311's Nick Hexum Tells Crazy Tour Stories & More

Almost 25 years after forming, Omaha, Nebraska's punk-ska-reggae outfit 311 are still going very, very, very strong, thanks to one of rock music's most devout fan bases. Fuse recently sat down with the band's frontman Nick Hexum to chat about the universal appeal of the band's sound, hardcore fans, crazy stories from the 311 Cruise in the Caribbean and much, much more. Read highlights below, then watch the full video interview above.

On 311's universally loved music: Music is the international language. It connects with people from all walks of life. But our core [fan base] is suburban kids like ourselves. We felt out of step with the attitude of people in the '90s. There were really angry things going on in music and we didn't get it.

Craziest story from the 311 Cruise: This one dude couldn't wait to be put through customs, so when we got to the private island [where the band perform a set], he jumped off the seventh floor balcony [of the boat] into the water and messed up his hips really bad. Apparently he was an amateur cliff diver. But apparently very, very amateur [laughs].

Touring: It used to be a non-stop party [on the road]. We didn't know how to pace ourselves. Back then it was unorganized. Now the musicianship has gotten a lot better. Now it's more about the music. Back then it was crazy, unbridled energy. We're still know for being a high energy band. We keep going into the future and following our hearts. There's always a new frontier to keep pushing with our music.

Renting his tour bus from Taylor Swift: This tour bus is called Roo and it was designed by Keith Urban, and because he's Australian, he named it Roo. It's one of the nicest buses I've ever seen. But apparently Taylor Swift's family bought up all the nicest tour buses, so we're leasing this bus from Taylor Swift. And because I don't want her to take away Roo, I have nothing bad to say about her.