Behind the Vinyl

Fresh off their debut album, 5 Years Behind, which was released in March, THICK join the conversation this week. THICK started as a two-piece band in 2013 when Nikki and Shari met on Craigs List. The two would meet up once a week at a practice space and piece together some of the early songs of the band. Two years later, in 2015, Kate came on board as the bassist and everything began to speed up at that point. THICK jumped on every show bill they could get on and began to network and make connections throughout the music scene. They went from strictly DIY shows to one day receiving an email from the well-known record label Epitaph asking if they were interested in joining their roster. THICK is a real confident band and their most recent release is only the beginning. Get familiar with them!

Website: https://thick.band

Bandcamp: https://thick.bandcamp.com

Instagram: thickinbrooklyn

Twitter: @thickinbrooklyn

Facebook: THICK

If you want a punk legend then you came to the right place. This episode had countless stories from the long career of Mikey Erg. The recording process for each album, the live show experience, and so much more. You name it and it's in this episode. Mikey discusses what it was like to do remote recordings when the pandemic first started. He also goes into how important it is to support bands through bandcamp or whatever other resources. Mikey talks about life on the road and what he does when he finally has some time at home. Mikey discusses the planning process for the year since he is always in 4 or 5 projects at once. He goes deeply into his solo project and what the time period between The Ergs! and when he started writing music again was like. Lastly, we talk about The Ergs! and his start in music. How the band formed, the big tour with the Bouncing Souls and Lifetime, the moment the band split up, the reunion shows over the last few years, and the possibility of a comeback record in the future.

Bandcamp: https://mikeyerg.bandcamp.com

Instagram: mikeyerg

Twitter @mikeyerg

Facebook: Mikey Erg

Shab Ferdowsi is someone who has many talents and is always finding new ways to be creative. The musician out of Los Angeles just released a full-length album in the spring labeled R.I.P. Apathy. We spoke about the two year process that went into having that record come into fruition. Also, she has quite the story behind her music journey. Shab didn't start writing music until about four years ago when some of her friends influenced her to start recording her songs. That is when everything took off. Before that she was a tour photographer and put together DIY shows in the LA area. But, her talents go deeper than music. During quarantine she decide to find new ways to keep herself entertained. Shab began making ice Cream and recently she ventured into the pizza world. This is a deep conversation. Shab does not hold back. She discusses her declining eye sight and what that means for some of her hobbies. She goes deeply into the different chapters of her life. Give Blushh a follow and don't forget to listen to their music!

Website: https://www.blushhmusic.com

Bandcamp: https://blushhmusic.bandcamp.com/album/r-i-p-apathy

Instagram: blushhmusic_

Twitter: blushhmusic_

Facebook: Blushh

The influences behind the grungy sound of Nashville's own, Sad Baxter, isn't hard to find. Deezy grew up a fan of loud rock and was inspired by acts like Nirvana, Veruca Salt, and Hole. Once she met Alex at Berklee College they were on a mission to create a sound similar to the ones they both grew up admiring. Fast forward several years later and their story has been a huge success. As usual, this episode is filled with a ton of fun stories. Especially the one where Alex closed on a home while on the road with the band. Give it a listen and get involved in the discussion with the band!

Bandcamp: https://sadbaxter.bandcamp.com

Instagram: @sadbaxter

Twitter: @sadsadbaxter

Facebook: Sad Baxter

As we enter the fall season and the warm weather slowly begins to fade away, there will be more time to sit down and catch up on some of your favorite musicians and shows. Warren Franklin is an excellent choice! On Sept. 12 his Instagram show returns and if it's anything like season one then you are in for a treat. Season one saw guests like Ratboys, Retirement Party, Mikey Erg, Chris Conley & so many others join the discussion. Warren is also a respected musician who has great insight on the music industry. We talked about bands like The Lawrence Arms, Illuminati Hotties, and several other great groups. He also discussed having to learn the bass in a matter of weeks for a life changing European tour. So many other fantastic stories included in this episode!

Bandcamp: warrenfranklin.bandcamp.com

Instagram: @warrenfranklinmusic

Twitter: WFANDTFF

Facebook: Warren Franklin

Carmen Perry of Remember Sports joined the podcast this week! It's jam packed with some really epic stories! Carmen discussed the current state of music and starting up a Patreon. She also took a journey back to high school when she joined a student run music group and not feeling completely comfortable playing music at that time in life because of a unwelcoming group of boys from her school. She started Remember Sports when she met her friends at a small school in Ohio (Kenyon College) and found out that they all had similar music interests. There are plenty of other stories like the one about a band called Sports who sent Carmen a fake cease to exist letter several years back. Give Remember Sports a follow on social media (@remembersportsband).

This week I chatted with Sarah Blumenthal of Charlotte, NC's fuzzy indie punk band Alright. The band is preparing for the release of their first full-length album labeled "I'm Doing This to Myself" which will be available on Aug. 28 (Self Aware Records). We went in-depth about the song writing experience and everything behind the steps that Sarah took to make this release possible. Also, there are several fun stories included in this episode. The list includes helping run a record label (Self Aware Records) and traveling to Japan last year to play a few shows. Give Alright a follow on social media (alrightnc)!

This week Stephen of The Big Easy dropped into the podcast. The Big Easy has been easily one of my favorite discoveries of 2020. Stephen's music making abilities is a real treat for anyone who listens. He had some great input about the music he puts out for all to hear and is extremely passionate about his craft. Last fall he started on an adventure that led him to releasing a new song on the first Friday of every month. This stopped in February when he released his EP, First Friday. Stephen also discussed the first time he picked up an instrument in his buddies basement, some fun tour stories, and what it's like being a Black musician in the indie scene. Give The Big Easy a follow on Instagram and Twitter (@thebigeasyband).

I had the pleasure of sitting down with David & Daoud of Bad Moves this week. The punk band out of Washington, DC just released one of the best albums this year in Untenable. We chatted about making Untenable, releasing it in 2020, and the story behind several of the songs. Plus, we discussed how the band formed (a pretty awesome karaoke night) and some other epic stories about the group. Give them a follow on social media (badmovesdc)!

Took a virtual road trip to Seattle, Wa this week to chat with John Spinney of Monsterwatch. Big Sin has been one of my favorite songs for the longest time and Tuesday was the original intro jam of the show. So a bunch of connections with the band! It was cool to hear John talk about the transition in sound the band has seen for the upcoming album that will be released at the beginning of next year. They are taking on a new wave punk sound which is different from the in your face punk from the original EP. We also discussed growing up in New Hampshire, giving up guitar at an early age and then picking it up again later in life, living out of a van when he first relocated to Seattle, and life on the road. Give them a follow on all social media platforms (@monsterwatch).