SoCal ska band Half Past Two have a lot of great songs. But there’s something particularly special about their track “Heather.” It’s a simple track about lead singer Tara Hahn’s aunt, Heather McNeil. Heather played a fundamental role in Tara’s life. She introduced her to ska. In the late 90s, she started lending Tara her ska CDs and eventually started taking her to ska shows. Without Heather, Tara may not have become a ska superfan, and likely wouldn’t now be singing in Half Past Two. It’s a relatable story for many of us. Most ska fans have that person in their lives that introduced them to ska and made them fans for life. On this episode of In Defense of Ska, we peel back the layers of Half Past Two’s tune, “Heather,” and hear both Tara and Heather’s side of the story. And in the process, we get an intimate glimpse of the OC ska scene in the late 90s.  Support the show