Less Than Jake

Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida, formed in 1992. The band’s core lineup includes Chris DeMakes (guitars, vocals), Roger Lima (bass, vocals), Buddy Schaub (trombone), Peter “JR” Wasilewski (saxophone), and Matt Yonker (drums).

They built momentum through independent 7-inch releases before putting out their debut album, Pezcore, in 1995. A few years later, their major-label run on Capitol Records brought wider attention through Losing Streak (1996) and Hello Rockview (1998). They shifted again with Borders and Boundaries (2000) on Fat Wreck Chords, then landed their most commercially successful era with Anthem (2003), driven by “She’s Gonna Break Soon” and “The Science of Selling Yourself Short.”

In 2008, the band launched Sleep It Off Records and released GNV FLA. After that, they leaned into EP releases with Greetings from Less Than Jake (2011) and Seasons Greetings from Less Than Jake (2012), later combining them into the compilation Greetings and Salutations (2012). Their eighth studio album, See the Light, arrived on November 12, 2013. Founding drummer and primary lyricist Vinnie Fiorello exited touring in 2018 and was later fully replaced by Matt Yonker, who appears on Silver Linings (2020). In November 2024, the band released the seven-song EP Uncharted, produced by Bill Stevenson.

How the band started and Pezcore

Before Less Than Jake existed, Chris DeMakes, Vinnie Fiorello, and bassist Shaun Grief played in a local band called Good Grief while in high school in Port Charlotte, Florida. That group ended when DeMakes moved north to attend the University of Florida. On July 13, 1992, Less Than Jake formed, with DeMakes and Fiorello writing songs on weekends before Fiorello joined DeMakes at the University of Florida.

Early on, the band focused on naming the project before locking in a bassist, partly to look organized and partly to feel organized. Over time, different versions of the band name’s origin circulated. DeMakes has said it came from Fiorello’s family pet, originally described as a parrot. In June 2020, Fiorello clarified that “Jake” was actually an English Bulldog.

After trying out a bassist briefly, the band met Roger Lima, a guitarist at the University of Florida. Lima practiced with them on guitar for a few hours, then the band replaced their current bassist and recruited Lima instead. With an influence from Snuff in mind, they decided they wanted a horn section.

In 1993, the group added their first horn player, Jessica Mills, and released their first 7-inch, Smoke Spot, with the band hand pressing 300 copies themselves. Trombonist Buddy Schaub soon joined, and the band continued building a catalog through an EP, compilation tracks, and additional vinyl releases. Mike Park agreed to release the debut full-length on Dill Records, and the band prepared for their first U.S. tour in June 1995 with Skankin’ Pickle.

Right before that tour, Schaub already had plans to travel to Europe, so saxophonist Derron Nuhfer filled in temporarily. Nuhfer became a permanent member in August 1995. That same month, Less Than Jake released Pezcore, originally as a 21-track CD on Dill Records. The original CD included covers of the Jeffersons and Laverne & Shirley TV themes that were later omitted from reissues on Asian Man and Fueled By Ramen. The title pulled from Roger and Vinnie’s interest in Pez candy and the “core” suffix, and Pez imagery became a recurring part of the band’s merchandise.

Capitol years with Losing Streak and Hello Rockview

After Pezcore, Less Than Jake signed to Capitol Records and released Losing Streak in 1996. In 1997, they toured heavily, including Warped Tour, plus runs with Descendents, Guttermouth, Handsome, Blink-182, and Frenzal Rhomb. Following that year’s Warped Tour, Jessica Mills left to perform with Citizen Fish.

The horn lineup shifted again around this time. Pete Anna joined in January 1998, with Lars Nylander filling in during late 1997. Also in this window, Vinnie Fiorello co-founded the label Fueled by Ramen with John Janick.

In 1998, the band released Hello Rockview after tours like Ska Against Racism and Warped Tour. The song “History of a Boring Town” reached No. 39 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks even without a video single.

Borders & Boundaries and the move away from major labels

After recording Borders & Boundaries, the band chose to buy out their major-label contract and release the album through Fat Wreck Chords instead. Released in October 2000, the album placed them as an opener on Bon Jovi’s North American tour and included singles like “Look What Happened” and “Gainesville Rock City.”

Shortly after recording, saxophonist Derron Nuhfer left. Less Than Jake brought in saxophonist Pete Wasilewski, who took the nickname “JR” to avoid confusion with another Pete in the group. After Warped Tour 2001, the other Pete departed, and the band continued touring with acts including New Found Glory, Anti-Flag, and the Teen Idols.

In 2002, Less Than Jake toured with Bad Religion and Hot Water Music, spent a lot of time in Europe, and revisited earlier material through a revised track list of the compilation Goodbye Blue and White, which collected 7-inch releases from 1996 to 2001. They also marked ten years by reissuing Pezcore and re-pressing early 7-inch records in a limited “Cereal Box” package.

Anthem and the band’s biggest commercial moment

Less Than Jake returned to a major-label setup for Anthem (2003) on Warner Bros./Sire Records. The album debuted at No. 45 on the Billboard 200 and featured prominent singles, including “She’s Gonna Break Soon” and “The Science of Selling Yourself Short.” The band promoted the record with touring that included Warped Tour, followed by additional releases such as B Is for B-sides (2004) and the DVD retrospective The People’s History of Less Than Jake (2004). They also appeared on Projekt Revolution in 2004 before stepping back to write the next record.

In with the Out Crowd and the six-album live run

In 2006, Less Than Jake released the Absolution for Idiots and Addicts EP, followed by In with the Out Crowd on Sire Records. In early 2007, they played a run of Florida shows where each night featured one album performed in full, plus B-sides and rarities. They repeated the concept in London in September 2007, playing six nights in a row.

On May 21, 2007, Vinnie Fiorello announced the band had been released from its Warner Bros./Sire contract. Not long after, they began selling high-quality live recordings directly through their website. That same year, they co-headlined the Shout It Loud Tour with Reel Big Fish and toured Japan and Australia with Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto.

Sleep It Off Records, GNV FLA, and the EP-heavy stretch

In 2008, the band launched Sleep It Off Records, using it to release new music and reissue parts of their catalog. GNV FLA arrived on June 24, 2008, named after Gainesville’s airport code. Touring for the album included Reading and Leeds and a UK run with Zebrahead.

From there, the band leaned harder into shorter releases. They issued TV/EP in 2010, then Greetings from Less Than Jake in 2011 and Seasons Greetings from Less Than Jake in 2012. Those EPs were later expanded and combined into Greetings and Salutations (2012). In 2013, they returned to Fat Wreck Chords and released See the Light on November 12.

Drummer change, Silver Linings, and Uncharted

In February 2017, Less Than Jake released the Sound the Alarm EP, which became their final release with founding drummer and primary lyricist Vinnie Fiorello. In 2018, Fiorello stopped touring, and Matt Yonker became the touring drummer. By September 2019, the band stated Fiorello was no longer with the group in any capacity, and Yonker moved into the full-time role.

The lineup transition carried into Silver Linings, which was delayed by the COVID-19 period and ultimately released on December 11, 2020. In 2022, they toured extensively on the Back for the Attack Tour with Bowling for Soup, with The Aquabats appearing on some dates.

On November 15, 2024, Less Than Jake released the seven-song EP Uncharted, produced by Bill Stevenson.

Members

Current members

• Chris DeMakes – vocals, guitars (1992–present)
• Roger Lima – vocals, bass, occasional guitars (1993–present)
• Buddy “Goldfinger” Schaub – trombone, occasional bass (1993–present)
• Peter “JR” Wasilewski – saxophone (2000–present)
• Matt Yonker – drums (2018–present)

Former members

• Vinnie Fiorello – drums (1992–2018)
• Shaun Grief – bass (1992)
• Jessica Mills – saxophone (1993–1998)
• Derron Nuhfer – saxophone (1995–2000)
• Lars “Slim” Nylander – trombone (1998)
• Peter “Pete” Anna – trombone (1998–2001)

Discography

Studio albums

• Pezcore (1995)
• Losing Streak (1996)
• Hello Rockview (1998)
• Borders & Boundaries (2000)
• Anthem (2003)
• In with the Out Crowd (2006)
• GNV FLA (2008)
• See the Light (2013)
• Silver Linings (2020)

EPs

• Sound the Alarm (2017)
• Uncharted (2024)
• Greetings from Less Than Jake (2011)
• Seasons Greetings from Less Than Jake (2012)

Compilation

• Greetings and Salutations (2012)