By and large, this episode of Fawkes and Friends is a little more serious than most. Of course, there is still talk about Black Guy Fawkes’s upcoming shows in Denver (for Punk Rock Saves Lives), Gilbert, PA (for Camp Punksylvania), and Cumberland, MD (for the 6th annual Fawkes and Friends festival at Dig Deep Brewing Company), and the guys and the guest still play the quickfire game at the end, but today, Jessica Guise joins Ian and Ed to talk about her music and  her writing process. As her non-music work is in the field of mental health, the conversation steers itself to some more serious places–the stigma of seeking out help with mental health, resources for mental health help in both the UK and the US, and how addressing mental health concerns can lend itself to the creative process. Of course, there is also talk about shitty American light beer, as well as favorite musicals and karaoke songs, but it’s important to stress that this episode is, at times, a bit more serious than previous episodes.

GUISE is the heart and soul of pop-folk singer-songwriter Jess Guise. Possessed of a remarkable folk lilt, she sings with delicacy whilst landing some vicious asides - by turns sweet, funny, and haunting. Whilst locked down with her husband, Frank Turner, Jess won the hearts of his large and welcoming fan base through their weekly livestreams raising funds for live venues, and a buzz rose up around her music in that world. Jess has been building on that buzz honing her live craft on the road, supporting and sharing stages with the likes of Richard Thompson, Frank Turner, Will Varley, The Arkells, Grace Petrie and Sean McGowan. More info at her website.

For more Black Guy Fawkes, check out Music | Black Guy Fawkes (bandcamp.com)or https://asbestosrecords.bigcartel.com/. He’s also on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, etc as Black Guy Fawkes–spelling is extremely important here and, not surprisingly, he’s on music streaming services as well: Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon. You can probably find Ed drinking in a karaoke bar or in the crowd at a punk show. The show also now has a playlist of music from guests that have appeared, and guests who will be appearing, and you can check that out on Spotify as well: Fawkes & Friends: The Playlist - playlist by Ian Robinson | Spotify

No lengthy preamble here–it’s not needed when Black Guy Fawkes and Linh Le from Bad Cop / Bad Cop get together. They talk about sharing the stage at Lost Evenings, the Bassists Against Racists campaign, and their shared love of Ted Lasso. Linh and Ed also share their love of karaoke, and everyone combines like a three-part Voltron to talk about performing, the best cheesesteak in Philadelphia, and the best parts of what make the punk scene more than a scene, but a community.

Linh Le is the bassist for Bad Cop / Bad Cop. You can find their upcoming tour dates here, including Camp Punksylvania. She’s also one of the folks behind Bassists Against Racists, which raises money for different causes each month. Ian and Ed both adore her and her band, so you should check out all of their stuff. 

For more Black Guy Fawkes, check out Music | Black Guy Fawkes (bandcamp.com)or https://asbestosrecords.bigcartel.com/. He’s also on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, etc as Black Guy Fawkes–spelling is extremely important here and, not surprisingly, he’s on music streaming services as well: Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon. You can probably find Ed drinking in a karaoke bar or in the crowd at a punk show. The show also now has a playlist of music from guests that have appeared, and guests who will be appearing, and you can check that out on Spotify as well: Fawkes & Friends: The Playlist - playlist by Ian Robinson | Spotify

The tour is mostly over–Black Guy Fawkes gets to spend some time at home and traveling to see other folks perform this month before making a few more appearances:

And, well, Ed’s trivia team Blood, Sweat, and Beers came in first place for the first time ever, so he has stuff going on, too.

