The Creator-Destructor Podcast: Recent Episodes
Creator-Destructor
Devan and Cole of Southern California's SCALP sit down with me for an hour to discuss their incredible debut LP "Domestic Extremity", their writing process, inspirations for the band, plans for the future, and so much more. Get into it!
Part two of Ben & Steve's "Top 5" discussion has arrived! We covered our personal top five hip hop records in the last episode, but this time we go deep on our favorite heavy metal albums of all time. Comment and let us know what you think of our choices!
The podcast is back for a slightly different kind of episode! My long-time friend and bandmate Steve Hoffman (Light This City / Viral) joins me to discuss our Top 5 Hip-Hop Albums of all time! As two headbangers who also have a deep love for hip-hop, this was a super fun conversation, and we go deep!. Enjoy our picks!
Episode 43 has arrived! Philadelphia's own REEF THE LOST CAUZE sits down with me for an hour to talk about his 20 year-long illustrious career in hip-hop, his evolution and growth as an artist, his time in the hip-hop supergroup ARMY OF THE PHAROAHS & the change in the group's sound over the years. Reef explains how he stays motivated and inspired this deep into his career, the progression of his voice and sound on his own albums throughout the years, the insane experience of touring Europe, playing enormous festivals and small basement/bar shows, and finally defines what "success" as an artist, in his own terms.
Episode 42! I got to sit down with the legendary KILLAH PRIEST in his downtown LA apartment to talk about his historic career in hip-hop, starting with appearing on Gravediggaz’ “6 Feet Deep”, and contributing to Ol Dirty Bastard’s “Return to the 36 Chambers” and GZA’s “Liquid Swords” in the mid 90’s. We discuss his feelings on his time with SUNZ OF MAN, his classic debut “Heavy Mental” in 1998, the insanely impressive 40-track “Psychic World of Walter Reed” from 2013, and everything in between, all the way up to this year’s incredible “Rocket to Nebula” LP. We talk about what it’s like touring with Wu-Tang, Ghostface, & GZA, how they decide setlists, what a day on the road is like, and lots more. Hit the link on our profile to watch/listen on YouTube!
Damian Herring, vocalist/guitarist of death metal warriors HORRENDOUS sits down with me to talk about how the band started, how touring and releasing numerous albums have evolved the band's sound and direction, their style of writing/recording, and all that he does as a producer/engineer for Subterranean Watchtower Studios.
Eligio Tapia and Cameron Stucky of the amazing bay area symphonic melodic death metal band CREPUSCLE sit down with me for an hour to talk all things metal, how the band started, the release of "Heavenly Skies", the band's next moves and much more!
Van Labrakis (vocals/guitar) and Pat Crawford (drums) of San Francisco's NITE join me for an hour to talk about their incredible debut LP, "Darkness Silence Mirror Flame", how they came together as a band, plans for their next record, and MUCH more.
EJ Johangten, co-owner of PROSTHETIC RECORDS sits down with me to talk about the ins and outs of running a heavy metal label, how the times have changed in the last 20 years with artists/touring, and much more.
Josef Alfonso and Mike Durt from the almighty SUNAMI sit down with me to talk all things hardcore and their special brand of beatdown.
Taylor Young (producer/engineer) from The Pit Recording Studios and Twitching Tongues/Zous/Nails sits down to talk all things recording, touring, and longevity in hardcore.
The almighty Chris Cresswell from The Flatliners sits down with me to talk Covid's impact on musicians, the evolution of the band's sound, and much more!
Liz Rose joins the podcast for an hour of sound-talk! She discusses what her life is like as female sound engineer for punk/hardcore shows & tours, and what her job entails behind the scenes. Get into it!
We’re back after a few months with another banger episode! This time I sit down in the apartment with the fellow-Oakland homie Scotty Tankcrimes - If you don’t know who Scotty is, he’s been plugging away putting out releases on his punk/metal label TANKCRIMES, including artists such as Necrot, Ghoul, Cannabis Corpse, Dystopia, and more. Scotty is like a sponge that has absorbed a shit-ton of music industry knowledge and wisdom, and it was a real treat to sit down and learn a bit from the master himself. I’ve always admired Scotty's willingness to have an open discussion on his platforms about the pros/cons of the ways in which bands and labels operate these days. This was a super interesting conversation, mostly because Scotty is a gem! If you are interested in listening to two Oakland-based heavy metal label guys talk shop for a few hours, please join us.
