CD Burners

On this episode of CD Burners, we're joined by filmmaker Jeff Ryan to dive into his new movie Mooch, a chaotic indie comedy inspired by Emo Nite and the music we all grew up on. Jeff breaks down how a random DM to Underoath's Aaron Gillespie turned into an entire original soundtrack, how his love for bands like Senses Fail, The Starting Line, and Saves the Day influenced the film, and what it actually takes to write, direct, edit, and star in your own movie. We also get into the insanity of independent filmmaking, working with actors from Gilmore Girls, the art of rage-bait marketing, and why making a movie might be the most ridiculous thing anyone can willingly put themselves through.

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

This week on CD Burners, we're joined by A Heartwell Ending for their FIRST interview in nearly two decades, and the story behind their unexpected comeback is actually insane. After disappearing from the MySpace scene, the band reunited for the first time in 16 years only to discover they had over 700,000 monthly Spotify listeners and a whole new generation of fans bringing their music back to life. We get into how their songs blew up on TikTok without them even knowing, touring with early A Day To Remember and We The Kings, and the shocking discovery that someone had claimed their Spotify account using a deceased band member's identity. Plus, they reveal what really happened to the band, the mystery surrounding their missing streaming royalties, and their plans to finally make new music after all these years. From forgotten MySpace demos to an unexpected second chance, this might be one of the wildest comeback stories in emo history.

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

This week on CD Burners, we’re diving into Avril Lavigne’s The Best Damn Thing with special guest Scheana Marie, who grew up obsessed with Avril and credits her as one of her earliest musical inspirations. We break down the album’s bratty, cheerleader-fueled pop-punk energy, why “Girlfriend” might be the ultimate Avril song, and how an album full of “you suck, I’m hot, I’ll be fine” breakup anthems somehow still makes room for some of her most vulnerable moments. Scheana talks about channeling Avril into her own music, performing “Girlfriend” at Emo Nite, and why the album reminds her of reality TV with every emotion turned all the way up. Plus, we get into Travis Barker playing on the record, “Girlfriend” allegedly being written in two minutes, Avril’s wildest rumors, Scheana’s Jonas Brothers era, and plenty of Vanderpump Rules lore along the way.

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

This week on CD Burners, we’re diving into mgk's Tickets to My Downfall with special guest Huddy, who has a pretty wild connection to the album: after listening to it every day and using it as inspiration to pursue alternative music himself, MGK randomly DMed him and cast him in Downfalls High. We get into why Tickets to My Downfall became one of the most polarizing pop-punk albums of its era, whether MGK deserves more credit for what he brought to the genre, and why Huddy thinks the record was misunderstood from the beginning. Plus, Huddy takes us behind the scenes of making Downfalls High, reveals an unexpected moment with Sydney Sweeney, talks about finding his own sound through MGK's influence, and opens up about leaving the major-label system to independently release his new music.

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

This week on CD Burners, we’re diving into Scary Kids Scaring Kids’ The City Sleeps in Flames with special guest Ray Hawthorne. We break down why this album feels like a time capsule of 2005 post-hardcore, how Scary Kids seamlessly worked synths into their sound before seemingly every band had a keyboard player, and why discovering them at the right age could completely change your taste in music. Ray tells us how Scary Kids became one of his first introductions to post-hardcore, inspired his high-school band to literally get a synth player, and eventually led to him making music with Scary Kids keyboardist Pouyan Afkary years later. Plus, we get into MySpace-era band names, LimeWire mishaps, the band's legacy after the tragic loss of Tyson Stevens, Ray almost walking away from music, and how some of his biggest songs were recorded in a makeshift vocal booth built inside his Burbank bathroom.

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

This week on CD Burners, we’re diving into Radiohead’s In Rainbows with special guest Kyle Soto of Seahaven. From the bizarre 5/4 groove of “15 Step” and the hypnotic guitars of “Weird Fishes” to the stripped-back emotion of “All I Need,” we break down why In Rainbows might be Radiohead’s most accessible album while still being absolute music-nerd heaven. We also get into the band’s industry-shaking decision to release the album with a pay-what-you-want model, Nigel Godrich forcing Radiohead to finally commit to songs they had been obsessing over for years, the incredible From the Basement performances, and why the production still sounds ridiculously good nearly two decades later. Plus, Kyle explains how he absolutely hated Radiohead the first time a friend played them for him, only for In Rainbows to eventually become the album he listened to on repeat and his gateway into the band.

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

This week on CD Burners, we’re joined by Kami Kehoe to dive into Cage the Elephant’s Tell Me I’m Pretty, the Grammy-winning album that has followed her through different chapters of her life. Kami explains why songs like “Trouble” connected with her from a young age, how the record became something she returns to whenever she’s going through it, and why its lyrics and sound still give her a rare sense of peace. We also get into Dan Auerbach’s production, Matt Shultz’s undeniable weirdness, and what makes Tell Me I’m Pretty stand out in Cage the Elephant’s catalog. Plus, Kami talks about growing up playing drums in a band with her sisters, going viral overnight, making the return to rock music, and the new album and arena tour that are taking her career to another level.

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

This week on CD Burners, we’re diving into Lady Gaga’s The Fame Monster with special guest DeathbyRomy, who calls it one of the most influential records on her life and career, and the first CD she ever owned. Romy shares how seeing Gaga’s Monster Ball as a kid, briefly meeting her backstage, and watching her turn pop music into a complete visual world helped shape the artist she would eventually become. We break down “Bad Romance,” “Telephone,” and “Alejandro,” Gaga’s fearless approach to art and controversy, the tour that never happened, and why The Fame Monster still feels like a moment when a pop star could genuinely shock and change culture. Plus, Romy talks about building her own visual universe on independent-artist budgets, betting on herself, touring with Limp Bizkit, and the Gaga philosophy she still carries with her today: sometimes you have to lie to yourself until the dream becomes real.

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

Live from Vans Warped Tour Long Beach, CD Burners sits down with Bonnie Fraser of Stand Atlantic to talk about the band's next era and why they're deliberately pushing against what's trendy in alternative music. Bonnie gets into live tracking their new album, wanting music to feel human in an increasingly AI-driven world, and why Stand Atlantic would rather flip trends on their head than sound like everyone else. She also opens up about finally embracing writing love songs after avoiding them for over a decade, how “Velcro” became one of her favorite songs they've ever written, and what success looks like after years of making music for a living. Plus, we get into Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX, Australian horror movies, her least favorite Stand Atlantic song to play live, and the important question of whether Australia is actually the furthest place on Earth.

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

Live from Vans Warped Tour Long Beach, CD Burners sits down with Derek Sanders of Mayday Parade to look back on 20 years of the band and their long history with Warped Tour. Derek takes us back to the days of following the tour in a van and selling CDs to kids in the crowd, talks about the awkward early shows that helped shape Mayday Parade, and reveals what it's like returning to Warped Tour two decades later. We also get into the band's massive Sweet, Sad, Sugar trilogy, the challenge of writing a Warped Tour setlist after 20 years of music, the heavier bands Derek wishes Mayday Parade could tour with, his hilariously named first bands, and whether making music still feels the same after all these years. Plus, the Warped Tour crowd gets to ask Derek a few questions of their own.

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