Washed Up Emo

Wow, we made it to 150 episodes. Crazy to think about all the folks that have come on to share their story with you and I. To that, a big part of this is agreeing to be open and talk about their music. American Football gets the gold star.  Before the reunions, in January 2014, Mike was on the podcast for the first time chatting about his career.  For LP2, I had everyone in American Football individually to discuss reuniting and what it was like to write together again. So for LP3 I wanted to do something different… This time, I got Mike and Nate together in a room in NYC to discuss every single song in detail on LP3. We go from beginning to end on the writing process, the disagreements, sequencing, and why they made certain decisions for every song.  Mike also recommends some bands I’ve never heard before and Nate reads an email he sent to the band passionately discussing why he feels his track listing order is the way it should go.    Washed Up Emo is a partner of the Double Elvis podcast network. Learn mo

David Bazan has always been on my list to be on the podcast, it just took almost 8 years. I always sorta thought he’d want nothing to do with me or the podcast. As with this stuff, I got over it and just asked. It worked and fittingly, David has also resurrected Pedro the Lion, with the first album under that name in 15 years. The album “Phoenix” out on Polyvinyl Records, is an amazing return. David and I speak about his religious upbringing, lots of Fugazi and we talk a lot about what music does to us when we close our eyes. Specifically that journey that music takes us on and what story you end up telling in the end. I think you’ll enjoy and I was nervous for a lot of this. I don’t know why, just meant a lot I guess.    Washed Up Emo is a partner of the Double Elvis podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we welcome Matt Traxler, guitarist from Brandtson. The band, out of Cleveland was on Deep Elm and The Militia Group back in the day and they recently reissued some lost demos through Matt’s label Steadfast Records. Super fun talking to Matt and a band that if you didn’t realize was around then or now, it’s worth going back and listening to their records.    Washed Up Emo is a partner of the Double Elvis podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I first heard Starmarket on the 3rd Emo Diaries compilation in 1999 and soon after they released their third album “Four Hours Light.” I was instantly blown away with the post-hardcore sound and the next level indie rock/emo sensibility. I never met these guys back in the day and with some reunion shows recently in Japan and their home country of Sweden, I slide into the DMs on Instagram to see if they’d be up to chatting about their band. Fredrik, the lead singer and guitar player, was more than happy to chat.    Washed Up Emo is a partner of the Double Elvis podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we welcome Steve Schiltz from Longwave. Steve is also an accomplished music producer and composer for film, TV and advertising. If you’re wondering why Steve is on. I have three reasons. First, when I moved to NYC, the Brooklyn thing was about to blow up and I was working at a label nearby a lot of these venues in the city where bands like the Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and others cut their teeth. Longwave were active around the same time as well and I loved them. Second, I was and still am, obsessed with shoe gaze. The similarities to the long droning emo songs that I also can’t stop emulating is directly related to my love of shoe gaze. I’d happily quit my job and join a shoe gaze band tomorrow. Hit me up. Third, I find out a half hour in that a past band Steve was in, Scout, toured with Sunny Day Real Estate! He waited 30 minutes to tell me that. Steve has a very funny story about Jeremy Enigk you’ll want to listen for. To be honest, this one is sorta for me. Over the years, Steve and I have crossed pa

