SuburbanHorror: You guys took a completely political turn on your latest album, "Strictly Rude." What made you change your mind on that?

David McWane: We think it’s more a humanitarian than political. Most things that we touch upon, it doesn’t really matter what politically where you stand. Global warming is something that we should all know about. "Try Out Your Voice" says people should just speak whatever they believe in, just go for it. So, I think it’s kind of an uplifting kind of song, and everyone seems to like it. It’s not too in your face.

SH: You guys were on tour with Anti-Flag. You might not have the same musical style, but you guys have the same message. Is that how you guys fit well together or that why you guys went on tour together?

DM: We have electic songs; it opens up or broadens what you can do with a band. And I think that’s why we like each other so much. We’ll do a huge brass song or a fast punk song; we’re not just doing the same. With the issues, it’s just things we totally believe in.

SH: Why still play ska music? I mean, I love ska, but everyone else says ska is dead.

DM: Sometimes you are just drawn to a style to play. When you start to play guitar you are drawn to a style of music, like blues. When we pick up the guitar, that’s just the style.

SH: You probably get this question a lot, but why are you guys called Big D and the Kids Table?

DM: We didn’t take the band too seriously in the beginning, we were just playing. A drunk friend said, "You should be called Big D and the Kids Table." We thought it was hilarious. Some people came up to us and said, "You’re playing a show. What are you guys called?" And we’d say, "Oh we’re Big D and the Kids Table."

SH: What’s your favorite song on "Strictly Rude"?

DM: "She Knows Her Way." The arrangement is really bizarre, and it’s not conventional, and it’s a blast.

SH: It seems to have a more Rancid sound.

DM: I could see that. We really started listening to ska we liked, what parts we liked.

SH: People don’t realized how much ska has infiltrated the mainstream. I just saw Lily Allen, and the guitarist for the Specials played with her.

DM: Oh really! That’s cool. It can be packaged in different ways to go different ways.

SH: What else do you guys listen to?

DM: I think that the records that we all love is Tom Petty, Pink Floyd, the Easy Dub All-Stars, and the Flaming Lips. Those are ones that we all love. There’s a new DJ that were listening to called DJ BC. He remixed all our songs from day one; he’s putting it out, all fourteen songs all remixed. We’ve been listening to it, because he’s don’t interesting stuff like Wu-Tang with New Orleans music. So it’s really weird.

SH: What do you guys do on the tour bus for fun?

DM: So far just drink. We drink Pabs, but I like Asahi.

-Magic Stick Mish