Pepe connects with Mitchell "Trash" Gray as they discuss their prison experiences, exploring their broken places & their individual relationships to happiness that developed through the journey. It's an emotional conversation at times that traverses topics from addiction to Buddhism and overall lets you see you have a choice to make when you push up against difficult moments or your own broken places. Listen to the episode to find out the choices Mitchell & Pepe made when they were standing on the edge of these places. We end with the song "Dying Red Sun" by Mitchell's band Our Own Legacy.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Thoughts on happiness
• What led Mitchell into prison
• The painful moment Mitchell knew things had to change
• A different perspective on being a broken person
• Pepe's painful moment when he broke open in prison
• A convicted murderer offers a shoulder to cry on
• Mitchell cries at a punk show & Pepe cries at a ska show
• Where do you most belong?
• The one thing Mitchell would want you to take away from this conversation

Support the podcast & get bonus material:

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

Back On The Grind Records - DIY, Folk Punk & Music merch:

backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Get coffee roasted by Pepe Bandit:

STAY FREE COFFEE ROASTERS

• StayFreeCoffee.com

Send us feedback around this episode (or others) or ask a question for possible discussion on a future episode:

• [email protected]

Follow the podcast:

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Word of mouth really matters! If you like what you heard, here's two things you can do to help keep this podcast going:

1. Share the podcast with a friend who you think will find value in it.
2. Please leave us a rating or review. It will help us reach & support more folks like you & that's why we do this!

Stay Free until next time!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Folk Punk Dad talks with DIY musician, zine writer and full time traveller, Average Joey. It's a wide ranging conversation with a theme flowing around toxic capitalism & the potential for collective healing. We end the episode with the track "Indifference" by Average Joey!

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Average Joey's new record Impermanence
• Agnostic gospel songs
• Jesus as a radical opposed to the state
• Gaza & God in the rubble
• Finding hope in the midst of catastrophe
• The human need for spirituality, meaning & connection to mystery
• Love as a foundation for organizing, activism, societal healing & transformation
• The pervasive toxicity of capitalism & the problem of hyper-individualization
• Radical compassion
• Staying in relationship with those with whom you disagree
• How to have a good DIY show

Listen to Average Joey:

• SPOTIFY open.spotify.com/artist/491199WLEVMoiYSzAmQkVl?si=0ZFHrTm2Tdqx2G_6P02U-g&nd=1&dlsi=e3792d54c3d34916
• BANDCAMP averagejoey.bandcamp.com/album/impermanence

Connect with Average Joey:

• https://linktr.ee/Averagejoey

Back On The Grind Records - DIY, Folk Punk & Music merch:

backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Get coffee roasted by Pepe Bandit:

STAY FREE COFFEE ROASTERS

• StayFreeCoffee.com

Support the podcast & get bonus material:

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

Send us feedback around this episode (or others) or ask a question for possible discussion on a future episode:

• [email protected]

Follow the podcast:

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Word of mouth really matters! If you like what you heard, here's two things you can do to help keep this podcast going:

1. Share the podcast with a friend who you think will find value in it.
2. Please leave us a rating or review. It will help us reach & support more folks like you & that's why we do this!

Stay Free until next time!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the holidays among us we thought it would be good to talk about loneliness. Loneliness can show up in many ways & some may be unexpected (like Pepe discovered while making this episode). We share our experiences with it and dive into how it manifests and some evolutionary reasons behind our responses to it. We end discussing some things that have helped us make connections and feel less lonely in our lives. We are here twice every month and hopefully we are able to help you feel a little less lonely & more connected.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Why loneliness
• Folk Punk Dad's experiences with loneliness
• Loneliness defined
• The area in Pepe's life where he feels lonely right now
• 3 main dimensions of loneliness
• No one said the word "lonely" in prison
• What helped Folk Punk Dad move out of loneliness in school & addiction
• How the folk punk community was a missing piece that helped Pepe feel less lonely in prison
• Having a healthy connection to yourself is the foundation to connecting with others
• Solitude Vs. Loneliness (you can be alone & not feel lonely)
• Pepe's practice of expanding emotional vocabulary when he sits alone at the swamp
• Improv can help create trust, play & connections

Back On The Grind Records - DIY, Folk Punk & Music merch:

backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Get coffee roasted by Pepe Bandit:

STAY FREE COFFEE ROASTERS

• StayFreeCoffee.com

Support the podcast & get bonus material:

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

Send us feedback around this episode (or others) or to ask a question for possible discussion on a future episode:

• [email protected]

Follow the podcast:

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Word of mouth really matters! If you like what you heard, here's two things you can do to help keep this podcast going:

1. Share the podcast with a friend who you think will find value in it.
2. Please leave us a rating or review. It will help us reach & support more folks like you & that's why we do this!