Episode 31 has arrived after a few months of being relatively quiet on the podcast front, but have no fear, we're kicking back into gear full force in 2019! This was an awesome talk - I went down to San Jose, CA to Cole from GULCH’s printshop, Printhead, and sat down with him and Elliot for an hour to talk about all things GULCH. We talk about work ethic, how Cole feels about being a new father, the differences in sound between Spinebreaker and Gulch, why the San Jose/Santa Cruz hardcore scenes are so strong, how the band started, how they write their songs, their no-shirt aesthetic, and so much more. Tune in and drop out!
We’re back with Episode 30 of the podcast - this time with the righteous Will Levy of THE STORY SO FAR! Will is a super chill guy and fellow Bay Area homie, and we sometimes meet up for coffee in Oakland to shoot the shit. We did that a few weeks ago and thought “Fuck it, let’s go do this on a podcast” - I’m glad we did, because it was a ton of fun, and we discuss lots of topics: getting angry, isolation tanks and cryotherapy, Steely Dan and how they polarize people, living in Berkeley, leaving Instagram and returning, whether our phones are listening to us, how small talk is awful, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Jim Carrey movies, flying and how much it sucks, vocal harmonies, the new TSSF record and their change in sound, Tom Delonge, the Smashing Pumpkins, Japan, camping, living in New Zealand, Will’s love for Taco Bell, and so much more. Sidenote: If you want to play a drinking game while listening, take a shot every time one of us says “that’s sick”. Tune in, folks!
Episode 29 is a banger! The long-time shredder Frank Costa of REALMS OF VISION joins me in the apartment to talk about his time in ANIMOSITY and ENTHEOS, the intensity of the highs and lows of touring in his earlier years, switching from being a guitar player to a vocalist/frontman, the disbanding of ANIMOSITY, sobriety and learning from past mistakes, hitting personal lows and growing from those experiences, discipline and getting up at 5:30am, working out and it’s benefits, turning away from addictions and towards healthy habits, getting control of your mind, harnessing positivity through new creative outlets, the creation of REALMS OF VISION and what the band means to Frank, and so much more. Frank is the epitome an inspiring and talented musician, and an incredibly strong, admirable human being who has prevailed through life’s darkness in such an impressive way. Join us, will ya?
We’re back with Episode 28 of the podcast, once again in conversation with the almighty Laura Nichol of LIGHT THIS CITY / HEARTSOUNDS- The 3rd time she’s been on! This time around we discuss all kinds of things: what podcasts Laura listens to, Bravo reality shows, comedy shows, Laura’s weekend alone and how she spent her time, hating humanity at the grocery store, car crashes, gross social media behavior, true crime TV shows, Borat & Bruno, the Freddie Mercury movie, Straight Outta’ Compton, West Coast vs. East Coast hip-hop, unfortunate hook-up stories, accents we love and hate, a certain venue in LA that absolutely sucks, Ozzy and Black Sabbath, our last meals of choice and foods we hate/love, weird trends in porn/porn habits, and finally, the latest happenings with Light This City and a recap our recent West Coast tour, Laura’s lyrics, how Laura got stranded on a jetski, and so much more! You don’t wanna miss this one! Listen at creator-destructor.com/podcast, iTunes, or all Podcast apps!
We’ve returned with an all new episode of the podcast, with none-other than Eric Mueller, the CEO and visionary behind Pirates Press Manufacturing and Pirates Press Records! I’ve known Eric for over half my life, starting all the way back in the 7th grade when I was making CDs for my first bands! Eric was already in the vinyl game back then, and has since created & grown Pirates Press into an absolute beast of a company that undeniably dominates the vinyl industry, and offers an amazing service to any artist looking to bring their music to life via wax. Eric has always been an inspirational figure in my life - someone with an intense amount of drive and vision, and the dedication and hard work to back it. It was a pleasure to sit down with him for an hour and talk about the current state of the music industry, what it takes for smaller bands to succeed, the benefits of unique physical packaging and concepts, and his own relationship with music! I had a blast, and hope you enjoy the episode!
Episode 26 has arrived- with none other than the almighty Mike Bingham of SPIRITUAL CRAMP! Mike has always been a super-genuine, talented, and interesting musician, performer, and human. It felt natural to sit down with him and talk about a number of things - germaphobia, OCD, getting sick on tour, growing up in a small town like Santa Rosa and moving to San Francisco, the desire for constant stimulation, anxiety in social situations, touring with American Nightmare, riding Mopeds and breaking your ribs, making a Bay Area band work with it’s financial burdens, being a freak and working on not caring, feeling like a fraud, depression, therapy, self-care, and much more!
