On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Paul Stanley of ⁠KISS⁠.

Wicked Lester — an early ’70s band that Stanley formed with Gene Simmons — only performed a handful of times and failed to release an album, but planted the seed for a massively recognizable group in rock history.

Through KISS, Stanley created his inimitable “Starchild” persona, a character who embodied glitz, romance, and sensuality through decades of elaborate, fire-breathing stage production.

In a conversation with Madden, the celebrated rock legend and KISS frontman sits down for a raw, introspective conversation about legacy, fatherhood, personal growth, and the grind behind building one of the most iconic bands of all time.

Listen to their conversation on Artist Friendly wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also watch the episode over at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Veeps⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 

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Host: Joel Madden, @joelmadden

Executive Producers: Joel Madden, Benji Madden, Jillian King

Producers: Josh Madden, Joey Simmrin, Janice Leary

Visual Producer/Editor: Ryan Schaefer

Audio Producer/Composer: Nick Gray

Music/Theme Composer: Nick Gray

Cover Art/Design: Ryan Schaefer

Additional Contributors: Anna Zanes, Neville Hardman

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is bringing you an encore episode of his conversation with Pierre Bouvier of Simple Plan.

⁠Simple Plan⁠ grew from pop-punk underdogs to genre heroes over the course of six studio albums.

In addition to racking up collabs with members of blink-182, Sum 41, and Weezer, the Canadian vets have played on over a dozen Warped Tours and created pop-punk essentials through early tracks like “Welcome to My Life” and “I’m Just a Kid.”

The latter experienced a viral moment through TikTok at the beginning of the decade, challenging people to recreate childhood photos as adults and post the results, which featured participation from Will Smith, Ed Sheeran, and beyond.

Given that their friendship stretches back to the 2000s, the duo get into it all across a nearly hour-long episode.

Listen to their conversation on Artist Friendly wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also watch the episode over at ⁠Veeps⁠. 

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Host: Joel Madden, @joelmadden

Executive Producers: Joel Madden, Benji Madden, Jillian King

Producers: Josh Madden, Joey Simmrin, Janice Leary

Visual Producer/Editor: Ryan Schaefer

Audio Producer/Composer: Nick Gray

Music/Theme Composer: Nick Gray

Cover Art/Design: Ryan Schaefer

Additional Contributors: Anna Zanes, Neville Hardman

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is bringing you an encore episode of his conversation with Pierre Bouvier of ⁠Simple Plan⁠.

⁠⁠Simple Plan⁠⁠ grew from pop-punk underdogs to genre heroes over the course of six studio albums.

In addition to racking up collabs with members of blink-182, Sum 41, and Weezer, the Canadian vets have played on over a dozen Warped Tours and created pop-punk essentials through early tracks like “Welcome to My Life” and “I’m Just a Kid.”

The latter experienced a viral moment through TikTok at the beginning of the decade, challenging people to recreate childhood photos as adults and post the results, which featured participation from Will Smith, Ed Sheeran, and beyond.

Given that their friendship stretches back to the 2000s, the duo get into it all across a nearly hour-long episode.

Listen to their conversation on Artist Friendly wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also watch the episode over at ⁠⁠Veeps⁠⁠. 

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Host: Joel Madden, @joelmadden

Executive Producers: Joel Madden, Benji Madden, Jillian King

Producers: Josh Madden, Joey Simmrin, Janice Leary

Visual Producer/Editor: Ryan Schaefer

Audio Producer/Composer: Nick Gray

Music/Theme Composer: Nick Gray

Cover Art/Design: Ryan Schaefer

Additional Contributors: Anna Zanes, Neville Hardman

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Benji Madden of Good Charlotte.

Last week, Good Charlotte announced their long-anticipated return with Motel Du Cap, which the band celebrated with a late-night appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to perform lead single “Rejects.”

As part of their first album since 2018, the song teases a promising new chapter — one inspired by Good Charlotte performing at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in France for a family member's wedding.

The record’s title nods to that extraordinary night and its “wild, once-in-a-lifetime vibe. We were just there to celebrate, no pressure, and it reminded us why we started this — pure, unfiltered connection,” Joel says.

In a conversation with his brother and bandmate, Benji opens up about defining success, staying aspirational, and the story behind his favorite track on their upcoming LP, out Aug. 8.

Listen to their conversation on Artist Friendly wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also watch the episode over at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Veeps⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 

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Host: Joel Madden, @joelmadden

Executive Producers: Joel Madden, Benji Madden, Jillian King

Producers: Josh Madden, Joey Simmrin, Janice Leary

Visual Producer/Editor: Ryan Schaefer

Audio Producer/Composer: Nick Gray

Music/Theme Composer: Nick Gray

Cover Art/Design: Ryan Schaefer

Additional Contributors: Anna Zanes, Neville Hardman

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Bobby of Bob Vylan.

Bob Vylan packed a punch with their 2022 debut album, The Price of Life, which contained songs as loud as the message behind it.

In the years since, the duo have only gotten more agile, using their raucous grime punk to tell sharper stories about the state of the world, fearlessly calling out racial violence, toxic masculinity, seedy landlords, and more.

Sitting across from Madden, the Bob Vylan member opens up for an unfiltered conversation about speaking truth to power, breaking genre boundaries, and the real-life experiences that fuel his band’s explosive sound.

Listen to their conversation on Artist Friendly wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also watch the episode over at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Veeps⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 

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Host: Joel Madden, @joelmadden

Executive Producers: Joel Madden, Benji Madden, Jillian King

Producers: Josh Madden, Joey Simmrin, Janice Leary

Visual Producer/Editor: Ryan Schaefer

Audio Producer/Composer: Nick Gray

Music/Theme Composer: Nick Gray

Cover Art/Design: Ryan Schaefer

Additional Contributors: Anna Zanes, Neville Hardman

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Sarah Barthel of ⁠Phantogram⁠.

Phantogram’s fifth studio album, Memory of a Day, hinges on nostalgia, compiled with the idea that certain sounds can send you back in time while simultaneously employing the kind of crisp production and hard-hitting beats that makes them sound from the future.

Since its release last year, the electronic-rock duo have stayed busy, appearing on Jimmy Kimmel, touring with Open Mike Eagle, and preparing to hit the road again in August.

In a conversation with Madden, Barthel reveals how she uses art to express emotion, the band’s dedication to creating a unique sound, and their upcoming summer tour with Deftones.

Listen to their conversation on Artist Friendly wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also watch the episode over at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Veeps⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 

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Host: Joel Madden, @joelmadden

Executive Producers: Joel Madden, Benji Madden, Jillian King

Producers: Josh Madden, Joey Simmrin, Janice Leary

Visual Producer/Editor: Ryan Schaefer

Audio Producer/Composer: Nick Gray

Music/Theme Composer: Nick Gray

Cover Art/Design: Ryan Schaefer

Additional Contributors: Anna Zanes, Neville Hardman

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Josh Carter of Phantogram.

Since their formation in the late 2000s, Phantogram have always created the music that they wanted to hear, drawing from Outkast as freely as My Bloody Valentine.

Their fifth studio album, 2024’s Memory of a Day, is no different, offering up dusky psychedelia, floor-filling beats, and a potent chemistry between two longtime friends while contemplating the nature of time.

In a conversation with Madden, Carter opens up about how trying too hard can be the death of the art, his special relationship with his bandmate, Sarah Barthel, and their upcoming summer tour with Deftones.

Listen to their conversation on Artist Friendly wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also watch the episode over at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Veeps⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 

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Host: Joel Madden, @joelmadden

Executive Producers: Joel Madden, Benji Madden, Jillian King

Producers: Josh Madden, Joey Simmrin, Janice Leary

Visual Producer/Editor: Ryan Schaefer

Audio Producer/Composer: Nick Gray

Music/Theme Composer: Nick Gray

Cover Art/Design: Ryan Schaefer

Additional Contributors: Anna Zanes, Neville Hardman

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by ⁠Brandon Lake⁠.

Though Lake learned to play guitar from his father when he was younger, he didn’t put out his first album, Closer, until 2016 — gathering the financing through crowdfunding and releasing it independently.

Since then, the worship music singer has gone on to make several other records, racking up several Grammy wins along the way, and will share his latest, King of Hearts, this Friday (June 13). In a conversation with Madden, Lake opens up about balancing fame and family, using music to share his relationship with faith, and his upcoming album.

Listen to their conversation on Artist Friendly wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also watch the episode over at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Veeps⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 

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Host: Joel Madden, @joelmadden

Executive Producers: Joel Madden, Benji Madden, Jillian King

Producers: Josh Madden, Joey Simmrin, Janice Leary

Visual Producer/Editor: Ryan Schaefer

Audio Producer/Composer: Nick Gray

Music/Theme Composer: Nick Gray

Cover Art/Design: Ryan Schaefer

Additional Contributors: Anna Zanes, Neville Hardman

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is bringing you an encore episode of his conversation with Trixie Mattel.

Since winning RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2015, ⁠Mattel⁠ has blossomed into a formidable drag superstar, which makes her the perfect person to kick off Pride Month.

Between creating subversive country ⁠albums⁠ (including team-ups with kindred spirit Orville Peck), uploading videos to her massively popular ⁠YouTube channel⁠, and helming her own ⁠cosmetics line⁠, Mattel only continues to reach greater heights with her unique and unapologetic business savvy. 

Listen to their conversation on Artist Friendly wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also watch the episode over at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Veeps⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 

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Host: Joel Madden, @joelmadden

Executive Producers: Joel Madden, Benji Madden, Jillian King

Producers: Josh Madden, Joey Simmrin, Janice Leary

Visual Producer/Editor: Ryan Schaefer

Audio Producer/Composer: Nick Gray

Music/Theme Composer: Nick Gray

Cover Art/Design: Ryan Schaefer

Additional Contributors: Anna Zanes, Neville Hardman

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Ben Kweller.

From his early days with neo-grunge band Radish to an impressive solo career, Kweller has constantly been shaped by music — and laid his heart bare in his songwriting.

That’s never been truer on his latest album, Cover the Mirrors, a striking reckoning with grief after Kweller lost his 16-year-old son Dorian Zev Kweller in a car accident.

In a conversation with Madden, Kweller opens up about his life in Texas, touring with Ed Sheeran, the tragic death of his teenage son, and how it influenced his new record, out this Friday (May 30).

Listen to their conversation on Artist Friendly wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also watch the episode over at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Veeps⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 

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Host: Joel Madden, @joelmadden

Executive Producers: Joel Madden, Benji Madden, Jillian King

Producers: Josh Madden, Joey Simmrin, Janice Leary

Visual Producer/Editor: Ryan Schaefer

Audio Producer/Composer: Nick Gray

Music/Theme Composer: Nick Gray

Cover Art/Design: Ryan Schaefer

Additional Contributors: Anna Zanes, Neville Hardman

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices