OSince the birth of ska in 1997, fans all around the suburbs have been taken with the upbeat hooks and backbeat guitar of the southern California-based genre. After 20 years of checkerboard patterns, fedoras, and blasting tunes, you might be forgiven for thinking that there is more than one songwriting team behind every single ska song you know. But allow us at Hard Style to shatter that notion.
It’s true! Only one team of songwriters has written every ska song you know! Let’s meet them:
Aaron Barrett
The most prolific writer on the team is Aaron Barrett. From penning ska’s first hit song “Sell Out” to rewriting a horn line for the re-recording of “Sell Out,” Barrett has single handedly composed every one of the ska songs you know.
Scott Klopfenstein
Affectionately nicknamed the “trumpeter engineer” by loved ones, Klopflopstein can toot every riff and nail any vocal harmony. While Barrett may be the mind behind the operation, Klopfingershtickle is certainly the heart.
Matt Wong
Known to all ska fans as “the only bassist that matters.” While Wong may not have been credited on every ska song you know, he did write the bassline for it.
Less Than Jake
While he may have sort of a strange name, Less Than Jake was also listed in the members section on the Reel Big Fish wikipedia page. Not sure who he is so let’s just call him Jake and do some more research. Wait. Oh I see what happened. They’re listed in the ‘associated acts’ section. My bad.
Tavis Werts
Tavis “Travis” Werts rounds out the group but there is very little information on him online. We plan to ask all about him during our upcoming interview with Aaron Barrett. I’m sure he’ll be delighted to fill us in.
Wait, I guess people know “The Impression That I Get” too. Never mind.