Skip to content
Artwork for 100 Words Or Less: The Podcast
MusicMusic InterviewsSociety & CultureExplicit

100 Words Or Less: The Podcast

Ray Harkins

Host Ray Harkins dives deep with creators of independent culture from musicians, artists and other interesting people to find out what inspires them, how they came to be and many other unexpected places.

Play
  • 24 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 1 hr 8 min
  • English
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • #727
    Today · 1 hr 3 min

    Eric Stenman from The Barbarians of California & Tinfed

    Eric Stenman has spent three decades on the other side of the glass, quietly shaping records for Deftones, Weezer, Thrice, Dashboard Confessional, and Senses Fail, while building AWOLNATION's entire catalog alongside Aaron Bruno since 2011. Before any of that, he was a teenager in Sacramento, self-funding vinyl pressings on his own credit card inside a scene that also produced Deftones, Far, Will Haven, and Death Grips. Now he's finally the one holding the guitar. The Barbarians of California, his band with Bruno, released their debut album And Now I'm Just Gnashing My Teeth and is about to open a couple of dates on Guns N' Roses' 2026 tour, a long way from a home studio with barely any gear in it. We get into the Sacramento scene that shaped him, the reunion with Bruno after a decade apart, his stories from recording Cake, what it means to walk onto a stadium stage after thirty years of building other people's. PRE-ORDER THE BOOK FOR 100 WORDS OR LESS Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order. Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code SPOOKY (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • #726
    September 9 · 1 hr 8 min

    Mike Morales from Initiate

    Mike Morales grew up skateboarding and playing in a power violence band in Lompoc, a small Central Coast town far from any real scene, before those friendships pulled him into Initiate. We trace that path into the band, into writing Cerebral Circus (the record where Initiate let acoustic guitars and huge choruses sit next to their heaviest material), and into what it's like touring with a band now spread across three states. Mike also gets into the gap between what a band looks like online and what it actually feels like from inside the van, plus watching hardcore grow up around Initiate since 2016. Long Live Andy Williams PRE-ORDER THE BOOK FOR 100 WORDS OR LESS Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order. Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code NEVERSLEEP (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • #725
    September 2 · 1 hr 6 min

    Christine Goodwyne from Pool Kids

    Christine Goodwyne has been building Pool Kids since she was two people short of a band, booking backyard shows in Tallahassee before there was even a name on the flyer. Nearly a decade later, the group has a Hayley Williams cosign, a flooded studio they somehow saved, a hardcore alter ego born as an April Fool's joke, and three albums that trace a path from math-rock tangents to pop hooks, most recently Easier Said Than Done on Epitaph Records. This episode, Christine sits down to talk through the parts of the story that don't usually make the press cycle: what it actually takes to survive as an independent band inside the modern music business, what made Florida's DIY scene both a launchpad and a complicated place to come up in, and yes, an honest attempt at ranking math rock bands, because someone had to ask. PRE-ORDER THE BOOK FOR 100 WORDS OR LESS Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order. Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code NEVERSLEEP (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • #724
    August 26 · 1 hr 2 min

    Robin Staps from The Ocean

    Robin Staps started The Ocean in Berlin in 2000 as a revolving cast of musicians before locking into the band's most stable lineup in 2009. Twenty plus years and seven albums later, the group's blend of post metal, prog, and sludge has taken them from Siberian squats to European festival mainstages, and Staps runs Pelagic Records, the label he built alongside the band that's become one of Europe's key homes for post metal and post rock. In this conversation, Robin talks through The Ocean's first ever full US tour, what it's like bringing a band built on European infrastructure and audiences into American rooms for the first time, and how the reception compares to what he expected. He also runs down his all time top five European hardcore bands, tracing the records and scenes that shaped him before The Ocean existed. And he gets into creative balance, how he manages songwriting, running a label, and touring without losing the thread on any of it. A look at two decades of restless work from one of European heavy music's most consistent architects. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order. Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code NEVERSLEEP (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • #723
    August 19 · 1 hr 4 min

