Reaching the marker of 14 years as a band is a rock ’n’ roll wonder. That’s how long local ska veterans Pimpbot have been at it. They’ve been growing, gaining crowds, touring, making artistic changes and adjusting to family life, all in an effort to make their fans happy.

Band members Fernando Pacheco, Tom Coleman, Rylan Yee, Eric Lagrimas and Cathy Lagrimas have a lot to be proud of, including their new album, “The Heavy Crown.” It contains more weighty thematic material than previous efforts, without losing much of the bounce and fun they have become known for.

Pacheco is the group’s frontman. On the local art and music scene, he wears many hats. He is also a stand-up comedian, has his own television show (“Almost Local,” on OC16), has been a voice on radio and an editor of Fruit Punch Hawaii, and works as a commissioner for the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts. He’s also a father of two.

This album forged a new songwriting partnership between Pacheco and Coleman. The album title itself is a nod to the responsibility of being a long-standing band with a reputation to maintain.

With a “Christmas in December” party and album launch this weekend, Pacheco discussed Pimpbot’s early days, how age has changed the band, the new album and the band’s unusual Christmas celebration.

Star-Advertiser: Tell me about the era of Wave Waikiki and why it was pivotal for Pimpbot.

Fernando Pacheco: From what I’m seeing, there really isn’t anything like the Wave out there anymore, and maybe there never will be. They tried to accommodate a lot of different scenes, and a lot of different genres and types of performances. Usually the venue is just a shell — one night will be Hawaiian night and the following night will be punk night. But the Wave Waikiki seemed like it had an ongoing melting point and it didn’t matter what night it was.

A lot of different types of people would all just come together under one roof. I think the reason the Wave was so successful is that it was just very open to different bands and different skill levels.

At the time when Pimpbot entered the scene, the Wave didn’t have to book us. The Wave had all these great rock bands like Rail and Big Toe — these huge bands that would pack the house. They had no reason to let this new band that just put a demo together on to their stage, but they did.

We say we’re “Pimpbot from Waikiki.” We say that because we really found ourselves at the Wave.

SA: How do Pimpbot rehearsals today differ from rehearsals from 15 years ago, when you first started out?

FP: In the last five years, the band has transitioned, I’d say somewhat well, into our 30s. Half of the band has families now. From the moment a guy gets married, the odds are high that he’s not going to continue rocking out.

I think what made it easier is that, I don’t want to call myself the leader, but I’m the frontman and I’m a family man. So I think it made it easier for the rest to follow suit.

We decided that we wanted to keep the band together and that the easiest way to do that was not to make the band a stress on our personal lives. We know when we really need to practice and we know when there is a big show coming up.

SA: What is the story behind the title of your new album?

FP: The title of the album is “The Heavy Crown,” and it’s a nod to the burdens we carry as a band going into our 14th year. When you have that many years under your belt, you have to maintain a certain level of quality. There’s no messing up songs onstage, even with new songs. We have to deliver something really good to our supporters so we at least match their expectations, though of course we aim to surpass them.

The other thing about this album is that it kind of cemented the songwriting partnership between Tom and myself. He would come up with hooks and I would help fill out the song. I’m really proud of the partnership. I’ll admit, I’m not bringing full songs to the table like I used to, so I needed Tom. And my appreciation of this kind of creative partnership, at this stage of my life, at 37 years old, is huge.

The cover imagery is Tom, and that is sort of my tribute to him. I don’t want to say love letter because that sounds kind of mushy. I wanted him to be on the cover. We’ve known each for a long time; we were in the band Exit 24 together when we were in college. We have a long history. … Yeah, I’ll say it — it is like a public love letter to Tom.

SA: Pimpbot throws a “Christmas in July” party pretty much every year. Is regular Christmas not as exciting as “Christmas in July” now?

FP: “Christmas in July” has kind of become our show. Some of my favorite bands are known for their holiday shows. For “Christmas in July,” you know, the irony is there. But I think it helps get everyone ready for real Christmas, because they already have their ugly sweater out from our show in July that they didn’t put away.