Episode 25 has arrived, with my good buddy Tim Decker of Altbrau! In a nutshell, Tim is a beer person. He loves beer. He dreams about beer and all it’s complexities. Maybe that’s me projecting, but the man sure is passionate about the ale. He’s worked for years in the beer industry (as a sales rep for Lagunitas, and currently working for a Cider company), and we discuss trends within the adult beverage industry, the oversaturation of beer gardens and breweries in the Bay Area and elsewhere, weed possibly affecting the sales of alcohol, the complications of starting your own brewery, constant doubt in entrepreneurial endeavors, depression and the effects of depressive thinking on goals and dreams, insomnia, and all kinds of gnarly shit! Whoa. I’m sure that sounds like a lot, but it’s a good time! Enjoy the episode, people!
Episode 24 has arrived, and it’s a gore-soaked death metal-fueled good-time with Ria Wallace of CARTILAGE, and Mike Flory of LOGISTIC SLAUGHTER! They also happen to be an adorable heavy metal couple who are super-shredder guitar players, and are some of the nicest people I’ve had the pleasure to sit down with! We sat down for an hour or so and had a really fun conversation about extreme metal (obviously), their brutally sick bands, the ‘heavy metal banter’ voice in between songs, touring, horror movies, Tony Hawk Pro Skater, “Voyeur” (the Documentary), Darkest Hour, non-metal influences in songwriting, and so much more – So join us, won’t ya? If you are a fan of insanely crushing extreme death metal, go check out both of their bands too, as they most definitely deserve your ears’ attention! Enjoy it!
Episode 22 has landed, with none other than the San Jose Sweethearts in POINT OF VIEW! Creator-Destructor Records signed the band in 2012 upon hearing their fantastic “Burner” EP (which we re-released in 2013 os a 12” One-Sided EP), and most recently released the band’s “Vultures” EP earlier this year! These guys are seriously one of the best punk bands in the Bay Area, and "Vultures" does not disappoint. It was long overdue, but I finally got the chance to sit down with Curtis Wallace and Michael Bragg for an hour to talk about the latest with the band, thoughts on NOFX, smoking cigarettes, Curtis’ sexy smoky voice, vegetarianism, dogs, drinking, quitting the booze, Amsterdam, and more fascinating topics! Sidenote: We recorded this episode before I left for a month of touring with Heartsounds, so a few comments are a bit dated, as you’ll see… Regardless, I had a blast catching up with these two righteous dudes - Enjoy the episode!
Episode 21 was a long time comin', and god-DAMN am I glad we made it happen! The legend Nuno Pereira of the almighty A WILHELM SCREAM joins 'The Creator-Destructor Podcast' for an hour of silly, ridiculous (but also real) conversation about Dunkin' Donuts, Fatherhood, Constipation, Propagandhi, Crying as an Adult Man, New Bedford, Weight Loss, the present and future of A Wilhelm Scream, fan's expectations, working life, and soooo much more! We setup in his backyard (with my new super-sick pro mics and mixer), so it sounds better than ever! Laura and I first met Trevor and Nuno from AWS in 2005 when they were touring through California with STRUNG OUT- This was when we were touring in LIGHT THIS CITY, but we were Wilhelm super-fans (and still are, obviously). I still remember hearing "Mute Print" for the first time and absolutely losing my mind. After Heartsounds formed, we were fortunate enough to befriend these Massachussetts sweethearts and tour with them more than once- What a weird life, huh? It was such a blast to sit-down with Nuno for some quality time, one-on-one conversation. Enjoy Episode 21 with the most powerful voice in Punk! Get into it, folks.
Episode 18 has arrived, with none other than the almighty Chris Brock from EARLY GRAVES! Chris is the band's cofounder, guitarist, & songwriter, and we've been friends for about half our lives at this point - We both grew up in the Bay Area playing in metal bands, and although we touch on that, this two-hour conversation deals with a lot more than just metal! We discuss mental illness in a way that I haven't really gotten into before on the podcast, which was interesting to say the least! We also discuss the current political climate and it's absurdity, and a ton of other fun & lighter topics like the worst punishers we can recall, Slayer, Twin Peaks, and all SORTS of madness. Above everything though, Chris is a total shredder, and I've had all the respect in the world for him throughout the years we've been making music, both separately and now together in Early Graves. So get into it, people! This is definitely one of my favorite episodes so far...
Episode 16 is a god-damn banger! I was fortunate enough to get the hilarious and righteous Alex Herrera & Elliot Morrow of the almighty SPINEBREAKER on the podcast, and we spent 2 hours shootin’ the shit about death metal, hardcore, boxing, punishers, and ALL sorts of fascinating topics - I was first made aware of SPINEBREAKER a few years ago when I heard their debut full-length “Ice Grave” and instantly fell in love. I knew I had to do everything in my power to release that beast, and luckily it ended up working out! Even better, I got to know these guys and quickly realized they are the real deal. Legitimately great dudes, and their sound is so crushing, a perfect hybrid of death metal/hardcore crossover, with a touch of disgusting - One of my favorite combinations, and they do it amazingly. So do yourself a favor and check this episode out! If you enjoy yourself, spread that good word, will ya? Fuck yeah.
The amazing Zack Ohren joins the ‘The Creator-Destructor Podcast’ for Episode #15! If you don’t know who Zack is, he’s an incredibly skilled & renowned producer/recording engineer who has worked with the likes of Machine Head, All Shall Perish, Decrepit Birth, Animosity, Light This City, Heartsounds, and literally hundreds more. Zack’s been a dominating force in the Bay Area music scene for well over a decade now, lending his hand towards numerous metal/hardcore/punk records that have made it onto Billboard charts, or broken through to the mainstream. Zack and I first worked together in 2002 on Light This City’s debut album, and we’ve remained friends since, having collaborated on numerous other records over the years. I consider him one of the funniest and most interesting characters out there, as he’s definitely a master when it comes to his craft. While we talk a lot about the current trends in recording throughout this episode, we also get into some random topics like the latest Metallica album, bands drastically changing sounds and alienating their fanbases, and a bunch of other silliness! Hope you enjoy it! Sidenote: this was recorded back in February, so a few things might sound dated, don't trip!
Happy Thursday, y’all! Episode 14 is here, and it was a goddamn blast! The almighty Scott Goodrich joined Ryan Hansen and I for two hours of fun times and conversation, and trust us when we tell you that we got down on all kinds of stupid shit! We talk a good deal about recording and how Scott’s brain works in those terms, but quickly go down a path of pretty much jumping from topic to topic, covering a wide range of nonsense that we hope you’ll enjoy! If you don’t know who Scott is, he is one of the most ruling producers/engineers out there right now - He recorded the upcoming Heartsounds & Wilderness Dream records (as well as Point of View’s “Vultures” EP), and plays in an awesome band called Daydream. Scott is most definitely one of my favorite people, no question. He lives down the street and we often meet up for coffee and talk shit. It’s one of my favorite things to do, so we decided it had to be done on the podcast, officially! So with that, enjoy Episode 14!
Holy shit, people! It's been a year, but "The Creator-Destructor Podcast" is back in action! I thought it was only appropriate to re-launch the podcast the way we launched it initially, with my best friend and bandmate, Laura Nichol - We talk for 2 hours about alllllmosttttt everything. Well, not everything but definitely the new Heartsounds record and how it's the most personal one for us thus far, what's been happening in our lives in the past year, and a shit-ton of other intensely fascinating topics. Some say that Laura and I have a "dynamic" that is rare, something only found in best friends (who used to be high-school sweethearts) who have also played in bands together their entire lives... Well, y'all can decide for yourselves. Regardless, it was a goddamn blast to setup the mics again and sit down with Ms. Nichol for two hours of friendshippppp. Get into it, people!
Episode #12 of ‘The Creator-Destructor Podcast’ is one for the books! MURDER BY DEATH has been a favorite band of ours for a long, long time, and it was such an honor and pleasure to be able to sit down with Adam Turla and get inside his brain for a little while as they stopped through San Francisco on their current US Tour! There are not many bands as inspiring and eclectic as MURDER BY DEATH, which means that we all had a lot on our minds before this interview, and a lot to ask! We sat down with Adam in the band’s green-room right before the band went on stage, and he really opened up a lot about the band’s songwriting process, their history of life on the road, what inspires them to create the intensely unique music that they do, and much much more- Enjoy this one, people! I know we did….
Episode 11 has arrived, with none other than the almighty Lisa Root, owner of NEW NOISE Magazine! Lisa has been a great friend of the label for years now, and we go way back to 2003-ish, when she was working for AMP Magazine. We hang out for an hour and discuss her experience in the world of Print Magazines, the struggles she’s faced along the way, how she views the current climate of the music industry, her take on social media trolls, and more! I’ve always looked up to Lisa, as she’s one of the most determined and hardworking people I know in the music ‘industry’. We also get silly and talk a LOT about non-magazine related things like our favorite food, weird restaurant experiences, her childhood growing up in rural Pennsylvania, slinky factories, her life in Crockett, CA, and other nonsense! Lisa is hilarious and will be sure to make you laugh, so give this a listen! Oh, and make sure you check out New Noise Magazine while you’re at it!