This episode is a special one–Ian has called Beyond the Lamplight one of his three favorite bands of the past few years, and today, the guys are joined by Ian Cook from Beyond the Lamplight. They talk about the songwriting process and influences for Beyond the Lamplight, how they hooked up with Flail Records, reflecting on his eclectic upbringing in a Beatles-loving household and his diverse musical interests ranging from blues to punk rock

Beyond The Lamplight is a force of nature. Hailing from Bend, OR in the heart of the high desert it’s no wonder. Their music reflects the extremes of the region’s climate. Encompassing equal parts folk, punk, rock and a touch of jazz, they’ve carved out quite a niche in a short time. Founded by former Larry And His Flask lead singer and songwriter Ian Cook, he sought to continue on with the spirit of his previous band by mixing fierce banjo picking with rock n roll guitars, soaring 3-part vocal arrangements and a hot brass section. The end result is Beyond The Lamplight. For more Ian Cook and Beyond the Lamplight, check out their webpage at https://flailrecords.com/beyond-the-lamplight/ or their Bandcamp.

For more Black Guy Fawkes, check out Music | Black Guy Fawkes (bandcamp.com)or https://asbestosrecords.bigcartel.com/. He’s also on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, etc as Black Guy Fawkes–spelling is extremely important here and, not surprisingly, he’s on music streaming services as well: Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon. You can probably find Ed drinking in a karaoke bar or in the crowd at a punk show. The show also now has a playlist of music from guests that have appeared, and guests who will be appearing, and you can check that out on Spotify as well: Fawkes & Friends: The Playlist - playlist by Ian Robinson | Spotify

Black Guy Fawkes is still out on the road, having just finished Punk Rock Hoedown in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will be playing in Nashville, Tennessee at Springwater May 29th, and then at Jortsfest June 1st. The tour has been a whirlwind of an adventure, and that adventure continues through June and July, with volunteering with Punk Rock Saves Lives at Pride in Pittsburgh, and then shows in Denver, CO, an appearance at Camp Punksylvania, and then the annual Fawkes & Friends festival in Cumberland, MD on July 13th–a line-up announcement episode will be coming up soon for that. Forget soon, though–let’s talk about today. Ian and Ed got the chance to sit down with Chuck Ragan to talk about Hot Water Music’s new album VOWS, important life lessons from recording and touring, the importance of mentoring and being mentored, and the four best meats to smoke for BBQ.

For more Chuck Ragan, check out his website or the Hot Water Music website. Hot Water Music is currently on tour promoting their latest album VOWS, with upcoming dates in Louisville, KY; Cleveland, OH; Chicago, IL; and many other cities before touring Germany in November.

For more Black Guy Fawkes, check out Music | Black Guy Fawkes (bandcamp.com)or https://asbestosrecords.bigcartel.com/. He’s also on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, etc as Black Guy Fawkes–spelling is extremely important here and, not surprisingly, he’s on music streaming services as well: Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon. You can probably find Ed drinking in a karaoke bar or in the crowd at a punk show. The show also now has a playlist of music from guests that have appeared, and guests who will be appearing, and you can check that out on Spotify as well: Fawkes & Friends: The Playlist - playlist by Ian Robinson | Spotify

First of all, Black Guy Fawkes and the other guy are back from a whirlwind trip through Canada–together for the shows Black Guy Fawkes and Pigeon Pit were supporting Laura Jane Grace and the Mississippi Medicals, and separately when Black Guy Fawkes performed all over Pouzzafest and Ed drove home to his dog and many, many cats, with a stop in New Jer–New York on the way. 

There’s a brief recap of that wild week before the show gets into the cheese, potatoes, and gravy of the episode, where they talk to Cahir O’Doherty (New Pagans, the Sleeping Souls). You might now know him as the “breakout star” of the 50 States in 50 Days documentary, but Cahir’s a musician in his own write, performing with both the New Pagans and the Sleeping Souls. Cahir gives some real talk on the difficulties of being a touring musician and the economics of that, but we promise he is not the self-described “harbinger of doom” he says he is. Things get into some real nerdy guitar talk, the things that come up on the road.

For more Cahir O’Doherty, check out The New Pagans and The Sleeping Souls, or see him on Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls current tour for their 10th album Undefeated.