    Brian Gorsegner from Ancient Artifax & Wired Booking

    Brian Gorsegner has spent his life circling the same scene from every angle. He fronted Night Birds until the band's final show at the end of 2022, books tours for acts like Alice Bag Band, Career Suicide, and Generacion Suicida through his company Wired Booking, and sits on the town council in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. But most people know him as the guy behind Ancient Artifax, the Instagram account turned archive turned book that's been unearthing punk history since a single Big Boys 7" post back in December 2016. In this conversation, Brian talks about booking bands for a living versus collecting the artifacts of a scene that existed decades before he could buy a ticket to it, the strange economics of Discogs and what a first pressing is actually worth once nostalgia and scarcity collide, and what's sitting in his "fire box," the small stack of records he'd grab first if the house was going up in flames. He also opens up about the human side of building the Ancient Artifax book, tracking down items through people like John Brannon and Nathan Strejcek and hearing the stories behind them firsthand. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order. Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code NEVERSLEEP (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • #722
    August 12 · 1 hr 10 min

    Ladd Mitchell from Park

    Before Springfield, Illinois had much of a scene to speak of, Ladd Mitchell was already building one, first with Park, then Tiger Tank, logging years on the road during the golden run of early-2000s midwest emo. We talk about joining Park mid-formation and becoming the one constant across four lineups, chasing a deal all the way to a small Santa Barbara label, and what a yearlong nonstop tour actually does to a band. We also get into the breakup, the return, and how the same restlessness that wrote songs on tour eventually turned into his first novel. This one's about staying creative no matter what circumstance you're handed: van breakdowns, lineup changes, or a blank page twenty years later. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order. Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code NEVERSLEEP (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • #721
    August 5 · 1 hr 2 min

    Adam Rubenstein from Chamberlain and Solo Work

    Adam Rubenstein has been making music since he was a teenager in Indianapolis, when he and his bandmates formed Split Lip on Christmas Day, 1989. Drawing early influence from Burn, Youth of Today, and Endpoint, the band became a cornerstone of the Midwestern hardcore scene. They released records on Doghouse before most of them could drive, and landing a track on the landmark 1996 Anti-Matter compilation alongside Quicksand, Farside, Snapcase, Strife, Lifetime, and Mouthpiece which was and is a document of everything that mattered in that moment. By 1995, Split Lip became Chamberlain, and the band pivoted toward a rootsier, more expansive sound that would go on to influence a generation of bands from Dashboard Confessional to Rise Against to The Gaslight Anthem. After Chamberlain went on hiatus in 2000, Rubenstein built a parallel career as a film composer, scoring acclaimed documentaries including Night School, 9-Man, Kid Danny, By Sidney Lumet, and Medora. After more than two decades in New York, Rubenstein made the decision to leave the city and relocate to Ohio — a move that became the emotional backbone of his new album Firebreak, his first solo record in a decade. We talk about where it all started, what it meant to be on that Anti-Matter comp, the long road from hardcore basements to film scoring, and what it looks like to start over when you've already built something. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order. Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code NEVERSLEEP (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • #720
    July 29 · 1 hr 9 min

    Kevin Hart from Public Opinion

    Kevin Hart has been yelling in hardcore bands since he was a teenager, but Public Opinion is something different, louder in some ways, quieter in others. His dad was a DJ, which means music was never just background noise growing up. These days Kevin processes the hard stuff through songs instead of burdening the people around him, and it shows as Painted On Smile is one of the most genuinely self-reflective punk records in recent memory. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order. Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code NEWVINYL (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • #719
    July 22 · 1 hr 16 min

    Rich Gaccione from Providence Vegan Deli

    Rich Gaccione built Providence Vegan Deli into something rare; a business that functions less like a restaurant and more like a community hub, where free sandwiches go to anyone who needs one, touring bands eat for nothing, and the line between customer and neighbor gets blurry fast. We talk about how that philosophy took shape, the hardcore and punk roots that inform everything he does, and the seitan operation that started it all. We also get into his time touring with My Chemical Romance and the sandwich on his menu that is his most popular one. Come for the food, stay for the conversation. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order. Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code NEWVINYL (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • #718
    July 15 · 1 hr 2 min

    Anthony Lemus from Stateside

    This week I sit down with Anthony Lemus, the voice behind Southern California's Stateside. What started as a warehouse job friendship and a shared love of 2000s emo has turned into one of the more exciting bands to emerge from the current hardcore-adjacent scene — and Lemus is the emotional engine at the center of it. We get into how growing up in Southern California's hardcore world shaped him, the deeply personal lyrics behind Where You Found Me, and what it actually feels like when the band that started it all asks you to open for them. It's a conversation about where music comes from, what it costs you, and the surreal moment when your heroes treat you like a peer. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order. Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code NEWVINYL (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • #717
    July 8 · 1 hr 12 min

