Welcome to the Deep Dive. If you ever had a catchy,
slightly sarcastic song about high school regrets
or maybe early 2000s nostalgia stuck in your
head, there's a really good chance that song
belongs to the band we're diving into today.
Bowling for Soup. We're definitely talking about
the masters of the humorous pop punk earworm.
For three decades now, this band from Wichita
Falls, Texas, has been navigating, well, everything.
The major label system, independent fan funding,
international devotion, all while keeping this
incredible sense of humor. Yeah, they really
are the definition of rock and roll resilience,
aren't they? Totally. Our mission today, it goes
way beyond just their massive hits like 1985
or Girl, All the Bad Guys Want. We're really
doing a deep dive into the architecture of their
whole career. We're talking 11 studio albums,
constant touring, and this kind of parallel,
multifaceted empire built by frontman Jarrett
Reddick. We really want to understand how a band
like this survives and even thrives when the
whole music industry shifts underneath their
feet. And there's some fascinating threads to
pull on here, things that show just how deep
their culture is. reach actually goes. We'll
definitely unpack that moment where Redick seemed
happier about winning Worst Dressed from Joan
Rivers than, you know, the actual Grammy nomination.
That's amazing. And the truth behind that infamous
UK farewell tour that, well, clearly wasn't a
farewell at all. Right. Plus, the surprising
connection they have to both Phineas and Ferb,
and get this, the voice of Chuck E. Cheese. Okay,
I'm hooked already. Let's unpack this journey,
starting right at the beginning. Mid -90s Texas,
which feels pretty far removed from the usual
pop punk scenes. Yeah, the narrative for pop
punk usually centers on Southern California,
maybe Florida sometimes. But Bowling for Soup's
origin story is like firmly rooted in Texas,
Wichita Falls specifically. The band officially
formed on June 4, 1994. And what's really remarkable,
I think, is just how long these guys knew each
other before the band even started. This wasn't
some ad in the paper. This was like the combination
of a local music scene. Jarrett Reddick and the
original drummer, Lance Morrill, they first met
way, way back in 1976. Wow. And Reddick and the
founding guitarist, Chris Burney, they met in
high school back in 1986. Reddick himself was
already playing music way before that. It started
around 85 when he was just, what? 13 so looking
at those dates i mean they were practically lifelong
friends before they even landed on the bfs name
that kind of deep history, it probably helped
them handle lineup changes later on, you'd think.
Oh, absolutely. It really speaks to that tight
-knit Texas scene they came out of. And interestingly,
their musical influences, they kind of reflected
that environment, too. Oh, so? Well, while we
know them for that fast, catchy punk stuff, you
know, like the Ramones or Green Day later on,
they actually grew up surrounded by the big,
commercially successful heavy metal of the 80s.
Oh, okay. The Quiet Riot, R -A -T -T, Muttley
Crew. That kind of stuff. Yeah. So they had this
ability to absorb the catchy hooks and like the
guitar flackiness of 80s metal and then combine
it with the speed and the humor of punk. It gave
them this really unique Texas flavor, I think.
I hadn't really put together how important. that
sort of 80s metal hook sensibility was to their
DNA. And before they became the BFS, we know,
they were cycling through a bunch of different
bands and names in the local clubs, right? Oh,
yeah, absolutely. Yeah. We should definitely
mention that list of apprenticeship bands. The
Wichita Falls scene was totally their proving
ground. There was this coffee house, The Refuge,
owned by Chris Burney's family that was kind
of central. Okay. And before the BFS name stuck,
The core members were in groups with just fantastic
names. Ready? The Persecuted, the Folka Dots,
Slaw, Terminal Seasons, Cool Four. Cool Four.
Yeah. And Rubberneck. It was actually Rubberneck
that kind of morphed into Bowling for Soup. This
wasn't an overnight success. It was years of
playing, writing, iterating. And the name itself,
Bowling for Soup, it always felt a bit random,
kind of goofy. Where did that actually come from?