We’re back and stoked to have episode 145 of the podcast with Hutch Harris, most widely know from the band, The Thermals. Hutch and I have been conversing back and forth on Twitter for years. I’d always loved his take on music, especially the punk and hardcore references. As a fan of his band, The Thermals, I was bummed when not long ago they called it quits. In addition to Hutch being a songwriter, I had also enjoyed his writing he’s done with various outlets, especially a recent piece on Pete Shelley from the Buzzcocks. On top of all that, he recently released a solo album entitled “Only Water” that’s absolutely beautiful! So the stars aligned and we caught up late last year to talk music.    Washed Up Emo is a partner of the Double Elvis podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today welcome Erik Ratensperger from the legendary screamo band Jeromes Dream. Jeromes Dream were around for a very short time from 1997 to 2001 born out of the Connecticut hardcore scene. They had a unique way of playing by way of the singer Jeff Smith refusing to use a microphone for shows. Also, the band was known for playing very short sets, usually no longer than 10 minutes. Pretty unique. These guys are right along side Pg.99, Orchid, Saetia in the early screamo era. If you’re unaware, it’s well worth a dive into their career. Head on over to their site jeromesdreamforever.com and you can learn more about them and be ready for new music next year.   Washed Up Emo is a partner of the Double Elvis podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lauren and I connected a few years ago and I found out she listened to the podcast! The stars aligned and we finally caught up recently to chat.  Lauren is a massive emo fan and we chat deeply about her early days playing drums in bands around Glasgow, Scotland that helped shape who she is today. She was in a couple killer bands before this including Boyfriend/Girlfriend and Blue Sky Archives. Both are mathy, epic and remind me of the mid 90s. Find those on Bandcamp. You should also know the other two members in CHVRCHES, Martin and Iain, were in a great post rock band called Aerogramme. Their first release, A Story in White, is epic and worth a listen.   Washed Up Emo is a partner of the Double Elvis podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you aren’t aware, Anthony’s YouTube channel, The Needle Drop, is insanely popular and influential for reviewing music. How he ended up with this title of Internet’s busiest music nerd, is quite a story. Recently, Anthony and I connected over the phone to discuss how he got into doing this for a living and what he enjoys most out of reviewing music. Don’t worry, we got nerdy on some real screamo too.    Washed Up Emo is a partner of the Double Elvis podcast network.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we welcome Justin Courtney Pierre, who you may know from Motion City Soundtrack, Farewell Continental or The Rapture Twins.  He recently released his first solo album entitled “In The Drink” that we discuss extensively in this episode and what it took to make it happen. We also chat about his upbringing with friends and family that helped him get into music, his years in speech therapy and the label of pop punk and emo with the band. Plus we talk about his struggles with dependence on drugs and alcohol and what he feels like looking back at those years. Finally, there is a cameo from his daughter that is absolutely hilarious that you don’t want to miss.    Washed Up Emo is a partner of the Double Elvis podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we welcome Ian King, author of Appetite for Definition: The A to Z Guide to Rock Genres.  This book contains 100s of genres explained and as we will discuss, there’s a way to jump around and learn about other genres by way of like minded artist, genres that connect and specific songs. I had the honor of being interviewed for the book and you can guess which genres I was a part of. We talk a lot about genres in general, his take on emo, upbringing in Seattle, finding out about punk and his amazing homemade emo shirt he was wearing during the interview.    Washed Up Emo is a partner of the Double Elvis podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The band is celebrating 20 years of The Moon My Saddle with a few select shows and it was time to get David on. This podcast episode is a lot about redemption and letting things go as times pass. One of those is an amazing quote on The Moon My Saddle when it first came out in Alternative Press. It says “David Moore on this record makes Huey Lewis sound like the king of the Delta Blues.” Then, 10 years later, Alternative Press does a big feature/interview on the band. Some things are ahead of their time. David’s father drove his motorcycle across the United States to Los Angeles, California to try and make it as an actor. It never materialized and he came back to Indiana to raise his family. David also made that same decision after Chamberlain broke up, deciding to hang up the music and stop chasing the dream and get on with his life. It wasn’t entirely that simple as you’ll hear. We talk about David’s approach to music, the initial response to “The Moon My Saddle,” the band’s downfall and what David did after