    Chad Green from Frozen Soul

    On this episode, I welcome Chad Green from Frozen Soul to the show. We trace his path from growing up around the Texas heavy music community to finding his place in death metal, building Frozen Soul from the ground up, and watching the band become one of the genre's biggest modern success stories. We also dig into the influence of the Texas hardcore scene on his outlook, the confidence it takes to trust your creative instincts when the spotlight gets bigger, and the story behind Chad drawing the now-iconic Frozen Soul logo himself. It's a conversation about believing in your vision, staying authentic as opportunities grow, and why a strong identity can be just as important as the music itself. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order. Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code NEWVINYL (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • #716
    July 1 · 58 min

    Jack Murray from 156/Silence

    Jack Murray, vocalist of 156/Silence, joins the podcast to discuss the road that brought the band to where they are today. From coming up in the Pittsburgh heavy music scene to navigating years of uncertainty, Jack reflects on the relationships, community, and DIY spirit that helped shape both the band and his perspective. The conversation also dives into the moments when it seemed like 156/Silence might not continue, what kept him from walking away, and why persistence has ultimately been one of the band's greatest strengths. Along the way, Jack shares stories from the road, lessons learned through years of growth, and why staying committed to your vision can pay off in ways you never expect. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order. Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code NEWVINYL (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • #715
    June 24 · 1 hr 9 min

    Jeremy Walker from Fire In The Mountains Fest

    This week I sit down with Jeremy Walker, co-founder of Fire in the Mountains, for a conversation that goes far beyond festival promotion. Jeremy reflects on the winding path that led him from a life rooted in Vermont to building one of the most unique experiences in heavy music in which a gathering where community, culture, and the natural world carry as much weight as the bands on stage. The discussion explores the evolution of Fire in the Mountains, the mission behind the Firekeeper Alliance, and the responsibility of creating spaces that foster connection, stewardship, and cultural understanding. Jeremy also shares how his relationship with music, wilderness, and community has evolved over the years, and what continues to drive his work today. We also discuss how the Neurosis reunion got pulled together as well. A thoughtful conversation about purpose, place, and building something bigger than yourself. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order. Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code TIMETOSAVE (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • #714
    June 17 · 1 hr 11 min

    Mat Dwyer from Oakwood

    This week Ray is joined by Matthew Dwyer, the voice behind the beloved Texas band Oakwood. For many people, Oakwood occupies a unique place in underground music history of literally playing only 15-20 shows, but having a "comeback" moment that has now turned into something way more real. Matthew takes us through his life in Texas and the environments that shaped both him and Oakwood. The conversation explores the band's connection to the Odessa era, the band came together, and a lot more. We also dig into Matthew's relationship with the broader punk and hardcore world, including formative influences from bands like Paulson and Hot Cross, and how discovering emotionally honest music helped shape his creative voice. Along the way, Matthew reflects on the realities of building a life in Texas, balancing adulthood with creativity, the evolution of DIY culture, and how Oakwood fits into it all. It's a conversation about longevity, community, finding your place in underground music, and what happens when songs continue to connect with people long after they've been written. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order. Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code TIMETOSAVE (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • #713
    June 10 · 1 hr 6 min

    Joey Chiaramonte from Koyo

    Joey Chiaramonte (Koyo) joins the podcast this week for a conversation about identity, growth, and finding your place both on and off the stage. As the vocalist of Long Island's Koyo, Joey has helped lead one of the most exciting bands to emerge from the modern hardcore and punk scene, blending melodic songwriting with the energy and community spirit that shaped him. In this episode, Joey reflects on Koyo's rapid rise, the unique culture of Long Island music, and how the band has navigated the space between hardcore authenticity and broader appeal. We also discuss songwriting, nostalgia, the importance of community, and what it means to stay connected to your roots while reaching new audiences around the world. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order. Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code TIMETOSAVE (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • #712
    June 3 · 1 hr 6 min

