NostalgicEmoDads

Hot off their incredible anniversary show for the album "Fluorescent Youth," we speak with Conditions drummer Ryan Tinsley about a whole gamut of things: the pipeline of Creed and Dave Matthews Band to Coheed and Alexisonfire; learning to hit drums really hard; getting recruited into Conditions from a VHS recording of a high school performance; pulling off the anniversary show; and of course, being a dad!

Ryan is such a cool dude! Go listen to Conditions!

@conditionsband

We're also on instagram! @NostalgicEmoDads

It's that time of year again! The end of the year usually brings around "Best Of" lists, and it's no different for us here at the NED. This year we are joined by our friend Anthony DelPlato of Everything In Waves to recount our favorite releases of 2025: singles , EPs, and albums! (go listen to his music! and his conversation with us from earlier this year!)

We also share some records from 2024 that didn't end up on our lists from last year but made an impact on us this year. This records deserve some love too.

What were some of your favorite releases from 2025??!

Happy New Year!

See You Next Year! lolololz

.

We're on instagram! @NostalgicEmoDads

Let's Go!!!! Our first full-band conversation is here, and it's with the one and only Plead The Widow's Cause.

This band has been one of Derek and Jake's favorite "newer" bands over the past couple of years, having gotten to see them a couple times at some tiny local hardcore shows in Richmond. We talk about how they have kind of taken the spirit-filled post-hardcore scene by storm, how they write songs, the crossover between emo and Christian music, their DIY approach, and, of course, Pokemon.

Their latest album "Silver Glass Stare" is incredible, so go listen to it, buy it from them through Bandcamp, and/or get the limited edition emerald vinyl over at Resuscitation Records!

Here are some of their links!

Bandcamp

Vinyl

Socials: @pleadthewidowscause

We are also on instagram if you desire to get in touch! @NostalgicEmoDads

Growing up in the Richmond music scene, we adored Conditions. They were such a special band, with special dudes, who really shared their heart and love for the city.

So when I heard of the through-line that connected Conditions' guitarist Alex Howard to playing with country star Jelly Roll, I absolutely had to ask him to walk us through the story!

Alex talks his of his upbringing in a musical family, starting on bass in school band before Blink-182 made him want to learn guitar, playing in his first band Motion Picture Demise, the formation of Conditions, joining Sleeping With Sirens, touring the world, and encountering a yet-unknown Jelly Roll in Nashville (under somewhat suspicious circumstances) to now playing bass in his band. And more!

What a ride, and we're so happy for him and all he's gotten to experience! We can't wait to see Conditions in Richmond for their Fluorescent Youth anniversary show. Go listen to their latest single "Belong Forever" wherever you consume your music.

Follow Alex and Conditions on socials:

@alexmarkhoward

@conditionsband

We're also on instagram if you feel so inclined!

@NostalgicEmoDads

What a cool story this one is! Adam Brazie sang and played guitar in Ever We Fall, a darling indie/emo band on Hopeless Records. They only released one full-length (We Are But Human), but it's a must listen!

We talked to Adam about his finding the scene, learning guitar and out-of-tune pianos, getting signed to Rise Records while still in high school - that's right, Ever We Fall is a Rise band! - then transitioning to Hopeless Records and touring the country, being featured on the TMNT soundtrack, and more, all before he turned 20.

The ride was short lived but left a lasting impact on listeners. Let us know your favorite Ever We Fall song!

We are on Instagram as well, feel free to hit us up on there and/or give us a follow. @NostalgicEmoDads

This conversation was an absolute blast! Nick is such a kind dude with a wonderful perspective on the history of his band Vanna. We talk about how he was the lead vocalist on their debut EP, how much fun it is to riff, how similar our stories are, art school, favorite Vanna songs, being a fan of music, his work as a tattoo artist, and so much else!

Thank you Nick for the great convo! He and the rest of Vanna will be on tour in December for a few dates, go check them out!

Follow on socials!

@nickadamtattoo

@vannaband

@sacredsuntattoo

We're also on instagram! @NostalgicEmoDads

We've got another wild episode for you this week!

Bobby Faithful is a sort of mythical human in the realm of 2000s emo/post-hardcore, especially regarding Bet On Black, "the supergroup that never was" (his words). There have been so many ties that lead back to Bobby and this band, including multiple grammy winning producers, amazing emo bands, and even a super successful emo cover band (Throwing Back Sunday).

We talk about growing up in the hardcore scene in the DC/DMV/NOVA area, finding community as a person of color, meeting Andrew Goldstein in a technology class, and a bunch more.

Lately Bobby has been crushing through some really intense health issues (as you will hear throughout our conversation), but what's amazing is how he is using it to his advantage in crafting music. Truly inspiring stuff!

Follow him on socials for updates about his new band Dead Youth Club and his health related updates! @bobbyfaithful

We are also on instagram! @NostalgicEmoDads

Our guest this week is Mr. Stevie Benz! His story is super entertaining and a bit of a rollercoaster ride through the 2000s, participating in many bands that were really good but never got the pop-off or blow-up they probably deserved.

We talk a lot about guitars, home recording, touring, how amazing all the bands he played in are, and what he's up to now! Hint: it's music mastering. Hit him up at https://www.steviebenz.com/

.

** This was our very first episode recorded through Microsoft Teams, so Derek had a little but of audio trouble with his mic (forgive him!) but Stevie sounds great! **

We're also on Instagram! @NostalgicEmoDads

OH YEAH! We got Jake back! (At least for this episode).

Derek and Jake play the classic game Would You Rather, but with a little nostalgic emo twist. Join us! Play along! Let us know your answers!

@NostalgicEmoDads on instagram.

For our first ever live AND in-person episode, Andrew and Derek sat on the floor and discussed their dream shows while on Instagram Live.

There were two rules: one lineup must be of only ACTIVE bands, the other lineup could include disbanded bands or a mix of both. For each show we picked 5 bands. We also decided on some other fun details for our shows as they went along.

Do ya think we had any overlaps?! Tune in to find out!

Also, we're on Instagram. Sometimes we go live. @NostalgicEmoDads