Well, the origin is surprisingly... Maybe a bit
more cultured or at least derives from legendary
comedy. Oh, really? Yeah. The name comes from
the phrase bowling for shit. It was part of a
comedy routine by Steve Martin. No way. Steve
Martin. Yeah. So they took that kind of humorous,
slightly absurd concept and just cleaned it up
a bit. Made it distinctively their own. That's
brilliant. So, okay. 1994, they're established,
they've got the name, but Wichita Falls probably
felt a bit small after a while. Yeah, exactly.
They made the strategic move to Denton, Texas
in 1996. And this period, it was just defined
by pure DIY hustle. They put out a split album,
Cellmates, that same year, and their first full
-length rock on Honorable Ones in 98. They were
just grinding, selling CDs out of their van at
shows. But the real turning point, the moment
that really changed things for them, it was...
It wasn't a big tour or some corporate deal,
right? It was the success of their EP from 98,
Tell Me When to Woe. That EP is the absolute
definition of grassroots success. Somehow they
managed to sell over 10 ,000 copies completely
independently. Wow. Think about that for a second.
1998, it's still mostly CDs, right? Napster hadn't
totally blown things up yet. Distribution was
physical sales and just pure legwork. Selling
10 ,000 units like that without major label backing,
it proved there was a massive demand already
there. And that success, that's what directly
led Jive Records to sign them. They basically
built the audience themselves first. That's incredible.
They essentially walked into Jive saying, look,
we already have proof of concept documented fans.
Exactly. And even while they were starting down
that more professional path, Reddick and the
original bassist, Eric Chandler, they kept that
grassroots connection going with acoustic shows,
didn't they? They did, yeah. From about 1999
right up until 2018, they did these acoustic
gigs billed simply as Jared and Eric. Mostly
BFS songs, just stripped down. It's a perfect
example of how Reddick is constantly juggling
these multiple streams of performance, you know,
always staying connected to the fans who got
them there in the first place. So the shift to
Jive Records, that really kicked off their commercial
ascent, their major label debut, Let's Do It
For Johnny. in 2000 was mostly a pretty smart
move. They re -recorded their best earlier material
for that bigger audience. Right. And they threw
in that fun cover of Bryan Adams' Summer of 69.
But the world didn't really take notice in a
huge way until 2002, right? With Drunk Enough
to Dance. That had the track that just like perfectly
captured their whole vibe. Girl, all the bad
guys want. Oh, totally. And that song, it didn't
just cement their sound. It launched them into,
well, the highest levels of the music world,
really. In 2003, it gets a Grammy nomination
for best pop performance by a duo or group with
vocal. Which is huge for any artist. Massive
career highlight. Enormous. But here's the quintessential
Bowling for Soup moment. This is where it gets
really interesting. Okay. Jarrett Reddick, when
he talks about that experience, he often highlights
not the nomination itself. But the fact that
he won the title of worst dressed from Joan Rivers
on the red carpet. No, seriously. Seriously.
That anecdote just perfectly encapsulates their
whole brand. They're the kind of anti -establishment
underdogs who prioritize a great story and a
laugh over, you know, industry prestige. It's
what makes them so damn likable. Only BFS could
spin a fashion critique into the main event.
That's amazing. And the album's success was so
big that when they re -released it in 2003, they
added more hits, right? Yeah, they added Punk
Rock 101 and that now -famous cover of A Slock
of Seagulls, I Ran, so far away. And that cover
became kind of key for them, didn't it, in terms
of getting their music out there in different
ways? It absolutely did. Yeah. It served as the
opening theme for the Saint Seiya, nice of the
Zodiac anime in North America. which exposed
them to this completely different fan base. Animation
fans, comic fans. Smart move. Their commercial
peak, though, really hit with A Hangover You
Don't Deserve in 2004. That was the band's only
album to actually break into the top 40, which
is pretty remarkable for a pop punk band back
then. And that was almost entirely powered by
one song, 1985. That track reached number 23
on the Billboard Hot 100, became their biggest
U .S. hit by far. But the story behind 1985,
it's actually a fascinating look at how songs
travel in the music world. Right, because it
wasn't purely a BFS original, was it? No, it
wasn't. The song was originally written by Mitch
Allen from the band SR -71. Alan, who was kind
of their peer in that scene, he essentially gave
the song to BFS because he felt it just fit their
lyrical style and their whole persona so perfectly.