    Jay Weinberg

    More than a decade after his first appearance on 100 Words or Less, Jay Weinberg returns to reflect on a career that has taken him from DIY hardcore basements to some of the world's biggest stages. Ray and Jay discuss the humbling process of ego death, how his perspective on success and identity has evolved over the years, and what it means to rebuild yourself after major life and career transitions. They also dive into Jay's hip surgery and recovery, the physical realities of being a professional musician, and the lessons learned from being forced to slow down. The conversation also explores the unique energy of international audiences, how crowds differ from country to country, and what those experiences have taught him about music's ability to connect people across cultures. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order. Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code TIMETOSAVE (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • #711
    May 27 · 1 hr 6 min

    Daniel Danger from The Saddest Landscape

    Daniel Danger has spent decades building worlds through both sound and image. As a member of The Saddest Landscape and one of the most recognizable artists in underground music, his work has become synonymous with melancholy, memory, and the architecture of loss. Raised in Central Massachusetts by artist parents, Danger's creative life has been shaped as much by DIY hardcore as by late nights spent exploring Sierra point-and-click adventures like The Secret of Monkey Island. His visual work often draws from those formative influences, blending New England landscapes, folklore, and dreamlike storytelling into a singular aesthetic. In this conversation, we discuss growing up in the Central Massachusetts hardcore scene, the unexpected business of turning sadness into art and whether he's effectively "sold and marketed grief" for a living, the creative overlap between music and illustration, and how a pirate adventure game from the golden age of Sierra and LucasArts helped shape his imagination. We also dive into the longevity of The Saddest Landscape, the band's first full-length album in a decade, and what it means to continue creating emotionally resonant work after spending a lifetime immersed in underground culture. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order. Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code NEWWAVE (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • #710
    May 20 · 1 hr 10 min

    Nathan Martin from Creation Is Crucifixion

    From growing up in the shadow of Western Pennsylvania industry to helping shape some of the most abrasive and intellectually confrontational music of the early 2000s hardcore underground, Nathan Martin has always existed in the space between resistance and reinvention. In this episode, we dig into life in Greensburg, PA, the strange collision of small-town culture and radical art, early internet-era hacktivism, and how DIY politics evolve once adulthood, careers, and survival enter the picture. Nathan reflects on the legacy of Creation Is Crucifixion, the paranoia and possibility of the early digital underground, and whether “selling out” is even a meaningful concept anymore when underground culture and corporate branding increasingly speak the same language. It’s a conversation about identity, compromise, creativity, and what happens when the people who once rejected systems eventually learn how to operate inside them. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order. Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code NEWWAVE (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • #709
    May 13 · 1 hr 11 min

    Matthew Cole from Knumears

    From the suburbs of Rancho Cucamonga to the deeply personal world of Knumears, Matthew Cole joins the show to talk about the path that shaped both his life and music. We get into growing up in Southern California during the 2000s DIY era, discovering bands like Born Against, and how punk and emo became an outlet while navigating suburban isolation and the Inland Empire/OC show circuit. Matthew also talks about balancing life as a carpenter while building Knumears from the ground up, the realities of modern DIY touring, and the slow evolution of the band’s sound and identity over the years. Steve Evetts The GoFundMe Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order. Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code NEWWAVE (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • #708
    May 6 · 1 hr 13 min

    Scott Mellinger from Zao & Creation Is Crucifixion

    Scott Mellinger has spent decades shaping heavy music from the inside out. Best known as the guitarist and primary songwriter for Zao, his path runs through some of the most forward-thinking corners of underground metal and hardcore that span the chaotic experimentation of Creation Is Crucifixion to the long, evolving arc of Zao’s discography. In this conversation, Scott reflects on what it meant to join Zao at a turning point and help push the band into darker, more atmospheric territory often chasing sounds inspired by bands like Neurosis, even if it started as what he jokingly calls “trying to rip them off.” That instinct to stretch beyond genre expectations became a defining trait of his writing, blending heaviness with tension, space, and mood. We also get into the role of politics in heavy music in how it shows up, when it feels necessary, and when it can miss the mark. Scott speaks candidly about personal belief systems, including the band’s complicated history with Christianity and his own perspective now, and how those shifts shaped both the music and the identity of Zao over time. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order. Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code NEWWAVE (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Showing 1–20 of 24 episodes