Stay Free until next time!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Folk Punk Dad aka Will talks with songwriter, rapper, spoken word poet & all around great human, Myles Bullen. The conversation revolves heavily around the concept of community - what it is, how to find it, how to become a part of it, how to contribute to it and much more. Loneliness & music is also discussed.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Community & the internet
• Fake Four as a community
• Why music creates community
• Important elements of community
• Loneliness
• How Myles came to music
• Play & teaching others to play

Connect with Myles Bullen

• instagram.com/beatboxpoet/
• mylesbullen.com/

Back On The Grind Records - DIY, Folk Punk & Music merch:

backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Get coffee roasted by Pepe Bandit:

STAY FREE COFFEE ROASTERS

• StayFreeCoffee.com

Support the podcast & get bonus material:

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

Send us feedback around this episode (or others) or to ask a question for possible discussion on a future episode:

• [email protected]

Follow the podcast:

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Word of mouth really matters! If you like what you heard, here's two things you can do to help keep this podcast going:

1. Share the podcast with a friend who you think will find value in it.
2. Please leave us a rating or review. It will help us reach & support more folks like you & that's why we do this!

Stay Free until next time!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Check out the poll results in the Spotify show notes to see if listeners think Johnny Hobo was good or bad overall.

Johnny Hobo & The Freight Trains can be viewed as a single project or part of a larger whole when it comes to the music of Pat The Bunny. Either way it has been loved by some and divisive for others since it was first released and presently. We dive into some of the history associated with Johnny Hobo and try to understand what it all means. After that we discuss some funny, absurd, confusing and difficult stories of life inside prison.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Pepe's connection to Pat (The Bunny)
• What is viewed as problematic with Johnny hobo & the Freight Trains
• Pat's role in folk punk's reputation as a bunch of unhoused, drug addicts
• Could the pro-drug message actually be a helpful tool?
• Hesitating to release the first Ramshackle Glory album
• Calling Pat the Bunny an asshole
• Is Folkpunk in a season of getting sober
• The value of Pat's music as a whole
• Prison Haircuts & Pepe's big toe
• How Pepe (real name Scott) got his nickname
• The role race plays in prison
• We play Whiskey is my kind of lullaby by Johnny Hobo & the Freight Trains

Listen to Johnny Hobo & The Freight Trains

• Spotify open.spotify.com/artist/7Mv8pqnyBgJGpNTRwbi7kl?si=k5HCTWl_SIyoYJ5qttey_Q
• Apple Music music.apple.com/us/artist/johnny-hobo-and-the-freight-trains/1249530114

Back On The Grind Records - DIY, Folk Punk & Music merch:

backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Get coffee roasted by Pepe Bandit:

STAY FREE COFFEE ROASTERS

• StayFreeCoffee.com

Send us feedback around this episode (or others) or to ask a question for possible discussion on a future episode:

• [email protected]

Support the podcast:

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

Follow the podcast:

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Word of mouth really matters! If you like what you heard, here's two things you can do to help keep this podcast going:

1. Share the podcast with a friend who you think will find value in it.
2. Please leave us a rating or review. It will help us reach & support more folks like you & that's why we do this!

Stay Free until next time!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"It's hard not to love Mothman"

The Swamp Rats join us and talk about Mothman, anxiety, always being on tour, the music they perform and more. After the interview we play their song Butcher's Knife.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Skunk Ape & Moth man
• Other Cryptids
• Ghost Stories
• Cryptids as a manifestation of anxiety
• Anxiety on the road/tour
• "We can do hard things"
• Upcoming split release
• Dicktits as merch
• "Butchers Knife" song

Listen to & get the Swamp Rats music:

• swampratsmusic.bandcamp.com/
• open.spotify.com/artist/49y5H2zQUazyEwPAPIKWyi

Connect with The Swamp Rats:

• instagram.com/swampratsmusic/
• facebook.com/swampratsmusic

 Back On The Grind Records - DIY, Folk Punk & Music merch:

backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Get coffee roasted by Pepe Bandit:

STAY FREE COFFEE ROASTERS

• StayFreeCoffee.com

Send us feedback around this episode (or others) or to ask a question for possible discussion on a future episode:

• [email protected]

Support the podcast:

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

Follow the podcast:

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Word of mouth really matters! If you like what you heard, here's two things you can do to help keep this podcast going:

1. Share the podcast with a friend who you think will find value in it.
2. Please leave us a rating or review. It will help us reach & support more folks like you & that's why we do this!

Stay Free until next time!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A listener asks how we deal with procrastination & another asks about our interests outside of this podcast/music. We also talk about the feeling of not having enough time in your life & offer a new perspective that has been useful for us.

If you have any questions or comments for us please reach out through the email below. We'd love to hear from you!

