Back On The Grind – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In this conversation, Pepe Bandit and Jo Rodriguez discuss the impact of music on their lives, particularly folk punk music. They share personal stories of how certain musicians or songs have helped them through difficult times and provided a sense of grounding. They also discuss imposter syndrome and the challenges of feeling like they don't belong in certain spaces or conversations. Jo mentions her experience growing up in a (ex)Mormon family and how it has influenced her music. She plans to write a song about her parents' journey out of the Mormon church as a way to find forgiveness and peace. The conversation covers various themes, including anger towards parents, the impact of trauma, the desire to have a house venue, and the narration of an audiobook.

Support the podcast/get bonus episodes + goods

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

takeaways

• Music has the power to provide comfort and grounding during difficult times
• Happy Happy, Apes Of The State & Rent Strike stories
• Imposter syndrome is a common experience, even for musicians and podcasters
• Personal experiences, such as growing up in a religious community, can shape an artist's music and lyrics
• Religious trauma
• Writing songs can be a way to find forgiveness and peace
• Sharing personal stories and vulnerabilities through music can create connections and resonate with listeners.
• Having a house venue can be a way to give back to the community
• Narrating an audiobook can be a meaningful way to contribute to projects that explore important themes and experiences
• Exploring personal experiences and emotions through music can be cathartic and healing
• We play the song "Practical Advice" by Jo Rodriguez

Connect with Jo Rodriguez:

Instagram - instagram.com/jobanjobanjo/?hl=en

Facebook - facebook.com/people/Jo-Rodriguez/100004513473999/?ref=xav_ig_profile_web

Website - jobanjobanjo.com/

Listen to Jo Rodriguez music:

Spotify - open.spotify.com/artist/2xADBEPdn61I8UPTHbJ2Xw

Bandcamp - jobanjobanjo.bandcamp.com/

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

• StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

• backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

• Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
• Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

• Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
• Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"In any corner of the radical left it makes most sense for this conversation to be happening, in my opinion, it's in the folk punk world."

Community organizer and musician shugE joins Pepe to discuss the tactics of cancel culture & rethink if they align with folk punk & radical politics in general. Is cancel culture the best way to create a better world? Does it reproduce harmful aspects of the carceral/prison system? Plenty of folks have expressed concerns & fears about discussing these topics freely . As a result the conversation very often happens privately, outside the public discourse but, shugE & Pepe choose to have it openly through this public platform. The conversation is at times difficult & uncomfortable but remains honest with a desire for a better world full of more compassion & care for every one of us living in it. We close out playing the song "With Me" by shugE.

Support the podcast/get bonus episodes + goods

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Organizing with the IWW
• Getting canceled & getting exonerated
• Seeking out commonalities rather than our differences
• Does cancel culture even exist?
• Famous people & cancel culture
• Defining cancel culture
• Pepe realizes the similarities between cancel culture & his own incarceration experience
• Hypocrisy of supporting prison abolition & cancel culture/putting people in social prisons
• Working with people who experienced sexual abuse/assault
• Working with people who have problematic/harmful behaviors
• Restorative justice
• Why cancel culture is attractive
• Getting to a place of healing
• Daryl Davis & the KKK story
• Self-censorship
• The recovery movement & its role in questioning cancel culture
• Folkpunk has a history of embracing the "rejects" of society
• The "commons" as a place for open discussion
• We play the song "With Me" by shugE

Connect with shugE:

instagram.com/shugemusic/

shugemusic.com

Liste to shugE music:

open.spotify.com/artist/6K0YGX255v474682p6eZnf

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

• StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

• backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

• Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
• Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

• Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
• Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Folkpunk Dad sits down with Sister Wife Sex Strike who have been making a name for themselves in the folkpunk community lately. They talk about their recent TikTok fame, their popup Starbucks show, songwriting, anarchism + spirituality & more. Enjoy!

Support the podcast & get bonus material

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

Highlights:

• Getting into folkpunk
• Accessibility within folkpunk
• Blowing up on Tiktok
• Not having personal social media
• TikTok people vs. show people
• Unauthorized popup show in Starbucks
• Songwriting
• Lyrical themes
• Anarchism & religion
• Action & contemplation
• Spirituality in folkpunk
• The gay wave of modern folkpunk

Connect with Sister Wife Sex Strike:

• tiktok.com/@sisterwifesexstrike
• instagram.com/sisterwifesexstrike/

Listen to Sister Wife Sex Strike:

• open.spotify.com/artist/2tEMuU8MNYgXwKX6jJ6l2X

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

• StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

• backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

• Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
• Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

• Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
• Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"The only thing that saved me was DIY punk."

Punk With A Camera (PWAC) & Pepe discuss having no place to fit in or feel welcomed until finding DIY punk, filming, working with bands & difficult times with parents while growing up. There's talk about starting a project or passion, learning from our mistakes, supporting the community & much more.

Support the podcast & get bonus material

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

HIGHLIGHTS:

• First camera/early filming
• Connecting film & DIY punk
• Mystery Johnny Hobo mini VHS tapes in Pepe's garage
• Growing up with neglectful parents
• Why PWAC has no contact with his mother currently
• Finding punk "parents"/mentors
• Not being scared to fuck up
• Helping people to get where they're going
• Labels taking advantage of musicians
• The concept of "give & take"
• Being uncomfortable talking about money
• Releasing vinyl for bands (& why you can't sometimes)
• Pythons & platypus

Connect with Punk With A Camera:

• instagram.com/punkwithacamera/
• punkwithacamera.com/

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

• StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

• backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

• Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
• Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

• Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
• Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Folk/punk musicians Tall Travis sit down to talk with Folkpunk Dad about a range of topics regarding maintaining a band, creating music and friendship. It's the first time we have an entire band on the podcast all at once. They also discuss their appreciation for superstition, magic, whimsy & mystery. We also play their new song Ghost Of Apartment B2 at the end of the episode. Enjoy!

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Obstacles & benefits of having band members spread throughout different states
• The song writing process
• The value of the collective & the individual
• DIY recording techniques/philosophies
• Navigating the bands decision making process
• DIY music/art & de-professionalism
• Getting permission to cover Woody Guthrie & Pat The Bunny
• Advice if you want to start a band
• The mythology of who Tall Travis is
• New song "Ghost Of Apartment B2" played

Connect with Tall Travis:

• instagram.com/talltravisband/
• talltravis.bandcamp.com/

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

• StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

• backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

• Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
• Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

• Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
• Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How we show up in (or retreat from) the world is greatly influenced by how we wake up in the morning. Pepe Bandit & Folkpunk Dad discuss the value of morning routines & share some things they've done as they developed their own morning routines. They both share how not having a morning routine kept them stuck in unhealthy places.They share what helps them now in the mornings when those difficult times arise.

Support the podcast & get bonus material

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

HIGHLIGHTS:

• The news that made Pepe not want to get out of bed
• Pepe's & Folkpunk Dad's very difficult time without a morning routine
• The key to Pepe's success with getting through all that he's faced
• Folkpunk Dad's essential nightly routine
• It's normal for your morning routine to change & shift
• Making a promise to show up for yourself
• When to drink coffee in the morning
• Folkpunk Dad's & Pepe's methods to get guidance/feedback
• Pepe's prison morning routine
• Recommended places to start if you don't currently have a morning routine
• Behavioral Activation Therapy

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

• StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

• backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

• Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
• Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

• Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
• Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"We're very obsessed with soup"

Trashboat And The Ambush join Pepe for a fun & lighthearted conversation largely centered around setting up DIY shows. First they start off with stories about punk pits, cats & the internet & then dive into their experiences and advice for organizing shows & the community that gets built around this. Towards the end, some unknown folk punk history is shared, some folk punk lore is discussed & a new track by Trash Boat And The Ambush is played.

Support the podcast & get bonus material

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

HIGHLIGHTS:

• The benefits of starting to set up shows
• What if there's already someone hosting/organizing shows in my town?
• Security culture in setting up shows
• Pepe reflects on some past shows he set up in the early days
• Soup and feeding bands
• Voodoo soup story
• Reaching out to bands
• An unknown bit of history in the folk punk world (regarding Love Songs For The Apocalypse)
• You're gonna have shitty shows / You gotta stick with it
• Raccoon vs opossum...what came first in folk punk?
• New song SS Colombia Eagle played

Download the new Trash Boat And The Ambush track SS Colombia Eagle

• backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/album/back-on-the-grind-vol-1

Listen to & connect with Trash Boat And The Ambush

• open.spotify.com/artist/4k4Xcm2YFkr7jesWipX6KY
• linktr.ee/trashboatandtheambush

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

• StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

• backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

• Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
• Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

• Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
• Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"You are in a capacity where you don't have eminent domain over nothing in your life, EXCEPT how you respond and that's the only thing you really have."

Pepe talks with Tray Johns who was sentenced to over 12 years in a women's Federal prison for about $500 worth of drugs. You will learn about life inside a women's prison and hear the story of Tray's journey to, through and out of prison. Tray talks about the things that helped them feel happy, normal or simply okay in prison, having parties, responding to difficulties that arise & more. This an unreleased interview form an older podcast that Pepe recorded (but never published) while he was fighting his case & heading to prison himself.

Support the podcast & get bonus material

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

HIGHTLIGHTS:

• Tray's difficult & impressive pre-prison life
• Becoming a "jailhouse lawyer"
• Teaching skills & empowering others while incarcerated
• Supporting/advocating for someone in prison
• Being recognized as a number not a human
• Social structures/prison families created by women in prison
• Birthdays & holidays in prison
• Advice for dealing with guards
• Does it get easier to serve your time as it goes on?
• Parenting from prison
• Difficulties for family and friends of an incarcerated person
• Advice for women who might be facing prison time

If you liked this episode you will enjoy Finding Happiness In Our Broken Places with Mitchell Gray:

• SPOTIFY open.spotify.com/episode/3Jevl78DTRhgrYf3egoaoT?si=PsdHv01ORmGaLfqS8P8WDw
• APPLE PODCAST podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/back-on-the-grind/id1681556943?i=1000641680693

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

• StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

• backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

• Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
• Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

• Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
• Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Je-C (Days N Daze / Escape From The Zoo) & his wife Veronica (Escape From The Zoo) come on the show to talk about relationships, relapse & the X-Files. They share some laughs, shed some tears & also discuss Nick Lutsko, their intro to punk music, why they didn't come on the show last year as planned, romanticizing the tortured artist idea & relationships with parents.

If you enjoy the parts of this episode where we discuss what happens when an event in your life cracks you open & you then have a choice to make; then we suggest you listen to episode #19 (it's right before this one) titled "Finding Happiness In Our Broken Places with Mitchell Gray." We take an even deeper dive into the topic & it's been a favorite episode for listeners.

Support the podcast & get bonus material

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

HIGHLIGHTS:

• What it was like for Veronica to push for sobriety in the relationship
• Doing EDMR in rehab
• Benefits & challenges sobriety brought to their relationship
• The value of open communication in a relationship
• Veronica & Je-C respond to the Johnny Hobo poll we ran in episode 15
• The text Je-C sent Pepe after he and Veronica relapsed
• Je-C's emotional retelling of the events leading up to his relapse
• The crack that gets created in your life when you experience a loss
• Where Veronica's love of the X-Files comes from

Connect with Days N Daze:

• https://www.facebook.com/daysndaze/
• instagram.com/daysndazeofficial/

Listen to the Mitchell Gray episode we mentioned Finding Happiness In Our Broken Places:

• SPOTIFY open.spotify.com/episode/3Jevl78DTRhgrYf3egoaoT?si=PsdHv01ORmGaLfqS8P8WDw
• APPLE PODCAST podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/back-on-the-grind/id1681556943?i=1000641680693

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

• StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

• backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

• Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
• Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

• Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
• Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pepe connects with Mitchell "Trash" Gray as they discuss their prison experiences, exploring their broken places & their individual relationships to happiness that developed through the journey. It's an emotional conversation at times that traverses topics from addiction to Buddhism and overall lets you see you have a choice to make when you push up against difficult moments or your own broken places. Listen to the episode to find out the choices Mitchell & Pepe made when they were standing on the edge of these places. We end with the song "Dying Red Sun" by Mitchell's band Our Own Legacy.

Support the podcast & get bonus material:

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Thoughts on happiness
• What led Mitchell into prison
• The painful moment Mitchell knew things had to change
• A different perspective on being a broken person
• Pepe's painful moment when he broke open in prison
• A convicted murderer offers a shoulder to cry on
• Mitchell cries at a punk show & Pepe cries at a ska show
• Where do you most belong?
• The one thing Mitchell would want you to take away from this conversation

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

• StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

• backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

• Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
• Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

• Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
• Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.