Today we welcome Eric Melin from Ultimate Fakebook. Ultimate Fakebook are from Kansas and were on the amazing independent label, Initial Records. They toured with bands from the era including The Get Up Kids, At the Drive In and Motion City Soundtrack. Eric also was in a couple bands before that called Truck Stop Love and The Dead Girls. He’s also a film critic alongside his day job doing marketing/social media and he’s also a world champion in air guitar, which we start talking about as the podcast starts up.    Washed Up Emo is a partner of the Double Elvis podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we welcome Dave Brown. Dave helped start a zine called Muddle, co-founded Better Looking Records, did some marketing and PR under the name Holiday Matinee for your favorite bands and now lives in Seattle and works with Microsoft. Not a bad ride and for someone that was there in the moment and took advantage of what was around him. A truly great chat with someone deeply connected to the inner workings of the scene.    Washed Up Emo is a partner of the Double Elvis podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we welcome Ryan Grisham from Mock Orange! They’re back in the news a bit as they recently announced a 20th-anniversary tour for their very much loved “Nines and Sixes” album. Ryan and I talked about the band’s changes, their high profile producers they’ve worked with, how they were a midwest band but never really toured in the Midwest and their life in Japan that kept them going. Mock Orange should be your favorite band, I hope it is after this episode. Finally, we’ve named the episode The Unknown Blur. You’ll figure it out by the end. It’s pretty beautiful.    Washed Up Emo is a partner of the Double Elvis podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we welcome Chris Popadak from Hawthorne Heights. Chris has been drumming with the band as a touring and session member since 2014 and joined fully last year. We connected because we’ve definitely used Hawthorne Heights as an example of when emo goes wrong and Chris wanted to set the story straight…. When we spoke over email he mentioned that he was into a bunch of the older stuff, the band knew they weren’t emo and to let me know they are still a band! Plus they haven’t stopped being a band, releasing a bunch of music independently, since the emo boom in the mid-00s. Their latest is on Pure Noise Records. Chris or “Poppy” as many call him that know him well, was a great guest and spoke honestly about being a musician with a band with one big song and how far that can take you and what doors it can open. He’s living the dream. Coincidentally, he is from Ohio.   Washed Up Emo is a partner of the Double Elvis podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we welcome Nathan Hardy from the band Microwave. Microwave just finished up a little run with Jimmy Eat World and The Hotelier and it was high time to get Nathan to chat. We talk a lot about being labeled emo, his struggle and acceptance of growing out of the mormon church, being homeless for a time and feeling like a big kid when everyone else moves on and “grows up.” I remind him that Microwave is a horrible band name for SEO and Nathan searches his band name on Google for the first time. He also goes in depth on what the next album will be about. The DIY spirit is alive and well with Nathan and Microwave. If you aren’t familiar, check em out then dive into this interview.   Washed Up Emo is a partner of the Double Elvis podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we welcome Tony Weinbender from Fest! Tony has curated an amazing festival in Florida started in 2002 with 60 bands has grown into the premiere independent festival with this year having 400+ bands performing across 3 days this fall. It’s simple, make something awesome and stick at it, people will support. Tony like myself started in college radio and booked bands at MacRock, the festival put on by WXJM at James Madison University. He then went on to work at No Idea Records in Florida and toured with bands like Less Than Jake. Fest 17 is this October and if you want to be a part of a community and a festival that keeps its DIY roots, Fest is it. Tony was amazing to spend time talking about his life and what’s next for the festival. If you want to support the podcast, head over to patreon.com/washedupemo and if you do, I’ll be able to make more of these!   Washed Up Emo is a partner of the Double Elvis podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we welcome Anthony Green from Circa Survive, Saosin and the Sound of Animals Fighting. My history with Anthony goes back to the early days of Circa Survive and working alongside him at Equal Vision Records for the Juturna and On Letting Go album releases. As the years passed, we stayed in touch and would see each other as you do when a band rolls through town. Anthony was always super into what I was doing with Washed Up Emo and check in when I’d post something about The Promise Ring or Braid. Anthony came along at an amazing time for punk rock and rode the wave with Circa Survive to heights not afforded many and still can play anywhere in the world for his solo material or with Circa Survive. In the hour we chatted, we got to catch up in thoughts on emo, sneaking up on stage to ask Thursday, who he didn’t know, about joining a certain band. Plus, how I forced Circa Survive to do a Fuse TV event for a girl that really just wanted Panic! at the Disco and where he is now and what he would have said to him

Today we welcome back Matt Pryor from The Get Up Kids. Matt and the boys have a new EP, Kicker, on Polyvinyl Records, out this week and it was time to get Matt back on to chat. We discuss how The Get Up Kids have stayed together all these years, their knack for writing EPs, I get caught saying I liked Jim’s songs better and you’ll hear why I owe Matt $25 for doing the podcast. Finally, we hear about more recordings happening and what that means about a full album.    Washed Up Emo is a partner of the Double Elvis podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices