In today’s episode, Marc shares the background of what led him to music and being in a band. He walks through some big life choices, how he made those decisions, and what it took to do so. Marc and I were in the band Cheshire together. We dive into how the band formed, the songs we wrote, the members, the shows we played and how it all eventually wrapped up. We talk about the good times, the complications of being in a band, and the roles we each played along the way.

We also get into Marc’s musically talented family, trade some life advice (including my tip about clearing your browser history after he admitted he was looking at beavers on his screen), and talk concerts, including the time Patrick from Movements was sick and other musicians and fans stepped in to sing.

Marc breaks down his definition of emo, why he fits more in the emo world than punk, his favorite emo lyrics and he ranks some favorite bands and iconic albums of all time.

What do you call an emo cow? Udder despair…

In this episode, we reminisce about the adorable story of how Mac and I met, which we both, of course, remember fondly and reflect on often. Mac shares about the start of his and Mike's cute tradition of being “sexy” black cats for Halloween, a tradition that I can attest to and very much enjoy witnessing. We also talk about the Hycie and Carry on, Kid show at the Mountain Lofts lounge.

Mac gets into the life of being a music producer and sound designer - which we may or may not get into at a later date. We discuss the early days of his band at the time, The Bathonaut, and how switching instruments helped him better fit into different bands. He talks about the importance of playing live shows and not feeling tied to doing things the “traditional” way - the goal is to get on stage, and if your setup looks a little different, that’s what helps you stick out.

One of my biggest takeaways from Mac is the reminder to do things that matter to you, for you. If you’re enjoying what you’re doing, that’s what matters.

When Chadzilla isn’t out playing frisbee golf, skating, or watching hockey, he’s probably listening to music or hitting a local show. He’s the oldest, longest friend I have.

He’s also built a massive collection of tour posters — including the ones he pulls from venue walls and street poles. He calls it collecting… I call it cleaning up the city.

We talk about the time he fangirled meeting Mike from MxPx, and how our shared special interest in The Aquabats brought us closer together. From there, we get into how he discovered music through CD compilations, Tony Hawk soundtracks, and covers. We also talk about his gear and how bigger touring bands can support the local scene by giving openers a real shot. He tells us about ordering his first record before he ever owned a record player, and how his music taste ranges from hip hop to ska punk… and that’s all I have to say about that.

Joseph is an indie, happy-go-lucky guy, a great photographer who loves the outdoors and is always finding new ways to stay involved in music.

In this episode, we get into how music fits into every part of his life — listening, playing, and going to a ton of shows. I learned two big things: he cannot say no to joining a band, and is very committed to making music.

We talk about why different days call for different sounds, what it’s like starting new bands, and whether he thinks concerts or music festivals are better.

Chean and I go way back to late nights of Guitar Hero, silly movies, too much candy, and way too many energy drinks. In this episode, we talk about the family influences that shaped his music taste, the awesome concert tradition he started (going with the people who introduced him to the band), and how we’ve both grown up… a little.

We catch up on life and recent concerts, talk bucket list bands, favorite superheroes, and the story behind his first guitar, a gift from his sister. He even manages to sneak in a quick interview with me.

This week’s guest - my longtime friend, Craig. He’s the ultimate music lover, vinyl collector (2,400+ and counting), and the guy you definitely want on your trivia team… unless it’s anything post-2015.

In this episode, we discuss My Turn on Earth and The Golden Rule, his first band obsession (The Cure - 60 records deep), and his take on why records are the purest form of music. Lessons learned from Craig are: “listen to the deep cuts and B-sides” and “you can have different views than the musician but still listen and enjoy their music.”

Check out Craig’s Vinyl Plethora and Guncles Vinyl Community on YouTube!

In this week's episode, we talk with Albert, vocalist of Scary Kids Scaring Kids and Gloomclub. He tells about all of the bands he’s been part of and what led him to joining Scary Kids Scaring Kids. We talk about different stigmas in the music scene, guilty pleasures, and the surreal moment he met his idol Davey Havok. Albert reflects on how sharing music with his dad sparked his love for it, how I’m Not Okay by My Chemical Romance made him want to be a musician, and the difference between festivals and music cruises. The advice he gives to anyone chasing their place in music - be fun to hang out with and be a good person.

On a lazy Sunday, when the planets aligned, TJ and I reminisced about the start of our band, Penis Wrinkle. In this episode, we talk about his journey as a linguist, how learning new languages has shaped the way he writes lyrics, and the music that continues to inspire his process. As TJ puts it: “Sometimes the best songs come from the darkest places.”

We also get into how music reflects who we are, the impact it has on us, and the stories it tells. This week’s episode was an awesome chance to catch up with TJ, the vocalist of the band we started more than a decade ago in Idaho.

“Music is an extension of who we are.”

“Be real, be kind - you never know what people are going through, don’t be a dick.”