Warning - This is a funny one, people! Efrem is one of the most genuine, hilarious people we’ve ever met. Not only are DEATH BY STEREO and MANIC HISPANIC incredible bands, but Efrem’s stories about his life on tour throughout the years are simply unbeatable. He shares a lot of wisdom and numerous anecdotes that had us in tears! Special thanks to our good friend Alex Pulisci (AT OUR HEELS) for helping out and chiming in on this interview. This is a longer one, but it is well worth it. Enjoy for yourself, and let us know what you think - Happy Tuesday!
Episode #8 of ‘The Creator-Destructor Podcast’ has arrived, and it is a BANGER, people! Jake Kiley of STRUNG OUT is an absolute legend in every way- He’s been with the band from the beginning (essentially), and has seen everything along the way. He’s a part of STRUNG OUT’s heart and core, and it really shows in this interview! His outlook on the band is so unique, and his perspective is fascinating. We talk about the band’s discography, how they coped with shifting trends in the music industry over the past 25 years, and plenty more. I could have gone on for hours with this one, but we had to wrap it up in just under an hour- Enjoy it, people!
Holy shit people, this is the one! I don’t think I’ve ever laughed harder in my life than on New Years Day, with a great friend in his Los Angeles Loft/Art Studio. Behold, the hilarious and insanely talented DAVE KLOC! Where would you have seen Dave’s work? Well, he handles most of the artwork for “The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail” on Comedy Central, and also works with a shit-ton of amazing bands and comedians to create some of the absolute most stunning art you’ll ever see! Oh, and he did the artwork for Heartsounds’ “Internal Eyes”, so that’s cool too! What do we talk about? Hockey, Art, Comedy, Metal, Punk, but don’t get fooled people, this is NOT a serious conversation. I don’t think we stopped laughing the entire time. The real “climax” of the episode though, is Dave’s story of meeting Chris Hannah from Propagandhi in 2013, and how he hilariously embarrassed himself. Amazing- Dig it, beautiful people!!
We're keepin' this train rolling with Episode #5! I had a blast with this episode, as Jack and I have known each other for over half my life, and he's a hilarious, smart, and incredibly talented engineer and producer. I’ve always considered Jack a “big brother” figure in my life, and since we’ve known each other for so long, we naturally go into some funny and personal territories. We discuss all of his past bands such as Comadre, and how he feels as an engineer/producer in the musical landscape of 2015. What's even more fun is that I confront Jack about a decade old insecurity I’ve had. But in order to find out how that goes, you’ll have to listen! So sit back and open your ears, because Jack has a lot of interesting things to say, and offers up some great insight into the craft of recording. And as always, please spread the word and subscribe on iTunes!
Episode #4 has arrived! It was such an honor to sit down with Mike and John from the almighty melodic death metal warriors DARKEST HOUR, and I think you'll enjoy this episode if you're a fan of the band! Compared to previous episodes, this one is a bit shorter, but we get right into it. We discuss the band's amazing 20 year career thus far, their "Undoing Ruin" album (which they played in full that night as part of that record's 10 year anniversary), and much more. So check it out, spread the word, and leave us a comment letting us know what you think! Thanks so much everyone, and make sure to subscribe to the podcast on Itunes if you haven't already!
Episode #3 has launched with Chris Aiken of the legendary STRUNG OUT! (By the way people, we'll be doing this podcast on Mondays and Thursdays, and it's now on Itunes so download that straight onto your phones! The link to do that is below...)
But back to Chris: This was one of the first episiodes I actually recorded months ago, after starting this adventure here with 'The Creator-Destructor Podcast'. I traveled to Los Angeles to go see a few A Wilhelm Scream shows, and met up with Chris at a Coffee Shop in Koreatown to discuss Strung Out's career on a sunny Southern California Saturday. We talked about his intensely impressive musical diversity, the band's discography (album by album), his sobriety, booze/drugs, jamming with Marty Friedman from MEGADETH, and a LOT more. We cover a ton of ground here people, so strap in! Enjoy Chris Aiken and all his amazing wisdom! Oh, and spread the word about the podcast, subscribe on your phones on your 'Podcast' apps, and spread the love, people!