That raises a good point. In pop punk, authenticity
can be a big deal. Yeah. Did they get any flack
for their biggest hit being written by someone
outside the band? You know, not really, because
they just embraced it completely. It wasn't like
a secret cover version. It felt like a collaboration.
Alan sang backing vocals, he was in the music
video. It actually showed a kind of maturity,
I think. They recognized a perfect song for them,
no matter where it came from, and they just nailed
it. That willingness to collaborate, instead
of maybe clinging to sole authorship, that feels
like a key piece of their longevity puzzle. And
that album also gave us Almost, and that great
Texas anthem, Ohio, Come Back to Texas. Definitely.
And this whole era, it just saw them... completely
dominate the soundtrack space. Like you'd turn
on a movie or a show and there they were. They
popped up in the Britney Spears movie Crossroads
in 2002 playing at a graduation party. I remember
that. They covered Modern English's I Melt With
You, the Disney movie Sky High. Yeah. They were
just everywhere. And their connection with kids
media started pretty early too. They did the
theme song for the Nickelodeon movie Jimmy Neutron,
Boy Genius back in 2001. But their most enduring
and maybe most successful multimedia partnership.
That came from their long run with Disney on
Phineas and Ferb. Yes, the theme song. They co
-wrote and sang that absolutely ubiquitous theme
song. Today is going to be a great day. And just
like their Grammy nod, it got high level industry
recognition to an Emmy nomination in 2008. So
by the late 2000s, they weren't just like a successful
touring band. They were kind of woven into the
cultural fabric, especially for younger audiences,
which really set the stage for the next phase,
right? Independence and Jared Reddick becoming
this force. Exactly. They even took control of
their touring world by starting the Get Happy
Tour in 2006, partnering with bands like Army
of Freshmen, really solidifying their own place
in that whole touring ecosystem. Yeah, if the
first decade was really about establishing Bowling
for Soup, the second decade feels like it was
about establishing Jarrett Reddick as this like
self -sustaining creative engine. And with the
founding guitarist Chris Burney set to retire
in 2025, Reddick becomes the last original member
standing, which just underscores the fact that
he is the engine, the constant songwriter, the
business guy, the voice of the whole thing. His
work with Phineas and Ferb is such a perfect
example of that diversification. It went way
beyond just singing the theme song. He actually
voiced a character, didn't he? He did. He voiced
Danny, the lead singer of that fictional 80s
rock band Love Handle. Love Handle, I remember
them. And it wasn't just a quick voice cameo
either. Reddick wrote several songs for the show,
like Bouncin' Around the World. The showrunners
clearly put immense creative trust in him. The
whole band even showed up in cartoon form in
one episode. Phidias and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo
just cemented their animated legacy. Okay, so
voicing a cartoon rock star for Disney is one
thing, but his next big voice acting gig? This
one is... maybe the most strategically brilliant
and kind of hilarious move of his career. I totally
agree. Since 2012, Jarrett Reddick has been the
official voice of the Chuck E. Cheese mascot.
Get it out! The mouse. The mouse himself took
over as part of a big character revamp. And the
irony is just delicious, right? The voice of
a guy singing these self -deprecating songs about
teenage angst and dating is now the official
voice telling kids to eat pizza and have birthdays.
But strategically, it's genius. That kind of
high profile, steady voice work. It gives you
exposure, probably decent residual income. It
offers this financial stability that's totally
separate from the ups and downs of the music
industry. Exactly. It's a brilliant parallel
career. It secures funding. that lets him keep
the band going for purely artistic reasons, you
know, not just because they have to tour. His
voice pops up in video games too, right? Yeah,
his versatility keeps going. He sang lead vocals
and co -wrote lyrics for the theme song of the
game Sonic Unleashed. The song was called Endless
Possibility. His voice is just fundamentally
tied to pop culture on all these different, sometimes
really contradictory levels. But he wasn't just
content. being like a voice for hire, he clearly
needed control over the whole creative process,
the distribution, which led him to start building
his own infrastructure. This is where you really
see his entrepreneurial brain working. He set
up Jaronis, which was a songwriting and production
team with Linus of Hollywood. That started around
the time their relationship with Jive Records
was getting kind of rocky. Ah, okay. This duo,
Jaronis, they worked on the band's Sorry for
Partying album. And they even successfully crowdfunded
their own album together called Rhymes with Vaginas.
