Reese Roper is simply a legend. Five Iron Frenzy (FIF) was one of the first Christian bands truly existing in both the Christian and mainstream space. In the late 90s during the ska explosion, they achieved real commercial success, made a bold choice to stay on a small independent label, and were delivering absolutely scorching lyrics that were full of questions and critique - lyrics that challenged the existing cultural structures. Packaging those lyrics in the ska-punk package was a perfect move that paid off deeply to their fan base. FIF is also one of those bands that pioneered and cultivated their followers into super fans by delivering on multiple layers of depth across time and staying true to their principles. They are heroes of the scene and certainly paved the way for the next generation.

They are now releasing an incredibly cool vinyl box set of all their music. You gotta check it out and the promotional video for it. I’ll link it in the notes because it delivers the perfect amount of silliness and humor that you’d expect from FIF. I thought this would be a great chance to talk to Reese and get his reflections on some of the special things they have accomplished plus some of the challenges.

Link to the FIF boxset promotional video