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Wherever you have self doubt is where you procrastinate
• Procrastination is not a part of who you are...it's simply a habit you learned
• the procrastination loop explained
• Procrastination as an act of compassion
• Being a sprinter (not a procrastinator)
• Tools and hacks for for overcoming procrastination in the moment
• Another corny acronym for F.E.A.R.
• Getting to the root of your procrastination
• Thoughts on not having enough time
• Pepe's Rocksteady playlist
• song played: Hell Of An Adventure by Adventure Adventure

Back On The Grind Records - DIY, Folk Punk & Music merch:

backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Get coffee roasted by Pepe Bandit:

STAY FREE COFFEE ROASTERS

• StayFreeCoffee.com

Listen to Pepe's Rocksteady playlist on Spotify:

• open.spotify.com/playlist/1og9SP4Leh9a8mbcEqDI0c?si=ef92586b50dd4fc6

Send us feedback around this episode (or others) or to ask a question for possible discussion on a future episode:

• [email protected]

Support the podcast:

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

Follow the podcast:

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Word of mouth really matters. If you like what you heard, here's two things you can do to help keep this podcast going:

1. Share the podcast with a friend who you think will find value in it.
2. Please leave us a rating or review. It will help us reach & support more folks like you & that's why we do this!

Stay Free until next time!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pepe & Folk Punk dad reconnect after not doing an episode together for a few months. Then we hear from various bands that performed at this years Compost Heap festival as they answer questions from Folk Punk Dad & other bands. It's a fun & engaging episode where you get to hear a lot of really awesome people in the DIY/folk punk community share some ideas & stories.

Send us feedback around this episode (or others) or to ask a question for possible discussion on a future episode:

• [email protected]

Support the podcast:

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

Follow the podcast:

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Back On The Grind Records - DIY, Folk Punk & Music merch:

backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Get coffee roasted by Pepe Bandit:

STAY FREE COFFEE ROASTERS

• StayFreeCoffee.com

Word of mouth really matters. If you like what you heard, here's two things you can do to help keep this podcast going:

1. Share the podcast with a friend who you think will find value in it.
2. Please leave us a rating or review. It will help us reach & support more folks like you & that's why we do this!

Stay Free until next time!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I'm continually fighting against living a regular life. That's led me to some really bad decisions at times but, it's also been the best decision of my life."

Rapper, folk & punk musician Ceschi (pronounced Chess-Key) talks with Pepe. Their close friendship allows them both to open up on the podcast about some very personal experiences from their lives. Ceschi recounts his relationship with his father & Pepe talks about losing sight of his own family. Also discussed is the last time Ceschi, Pat (formerly "the Bunny") & Pepe saw Erik Petersen, the story behind Ceschi's song "Shame", perspectives on money, survival without a regular job & more.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Ceschi & Pepe recall the Johnny Hobo show they met at
• Ceschi describes living with his father & seeing his crack addiction play out
• Pepe asks Ceschi if his father has been to hell
• Ceschi's inherited trauma & what he would tell his father if he could go back in time
• Ceschi talks about living the fast life himself & watching Pepe get caught up in the game too
• Pepe's story about being tied up & robbed & his misguided response
• The bittersweet feeling in Ceschi's music
• The important role humor plays in Ceschi's life

Connect with Ceschi:

• instagram.com/ceschiramos/?hl=en
• twitter.com/ceschi

Listen to Ceschi & Codefendants:

• Codefendants - open.spotify.com/artist/6HBfXt98QpP7QVDPLHjHTe
• Ceschi - open.spotify.com/artist/78t5ObID5m0cLVrpZernKV

Send us feedback around this episode (or others) or to ask a question for possible discussion on a future episode:

• [email protected]

Support the podcast:

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

Back On The Grind Records - DIY & folk punk music merch:

backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Get coffee roasted by Pepe Bandit:

STAY FREE COFFEE ROASTERS

StayFreeCoffee.com

Follow the podcast:

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Word of mouth really matters. If you like what you heard, here's two things you can do to help keep this podcast going:

1. Share the podcast with a friend who you think will find value in it.
2. Please leave us a rating or review. It will help us reach & support more folks like you & that's why we do this!

Stay Free until next time!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"After a 6 month long tour...I was drinking an awful lot, I put no light into the world at that time & when I got home I tried to kill myself & failed. That was the thing that struck me sober, that was when the unmanageability of my life was clear to me."

Folkpunk Dad talks to Brook Pridemore about the anti-folk to folk punk connection they traveled, the many lost bands of early folkpunk, community & sobrieties effect on their music. Brook also shares some personal stories they have with Pepe, Pat (the Bunny) & Ceschi.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The music/people that influenced Brook in the early 2000's
• Discovering real (folk) punk for the first time
• Music & sobriety
• Growing up in your musical preferences
• The Mountain Goats
• Meeting a smelly Pat (the Bunny)
• Pepe baked Brook a cake to say I'm sorry

Connect with Brook Pridemore:

instagram.com/brookpridemore/?hl=en

brookpridemore.bandcamp.com/album/glad-to-be-alive

Back On The Grind Records - DIY & folk punk music merch:

backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Get coffee roasted by Pepe Bandit:

STAY FREE COFFEE ROASTERS

StayFreeCoffee.com

Send us feedback around this episode (or others) or to ask a question for possible discussion on a future episode:

• [email protected]

Support the podcast:

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

Follow the podcast:

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Word of mouth really matters. If you like what you heard, here's two things you can do to help keep this podcast going:

1. Share the podcast with a friend who you think will find value in it.
2. Please leave us a rating or review. It will help us reach & support more folks like you!

Stay Free until next time!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.