Since 1993, the oldest music magazine on the Internet By Mark Sergi The newly signed Sire/Warner Brothers record band, Less Than Jake is hardly new, as they have put out a combined 147 EP’s, singles, and complication tracks. While refusing to conform to a certain type of music the band has won over fans in many different music communities and throughout the world. They are currently on the Vans Warped Tour and their new album “The Anthem” was released on May 20, 2003. RAD: So what is your album the anthem for? Roger: It is a blanket statement to cover a whole bunch of bases. It could be an anthem for anyone or anything. It could be anthem for a kid who is having a hard time because his parents don't treat him good, or the person who has too much and doesn't know what it is like to be a simple person. The different songs on the album kind of cover different stories. RAD: Who writes the songs? Buddy: Vinnie writes all the lyrics, so he could explain the lyrics a little better. Although basically he writes about his personal experiences, or something that has happened to him or something he believes in. RAD: How is this album different from the others? Buddy: Well with this album he tried to tie it all together with things he has had to deal with over the last ten years; with his parents getting divorced, and getting off drugs; different things like that. A lot of the songs are about his experiences, but different kids can use those for an anthem for themselves. RAD: How has the band progressed and changed over the last 11 years? Buddy: Well, it’s not like we ever had a true transitional period. I have always looked at our band kind of like a snowball effect. We started in a small town and just gathered more steam as we went along and the more times we went around the country and around the globe we would gather more fans. And we have progressively gotten a little bigger. RAD: You have been with something like 13 record labels, why so many changes, and what have the differences been? Roger: You know we are on a major label before (They had a short stint with Capital Records), and now we are on major label (Warner Brothers) again, and I think it has been a transitional period so our lives have been different. You know, you get opportunities to do more stuff when you’re with a major label. You get to do a video, and try to get your song on the radio. RAD: Being with so many labels and working with so many different people have you ever had to change or compromise your music? Buddy: No. I mean we change and our music has been progressive no matter who puts out our records. We have been learning from each other and just getting better. RAD: How did the current members of LTJ come together? Roger: We were all going to college in Gainesville, Florida. It had a small, tight music scene, a lot of people were friends and in two or three bands. Chris and Vinnie lived in Gainesville, and I met them at a party. Buddy: The band came together real naturally. It wasn’t like we put some ad out in the paper. RAD: So the lead track on the album is “She’s Gonna Break Soon.” Can you tell me a little about the song? Roger: The song is about someone coming up on a point of there life where they are going to crack. When things are starting to build up and life becomes a little too hectic. It’s when you know when you are going to snap and need to go blow off some steam. Buddy: It is really kind of about when you first go to college and get out of your parents house. When you are trying to find yourself. When you are trying to look cool to people on the outside, but you are really feeling this way on the inside. You know after doing all of this fake stuff you kind start to crack, before you actually find yourself. RAD: When did you guys decide to seriously pursue making the band into a career? Roger: In 1995, when I dropped out of college, and we started to try to get our touring going and stuff like that. Buddy I always loved playing music and stuff, I don’t think anybody thought that we would able to do this and make a living out of it. So we are all very thankful that it happened this way. So yeah, it was kind of around that time when Chris quit school, and we left in the summer of 95’ and did our first real tour. We really dove in head first. Everybody quit what they were doing- quit school, quit their jobs. UPDATED: 19 JUL 2003 01:43 MDT © 2003 Rational Alternative Digital