Mind Your Tone

JiJi Aligno is a Filipino-born guitarist, music educator, nurse, and member of Wellington metal bands Dark Divinity, Scorn of Creation, and funk band Culture Embassy.

In this episode, Jiji shares his journey from growing up on punk and metal in the Philippines to building a life in New Zealand and becoming part of the local underground music scene.

We talk about discovering Metallica and Megadeth, finding his first band after arriving in New Zealand, teaching guitar, balancing family life with music, playing in multiple bands, and why heavy metal continues to connect people across cultures and generations.

Topics include:
• Growing up in the Philippines
• Punk rock and metal influences
• Moving to New Zealand in 2016
• Wellington's underground metal scene
• Dark Divinity and Scorn of Creation
• Guitar playing and songwriting
• Teaching beginner guitarists
• Metal culture and community
• Life as a musician and nurse
• What heavy metal means today

If you've ever wondered how music helps people find belonging, identity, and community, this conversation is for you.

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In this episode, I sit down with Duane Frew from Hades Drudge to talk about the underground NZ metal scene, growing up as a metalhead in Whanganui, and what it’s really like playing in DIY bands across New Zealand.

We get into everything from discovering Sepultura and Slayer as teenagers, playing shows at Wellington venues like Valhalla, surviving mosh pits, recording albums independently, and dealing with stage anxiety as a live vocalist. Duane also shares his thoughts on AI-generated music, streaming platforms, and why original music still matters in today’s music industry.

This episode is a raw look into NZ heavy metal culture, local music communities, creative survival, and the passion that keeps underground musicians going after decades in the scene.

Topics include:

• NZ metal scene
• Wellington live music culture
• DIY music recording
• AI music and Spotify
• Performance anxiety
• Underground metal bands
• Original music vs covers
• New Zealand Music Month
• Life in touring and local bands

Joshua, guitarist and songwriter for Bulletbelt, shares his personal journey from discovering heavy music in a small New Zealand town to shaping the evolution of one of the country’s prominent metal bands.

In this candid interview, Joshua chats about his early influences, the transformation of Bulletbelt’s sound, and the realities of life as a working musician.

He also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the band’s creative process and gives an exciting sneak peek into Bulletbelt’s upcoming album and collaborations.

Whether you’re a diehard metal fan or new to the scene, this conversation offers insight, inspiration, and plenty of stories from the world of metal.

After a bit of radio silence… 🎙️
Turns out the podcast wasn’t gone. Just… buffering.

Hiatus officially over.
New episodes coming.

You may have noticed we have a new podcast name! This fits the agenda on future episodes.

#PodcastIsBack #BackOnTheMic #PodcastLife

What glues together the true NZ bogan identity? Spoiler alert: it’s more than flannel shirts and burnt rubber—it’s an unwavering dedication to heavy metal music (and maybe a few suspiciously loud Friday nights). In this episode, Dr. Matt Crawford unpacks why the NZ bogan identity is about family, belonging, and cranking up heavy metal music until the neighbours beg for mercy.

We explore how owning your NZ bogan identity is a power move, and how heavy metal music isn’t just a soundtrack, but a lifeline. Are the stereotypes true? Is the NZ bogan identity misunderstood? And can heavy metal music really improve your mood—or just your driving record?

If you’re proudly sporting your NZ bogan identity (bonus points if you know all the lyrics to classic heavy metal music anthems), this episode is your backstage pass. And if you’ve ever felt judged for your love of heavy metal music, you’ll find out why that’s something to wear as a medal of honour.

Plug in, turn up the heavy metal music, and celebrate your NZ bogan identity—louder, prouder, and with more guitar riffs than ever before.

🎙️ BOGANS, BIAS & BLACK SABBATH | Dr. Matt Crawford on Mental Health, Stereotypes & Why Bogan Identity Matters

We’re in New Zealand—home of sheep, world-class rugby, epic landscapes… and the bogan. Yeah, the bogan. You’ve heard the word. Maybe you’ve lived it. But what does it really mean?

In this episode, we chat with Dr. Matt Crawford, senior psych lecturer and metalhead, about how bogan identity is more than just mullets and burnouts. It’s a symbol of belonging, rebellion, and mental resilience.

🧠 We unpack:

• Why heavy metal is more than noise—it's therapy

• How bogan identity shapes self-worth and community

• The psychology behind stereotypes, labels, and group belonging

• Why the brain craves categories—and how it sometimes gets it very wrong

• How owning your label can change your mental health for the better

Crawford breaks it down: identity isn't just about who you are. It’s who you belong to. Whether you’re cranking Sabbath, revving a V8, or just trying to make sense of yourself in a judgmental world—this one’s for you.

