What do The Roots drummer, Questlove, Sting, and Dweezil Zappaa, have in common with Ryland Steen from Reel Big Fish?  I went to Koko in Camden, London to find out.

I’ve been a fan of Reel Big Fish for nearly ten years, and photographed them around eight times since 2007, but this was the first time I had the opportunity to sit down and ask them about their growth into true ‘Masters’.  It was before the last gig fo the UK section of their tour, and while Sonic Boom Six did a noisy sound check in the next room (which just so happened to be the stage) Ryland Steen enlightened me with his opinions on Crocs, sweet or savoury and super bands.

Reel Big Fish have been around for almost fifteen years, yet unlike other bands you’ve yet to fade away, in fact, your music seems to have developed as you have, and you keep getting new fans.  Why do you think that is?

I think a lot of that is because we’ve always been a touring band, we pretty much tour non-stop.  We’ve built our reputation on live shows, so people know when Reel Big Fish come to town they’re going to have a good time.  I think when some of our fans grow older and move onto more ‘serious’ music, their little brothers and sisters pick up where they left off.  There’s a certain atmosphere that’s created at our shows that really connects with a younger audience.

You told me earlier that you’ve been to Britain loads of times before, what’s your favourite part of British culture?

I love British films and music, and when I’m over hère I love getting a kebab at 2 in the morning!  Mostly though I love the British people – you can walk around pretty much anywhere in Britian and people just start talking to you, you don’t really get that in America or in main land Europe.  You guys are great because you’re so outgoing, and I think that translates to our shows, our fans over here go the craziest.

You guys do covers really well, but if you could pick any band to cover you, who would you choose?

I would love to hear KISS cover Reel Big Fish (he laughs).

If you could make a super band, who would be in it?

Hmm that’s a tough one!  Well I guess it would be me on the drums, and maybe Questlove as well from The Roots so we’d have double drums… who would the bass player be?  No one ever really thinks about the bass player!  I’ll come back to that later, I’d have Sting on vocals and Dweezil Zappa on guitar.  That’s a good question!

If Reel Big Fish ever did stop making music, what would your last words be at your very last gig?

I think it would just be our enormous gratitude to our fans, the band has had a long run now and that’s all due to the fans so I think just a thank you note.

What do you think your overall influence on the Ska genre has been?

Reel Big Fish have become one of the biggest bands in Ska, so I think that in the same way that if you wanted to get into jazz music you’d probably listen to Miles Davis’ ‘Kind of Blues’ record, if you wanted to get into Ska you’d probably listen to ‘Turn the Radio Off’ by Reel Big Fish.  I guess we’re like a starting point.

What’s your opinion on Crocs?

(He laughs) I don’t even know what they are, are they shoes or are they sandals ?!  I guess I don’t have any thoughts on them because I don’t really think about them.

What are your favourite board games?

I love board games where you have to think a little bit, so I love playing chess, Monopoly, Clue, Scrabble, Charades… is Charades a board game?

If you could only have either sweet or savoury things for the rest of your life, which would you pick and why ?

Savoury.

Woah, you answered that quick!

I don’ really have a sweet tooth.

What’s about cough syrup though, that’s always sweet?

I’m not really one for taking medicine but I guess I would just have to take the lentil soup flavoured cough syrup!

And finally, when was it you guys realised you were truly masters…?

Well we were all on the bus one night, and we all had the same dream and we woke up and thought ‘Woah… we have to go with this !’ (He laughs again) I don’t think anyone can ever truly be a master, and why would you want to be – where’s the fun in that?  Once you’ve hit the ceiling, where else are you gonna go ?

A philosophical end quote there from Mr Steen himself.  Reel Big Fish have just finished playing at Sound Wave Festival in Australia and their current album, ‘Fame, Fortune and Fornication’ is out now.

Article written by Bee Pahnke, Photography by Mike McAdam