Less Than Jake's Chris DeMakes On New Music, Van Halen & More - "Paltrocast" Exclusive

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The story of ska-rockin’ maestros Less Than Jake is not told within its sizable discography. It cannot be calculated by the amount of road miles the group has logged. Instead, Less Than Jake’s cumulative worth is arguably all about what they bring to the party. From sweaty club shows, to uproarious festival dates, to opening up for America’s most beloved rock acts, the deeds of these five lifers -- frontman/guitarist Chris DeMakes, bassist/vocalist Roger Lima, trombonist Buddy Schaub, saxophonist Peter “JR” Wasilewski, and drummer Matt Yonker -- are perhaps best measured in the smiles they have slapped on the faces of true believers and new listeners alike.

Silver Linings is the name of Less Than Jake’s latest full-length album, the group's first full-length for the Pure Noise label and the proper follow-up to 2013’s See The Light. Since then, the group has released the recent singles "Walking Pipebomb," "Broken Words" and "Not My Problem" via Pure Noise. Physical copies of these recordings are available by clicking here. Meanwhile, Less Than Jake continues to regularly tour internationally, with North American dates slated for October and November, with Australian dates sandwiched between tour kick-off on October 5th and the tour's wrapping on November 6th.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Less Than Jake's Chris DeMakes again in August 2024, as embedded above and slated to air via the Long Beach, New York-based Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz television series. Beyond Less Than Jake's new music and upcoming tour plans, we discussed DeMakes' success as a podcaster, his hobbies outside of music, life during COVID-19, and Van Halen. Our 2020 Zoom-based conversation is embedded below.