🤘 This episode hits hard for anyone into New Zealand heavy metal, blue-collar culture, or questioning the boxes we’re all shoved into.

Five mentions? You got it:
Bogan identity, bogan identity, bogan identity, nz bogans, bogan identity.

What do you get when you cross a Pantera fan, a battle vest, and a therapy room?
You get Richard — the most unexpected New Zealand therapist you’ll ever meet.

Forget soft piano music and polite nodding. This New Zealand therapist walks in with a beanie, band patches, and a full bogan grin. He’s not your usual counsellor. He’s a metal head counsellor, and proud of it.

Richard’s not just smashing stigma—he’s moshing through it. In this episode, the metal head counsellor shows us that sometimes the best way to talk about your feelings… is to scream them with a pirate metal band.
(Yeah, that actually happens.)

This isn’t your mum’s mindfulness podcast. This is full-blown bogan New Zealand wisdom with a headbang and a heart.

We dive into what it’s really like to be a New Zealand therapist in a world that still expects ties and clean-shaven faces. Spoiler: Richard brings neither. But he does bring empathy, humour, and the kind of honesty that hits harder than a double kick pedal.

Whether you’ve ever doubted therapy, or you just want to hear a bogan New Zealand legend talk about stage-diving mid-set (true story), you’ll want to watch this one.

Because behind the metal head counsellor persona is someone who really listens—and doesn’t judge you for your taste in music (unless it’s smooth jazz).

So if you’ve ever felt like a weirdo, an outsider, or just a full-blown member of the bogan New Zealand community trying to get through the day—this is for you.

🖤 Like, comment your most bogan moment, and subscribe for more real-as yarns from Aotearoa’s loudest legends.

Watch the full video here:

https://youtu.be/haqi7JiUQGw

Ever met a therapist who listens to Pantera, rocks a battle vest, and casually drops mental health wisdom between metal gigs?

Meet Richard — a full-on New Zealand bogan, frontline mental health worker, and proud metalhead who’s smashing stereotypes louder than a double kick pedal. 🤘

In this episode, we talk bogan pride, brutal honesty, pirate metal therapy (yes, really), and what it’s like being the most unorthodox therapist in the country.

Richard doesn’t just talk about mental health — he lives it, growls through it, and helps others survive it with black humor and black t-shirts.

So if you’ve ever felt like the world doesn’t get you…
If you’ve ever been called “too much”…
Or if you just want to see what counseling looks like with a Slayer soundtrack—this one's for you.

🔔 Stick around for the wild gig stories, life advice, and emotional gut-punches you didn’t see coming. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll walk away feeling a little more understood.

You can watch the video version here:

https://youtu.be/jSTeV7dx0yQ

What even is a bogan? In this episode, we don’t just ask the question — we live through the answers. 🎧

Join us in the gritty, hilarious, and honest world of New Zealand’s heavy metal and bogan culture. Featuring Dave, Sam, Jolene, and Hamish, this isn’t about stereotypes — it’s about real people navigating music, labels, mental health, tattoos, and the power of self-expression.

Hamish thought he was just "bad at life" — turns out, he had ADHD. Jolene was told no one hires women in her industry — she made it anyway. Sam took a one-way ticket to a metal tour with no plan. Dave breaks down identity in a way your philosophy teacher never could.

🔥 From burnouts to breakdowns, from headbanging to heartbreak, these stories crank the volume on what it means to be 100% yourself.

🎧 Listen now to learn, laugh, and maybe even scream (just a little bit).

watch here:

https://youtu.be/ogLcTcGvNDc

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What is a bogan in NZ culture, heavy metal and identity podcast, ADHD and creativity stories, women in tattoo culture NZ, personal stories of identity, Kiwi bogan life, New Zealand subcultures podcast, music and mental health stories, being different in New Zealand

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NZ bogan culture, heavy metal stories, Hamish Blood podcast, ADHD in adults, tattoo industry NZ, women in subcultures, Kiwi music identity, cultural labels podcast, alternative lifestyle NZ, New Zealand podcasts

🎸 Ever met someone who wears steel-cap boots, loves loud music, and once did a suicide tequila shot (don’t try this at home, kids 😅)? Meet Hamish Blood — a proud New Zealand bogan with a big heart, wild stories, and ADHD superpowers! 🧠⚡

We talk about music, funny party fails, Māori pride, and what it really means to be yourself — even if that means waking up next to a gas station once or twice! ⛽🤣

Watch the video version here:

https://youtu.be/VNLjLSGyUqE?si=28Y8zAGpfgI7LqrT