Behind the Vinyl

Single Mothers has been a band that I have admired. There is a mysterious feeling behind them. The social media page is on private and the website says that they broke up in 2009, yet still play shows. But, something that you can't deny is that their music rocks. I had the opportunity to chat with Drew Thomson about everything surrounding the band and much more.

Single Mothers started when one door in Thomson's life closed. He was a real estate agent and worked under a boss who drank often. He eventually grew tired of some of the actions from the boss and other employees, and decided to quit the job. That is when he took a stab starting a band. At first, Single Mothers was a spite project. He simply wanted to be better than another local band. It even got to the point where he had two lineups for the band at once. He decided to go with the more talented group and the rest is history (hence the whole band breaking up quote on their website). Thomson didn't expect much from the band, but when they released "Self-Titled" it was his first real opportunity to play outside of London (Canada).

Thomson dabbles between Single Mothers and his own solo project called The Drew Thomson Foundation. Single Mothers has more of a revolving door. Whoever is around to tour and wants to hit the road are welcomed to join. But, at the same time, if a musician decides to sit a gig out, there are no hard feelings and they can join the next tour. We deeply explored the writing process for Thomson. On average he writes about 10 songs a week. We discussed how he decides which song is suitable for Single Mothers and which one will land with his solo endeavor.

Last year Single Mothers released an album called "Bubbles." Thomson had no real motive to put those songs out, but the band's label liked the songs a lot and wanted to put them on Spotify. Throughout this episode we went into a ton of subjects. It includes what he has been up to during the pandemic. That includes hiking and listening to audio books. He also became a big basketball fan and started learning about macro economics. We talked about music reviews and how they are based on personal opinion. Thomson chats about giving up drinking. Check out his projects below!

Website: http://singlemothersband.com

Bandcamp: https://singlemothersband.bandcamp.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2FW1jqwbJgwWT8hTWHgBrq?si=ZY_Iy8AuQtSU3Gmw_275Yg

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/single-mothers/520264239

We had Quinn Christopherson on for this episode. Christopherson got his big chance in music when he won NPR's Tiny Desk contest. The victory was validation that what Christopherson was doing as a musician was enough. It was the first time he ever felt that. He ended up quitting his job to go on tour and has been in music ever since.

Christopherson is from Anchorage, Alaska, which may not seem like an environment where a ton of musicians come from, but Christopherson disagrees, saying that not only are there strong connections in the community, but there is also a huge support system for their musicians. Since the time he decided to focus on only music, Christopherson has been on a mission. He has toured with famous acts such as Courtney Barnett, Lucy Dacus, and Portugal the Man.

Christopherson released a highly anticipated EP on December 14 called "I am Bubblegum." The first song that appears on there is labeled, "Bubblegum," and it's a song where Christopherson searches for who he is. He says if he knew exactly who he was, then he wouldn't have anything to work towards. He's trying to be a better version of himself every day. The song starts at the age of six and goes through the stages of his life. It also has to do with growing relationships as well. Once he began to figure out who he is, his connections in life became more positive.

The other song we discussed was "Good Boy." It was inspired by Shelby Lorman's project Awards For Good Boys. Lorman also has a published book out as well. Christopherson said his friend let him borrow his electric guitar for this song. It was his first time playing electric, after mostly experiencing acoustic. He said he began to strum the guitar and it had so much aggression. Christopherson also states that he had some help from his partner, who would shout out some ideas towards him during the writing process.

Continuously, Christopherson discusses being a transgender man. He gives insight about how society treats men and women differently, something that pops up in his music writing as well. Listen to Christopherson's music below!

Website: https://quinnchristopherson.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0tzC81XDBWtTPfJyUg6O2j?si=bxGwltSVTeSEEigqeH4xnA

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/quinn-christopherson/1458331533

Instagram/Twitter: @quinnchristopherson

It's the 100th episode for the podcast. For this interview we sat down with Carli, Kyle, and Michael of Palomino Blond out of Miami, Fl. The band exploded at The Fest this year in Gainesville. They caught the attention of countless people who made the trip, especially at the pre-fest show. It was their first opportunity to play a big venue since everything opened up again and they took full advantage of it. They are back on track with their old routes. The band feels like they have made valuable friendships and connections from gigging often. They want to play hard and play often. A tour was announced for January where they will be playing throughout Florida and some of the surrounding states, so if you are in the area, definitely make sure to be in attendance!

