Emo Kids Anonymous

Welcome to EKA 106! Today I am joined by Walking Blue, a band out of Orlando Florida who you may recognize from the mainstage at the Orlando date of the 2025 Vans Warped Tour. If you didn't catch them there I'm sure they've popped up on your algorithm because these boys been putting in the work. We dive into the bands personal and collective emo origin stories, as well as the full story about how they won the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands and were chosen to play the Warped Tour. We discuss the differences between pop punk and emo, as well as who would win in a hypothetical fight between the four of them. Walking Blue are working on a new record and I am super excited to hear it. Jimmy, James, Sean and Luca were absolute sweethearts. Your moms (who are probably closer to my age) raised very nice young men!

Follow Walking Blue online @WalkingBlueFL

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With multiple new episodes every week, Emo Kids Anonymous is your home for all things emo and everything else. Previous guests include Saturdays At Your Place, Kerosene Heights, Winona Fighter, Origami Angel, Greywind, sports., Riley!, Ben Quad, The Click Five and so many others.

EKA is co-hosted, co-produced and co-created by Amanda Valdivieso and Robb Laffoon, with Catherine Jones (CZB) serving as showrunner and executive producer.

EKA is part of Never A Phase Network, a collective of creators working to keep the scene alive.

Use “EMOKIDS” at checkout and your first bottle of BROTEGE is only $10!⁠

www.brotege.com⁠⁠

JOIN OUR DISCORD!

https://discord.gg/2fTdCzmT

Follow us on other platforms:

Twitter: @emokidsanonpod

Instagram: @emokidsanonymous

TikTok: @emokidsanonymouspodcast & @emokidsclips

Theme song provided by halftimeshow ("hero of roku city")

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Hosts, Creators & Producers : Amanda Valdivieso & Robb LaffoonExecutive Producer & Showrunner: Catherine Jones (CZB)

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Emo Kids Anonymous is a proud part of Never A Phase Network. Please follow and subscribe to stay up to date!

www.neveraphasenetwork.com

Welcome to episode 105 of Emo Kids Anonymous! Today we are joined by Gary Cioni. You may know Gary for his time in legendary Long Island band Crime in Stereo. You may know Gary for his work as a producer and engineer, working out of Sound Acres , the studio he owns. Either way, Gary has been engrained in our scene and culture for 20+ years and it was an honor to be joined by him. We talk about music production and engineering. How he got into it, the different processes for different bands. Some of the EKA alumni who have worked with Gary include EMWAY?, Good Sleepy, Tiny Voices and Scarlet Street, along with heavy hitters like Hot Mulligan and obviously Crime in Stereo. Gary has been talked about on this show in many interviews so it was a real treat getting to know the man behind the myth. Currently working with Leisure Hour, we dove into their songwriting and recording process as well. Along with all of this technical talk we also dove into how Gary got his start, as well as his original career as a musician. Gary joined Crime in Stereo after their debut album and is currently the frontman in NEKS as well. Growing up in Long Island and having graduated in 2002, Gary is obviously well versed in the 2000's emo scene and drama (TBS vs Brand New, anybody), so we touched on that quite a bit as well. Be sure to go check out Gary's work over at soundacres.com and you'll be surprised to see how many of your favorite emo records of the last 5 or so years were made with Gary at Sound Acres.

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With multiple new episodes every week, Emo Kids Anonymous is your home for all things emo and everything else. Previous guests include Saturdays At Your Place, Kerosene Heights, Winona Fighter, Origami Angel, Greywind, sports., Riley!, Ben Quad, The Click Five and so many others.EKA is co-hosted, co-produced and co-created by Amanda Valdivieso and Robb Laffoon, with Catherine Jones (CZB) serving as showrunner and executive producer.EKA is part of Never A Phase Network, a collective of creators working to keep the scene alive.Use “EMOKIDS” at checkout and your first bottle of BROTEGE is only $10!www.brotege.comJOIN OUR DISCORD! Follow us on other platforms:Twitter: @emokidsanonpodInstagram: @emokidsanonymousTikTok: @emokidsanonymouspodcast & @emokidsclipsTheme song provided by halftimeshow ("hero of roku city")______________________________________________________Hosts, Creators & Producers : Amanda Valdivieso & Robb LaffoonExecutive Producer & Showrunner: Catherine Jones (CZB)______________________________________________________Emo Kids Anonymous is a proud part of Never A Phase Network. Please follow and subscribe to stay up to date!www.neveraphasenetwork.com

Hey divas, welcome to EKA Episode 104! Emo Kids Anonymous is about to get real fabulous as we are joined by Karl Kuehn, also known as Gay Meat! Mr. Meat has been in our scene for a while, first with Museum Mouth and later as a member of Say Anything. However in 2018 when his mother Karen got sick, he moved home and stayed by her side until he lost her in 2021. During that time, Karl turned back to music as therapy and created the songs that would come to make up the music we hear today. As a fellow member of the Dead Mom Club (we're getting jackets), I knew Karl and I would bond but this was such a fun and special episode for both Amanda and I.

We talk about his time in Say Anything, growing up gay in a rural world, Blink-182 and even a little buttrock (because of course). Karl tells us about how he managed to get the likes of Chris Farren and Jeff Rosenstock on his new record as well as his favorite Lady Gaga songs. We reminisce on the feeling of wonder and dive into the existential dread of AI, and I ain't talking about Allen Iverson.

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With multiple new episodes every week, Emo Kids Anonymous is your home for all things emo and everything else. Previous guests include Saturdays At Your Place, Kerosene Heights, Winona Fighter, Origami Angel, Greywind, sports., Riley!, Ben Quad, The Click Five and so many others.

EKA is co-hosted, co-produced and co-created by Amanda Valdivieso and Robb Laffoon, with Catherine Jones (CZB) serving as showrunner and executive producer.

EKA is part of Never A Phase Network, a collective of creators working to keep the scene alive.

Use “EMOKIDS” at checkout and your first bottle of BROTEGE is only $10!

www.brotege.com

JOIN OUR DISCORD!

Follow us on other platforms:

Twitter: @emokidsanonpod

Instagram: @emokidsanonymous

TikTok: @emokidsanonymouspodcast & @emokidsclips

Theme song provided by halftimeshow ("hero of roku city")

______________________________________________________

Hosts, Creators & Producers : Amanda Valdivieso & Robb LaffoonExecutive Producer & Showrunner: Catherine Jones (CZB)

______________________________________________________

Emo Kids Anonymous is a proud part of Never A Phase Network. Please follow and subscribe to stay up to date!

www.neveraphasenetwork.com

Welcome to episode 103 of Emo Kids Anonymous. On todays episode, I'm joined by The Bald. Who is The Bald you may ask? Well, I'm still not totally sure to be honest. You guys remember our friends No Problemo! right? The interview where I laughed so hard I cried? Well, a few weeks ago Dane from No Problemo! messaged me and asked if his other band The Bald could come on I immediately said yes. I knew we would have a great time, I love Dane! I love No Problemo! Surely The Bald will be a great time right? Good time is an understatement. For a little over an hour, Dane and Ty terrorize, gaslight and troll me and I don't think I've ever had more fun doing this show. I hope you have as much fun watching this as I had living it in real time.

With multiple new episodes every week, Emo Kids Anonymous is your home for all things emo and everything else. Previous guests include Saturdays At Your Place, Kerosene Heights, Winona Fighter, Origami Angel, Greywind, sports., Riley!, Ben Quad, The Click Five and so many others.

EKA is co-hosted, co-produced and co-created by Amanda Valdivieso and Robb Laffoon, with Catherine Jones (CZB) serving as showrunner and executive producer.

EKA is part of Never A Phase Network, a collective of creators working to keep the scene alive.

Use “EMOKIDS” at checkout and your first bottle of BROTEGE is only $10!

www.brotege.com

JOIN OUR DISCORD! 

discord 

Follow us on other platforms:

Twitter: @emokidsanonpod

Instagram: @emokidsanonymous

TikTok: @emokidsanonymouspodcast & @emokidsclips

Theme song provided by halftimeshow ("hero of roku city")

______________________________________________________

Hosts, Creators & Producers : Amanda Valdivieso & Robb LaffoonExecutive Producer & Showrunner: Catherine Jones (CZB)

______________________________________________________

Emo Kids Anonymous is a proud part of Never A Phase Network. Please follow and subscribe to stay up to date!

www.neveraphasenetwork.com

Welcome to episode 102 of EKA! Today we are joined by Ms. Town, Tori of Tori Town. She tells us about her recent legal battles involving the town of Holyoake and her fight to keep hosting house shows, a cause we wholeheartedly approve. Tori Town has hosted over 60 shows since it's inception and the police are doing all they can to stop the fun, and she tells us the whole tale. She gives us a deep dive into Tori Town history, advice on how to get involved in your local music scene plus her personal emo origin story. Full disclosure, Tori has been a silent but major influence on our show. I have found countless bands through her twitter account, and many of those bands have found their way onto the show. Support your local scene and house show venues.

With multiple new episodes every week, Emo Kids Anonymous is your home for all things emo and everything else. Previous guests include Saturdays At Your Place, Kerosene Heights, Winona Fighter, Origami Angel, Greywind, sports., Riley!, Ben Quad and many others. EKA is co-hosted, co-produced and co-created by Amanda Valdivieso and Robb Laffoon, with Catherine Jones (CZB) serving as showrunner and executive producer.

EKA is part of Never A Phase Network, a collective of creators working to keep the scene alive. 

Use “EMOKIDS” at checkout and your first bottle of BROTEGE is only $10!

www.brotege.com

JOIN OUR DISCORD!

https://discord.gg/5BYKVap8

Follow us on other platforms:

Twitter: @emokidsanonpod

Instagram: @emokidsanonymous

TikTok:  @emokidsanonymouspodcast & @emokidsclips

Theme song provided by halftimeshow ("hero of roku city")

______________________________________________________

Hosts, Creators & Producers : Amanda Valdivieso & Robb Laffoon

Executive Producer & Showrunner: Catherine Jones (CZB)

______________________________________________________

Emo Kids Anonymous is a proud part of Never A Phase Network. Please follow and subscribe to stay up to date!

www.neveraphasenetwork.com

Welcome to episode 101 of Emo Kids Anonymous! Today we are joined by 2000's power pop sensations The Click Five. Joe, Kyle and Ethan were kind enough to dive deep into the history of the band. We talk about the early days and their experience working with Paul Stanley and Adam Schlesinger, touring with pop stars and so much more. They even told us how they ended up as surprise guests during the Jonas Brothers most recent tour (Hi Joe!). Most importantly though, we call into question The Click Five's claim to emo adjacency. Are they emo adjacent? Emo allies? Are they just lumped in by proxy? we get to the bottom of this and the answer WILL surprise you.Emo Kids Anonymous is the show about emo and everything else.

With multiple new episodes every week, Emo Kids Anonymous is your home for all things emo. Previous guests include Saturdays At Your Place, Kerosene Heights, Winona Fighter, Origami Angel, Greywind, sports., Riley!, Ben Quad and many others. EKA is co-hosted, co-produced and co-created by Amanda Valdivieso and Robb Laffoon, with Catherine Jones (CZB) serving as showrunner and executive producer.

EKA is part of Never A Phase Network, a collective of creators working to keep the scene alive. 

Use “EMOKIDS” at checkout and your first bottle of BROTEGE is only $10!

www.brotege.com

JOIN OUR DISCORD!

https://discord.gg/5BYKVap8

Follow us on other platforms:

Twitter: @emokidsanonpod

Instagram: @emokidsanonymous

TikTok:  @emokidsanonymouspodcast & @emokidsclips

Created, produced and hosted by Amanda Valdivieso and Robb Laffoon, emo kids anonymous is a proud part of the NAPNET podcast network.

Theme song provided by halftimeshow ("hero of roku city")

______________________________________________________

Hosts, Creators & Producers : Amanda Valdivieso & Robb Laffoon

Executive Producer & Showrunner: Catherine Jones (CZB)

______________________________________________________

Emo Kids Anonymous is a proud part of Never A Phase Network. Please follow and subscribe to stay up to date!

www.neveraphasenetwork.com

Follow @EmoKidsAnonymous on all social media platforms!
www.emokidsanonymous.com

Subscribe to stay up to date with Emo Kids Anonymous! With 2-3 new episodes every week, Emo Kids Anonymous is your one stop shop for everything emo and emo adjacent.

Follow Robb

(@RobbLaffoon on all social media platforms)

Follow Amanda

(@amazingamanda_eka on tiktok & @amazingamanda_emokidsanon on IG)

Welcome to the 100th episode of Emo Kids Anonymous! What started in March between two strangers has evolved into the show you see today! We have been blessed to be joined by such a cool array of guests over the last 100 episodes and we are so excited to see what comes in the next 100 episodes. From our black emo hearts to yours, thank you for following along.

In todays episode, we celebrate the past 100 episodes and the guests who have joined us along the way! From up and comers to certified scene legends to everything in between, we have had a lot of fun doing this show and every guest has been so great (minus Handguns). We also do a full fan Q&A with questions submitted to us. Which one of us has been to more shows? What's the difference between pop punk & emo? What's Robb's official diagnosis? You asked, we answered.

Subscribe to Emo Kids Anonymous on Youtube, Spotify and/or Apple Podcasts. Please give this episode a thumbs up and leave a comment and/or a review, it goes a long way!

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Emo Kids Anonymous is the show about emo and everything else

We cover anything emo or emo adjacent! With multiple new episodes every week, Emo Kids Anonymous is your home for everything emo. Previous guests include Saturdays At Your Place, Kerosene Heights, Winona Fighter, Origami Angel, Greywind, sports., Riley!, Ben Quad and so many others. EKA is co-hosted, co-produced and co-created by Amanda Valdivieso and Robb Laffoon.

Use “EMOKIDS” at checkout and your first bottle of BROTEGE is only $10!

www.brotege.com

JOIN OUR DISCORD!

https://discord.gg/BBzBTgUH

Follow us on other platforms:

Twitter: @emokidsanonpod

Instagram: @emokidsanonymous

TikTok:  @emokidsanonymouspodcast & @emokidsclips

Emo Kids Anonymous is Amanda Valdivieso and Robb Laffoon.

______________________________________________________

Hosts, Creators & Producers : Amanda Valdivieso & Robb Laffoon

Executive Producer & Showrunner: Catherine Jones (CZB)

______________________________________________________

Emo Kids Anonymous is a proud part of Never A Phase Network. Please follow and subscribe to stay up to date!

www.neveraphasenetwork.com

Follow @EmoKidsAnonymous on all social media platforms!
www.emokidsanonymous.com

Subscribe to stay up to date with Emo Kids Anonymous! With 2-3 new episodes every week, Emo Kids Anonymous is your one stop shop for everything emo and emo adjacent.

Follow Robb

(@RobbLaffoon on all social media platforms)

Follow Amanda

(@amazingamanda_eka on tiktok & @amazingamanda_emokidsanon on IG)

On todays episode of Emo Kids Anonymous, Robb is joined by Chris Sheppard and Matt Bradley of Everyone Asked About You. EAAY are an emo band formed in Little Rock AR in 1996. They released two EPs and recorded an LP before disbanding in 2000. After years of online file swapping and message board buzz, the band reunited in 2022 and now they are back and better than ever. In this conversation we cover the early years of the band, the ways they discovered music and promoted back in the nineties compared to now as well as highlighting the power of the internet. The story of Everyone Asked About You is like a movie, you will want to sit through this puppy!

Emo Kids Anonymous is a podcast about emo and emo-adjacent music.

Nostalgia, new music, you name it. If it’s relatively close to being adjacent to emo, we’ve probably covered it. With multiple new episodes every week, Emo Kids Anonymous is your home for everything emo. Previous guests include Saturdays At Your Place, Kerosene Heights, Winona Fighter, Origami Angel, Greywind, sports., Riley!, Ben Quad and so many others. EKA is co-hosted, co-produced and co-created by Amanda Valdivieso and Robb Laffoon.

Use “EMOKIDS” at checkout and your first bottle of BROTEGE is only $10!

www.brotege.com

JOIN OUR DISCORD!

https://discord.gg/BBzBTgUH

Follow us on other platforms:

Twitter: @emokidsanonpod

Instagram: @emokidsanonymous

TikTok:  @emokidsanonymouspodcast & @emokidsclips

Emo Kids Anonymous is Amanda Valdivieso and Robb Laffoon.

______________________________________________________

Emo Kids Anonymous is a proud part of Never A Phase Network. Please follow and subscribe to stay up to date!

www.neveraphasenetwork.com

Follow @EmoKidsAnonymous on all social media platforms!
www.emokidsanonymous.com

Subscribe to stay up to date with Emo Kids Anonymous! With 2-3 new episodes every week, Emo Kids Anonymous is your one stop shop for everything emo and emo adjacent.

Follow Robb

(@RobbLaffoon on all social media platforms)

Follow Amanda

(@amazingamanda_eka on tiktok & @amazingamanda_emokidsanon on IG)

Amanda recently went to see the Backstreet Boys at The Sphere in Las Vegas so we decided to do a full episode looking into why so many boy band fans transitioned into hot topic emo kids. This conversation explores the evolution of emo and pop punk music, the influence of boy bands, and the apparent connections to K-Pop? It delves into the cultural significance of these genres and their impact on audiences, particularly female fans. We touch on the uncomfortable topic of double standards as we look at "bands for girls" vs "bands for boys". Were FOB and MCR and AAR and P!ATD just the BSB and *NSYNC and LFO of their eras? Speaking of All American Rejects, we also dive into their recent decision to tell Ticketmaster to frig off. Who doesn't love Tyson Ritter, right?

