From Wave Action magazine

	Gainesville, Florida, home to tee University of Florida and plenty of 
gators, is also the student murder capital of the country. An interesting 
tid-bit of information, and a distinction the guys from Less Than Jake  
couldn't be prouder of. In their three-and-a-half years together, these 
lads have made quite a name for themselves, namely for being a band of 
hard-working musicians. You need only to look at the merchandise display 
at one of their shows to see what I mean: they have five different 7"
records, one 10", three CDs, countless different styles of shirts and 
their songs on too many compilations to count. It's no surprise, then, 
that Capitol Records signed 'em, but the guys remain pretty modest about 
it.

	"A lot of people think that, Okay you sign to a major, and then 
your life gets taken over by this label.

	It's not that at all, admits Roger. "They don't do dick 
just promote us. It's still just us, busting our asses. while negotiating 
a deal with the record giant, the band stood firm and got themselves a 
deal that allows them the freedom to release their next album on vinyl, 
through an independent label, if they want. 

	"We went through the ringer with [Capitol], probably for about 
six to eight months", concedes Chris, "[They] wanted us signed within 
two or three months ... [but] we had a really good lawyer, and took our 
time with it . It was important to us to get a fair shake"

	The band's first CD, pezcore, which is out 0n Dill Records, 
is music for those resentful, rebellious youths who aim to buck the
system and screw society. Songs such as "Throw the Brick" and
"My Very Own Flag" urge people to stand as individuals, while 
"Boomtown" and "Growing up on a Couch" spotlight the social decay 
around us. Chris and Roger provide vocals that are gritty, much like 
Dicky Barrett's from the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, but a lot more 
melodic. Their range varies from the straight ahead punk of "Robo"
and "Process" the playful and dancy numbers like "Out of the Crowd"
and "Where the Hell is Mike Sinkovich?" The bandmates readily admit 
that they are more into metal than ska, and the music sounds more like 
ska-metal than ska-core.

	Though they aren't exactly eager to sell their
souls and gain commercial acceptance, they are
amazingly enthusiastic about touring. Aside from
doing the Florida circuit (playing major cities such
as Miami and Tampa), they have also played clubs
across the country, hitting the road three different
times and financing each trek themselves. "The best
thing [about touring] is that the phone doesn't ring, 
jokes Roger.

	There are drawbacks, though. Buddy reveals, "There's going to 
be times when [clubs] aren't going to let us charge [less] for our 
shirts we'll just sell [them] out of the back of our van, and Roger 
adds, [many] clubs want 20 percent of what you do in merchandise;
well, that s a big 'f--k you' right there, because nobody's
going to take any of our merchandise. It's ridiculous. I love
NoFX, but there s no reason to charge 18 bucks for a t-shirt.	I

	Less Than Jake will be in the studio soon, recording their 
next CD which is due out later this year. Busy as they are, there 
doesn't seem to be much time for the members outside of 
the band, what with screening the majority of their own shirts
and packaging their own records. But most of them have
jobs waiting for them home in  Florida, the most interesting of
which is Roger's "I work at Knuckleheads. It's like a head shop, 
Basically I sell bongs all day.

If you want to write them for more info, write to 
P.O. Box 12081, 
Gainesville, FL 32604, 

or give them a call at (904) 372-6465.