The pandemic has been tough on everyone, and that statement is no different for Palomino Blond. They had a split come out in March of 2020 and a bunch of press was coming their way, but once Covid happened, Kyle feels like they hit a brick wall. A few months in the band saw a lineup change, where the bassist and drummer left the band. That is where Michael and Peter stepped in and became welcoming pieces of the band. It was a fresh start for the group. A new beginning in a way. It gave them a chance to restructure and develop a new identity. Kyle also says they were more ready to pounce on the world than ever.

Palomino Blond has a fresh record called "ontheinside," which came out on Nov. 19. Most of the songs were written in the summer of 2020, but once they had the chance, the band made sure to rehearsal often to prepare for the release. One of their social media descriptions said the album is for loud minds and soft voices. That is the best way to describe the record. It has a little bit of everything. Check out the band below!

Website: https://www.palominoblond.com

Bandcamp: https://bandcamp.com/download?cart_id=81827116&sig=d6a4bf916cbe9a068c866facd68f1a6d&from=checkout

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0oNZ5XN1TT4aWlxHhx8oWe?si=m_j1xaTORB-dfdpcoPqT4A

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/palomino-blond/1353971807

Instagram/Twitter: @palomino_blond

Welcome to the world of Bliss Fields. A band that Scott Downes started with his former partner and originally named Iris back in 2013. He was on a mission to play shoegaze music because unlike so many other genres, the instrumentals can show emotion -- not only the lyrics. But, like so many bands, Scott experienced a change in the lineup recently. In fact, it was a completely new lineup. That is when the idea to change the band's name to Bliss Fields started flowing through his head. Scott says that it felt like a jumping off point instead of being a new band. Bliss Fields represented a new chapter for his musical journey. One that has been nothing but constant focus and hard work. Bliss Fields released a self-titled EP in August. It served as an introduction for the band. It also sent a message that the band meant business. Listeners were able to get a feel for what to expect from this group. But, that wasn't enough. Bliss Fields went right back to work and continued to work towards a full-length album, which will be out on January 14. Two singles have been released leading into the new album (Clementine & Satisfy). Scott says this is his favorite music he has ever worked with. When he began writing the songs, he started with the guitar first. He wanted the entire album to flow like a movie -- It's very dramatic according to Scott. Plenty of other fun stories are included in this episode! Check the band out below!

Bandcamp: https://blissfields.bandcamp.com/track/what-kills-you-2

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2ohoTkOEr07TDpRP1edwMi?si=wR4QfN3MRgGpSUhRvBprNg

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/album/peal-single/1570550421

Instagram/Twitter: @blissfieldsto

Ross Farrar is a punk through-and-through. He grew up in California and listened to some of the legends that came from his home state such as Black Flag and The Circle Jerks. It eventually led to Ross joining a band of his own who became instant hits in the punk scene. His band, Ceremony became known for their wild and physical shows, which put them on notice. Ross is currently in a few projects now. One of his main focuses, SPICE, released their debut sell-titled debut album last year. It brought an alternative sound, which was outside of the typical punk narrative that Ross' bands have. Nonetheless, it was heavily listened to and received great feedback. On the heels of a successful debut record, SPICE decided to put out two singles this Fall. "A Better Treatment" and "Everyone Gets In" came out in November and brought back that classic punk sound again. Both songs have deep meanings to the band, especially "A Better Treatment," which is about a friend who passed away. Ross is a huge talent, not only in music, but outside of it too. In this episode we talked about Ross getting his Masters at Syracuse University, his poetry and teaching career, carrying a camera around while on tour, and a bunch of other cool stories related to Ceremony and SPICE. Check out his projects!

SPICE Bandcamp: https://spiceispain.bandcamp.com

Everything is like pancakes. At least that's what Ashley Strongarm says about her music career. Pancakes can be a tricky art. Sometimes the first few don't come out the best, but once you finally make the perfect pancake, you know that you have the recipe for success. That was similar to when Ashley first started singing. It was trial and error trying to find her voice. She still listens back to some of her first videos singing and thinks about how far she has come during this musical journey. Strongarm just released a new single called, "From You," which came out on November 19. It was her fourth single of the year and may be her best work yet. Ashley held on to "From You" for a little while. The Song itself is about when she went through a tough break up and kept dreaming about the heartbreak. The song served as a reminder at the time that she would wake up and eventually move on. The recording process brought back a ton of emotion, there were times when Ashley had to take a breather and take a trip to get a pretzel because she was beginning to get choked up while singing the lyrics. But, she also put her heart into this song, which is noticeable when you listen. Ashley brings a ton of fun stories to this interview. One of my personal favorites is about when she was in high school and broke her nose. One of the girls in her class accidentally head-butted her - to this day Ashley has yet to receive an apology. The night before our interview Ashley was attempting to have a self-care night, but that went in the wrong direction when a glass candle jar fell on her foot and popped open her toe. She ended up spending most of the night in the ER. But, she was a trooper and still did the interview in high spirits. She had enough strength to discuss the time she went on a Harry Potter podcast, her move from North Carolina to New York, how she found quick success with Vine, how that turned into a music career, and her pictures that are used for each single. This was a fun interview that had so many great topics. Check out Ashley's work below!

Website: https://ashleystrongarm.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Kz9c9jsnBJkX30OiKrYDh?si=rJL1XnWvTT-rKGLOi7Z-gQ

Instagram/Twitter: @ashleystrongarm

You'll Afloat too! We had on Gabby & Josh of the band Afloat to talk about their new song. "Fake Nice," and some of the other happenings surrounding the band. "Fake Nice" is considered the new anthem for the band. "Fake Nice" was written about exactly what it means: people being fake nice. Sometimes people are flat out fake to others so that they can benefit from that individual. In the word of Gabby, "You don't want to let someone get the best of you, but at the same time you want your opinion to be heard." The song is a step in a new direction. Gabby stayed away from the usual post breakup song and brought some attitude to this jam. It also indicates growth for the band. Everything from the vocals, all the way to the recording process is different. Gabby believes this is the best the band has been. She even said that this was one of the first times didn't have to second guess herself with a song. It just naturally flowed from the very beginning.

The band started as a college project. It was supposed to be a one time thing so that Gabby could pass one of her assignments given while at Rowan. She decided to do a release show at Kung Fu Necktie in Philadelphia. The group decided to stay together after the band clicked extremely well on stage that night. The chemistry was there, so they continued to work on music together.

This episode is filled with passion from two music lovers in Gabby and Josh. They both work in music when they are not with the band. Gabby works for a music store and does sound on the side, which Josh mostly dabbles in sound for recording studios and venue. We talked about the various shows they have played and if they have a preference between venues or house shows. Josh states that he has a new found love for house shows because they are more personal. We also chatted about being on stage and how some of the members can be their own worst critics while performing live. It's all about getting through some of the hurdles like technical difficulties or what they perceive as "mess ups." There's so much more to this episode, so give it a listen if you have some time. Check out the band too!

Bandcamp: https://afloatband.bandcamp.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3izZBdNNlvY4pclzk7x3N0?si=67i-5Gu6RWqN_GU9M4T3MQ

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/afloat/1434316293

Instagram/Twitter: @afloatband

Another kick ass interview in the books! If you listen or follow punk music, like many of you do, you have definitely seen Elway pop up on a bill or a playlist. They are always playing at stacked shows. The band is fresh off their 11th trip to The Fest and they also opened for The Menzingers in the beginning of October. Some cool shows have recently been announced such as the War on X-Mas with The Lawrence Arms and kicking off 2022 by playing with Hot Water Music.

Although we don't get too in-depth about band names often, it's hard to miss when a band from Colorado named their group after a legendary football player. But, the ironic part is, none of the members in the band are sports fans. They took on the name of Elway because you see it literally everywhere while driving around in their home state. John Elway owns a car dealership and a steakhouse at the airport. He is even the Denver Bronco's General Manager now. The story doesn't stop there though. Once they took on a new name, they later received a legal email alerting them that John Elway was aware of their band and was giving them a timeline to change the name. That didn't scare the band members away. They used this as publicity. Tim jumped on numerous sports broadcasts to tell their story and they were eventually able to hold on to the new name.

This episode is loaded with cool stories. Tim talks about Red Scare Records and why Toby is such a great guy. We discussed how the goals have changed over time. They now make music as a want instead of a matter of necessity. We talked about their new songs that have been recently released. Lastly, we got to hear a bunch of tour stories -- including a time when Elway got arrested in Russia. There might even be a section where Tim provides us with a list of his top five favorite burrito locations while on tour. Check out the band below!

Bandcamp: https://elwaytheband.bandcamp.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/69bnISFWUBXKydoGSkshAq?si=LuOz4PQ6S-u6i-Zga0YcVw

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/elway/1508152136

Instagram/Twitter: @ElwayBand

Today, we present to you an interview with Jake Ewald of Slaughter Beach, Dog. It was a conversation that had a ton of laughs, some tears, and went down memory lane of an established musician who has accomplished the world with his music career. For Jake, the journey began with the well-known group, Modern Baseball, who started off as a project that most of them did while attending college. What was something that was supposed to be something they would do on the weekends or when they had some downtime, turned into a band that toured non-stop. Jake still remembers when they signed with Run for Cover Records. They received an email of interest on New Year's Day and went to an Outback Steakhouse to celebrate. It became the main focus very quickly and made everyone in the band grow up quick. Jake and a few other members even dropped out of college to continue pursuing music. He remembers the conversation with his family, and how they were not on board with it at first, but now think it's the coolest thing in the world. The band became cherished by many and to this day is still widely listened to.

When Modern Baseball broke-up, they left a message on their social media pages about mental health. To this day I still highly respect them for being so open. Jake was unsure what his path would be at the time or if music would even continue being his focus. He picked up a job and was prepared for life after full-time music. But, Slaughter Beach, Dog quickly grew. Each year he noticed more people in the crowd. They are now several records deep, with "At the Moonbase," coming out last year as a surprise release on Christmas Eve. Jake says that he challenged himself to try new sounds for that record and explore new areas as a musician. He even talks about some of the records, movies, and books that have influenced select songs over the years. The record is incredible, and by now I am sure most people have gave it a spin.

This is a loaded interview. Jake recently moved to the Poconos and chats about traveling to Philly every week to hit the studio. He still has a deep connection with the city that left him with valuable lessons and memories. So much so, that he stays close with a lot of the bands and friends in the scene. You can often find them on tour with him. One of his biggest friendships is with Ian Farmer, who has been there since the beginning of Modern Baseball and now is a huge part of Slaughter Beach, Dog. There is so much to this interview. It was personally extremely special for me. I hope you give it a listen because Jake gave great responses and left us with amazing stories.

Website: https://www.atthemoonbase.com

Bandcamp: https://slaughterbeach.bandcamp.com/album/at-the-moonbase

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3lWVgSwutPsiJ8Awm7OTKU?si=NpVtnEKqRk-CYuPINOJ7Cg

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/slaughter-beach-dog/1074163480

Instagram/Twitter: @slaughterbeachdog/@beatsbydog

"I grew up in a pretty conservative Christian family as a kid and we weren't really permitted to go listen to the radio or listen to music of our own... Of course you don't know that The Clash is the best punk band ever because all you ever get to listen to is the Christian version of The Clash and it f*cking absolutely sucks." I present to you an interview with Pittsburgh's own, Derek Zanetti, of The Homeless Gospel Choir. Derek grew up in a church-going family and was often told not to listen to punk and other rock music. He didn't have the chance to find his calling until after college, when his friends presented him with the opportunity to attend shows. That changed his life and sparked a fire inside. There was a sense of belonging where people respected the art and music. From that day on, Derek was frequently found in the crowd and even developed his own musical endeavor. The forming of The Homeless Gospel Choir is one that wasn't supposed to happen. But, it's a gift to us all that Derek did find punk music by accident. His music has deep meaning, but with a twist. Derek tries to put a smile on the listener's face while talking about serious topics such as global warming and people depending on technology. That was clear during the most recent album release labeled, "This Land is your Landfill." It's the first time Derek formed a full band for the entire process and at live shows. Chris #2 of Anti-Flag helped find band members and even continued the idea of piecing together a full lineup. They worked hard in the studio -- some days from 9 am until 9 pm. This is a fun interview with someone who brings a TON of energy to the discussion. There are cool live topics like recently hitting the road with Frank Turner in order to build confidence to play his own gigs again and there's even a story about one of Modern Baseball's first ever house shows as a band. Website: https://www.thehomelessgospelchoir.com Bandcamp: https://thehomelessgospelchoir.bandcamp.com/album/this-is-a-protest-song Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7EwwyzTYEM8e0a8i1lKPk0?si=Hy9d0kEZSuuhjrEhqf6P9Q Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-homeless-gospel-choir/646153550 Instagram/Twitter: @thgchoir