In this episode, we sit down with Dave from Chicago’s Slow Mass to trace the band’s path from early DIY roots to becoming one of the city’s most quietly adventurous heavy bands. We talk about growing up in the Chicago scene, how projects like School of Rock shaped his relationship to music and community, and the long arc of Slow Mass finding its own voice—balancing melody, noise, and emotional weight in a way that feels both intimate and expansive.

Dave also gets into the idea of “reclaiming sleep music,” using atmosphere and dynamics not just for aggression but for comfort, reflection, and late-night listening, and how that mindset has influenced the band’s writing and recording. Along the way, we dive into some great scene history, including the story of booking Ethel Cain’s very first show and what it was like to witness an artist at the very beginning of what would become something massive.

Slow Mass, formed in Chicago in the mid-2010s, have built a reputation through a run of releases that blur the lines between post-hardcore, noise rock, and melodic indie, anchored by deeply personal songwriting and a strong sense of place. This conversation is about the band’s history, Dave’s own journey through music, and how community, patience, and evolution have shaped everything they’ve made.

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This week we kick off a new annual tradition with The Best of the Rest, joined by Riley Breckenridge (Thrice, Less Art). Riley drops by to talk through the records that just barely missed our Top 10 cut this year—the heartbreakers, the growers, and the albums that lived in heavy rotation even if they didn’t make the final list. Along the way we touch on his life in and out of bands, how his listening habits have evolved, and what makes certain records linger long after the year ends. Consider this the start of a yearly ritual: rounding out the list, giving the near-misses their flowers, and closing the book on another year in music.

Best Of The Rest

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This week we’re joined by Will Anderson, songwriter, guitarist, and driving force behind Hotline TNT. Will traces his path from the Midwest DIY circuit to building one of the most emotionally direct guitar bands of the last decade, including a surreal early moment where a young Justin Vernon was his camp counselor—long before Bon Iver became a household name. We talk about creative whiplash: jumping from obscurity to wider attention, from solo control to full-band collaboration, and how that shift reshaped his relationship to music. Will also reflects on how songs risk becoming cultural wallpaper in the streaming era—and why loud guitars, intention, and community still matter.

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On this episode, we’re joined by Mercedes Arn-Horn of Softcult for a wide-ranging, laid-back conversation ahead of the band’s new record arriving this January. We talk about finding a creative “zen” state in writing and production, the importance of ownership—of songs, ideas, and identity—and why subtlety can often be more powerful than being loud or explicit. Mercedes reflects on building something sustainable and intentional, navigating art with purpose, and how Softcult continues to evolve without losing its core.

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This mailbag episode pulls back the curtain on the podcast, reflecting on the most-listened-to conversations of the year—featuring Brenden Murphy, Dwid & Aaron Melnick, George (Blacklisted / Staticlone), Brian from Incendiary, and Josh James (STYG). We also spotlight “new” bands shaping the present and future with guests from End It, Home Front, Restraining Order, and Saturdays At Your Place. Listener questions drive the rest: day jobs outside the mic, whether episodes ever get scrapped, how guests are chosen, why the show spans so many genres, and the hard-earned lessons learned along the way—including the interviews that changed how these conversations are approached altogether.

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On this episode, we break down our favorite records of 2025 with two trusted voices in punk and hardcore: Jeremy Bolm (singer of Touché Amoré, founder of Secret Voice) and Joey Cahill (Wanna Hear It Records). We talk standout releases, unexpected favorites, and what made this year hit harder than most. It’s a wide-ranging, opinionated conversation about the music that defined 2025 for us.

Best Of 2025 Playlists

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On this episode, we talk with The Unraveling co-authors Karl Buechner and Jeremy Mueller. Karl, best known as the voice of Earth Crisis, brings decades of perspective from a life deeply rooted in hardcore, while Jeremy offers the complementary lens that helped shape the book’s broader narrative.

Together they dig into what it means to be taken seriously—both as writers and as people coming from subcultures that outsiders don’t always understand. They break down the unique challenge of writing a book with three authors: how to balance tone, divvy up responsibilities, and merge individual viewpoints into one cohesive story.

Karl and Jeremy also explore the parallels between assembling a book and building a band: finding the chemistry, negotiating differences, and letting the collective vision rise above any single contributor.

A candid, thoughtful conversation about collaboration, identity, and the creative process behind The Unraveling.

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This week on the show, we sit down with Graeme McKinnon, vocalist, songwriter, and driving force behind Canadian post-punk powerhouse Home Front. Before blending icy synths with punk grit, Graeme cut his teeth in the world of hardcore—shaped early on by the tough, street-level bite of Blitz and the chaotic, uniquely Canadian spirit of SNFU. Those bands didn’t just influence his taste; they rewired the way he understood energy, melody, and attitude.

Graeme talks about coming up through Edmonton’s underground, including the kinds of shows that make you who you are—like the time he ended up performing in what could generously be described as a “crack den,” a night that somehow captured the danger, charm, and resilience of DIY culture all at once.

We dive into how those experiences pushed him to embrace new sounds and new creative risks, leading to the sharp, dance-floor-ready tension that defines Home Front today. From punk basements to synth-soaked anthems, Graeme traces the winding path that brought him here—and how staying open to new things has kept the fire burning after all these years.

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