Jaronis then basically became the foundation
for their own independent label ventures. They
co -founded Crappy Records, partnering with Oglio
Records. I mean, this is textbook vertical integration,
right? If the labels aren't doing it right, just
build your own thing. Totally. If you can't join
them, beat them by building your own system.
Exactly. And Crappy Records became this platform
not just for BFS, but for other artists they
like, like MC Lars and The Leftovers. Reddit
got complete creative control, totally bypassing
the gatekeepers who'd show up. their last major
label record. And then he took it even further
by co -founding Built by Ninjas with Heath Balderston.
That's a music video production group. So let
me get this straight. He went from singing the
song to writing the song to producing the song
to directing the music video for the song to
owning the label that releases the song. Pretty
much. It's an end -to -end operation. And it
shows this really deep strategic understanding
of the modern music business that honestly not
many musicians have. And somehow he also found
time to explore completely different musical
styles. Right. The side bands. There was a People
on Vacation in 2010 with Ryan Hamilton, which
was more straightforward rock. They put out some
EPs like the Carry On EP. But the most drastic
shift came just recently in 2022 with his first
solo album, Just Woke Up. There's a country album.
Full on country. Yep. Going right back to those
deep Texas roots, but leaning into a totally
different lyrical style, different sound. It
just shows that under the pop punk front man
thing, Reddick is fundamentally a songwriter
who loves melody and stories, whatever the genre.
Although, interestingly, the sources do say that
even this country project is set to be put on
hold at the end of 2025. Oh, really? Yeah, suggesting
his main focus is really shifting back to the
core BFS operation, especially now during this
big transition period for the band. And that
move towards Reddick building his own independent
world, that was pretty much kicked off directly
by that big disappointment with Jive Records
in 2009. Tell us about the whole sorry for party
end situation. Oh, it's a really rough transition
for them. The album comes out on Jive, but then
after only four weeks on sale, the label essentially
just shelved it. pulled the plug they didn't
even push a single to radio wow four weeks four
weeks it was a super clear sign that the band's
vision and what the label wanted commercially
had just completely diverged like irreconcilably
and that failure basically forced their hand
right made them pivot completely towards independence
and they became pretty early adopters of fan
funding they totally did they jumped onto platforms
like pledge music pretty early on to fund new
records And that model, it wasn't just about
getting the cash. It fundamentally changed the
relationship with their fans and made people
feel included in actually making the record.
And it let the band completely bypass any major
label restrictions or interference. That fan
-first approach led directly to successful projects
like Lunch. Drunk, Love in 2018, and Drunk Dynasty
in 2016. And we also saw them kind of taking
control of their own history around that time
too with the songs people actually liked projects.
Yes. That was such a brilliant move of reclaiming
their catalog. They put out Volume 1 in 2014
and then Volume 2 just recently in 2023. These
albums are basically re -recorded versions of
their biggest hits. Why re -record them, though?
Specifically to replace the official label -released
compilation from 2011, Playlist. The band felt
like they had zero input on that one, that it
wasn't representative. So this was the band saying,
look, if you want the definitive BFS greatest
hits curated by us, sounding how we want them
to sound now, you buy our versions. Taking back
control. Makes sense. Their fan loyalty, especially
outside the U .S., is just legendary. We really
have to talk about the U .K. phenomenon. Their
following over there is just immense, right?
Like a level of devotion few American bands ever
really achieved. Oh, their commitment to the
U .K. market is absolutely unmatched. They've
done so many U .K.-specific acoustic tours, multiple
runs of the Get Happy Tour over there. And all
that dedication led to one of the most confusing
but also kind of endearing contradictions in
their whole history, the 2013 bid U .K. farewell.
tour. Right. The farewell tour that wasn't a
farewell at all. Exactly. Reddick made the announcement,
citing personal reasons, financial reasons, basically
suggesting they just couldn't keep up the grind
of those long annual UK tours anymore. But crucially,
he was really quick to confirm the band was absolutely
not splitting up. The farewell was specifically
aimed at the logistics of that annual, months
-long tour format. Not a farewell to the UK fans
themselves. But the fans and maybe the band,
too, just couldn't let that connection die, could
they? Because they kept coming back. They absolutely
did. They proved that resilience by continuing
to tour the UK pretty regularly, 2016, 2018,
2020. And all that loyalty, it culminates in
this massive headline show they booked for Wembley
Arena in December 2025. I mean, playing Wembley,
that's a testament to an enduring, powerful relationship,
not our retirement. Definitely not. And that
Wembley news came alongside some pretty major
personnel news, too. There have been significant
lineup changes recently. Yeah, big shifts. Back
in 2019, the original bassist, Derek Chandler,
he departed for personal reasons. He was replaced
by Rob Filicetti. And Filicetti wasn't exactly
a stranger. He was already kind of integrated
into their world. He'd played drums or percussion
for them as a touring member before. And they
knew him well from his time in other bands like
Patent Pending and The Ataris. A familiar face.
And then the most recent shift, the really seismic
one, was the official retirement of founding
guitarist Chris Burney, announced in January
2025. Yeah, Burney stepped away due to some medical
developments, ending his, as he put it, 30 years
of rocking balls. Chuckles. And the band handled
this just perfectly, I think. They made a very
definitive decision not to replace him. Their
official statement was really powerful. You cannot
replace a legend. Wow. Instead, they announced
they would officially continue as a trio. Reddick,
drummer Gary Wiseman, and Rob Filicetti. It takes
huge confidence to intentionally downsize the
lineup after three decades like that. But despite
these changes, their recent output really proves
they still have their finger on the pulse, culturally
speaking. Oh, yeah. The pop -drunk, snot -bred
era, starting around 2022, is a great example.
The single Alexa Bliss, which is about the WWE
wrestler. Right. It was just this timely, funny,
super kitschy track that went kind of viral.
The music video had Alexa Bliss herself in it,
and it got almost 6 million views by 2023. They
still absolutely know how to write that perfect,
immediate hook. Touring in the last couple of
years hasn't been without its challenges, though.
During that 2022 Surf the UK tour, drummer Gary
Wiseman had some kind of health scare. Yeah,
he suffered a mysterious illness mid -tour, which
forced them to pivot really quickly. The rest
of the dates had to be played either acoustically
or in this kind of mixed format. They relied
heavily on help from their friends, like members
of the Dolly Rots and Lit Stepping In. Wow. It
really underscores how much they rely on that
tight -knit pop -punk community. Everyone's always
ready to help each other out when needed. And
finally, let's touch on their latest recordings,
because there seems to be this interesting push
towards audio quality. Their most recent single,
Holding On To That Hate, which came out in September
2025, apparently made a significant technical
jump. Yeah. This is a detail that audio nerds,
like us maybe, should pay close attention to.
Okay. That track was one of the first things
they recorded using something called the SSL
Revival 4000. SSL Solid State Logic. The big
studio consoles. Exactly. The 4000 series is
legendary in the recording industry. It's that
classic, massive analog studio desk sound from
the 70s and 80s. The revival part is key here.
It means they are actively chasing that really
rich, thick, warm analog sound and definition.
They're calling it the latest leap forward in
analog sound. So even 30 years into their career,
while they're embracing modern stuff like fan
funding and multimedia, they're simultaneously
leaning back towards these really high -quality,
classic analog recordings. That's a fascinating
combination. You know, when you really try to
analyze the BFS sound, you realize why they're
kind of hard to pin down with just one label.
People always say pop punk, but that feels, I
don't know, a bit limiting. given everything
else that's in there. Our music had a pretty
good description, I thought. They called it a
feverishly catchy and humorous blend of power
pop, ska, punk, and hardcore. That's pretty good.