For more Black Guy Fawkes, check out Music | Black Guy Fawkes (bandcamp.com)or https://asbestosrecords.bigcartel.com/. He’s also on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, etc as Black Guy Fawkes–spelling is extremely important here and, not surprisingly, he’s on music streaming services as well: Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon. You can probably find Ed drinking in a karaoke bar or in the crowd at a punk show. The show also now has a playlist of music from guests that have appeared, and guests who will be appearing, and you can check that out on Spotify as well: Fawkes & Friends: The Playlist - playlist by Ian Robinson | Spotify

Massive announcement: Black Guy Fawkes is joining Pigeon Pit and Laura Jane Grace and the Mississippi Medicals for two dates leading up to Pouzzafest: tonight, May 14th at the Broom Factory in Kingston, ON, and Wednesday, May 15th at the Axis Club in Toronto, Ontario. And that’s why the intro sounds weird–Ian and Ed are currently in a hotel in Rochester, NY, and Ed couldn’t figure out a way for them to both sound good for an intro, so they farmed it out, because they are becoming big time podcasters, or something.

BUT! POUZZA! Today’s guest, Billy Liar, will also be at Pouzza, playing solo on Saturday and doing a full-band show Sunday. Billy Liar has toured all over the world, but this will be his first time in Canada. Billy and Black Guy Fawkes share the things they’re excited about with Pouzza and Canada in general, the difference between liking coffee and being a coffee snob, and some great stories about the punk and DIY scenes in Scotland. Ed, of course, asks a question about the film Highlander, because he is a massive dork.

Billy Liar grew up in the underground punk rock scene, finding his feet and forging his sound through a self-imposed relentless touring schedule, a love of playing live and an understanding that good things do not come to those who wait. Great things come to those who get out on the road and make a hell of a lot of their own mistakes. His latest album, Crisis Actor, came out last year. For all things Billy Liar, including his Bandcamp and his Patreon, head to www.billyliarmusic.com. Photo credit: Grant Anderson

For more Black Guy Fawkes, check out Music | Black Guy Fawkes (bandcamp.com)or https://asbestosrecords.bigcartel.com/. He’s also on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, etc as Black Guy Fawkes–spelling is extremely important here and, not surprisingly, he’s on music streaming services as well: Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon. You can probably find Ed drinking in a karaoke bar or in the crowd at a punk show. The show also now has a playlist of music from guests that have appeared, and guests who will be appearing, and you can check that out on Spotify as well: Fawkes & Friends: The Playlist - playlist by Ian Robinson | Spotify

If there’s one thing in this world that Black Guy Fawkes and his trusty(ish) pal Ed have in common, it’s a love of today’s guests, Micah Schnabel and Vanessa Jean Speckman, both as artists and as people. The DIY revolution is alive and well, and it's fueled by artists like Micah and Vanessa who are passionate about their craft and committed to building meaningful connections with other artists, as well as their audience–DIY doesn’t mean “do it alone.”

You can catch Micah and Vanessa on tour with Frank Turner, Amigo the Devil, and Bridge City Sinners throughout the US in May and June (Ian and Ed will both be at that Baltimore gig). For more of Micah’s work, including the new album “The Clown Watches the Clock” and the book of the same name, head to his bandcamp page: Music | Micah Schnabel (bandcamp.com). For Vanessa and Call Me Rita, you can check out Call Me Rita’s bandcamp page: Audio | Call Me Rita (bandcamp.com).
For more Black Guy Fawkes, check out Music | Black Guy Fawkes (bandcamp.com)or https://asbestosrecords.bigcartel.com/. He’s also on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, etc as Black Guy Fawkes–spelling is extremely important here and, not surprisingly, he’s on music streaming services as well: Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon. You can probably find Ed drinking in a karaoke bar or in the crowd at a punk show. The show also now has a playlist of music from guests that have appeared, and guests who will be appearing, and you can check that out on Spotify as well: Fawkes & Friends: The Playlist - playlist by Ian Robinson | Spotify

You know what we have a love jones for? Proper. They are one of Black Guy Fawkes’s favorite bands, and now they are one of Ed’s, too, and the third friend joining them today is Erik Garlington from that very band. This one goes all over the map–touring in the south and the cities that get passed over, feelings of “are we friends or coworkers” while on tour, and feelings of sometimes being the “diversity hire” on tour, and their song that will be appearing in an A24 movie.