Last but CERTAINLY not least though, REWATCHABLES. If you are uninformed or possibly uncultured, the legendary podfather himself, Bill Simmons, dropped his 50 most rewatchable films of the 21st century and it was one of the best podcast episodes of all time. ALL TIME. We figured we would pay homage while waxing poetic over films we like too, so we also name each of our 10 most rewatchable films. The genius of 'Tropic Thunder', the cinematic mastery of 'The Dark Knight Trilogy', the timeless romance of 'Pride and Prejudice', and the majestic majesty of 'Jurassic World Dominion' (!?). Amanda marks out over the Marvel Cinematic Universe with 'Infinity War' and 'Endgame' making her list. I celebrate the cult classic 'Clerks 2', and Amanda reflects on the magical journey of the 'Harry Potter' series. Obviously I put a few more classic comedies on there like Superbad and Step Brothers, but Amanda pulled out a few I've definitely never seen. Lorde of the Rings? Independence Day? Who has time for that stuff!?!?

Thank you for watching, please leave a comment and prescribe to the pod. Share it, stream it while you sleep, show it to your dad, all of your support means the world. Thank you!

Emo Kids Anonymous is a podcast about emo and emo-adjacent music.

Nostalgia, new music, you name it. If it’s relatively close to being adjacent to emo, we’ve probably covered it. With multiple new episodes every week, Emo Kids Anonymous is your home for everything emo. Previous guests include Saturdays At Your Place, Kerosene Heights, Winona Fighter, Origami Angel, Greywind, sports., Riley!, Ben Quad and so many others. EKA is co-hosted, co-produced and co-created by Amanda Valdivieso and Robb Laffoon.

Use “EMOKIDS” at checkout and your first bottle of BROTEGE is only $10!

www.brotege.com

JOIN OUR DISCORD!

https://discord.gg/BBzBTgUH

Follow us on other platforms:

Twitter: @emokidsanonpod

Instagram: @emokidsanonymous

TikTok:  @emokidsanonymouspodcast & @emokidsclips

Emo Kids Anonymous is Amanda Valdivieso and Robb Laffoon.

______________________________________________________

Emo Kids Anonymous is a proud part of Never A Phase Network. Please follow and subscribe to stay up to date!

www.neveraphasenetwork.com

Follow @EmoKidsAnonymous on all social media platforms!
www.emokidsanonymous.com

Subscribe to stay up to date with Emo Kids Anonymous! With 2-3 new episodes every week, Emo Kids Anonymous is your one stop shop for everything emo and emo adjacent.

Follow Robb

(@RobbLaffoon on all social media platforms)

Follow Amanda

(@amazingamanda_eka on tiktok & @amazingamanda_emokidsanon on IG)

In this episode of Emo Kids Anonymous, Robb Laffoon interviews the band Tiny Voices from Wisconsin. The conversation covers the band's formation, their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and their recent recording process with producer Gary Cioni. The band members share their individual roles both on stage and off, the magic of the vibrant Wisconsin music scene and the challenges of balancing multiple musical projects. The interview highlights the camaraderie and support within the music community, as well as the good times that are at the heart of what Tiny Voices is all about. We get into managing schedules, the creative process behind their music and the importance of collaboration. We also dive really deep into the record process for their 2025 album, "Reasons I Won't Change". The band just released the five-year anniversary version of their song Airports and are currently writing their second record.

Emo Kids Anonymous is a podcast about emo and emo-adjacent music. With multiple new episodes every week, Emo Kids Anonymous is your home for everything emo. Previous guests include Saturdays At Your Place, Kerosene Heights, Winona Fighter, Origami Angel, Greywind, sports., Riley!, Ben Quad and so many others. EKA is co-hosted, co-produced and co-created by Amanda Valdivieso and Robb Laffoon.

Use “EMOKIDS” at checkout and your first bottle of BROTEGE is only $10!

www.brotege.com

JOIN OUR DISCORD!
https://discord.gg/78WpHArY

Follow us on other platforms:

Twitter: @emokidsanonpod

Instagram: @emokidsanonymous

TikTok:  @emokidsanonymouspodcastTikTok: @emokidsanonymousclips

Emo Kids Anonymous is Amanda Valdivieso and Robb Laffoon.

Emo Kids Anonymous is a proud part of Never A Phase Network. Please follow and subscribe to stay up to date!

www.neveraphasenetwork.com

Follow @EmoKidsAnonymous on all social media platforms!
www.emokidsanonymous.com

New episodes drop every Wednesday as well as artist interviews on Monday and Fridays! Be sure to like and subscribe!

Follow Robb

(@RobbLaffoon on all social media platforms)

Follow Amanda

(@amazingamanda_eka on tiktok & @amazingamanda_emokidsanon on IG)