And it's that blend, especially the emphasis
on power pop, you know, the melody, the hooks,
that really sets them apart from some of the
more straightforwardly aggressive punk bands
they often get compared to or list as influences.
And speaking of influences, you can really see
that blend when you look at who they cite, right?
Of course, you've got the foundational. punk
acts in there. Green Day, the Ramones, Bad Religion,
NOFX, Descendants, usual suspects. But then Reddick
will also throw in names like Elvis Costello.
Ah, okay, the melodic sense. Exactly, whose melodic
and lyrical smarts are clearly key to their success.
And he even mentions Willie Nelson sometimes,
which speaks again to that kind of genre -fluid
Texas thing they absorbed growing up. So they
took the speed of punk, the big hooks maybe from
80s metal, the lyrical focus of power pop, filtered
it all through this specific lens of Texas humor,
and basically created a sound that's just uniquely
theirs. Yep. But the future of that sound, that's
the big question now, isn't it? Especially now
that they are officially, intentionally a trio.
The commitment seems absolute. Reddick on vocals
and rhythm guitar, Wiseman on drums. and Fulicetti
on bass. But crucially, Rob Fulicetti, who came
in on bass, is now officially taking on the studio
lead guitar duties as of 2025. That's a huge
shift. It's massive. It suggests they're really
reengineering their whole musical dynamic, relying
on Fulicetti's versatility to fill the space
left by a founding guitarist like Bernie. It'll
be interesting to hear how that changes things.
And they aren't exactly sitting around figuring
it out. Their schedule looks packed, starting
with kind of celebrating their history. That's
right. There's a new live album coming out, A
Hangover You Definitely Deserve. Nice callback
title. Sent for release in October 2025. It was
recorded during their show in Manchester back
in February 2024. So a chance to capture their
current live energy as a trio, basically. And
in a huge nod to the scene that helped build
them, they're one of the first acts announced
for the big 2025 revival of the Warped Tour.
Yeah. And to mark that announcement, they released
a cover of Blink -182's The Rock Show. perfectly
linking their past and their future right back
into that pop punk landscape. So looking even
further ahead, their creative drive seems completely
unstoppable. It really does. They're apparently
working on two separate recording projects right
now. One is their 12th studio album, All New
Material, and the other is a separate dedicated
pop punk covers album. They just refused to slow
down even after losing a founding member and
decided to carry on as three. It's pretty remarkable.
Hashtag outro. So what does all this mean for
you, the listener? Well, Bowling Pursuit's 30
-year career, it really serves as this kind of
master class in modern music industry survival.
They built on these tight, lifelong friendships
from Texas. They found massive mainstream success
with Grammy nominations and Soundtrack Gold.
And then, crucially, they managed to successfully
pivot to complete self -sufficiency after getting
dropped by the major label system. That's the
really key part, I think. Absolutely. Their story
is just such a powerful lesson in diversification.
Jarrett Reddick's relentless output, all those
strategic side ventures, voicing Chucky, Cheese,
doing stuff for Phineas and Ferb, running crappy
records that provides the stability, the foundation
that allows the main band, Bowling for Soup,
to keep thriving artistically. And the fact that
they chose to continue as an officially defined
three -piece after Chris Burney's retirement,
instead of just trying to plug the gap with someone
new. That shows this real commitment to authenticity
and a deep trust in the dynamic they have right
now. And finally, maybe a provocative thought
for you to chew on. Given Jarrett Reddick's proven
ability to constantly shift between genres and
musical personalities, combined with their newly
declared desire to chase that really rich, warm
analog sound using that classic SSL Revival 4000
console, How is that blend going to shape their
upcoming 12th studio album? You've got this state
-of -the -art analog sound meeting their enduring
pop -punk humor. Yeah, what does that even sound
like? Exactly. After three whole decades, they
are still fundamentally searching for the latest
leap forward, even if it means looking back technologically.
You might find yourself Googling the SSL Revival
4000 next, just trying to imagine what kind of
warmth is about to hit their next record. That's
all for this deep dive into the long and fascinating
career of Bowling for Soup. Thanks so much for
listening. We'll see you next time.