INTERVIEW WITH BOWLING FOR SOUP!
Here is our interview with Bowling for Soup. We had the chance to cover their tour stop in Raleigh, NC at the Red Hat Amphitheater while they were opening for Simple Plan, and it was an incredible show from start to finish. We’re grateful they took the time to answer a few questions with us. Check out the interview below!
Interviewer (Q): Chris Sturk | Band (A): Bowling for Soup
1. Q: When Bowling for Soup first started, what did success look like to you, and how has your definition of success changed over the years?
A: Honestly, when Bowling for Soup first started, the idea of success in a band, or as a musician, wasn’t even something I was remotely thinking about.
To me, I guess success was making a good living, living in a nice house, having a family and a dog that could sit and roll over. That’s what success looked like. When Bowling for Soup started, I certainly wasn’t looking at the band that way. I had a foundation. I had two college degrees and a lot of experience in business and things like that. So I guess the answer is that success, to me, didn’t really have anything to do with Bowling for Soup. Bowling for Soup was just this thing I was doing in addition to working toward staying alive. Obviously, that changed quite a bit.
2. Q: Is there a song that was never a major hit, but means as much to the band as your biggest singles?
A: If you’re talking about the success of a song without it technically being a “hit,” Greatest Day is crazy.
It was originally written for a Tiger Woods video game and didn’t get picked up, and then it went on to be in more movies and TV shows than any song we have. It’s also such a fan favorite, so as far as success is concerned, that song means quite a lot. Then there are songs like Friends O’ Mine that mean a lot to me and the band just because of the context of them. There are definitely songs in the catalog that mean more to us personally than the hits. But I also never want to sidestep the hits. They mean an awful lot to us, and I’m definitely not one of those guys who runs away from them.
3. Q: Looking back at your catalog, which album do you think deserves more appreciation from fans?
A: Honestly, I think each album gets the appreciation that it gets, and for the most part, I think they deserve the attention they get. I don’t really feel like there’s an obviously underrated Bowling for Soup record.
If you had asked me which record we thought fans might not gravitate toward, I probably would have said Lunch.Drunk.Love. That’s obviously the one I call my divorce record. There was a lot going on in my life, a lot going on in Erik’s life, Gary’s life and Chris’s life. It was right before a really dark time, and it’s not a funny album. Even our manager at the time was like, “I miss the My Wena.” And I was like, “Man, I’m not feeling My Wena right now.” I think some people thought we might alienate our fan base with that record, but instead, we grew up with our fan base. People heard it and went, “Man, I’ve felt like this before.” So that record means a lot to the people who understand what it is and where it came from.
Then you have Drunk Enough to Dance, which is a favorite for so many of the old-school fans because that’s what they saw us playing in bars. You’ve got A Hangover You Don’t Deserve, which was the most successful. You’ve got Sorry for Partyin’, which everybody considers this kind of underdog record. But if I have to actually pick one, I’m going with Fishin’ for Woos. That record is a banger. I even think we, as a band, treated it a little bit like this bridge between, “Okay, we got dropped,” and “What are we doing with the rest of our lives?” It’s got Turbulence on it, and if you go back and listen to that record, there are just so many great songs on there. So yeah. Fishin’ for Woos. That’s my answer.
4. Q: Was there ever a point when you considered stepping away from the band? If so, what kept you going?
A: Yeah, for sure. Around 2013.
It’s pretty well documented by now. I was going through a really hard time in my life. I was going through a divorce, worrying about custody of my kids, and trying to figure out what the hell I was going to do just to keep myself sane. I almost broke the band up. It’s something I really regret, and it’s something I feel terrible about where the other guys are concerned. But I’ve done my work, and I’ve made amends as best I can for all of that.
Once I worked through what I needed to work through and got my shit together, I realized the band had actually been one of the things keeping me going all along. I needed those friendships. I needed the music. I needed all of it. We did that farewell tour of the UK, which was completely something I pushed for, and I wanted to take it back even while we were over there doing it. It was just a really dark time. But I have amazing friends, an amazing support system and an amazing life that kept me in there. And man, am I glad we stayed the course.
5. Q: What’s the biggest misconception people have about Bowling for Soup?
A: Honestly, I think part of what makes us Bowling for Soup is that there really aren’t that many misconceptions about us.
We’re pretty real. I put almost everything in my life out there for people. A lot of times in interviews somebody will say, “Tell us a story nobody’s ever heard before,” and that’s almost impossible for me, because I’ve spent 30 years just putting everything out into the world. So I don’t think there are a lot of misconceptions about who we are. I guess one might be that people assume we’re just loaded and rich because we had these huge songs. But I think people forget that our biggest success happened right in the middle of Napster and LimeWire and all of that. And honestly, I’m not even bitter about it. I’m kind of glad we had to work as hard as we did, because if somebody had handed us a truckload of money during our most successful years, I’m not sure we’d still be doing this. We survived. That’s really how we got here: survival.
6. Q: “1985” has had such an impact on nostalgia for a generation. If you were writing “1985” today, what year do you think the song would be about?
A: What’s great about this is that I don’t have to make that decision, because everybody on the internet is making it for me.
I love all the parodies on TikTok and Reels and Facebook. People ask me all the time, “Are you ever going to redo the song and bring it up to date?” And I’m not. At least I don’t plan to. Because I don’t want everybody else to stop doing it. I love that people have their own versions of it, and I love that there’s this whole lasting idea of updating 1985. So I hope that continues. I’ll just sit back and let everybody else make that decision for me.
7. Q: Is there a song in the catalog whose meaning has changed for you over time?
A: Man, that is such a great question, by the way. Thank you for asking.
This is probably going to surprise some people and not surprise others at all, but Turbulence. When we wrote it and when we made the video, I almost thought of it as a downer. Then during the pandemic, it became this triumphant song for people who were watching all of my online shows. And through sharing my story and starting to talk more about mental health awareness, I realized, man, this song isn’t a downer at all. It’s an anthem of hope. It’s a hopeful song. Once I realized that, I stopped being scared of where we could play it. I’m not scared to play it at Warped Tour. I’m not scared to play it at Riot Fest. It’s a ballad, but I’m absolutely not afraid to put that song out into the world in any situation. It’s one I’m really proud of and it’s made a lot of people happy.
8. Q: Are there any songs you rarely listen to now because you’ve performed them so many times?
A: Yeah. It’s funny, because I’m always talking about how I don’t hate our hits. I love our hits.
But I’m probably not sitting around the house putting on 1985 or High School Never Ends. That said, if I’m listening to SiriusXM PopRocks or Pop2K and one of them comes on, I’m certainly not changing the station.
9. Q: Since you are currently on tour with Simple Plan, if you could cover a Simple Plan song, which one would be most fun to play? I know for me it would be your take on “Shut Up!” or “Summer Paradise.”
A: Well, the cool thing is that we actually did end up covering I’m Just A Kid.
I did that because it’s sort of the obvious Simple Plan song to do right now. But if somebody said, “No, you’re going to do the Simple Plan song YOU want to do,” it would definitely be I’d Do Anything. I think that song is brilliant. I love it so much.
10. Q: Are there any current artists inspiring you that fans might be surprised to hear about?
A: I’m really inspired by the youthfulness and the drive of a lot of these newer bands and artists.
Magnolia Park, The Paradox, Don’t Panic, trxvis, Ayo Dylan — I just love watching these people get out there and do it. The rules have changed. We’re in uncharted waters, and honestly, I feel like the music business has been that way for quite a while now — probably the last 15 years or so. So it’s really cool and inspiring to see how these younger artists are navigating everything. I’m such a fan of those bands and artists, and I’m really, really rooting for them.
11. Q: You’ve been around long enough to see multiple generations of fans. What’s the biggest difference between a Bowling for Soup crowd in 2005 and one in 2026?
A: Honestly, I’d say there’s probably not that much of a difference.
We’ve always drawn from both sides of the generations. Obviously, we started out in bars, so our fans were a little bit older. But then we started getting on Radio Disney, and then Phineas and Ferb happened. Pop punk itself was also bringing in a younger audience in 2003 and 2004. So we’ve always had hardcore fans from different age groups, and that’s pretty cool. Actually, no. Scratch all that. The biggest difference is that in 2026, most of our fans have jobs and they can buy merch. And it’s pretty great.
12. Q: After all these years of touring, what still surprises you?
A: I think what surprises me the most is how quickly everything goes when you’re out on the road, while at the exact same time it feels like you were gone forever.
We got home from the last tour and my manager was like, “Man, that felt like it went by quick.” And one of us said, “That actually felt like we were gone three months, but somehow it only took a week and a half.” It’s a whirlwind. That’s something I don’t think you ever completely get used to — the pace at which everything moves. It feels incredibly fast and incredibly slow at exactly the same time.
13. Q: What’s been the funniest backstage moment on this tour so far?
A: Simple Plan got these new costumes for the mascots, and watching them try to figure out who was going to put them on and dance in them was pretty amazing.
They basically held auditions. It was just such a wholesome, funny thing to watch — trying to find the perfect people to go out there and dance in these giant mascot suits. And those things are awkward and hot, and my goodness, it was SO hot this summer. Watching that whole thing go down was pretty funny.
14. Q: Has there been a city on this run that completely exceeded your expectations?
A: I’ve got to go with the KettleHouse Amphitheater outside Missoula, Montana.
The crowd was amazing. The view from the stage was absolutely incredible. It was the first show to sell out. You could have told me before the tour, “Hey, you’re playing there,” and I probably would have just been like, “Yeah, okay. Cool.” But man, I was completely blown away. Absolutely stunning venue and just an incredible show. Honorable mention to Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica in Cleveland, too. Gosh, that was a freaking great venue, and what a great show that was.
15. Q: If fans could spend one hour behind the scenes with the band on tour, what would surprise them the most?
A: Probably how boring it is.
And I think every band would probably say the same thing. It’s a lot of sitting around talking about which fast-food taco is the best, which fast-food burger is the best, and then you just repeat. It’s definitely not like the movies. Our friends will come see us on the road and they’ll walk into the dressing room all ready to go, and we’re like, “Yeah, I need to jump in the shower real quick, then I’m probably going to cut my toenails and take a nap.” That’s the reality.
16. Q: What’s the most memorable fan interaction you’ve had in the past year, especially with someone whose life was impacted by your music?
A: Because of what I do and because of the mental health awareness platform that I have, quite frankly, I get a lot of interactions that are unforgettable.
But in Oklahoma City, we met a guy who had swabbed for the bone marrow registry with Punk Rock Saves Lives about a year earlier. He ended up being a match, went through the donation process and saved somebody’s life. That is a pretty special meeting. That’s something I hold very, very dear. I’m so thankful to be involved with Punk Rock Saves Lives. I initially got involved from the mental health aspect, but the fact that there are all these other avenues where we can help people and just make the world a little better is such a blessing. I love every interaction that happens because of that organization.
17. Many fans who grew up listening to Bowling for Soup are now bringing their own kids to shows. What has that experience been like for you?
A: The cool thing is, that’s actually been part of our experience almost the whole time we’ve been doing this.
We’ve always been one of those bands that parents and kids could agree on. You go back to fan interactions over the years, and I’ve had dads come up to the merch booth and say, “Man, I’ve got to thank you,” and throw $20 into the beer fund because they felt like they had nothing in common with their kid. Then they found Bowling for Soup. Suddenly they were going to pop punk shows together. They were going to Warped Tour together. And now those kids are grown up, and I’ll hear, “Hey, I’m flying into Denver and I’m bringing my dad to the show because he took me to my first Bowling for Soup show.” I just love that so much. I love that people connect through our music. The fact that it brings families together and gives people something in common with their kids based on songs I wrote in my underwear in my kitchen is just amazing.
18. Q: Has a fan ever shared a story about one of your songs that completely changed the way you view it?
A: Yeah. That kind of stuff happens all the time, and I think that just shows you the magic of music.
I can mean one thing when I put a song out into the world, but everybody is going to interpret it differently. It’s going to hit differently in their own mind. A lot of my stuff is based around stories, and we all picture stories differently. You read a book and everybody pictures the characters a little differently. I think it’s the same thing with a well-written song. So I’ll have people come up and ask, “Did you mean THIS when you wrote that?” And sometimes I’m like, “No. But my goodness, I kind of wish I did mean that, because that’s really cool.” That’s one of the best parts of putting music out into the world. Once it’s out there, it belongs to everybody.
19. Q: If someone had never heard of the band before and only had time to listen to three songs, which three would you recommend and why?
A: First of all, Girl All the Bad Guys Want.
That is the quintessential pop-punk Bowling for Soup song. It’s got the riff, the attitude, the story, the tongue-in-cheek humor, the melody. That one is absolutely on the list. Then I’d say Almost. And for the third one, I’d probably go Turbulence. I don’t think I’d pick 1985. I know that’s the obvious choice, but if somebody wants to understand who Bowling for Soup actually is, I think Girl All the Bad Guys Want, Almost and Turbulence give you a really good representation of the band.
20. Q: Twenty years from now, what do you hope people remember most about Bowling for Soup and the legacy you’ve created?
A: I hope people remember that we were real.
That we could put a smile on your face no matter what. That we were good dudes and that we put on a fucking great show. I love hearing people say we sound like the CD. There are three of us up there making those sounds. We don’t have laptops. We don’t have extra guitar players. We don’t have any of that. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with bands that do.
But three people go up there and make those sounds, and people tell us we sound just like the CD or the album.
A lot of people don’t know what a CD is. Sorry about that. But yeah, I want Bowling for Soup to be remembered as a band that gave a shit, was lethal live, and made some waves.
21. Q: If you could go back and give yourself one piece of advice on the day Bowling for Soup was formed, what would it be?
A: Stay the course. Life is awesome. It’s been a fucking roller coaster, but I wouldn’t change one thing because I love where we are right now. I have a great family. The band is firing on all cylinders. I’ve never been happier. Everything that it took to get here was worth it. So stay the course, young Jaret, stay the course.
I am grateful the guys took time out of their day to answer my questions and being able to see them live was such a bucket list moment. - Chris Sturk
CHECK OUT OUR TOUR COVERAGE OF THE BANDS PERFORMANCE IN RALEIGH AT THE REDHAT BELOW!
