, Allmusic describes the songs in We're Not Happy 'Til You're Not Happy as "angry" and "embittered", but also deemed the album as "super catchy".

Common themes expressed throughout the songs include jealousy, regret, short-lasting fame, and disappointment toward mainstream record companies.

Aaron Barrett has stated that We're Not Happy 'Til You're Not Happy was "the third record in a trilogy" that began with Turn the Radio Off.

"The first one was about being in a band and trying to make it. Then Why Do They Rock So Hard? was like, 'we've made it, we're rock stars'. Cheer Up we made because we had to make it. But We're Not Happy 'Til You're Not Happy is about us being old and jaded now."

As of 2006, the band was no longer signed to a major record label and has since been independent.

After numerous line-up changes, frontman Aaron Barrett is the last remaining founding member still performing in the band.

While on tour in early 2006, Reel Big Fish were dropped from the Jive Records label.

The band formed its own label and released a 3-disc live performance CD/DVD set, Our Live Album Is Better Than Your Live Album.

This package became available on July 18, 2006, on the Internet and in retail stores on August 22.

Jive later released a Reel Big Fish greatest hits album, Greatest Hit...And More.

On February 20, 2007, the band released Duet All Night Long, which is a split EP with power pop punk band Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer.

It features six cover songs (three from each band), with the two vocalists performing with both bands.

The song, "Say Say Say" features Scott Klopfenstein on vocals in place of Barrett.

The band released its first studio album since leaving Jive Records; Monkeys for Nothin' and the Chimps for Free worldwide on July 10, 2007, on the Rock Ridge Music record label.

On June 26, 2007, shortly before its release, the band announced in a Myspace blog that Matt Wong was leaving the band to spend more time with his wife and newborn child.