There’s some shocking pizza revelations, too.

For more from Erik Garlington and Proper., you can check out their website (NWA (likerealproper.com)), their Bandcamp (https://likerealproper.bandcamp.com/), or their page at Father/Daughter Records: Proper. - Father/Daughter (fatherdaughterrecords.com)

For more Black Guy Fawkes, check out Music | Black Guy Fawkes (bandcamp.com)or https://asbestosrecords.bigcartel.com/. He’s also on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, etc as Black Guy Fawkes–spelling is extremely important here and, not surprisingly, he’s on music streaming services as well: Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon. You can probably find Ed drinking in a karaoke bar or in the crowd at a punk show. The show also now has a playlist of music from guests that have appeared, and guests who will be appearing, and you can check that out on Spotify as well: Fawkes & Friends: The Playlist - playlist by Ian Robinson | Spotify

Black Guy Fawkes is back from prepping for his upcoming spring tour (with dates in Maryland, Canada, Nevada, Tennessee, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Maryland again), and he and Ed are joined by Brian Walker from A Day Without Love. 

Brian shares firsthand experiences and practical tips on planning and executing a successful tour, from booking gigs to navigating transportation and accommodations. Insights into budgeting, promoting shows, and building connections with local scenes are explored, and the challenges of being Black musicians in predominantly white spaces are confronted. It’s not all heavy, though–there’s definitely light-hearted talk about food on the road as well, and if we were better at writing show notes, we’d say something like “you won’t BELIEVE his take on which COFFEE is better: Dunkin or Wawa,” but we’re not. 

You can catch both Black Guy Fawkes and A Day Without Love (along with President Bomber and Justin Arena) at the Deep End in Frostburg MD Friday, May 10th. For more A Day Without Love, you can check out the web page A Day Without Love and the Patreon at A Day Without Love | Behind the Scenes of a Touring DIY Musician | Patreon.

For more Black Guy Fawkes, check out Music | Black Guy Fawkes (bandcamp.com)or https://asbestosrecords.bigcartel.com/. He’s also on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, etc as Black Guy Fawkes–spelling is extremely important here and, not surprisingly, he’s on music streaming services as well: Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon. You can probably find Ed drinking in a karaoke bar or in the crowd at a punk show. The show also now has a playlist of music from guests that have appeared, and guests who will be appearing, and you can check that out on Spotify as well: Fawkes & Friends: The Playlist - playlist by Ian Robinson | Spotify

No one prepared Ed for how lonely recording an intro could be, but as Black Guy Fawkes prepares for his spring tour (with dates in Maryland, Canada, Nevada, Tennessee, Colorado, and Pennsylvania) leading up to the Fawkes and Friends festival this July 13th at Dig Deep Brewing Company in Cumberland, MD, it fell to Ed to introduce Mike Miller and Matt Davis from Endless Mike and the Beagle Club, who will be playing at Fawkes and Friends this summer.

Mike and Matt talk about the creative process that goes into songwriting whether it's Mike solo or the whole band, remastering and re-mixing The Husky Tenor (a classic Endless Mike and the Beagle Club album), and the joy (and fear) of putting on a hometown show after being on the road so long. And, if you're in the greater Pittsburgh area and are listening to this on day one, they will be at Spirit Lodge with Fuck Yeah, Dinosaurs! opening up for Jon Snodgrass. For more Endless Mike and the Beagle Club, you can go directly to their Bandcamp page: