Explore every episode of the podcast MAKE // BREAK
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Peterson on Testament and 40 Years in Thrash | 10 Feb 2026 | 00:53:30 | |
Episode 015 – Eric Peterson | MAKE // BREAK Eric Peterson is the founding guitarist and primary songwriter of Bay Area thrash legends Testament, a band that’s spent more than four decades pushing heavy music forward while peers have fallen away. With Testament’s fourteenth album Para Bellum, he’s still co-producing, evolving the band’s sound, and keeping the riffs sharper than players half his age. In this episode of MAKE // BREAK, Eric sits down with host Lance Marwood to unpack the real cost of that longevity: the grind of touring and airports, staying physically ready for extreme music, protecting creativity in an AI era, and why horror films, cult novels, and personal taste still shape everything he writes. 👀 What you’ll hear
🕰️ Chapters 00:00 Intro, Testament overview and setting up Para Bellum 01:15 Make or break moments, legacy decisions and early DIY grind 03:30 Old school flyering and networking vs today’s digital promotion 06:45 Ageing, health and playing extreme thrash into your 50s 09:30 Touring realities, airport lines, boredom and burnout on the road 14:30 Writing Para Bellum while chasing the feeling of the first records 20:20 Taste, identity and how horror and cult films feed Eric’s imagination 28:45 Books on the road, Master and Margarita and other strange reading recs 32:30 Riff writing, flow state jams, Logic demos and editing with the band 37:30 Surviving industry shifts from tape trading to streaming, algorithms and AI 44:20 Legacy, repeating yourself without cloning old riffs, and ACDC as a model 48:40 Honest advice for bedroom players learning Testament riffs on YouTube 🔗 Guest Links https://www.testamentlegions.com/site/ https://linktr.ee/TestamentLegions https://www.instagram.com/ericpetersonofficial/ http://www.enterthedragonlord.com/ 🔗 MAKE // BREAK & Host Links https://open.spotify.com/show/5GDOUd909p7ir2W74M9teg?si=cbc7e01e13ba4a20 https://instagram.com/lowkeyhellish https://tiktok.com/@lowkeyhellish 🔗 V13 Media Links Subscribe for more MAKE // BREAK conversations and drop a comment on how AI should shape metal’s future (explicit language) #MakeBreak #EricPeterson #Testament | |||
| Kelsey Dower on collaboration and creative control | 27 Jan 2026 | 00:36:27 | |
Episode 014 – Kelsey Dower | MAKE // BREAK Kelsey Maree Dower is a symphonic metal vocalist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist whose cinematic writing style turns orchestration into front-line storytelling. Best known for her single “Rage” and the concept-driven album project Rebirth, she builds massive arrangements with a DIY, self-composed precision that still hits emotionally. She’s also a featured vocalist and co-writer on Björn Hofer’s In the Shadow symphonic metal trilogy through B-Track Records. In Episode 014 of MAKE // BREAK with host Lance Marwood, Kelsey digs into the real work behind ambitious music: MIDI composition, mixing battles between strings and guitars, creative control, and navigating the music business as an autistic artist. 👀 What you’ll hear
🕰️ Chapters 02:49 First metal exposure, emotional catharsis, Within Temptation moment 05:44 Moving childhood, Carnegie Hall, opening for Clay Aiken 08:09 Piano and vocals foundation, ear training, early performance discipline 09:40 MIDI composition workflow, Ableton-style arranging, finding the spark 11:58 Production challenge: orchestra width vs guitars, drums, and mixing presence 14:51 Collaboration mindset, creative control, and working through disagreements 17:35 Ambition in niche genres, costs of scale, algorithm invisibility 22:52 Inspiration vs showing up, building ideas over time without forcing it 26:50 Music industry myth: getting signed young, budgeting, planning, side jobs 30:54 Autism, gatekeepers, reading intent, navigating predatory dynamics 38:46 Rage single inspiration, bullying, catharsis, learning growls 42:58 Rebirth album arc: build-up, catharsis, post-release aftermath 🔗 Guest Links 🔗 MAKE // BREAK & Host Links https://open.spotify.com/show/5GDOUd909p7ir2W74M9teg?si=cbc7e01e13ba4a20
🔗 V13 Media Links Subscribe for more MAKE // BREAK, and comment: when has anger fuelled your best creative work? [Minor audio dropouts in the early minutes] #MakeBreak #KelseyDower #MusicBusiness | |||
| Brandon O’Neill on surviving DIY music and staying true to your art | 07 Oct 2025 | 01:13:03 | |
Episode 006 – Brandon O’Neill | MAKE // BREAK Brandon O’Neill is the founder, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist behind Wine & Warpaint, the Richmond-based indie rock project whose debut album Disassociate (2024) earned recognition as one of the year’s standout independent releases. Known for blending raw emotion with meticulous production, O’Neill has built Wine & Warpaint into a self-sustaining project that thrives at the intersection of DIY ethos and professional polish. In this episode of MAKE // BREAK, he joins host Lance Marwood to discuss recording with producer Kyle Black (Paramore, Pierce the Veil), the mental shifts that come with travelling for art, and the constant push-pull between algorithms, AI, and authenticity. O’Neill’s perspective offers a grounded, thoughtful look at what it means to create meaningful work in today’s music business. 👀 What you’ll hear • Unpack how Wine & Warpaint built momentum with their debut album Disassociate and a fiercely DIY approach • Share what Brandon learned working with producer Kyle Black (Paramore, Pierce the Veil) and why meticulousness matters • Debate the rise of AI tools, social media burnout, and whether content creation helps or hurts real artistry • Expose the broken incentives of algorithms that reward rage and novelty instead of genuine music discovery • Explore why local community, collaboration, and micro-level choices are how artists can break out of toxic systems • Leave with Brandon’s advice on how artists can stay humble, experiment, and keep making the work they believe in 🕰️ Chapters 00:00 Intro and welcome with Brandon O’Neill 02:00 Flying cross-country to record with Kyle Black 05:00 Shifting headspace and finding inspiration in LA 09:00 Discovering meticulous creativity in the studio 13:00 Lessons from producers vs DIY recording 18:00 Fast workflows, Pro Tools shortcuts, and setup hacks 20:00 Debating AI tools, artistry, and the algorithm 26:00 Social media, content grind, and why he deleted Instagram 32:00 How algorithms gatekeep discovery and reward rage 40:00 Community, DIY ethos, and breaking the system locally 50:00 Responsibility, regulation, and cultural shifts 01:06:00 Generosity, art, and finding meaning through action 01:11:00 What’s next for Wine & Warpaint and upcoming music 🔗 Guest Links https://www.instagram.com/wineandwarpaint https://www.youtube.com/c/winewarpaint https://www.facebook.com/wineandwarpaint https://wineandwarpaint.bandcamp.com https://open.spotify.com/artist/4IDDdNItHvj6aRkZ2LnCRe 🔗 MAKE // BREAK & Host Links https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/makebreak https://instagram.com/lowkeyhellish https://tiktok.com/@lowkeyhellish 🔗 V13 Media Links Subscribe for more and drop a comment: should musicians fight the algorithm or ignore it and focus only on the art? (explicit language) #MakeBreak #WineandWarpaint #MusicBusiness | |||
| Garrett Anthony Rice talks albums, authenticity, and the music business | 30 Sep 2025 | 00:59:04 | |
Episode 005 – Garrett Anthony Rice | MAKE // BREAK Garrett Anthony Rice is an Irish songwriter whose double album Equinox has already drawn early praise as one of the most ambitious debuts of the decade. Recorded across Ireland and the UK with producer Chris Potter (The Verve, The Rolling Stones), the record spans 18 songs that move from swamp blues slide guitar to Britpop shimmer and politically charged anthems. Singles like “Eden,” “I Found Myself Today,” and “Property” show the range: gospel haze, anti-war urgency, and a re-framing of Syd Barrett’s legacy. On MAKE // BREAK, Garrett speaks candidly about craft, industry saturation, and his belief that music must carry both truth and weight. He pushes back against formula and fleeting trends, pointing instead to Dylan, Bowie, and Ashcroft as reminders of how songs can change lives. It’s a grounded, passionate look at what it means to create art with conviction in a crowded, uncertain era. 👀 What you’ll hear • Break down Garrett Anthony Rice’s creative process and how Equinox sets up future albums already in the works • Call out the formulaic “two-chord clones” dominating airwaves and why true artistry comes from somewhere deeper • Debate streaming saturation, shocking Spotify stats, and what it really takes to find an audience today • Explore DIY promotion, relentless posting, and how persistence plus authenticity can cut through the noise • Highlight the holy trinity of artist income streams: touring, merch, and sync opportunities beyond streaming pennies • Share advice on balancing business and creativity without losing the magic that makes songs matter 🕰️ Chapters 00:00 Introduction and the joy of songwriting 01:00 Writing Equinox and future albums 04:00 Breaking clichés in the acoustic scene 07:30 Influences from Bowie to Ashcroft and Hendrix 12:00 Honest critique of modern rap vs the 90s 17:00 Spotify saturation and shocking streaming stats 22:00 First album, Chris Potter, and DIY promotion 27:00 Perseverance lessons from Taylor Swift to Sabrina Carpenter 32:00 Treating music as a business without losing heart 38:00 Chasing money vs chasing meaning in art 41:00 Music as escape, identity, and cultural connection 47:00 Blues roots, influences, and carrying forward tradition 52:00 Passing the gift of music to the next generation 57:00 Final reflections and looking ahead 🔗 Guest Links https://linktr.ee/garrettanthonyrice https://instagram.com/garrettanthonyrice https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Kw1ZbSdRWH7SSSPb6PrnY?si=6op2u1gKQk6Fe_1w0CFGPw 🔗 MAKE // BREAK & Host Links https://open.spotify.com/show/5GDOUd909p7ir2W74M9teg?si=cbc7e01e13ba4a20 https://instagram.com/lowkeyhellish https://tiktok.com/@lowkeyhellish 🔗 V13 Media Links Subscribe for more conversations and drop a comment: should artists chase streams or focus on the holy trinity of touring, merch, and sync? (explicit language) #MakeBreak #Rice #MusicBusiness | |||
| Collin Young (ONE HUNDRED MOONS) on Hustle Culture and Artist Identity | 23 Sep 2025 | 00:57:33 | |
Collin Young of One Hundred Moons joins host Lance Marwood on MAKE // BREAK to discuss Black Avalanche, art, and the music business. Episode 004 – Collin Young | MAKE // BREAK 👀 What you’ll hear -Break down the sound and vision behind One Hundred Moons’ new album Black Avalanche -Explore why Collin sees music as a “third thing” beyond work and relaxation -Contrast stoicism, hustle culture, and the myth of making art a full-time job -Reflect on performing live as proof of existence and the struggle for audience connection -Consider how meaning, story, and context can shape how we receive music 🕰️ Chapters 00:00 Intro and welcome with Collin Young 01:00 What Collin is trying to make to “break through” 02:30 Naming and themes of Black Avalanche 06:45 Challenges of creation vs. survival work 09:30 Do artists have the right to complain about music business struggles 14:00 Promotion, press, and the burden of self-marketing 16:00 Playing live shows vs. social media promotion 19:00 The need for “receipts” that bands are real 23:00 Stories, mythology, and why context matters 27:00 Letting the music itself be the story 30:00 Abstract meaning and listener interpretation 39:00 Transcendent live moments and audience connection 45:00 Niches, cults, and today’s fragmented music culture 47:00 Career vs. vocation: music as lifelong identity 52:00 Why art’s value must stand on its own 🔗 Guest Links https://instagram.com/100moonsband https://tiktok.com/@100moonsband 🔗 MAKE // BREAK & Host Links https://open.spotify.com/show/5GDOUd909p7ir2W74M9teg?si=cbc7e01e13ba4a20 https://instagram.com/lowkeyhellish https://tiktok.com/@lowkeyhellish 🔗 V13 Media Links Subscribe for more and tell us in the comments: Should music’s value stand apart from money and career? (explicit language) #MakeBreak #OneHundredMoons #MusicIndustry | |||
| Jordan Holman (Kentucky) on Hope, Death, and Surviving as a Songwriter | 16 Sep 2025 | 01:06:01 | |
Episode 003 – Kentucky | MAKE // BREAK Kentucky is the musical project of Canadian artist Jordan Holman, whose debut album Second Chance Music weaves together near-death experience, hard-won clarity, and a refusal to quit. Influenced by The Tragically Hip, Neil Young, Bryan Adams, and R.E.M., Holman’s work blends acoustic rock and indie folk with a voice that’s both intimate and unshaken. On MAKE // BREAK, he reflects on decades in the business, the myth of the starving artist, and why he simply wants to keep writing until the end. It’s a conversation that swings between Tolstoy, Cormac McCarthy, Ligotti, and the economics of survival—big ideas balanced by the daily grind of an artist carving out space in today’s fractured industry. Kentucky’s songs, from “No More Tomorrows” to “The First Day of the Rest of Your Life,” are reminders that music can still hold weight when it speaks to survival and second chances. 👀 What you’ll hear
🕰️ Chapters 🔗 Guest Links 🔗 MAKE // BREAK & Host Links 🔗 V13 Media Links Tell us in the comments: Do you think record labels should still invest in artist development? (explicit language) #MakeBreak #Kentucky #MusicBusiness | |||
| Elan Mlgenovich (Authors of Fate) on content, merch, and not giving up | 10 Jul 2025 | 00:34:16 | |
Episode 001 – Elan Mlgenovich | MAKE // BREAK Authors of Fate make jagged, blackened metalcore out of Los Angeles. Guitarist Elan Mlgenovich joins MAKE // BREAK to discuss the EP “Seat’s Taken” with producer Taylor Young and the band’s earlier studio work with Steve Evetts. He explains how the group formed during COVID, what DIY touring looks like on the ground, and why chasing platform algorithms rarely helps heavy bands grow. We also get into practical social media habits that do work, from tagging peers to posting strong live clips, and the constant pull between posting and writing. If you want a clear look at how underground bands build real momentum today, this episode delivers. 👀 What you’ll hear • Break down how Authors of Fate formed during COVID and built momentum in the DIY metal scene • Explain why major labels chase sure things and how that shifts artist development today • Share frustrations with Spotify algorithms and finding underground bands through Instagram • Reveal the brutal realities of DIY touring, from no-shows to promoters who don’t deliver • Debate the pressure on artists to be content creators versus staying true to making art • Offer candid advice for bands: collaborate, stay humble, and keep pushing forward 🕰️ Chapters 00:00 Introduction and band background 02:00 Artist development and the major label model 03:30 Why DIY bands must be self-sufficient 05:00 Streaming algorithms and discovery struggles 07:30 Using Instagram to find and book bands 10:00 Word of mouth, tagging, and collaboration 13:30 Social media as community building 15:00 DIY touring challenges and no-show stories 18:00 Professionalism, humility, and separating pros from amateurs 20:00 Pay-to-play shows and shady promoters 22:00 Pressure to create nonstop content 25:00 Best band content and merch strategies 29:00 What kind of content actually excites fans 32:30 Parting advice for artists: don’t give up 🔗 Guest Links https://linktr.ee/authorsoffate https://instagram.com/authorsoffate https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Ffxt9eZ7pQEiV9uRVaMdX 🔗 MAKE // BREAK & Host Links https://open.spotify.com/show/5GDOUd909p7ir2W74M9teg?si=cbc7e01e13ba4a20 https://instagram.com/lowkeyhellish https://tiktok.com/@lowkeyhellish 🔗 V13 Media Links Subscribe for more conversations and drop a comment: should bands prioritise content creation or focus on the art itself? (explicit language) #MakeBreak #AuthorsOfFate #MusicBusiness | |||
| Scot “Little” Bihlman on touring and staying in the now | 13 Jan 2026 | 01:00:27 | |
Episode 013 – Scot Little Bihlman | MAKE // BREAK Scot “Little” Bihlman is an Emmy Award-winning multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and SAG-AFTRA actor, best known as the drummer/vocalist in Grinder Blues alongside dUg Pinnick (King’s X). In Episode 013 of MAKE // BREAK with host Lance Marwood, he unpacks what it takes to last: choosing quality of life over noise, staying present through drumming and motorcycle riding, and protecting your creative identity in a culture obsessed with imitation. Little also gets real about touring pressure, the seductive comfort of sideman work, and why technique only matters if it serves the song, as he builds toward his next chapter under Little Bihlman. 👀 What you’ll hear
🕰️ Chapters 00:00 Intro, Emmys, and the Little Bihlman pivot 01:29 Emmy awards and luck in film/TV placements 03:22 Finding your voice and honouring influences 06:52 Tribute bands, covers, and authenticity 09:16 Hollywood sets, Spider-Man, and staying grounded 13:42 LA vs Nashville quality of life for artists 17:43 Motorcycle meditation and staying in the now 24:08 Tour pressure and make-or-break moments 38:56 Sideman life vs solo career focus 45:24 Drumming book, teaching, and technique in service of songs 51:58 Link Wray, Audioslave, and music that moves the room 57:24 Heavy Head singles and the upcoming book 🔗 Guest Links https://instagram.com/littlebihlman https://open.spotify.com/artist/2NNnYU4KcqqNMf1Qki92AP https://youtube.com/channel/UCwJRSkgFax5H8XNsGRhQ0mA 🔗 MAKE // BREAK & Host Links https://open.spotify.com/show/5GDOUd909p7ir2W74M9teg?si=cbc7e01e13ba4a20 https://instagram.com/lowkeyhellish https://tiktok.com/@lowkeyhellish 🔗 V13 Media Links Subscribe for more, and comment: are you chasing chops or songs right now? [Contains explicit language] #MakeBreak #Bihlman #Touring | |||
| Aaron Farrell on Writing and Identity, from Barcelona to V13 | 10 Dec 2025 | 00:53:48 | |
Episode 012 – Aaron Farrell | MAKE // BREAK Welsh-born writer Aaron Farrell returns to MAKE // BREAK for a candid, high-signal conversation about discipline, identity, and creative survival. Author of The Lost and Found and the poetry collection Artbeat, The Ekphrastic Spastic, Aaron traces the path from lockdown essays and his “Violent Expression” column to an unflinching Barcelona manuscript, while reopening his work with V13. We get into stay-at-home parent realities, pandemic PPE and burnout, martial arts as a writing method, and why killing perfectionism is the only way forward. With Jung in one hand and Eastern philosophy in the other, Aaron makes a case for truthful prose, pragmatic publishing, and showing up when it’s hardest. 👀 What you’ll hear
🕰️ Chapters 00:22 Who is Aaron Farrell now and why he’s back on MAKE // BREAK 03:05 Stay-at-home dad energy, sick kids, showing up anyway 05:22 PPE reality check and pandemic life in hospitals 08:31 Barcelona move, curfews, and starting over 12:18 Transmetropolitan, Spider Jerusalem, media cynicism 16:45 Violent Expression origin, truth-telling, culture shock 22:06 Self-publishing in lockdown, first books and columns 26:24 Beat of Barcelona draft, decadence and discipline 32:48 Style over fitting in, permission to write as yourself 40:03 Breaking down, autism context, rebuilding identity 55:43 Jung, sense vs nonsense, closing notes and next time 🔗 Guest Links https://v13.net/tag/violent-expression 🔗 MAKE // BREAK & Host Links https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/makebreak 🔗 V13 Media Subscribe for more and drop a comment: do film or game scores help your writing focus? (explicit language) #MakeBreak #AaronFarrell #Writing | |||
| Dave Fowler on Building a Career That Lasts in the Music Industry | 25 Nov 2025 | 00:37:27 | |
Episode 011 – Dave Fowler | MAKE // BREAK Dave Fowler is a Nashville-based bassist, producer, and songwriter whose career spans work with icons like Dolly Parton, Dr. John, Cinderella, and Billy Ray Cyrus. A sought-after live and studio player, he’s also the co-founder of GET JOE Records, a producer at Fowler–Wells Productions, and the force behind Running With Giants, his mentorship and clinic platform for musicians. In this episode, Dave joins Lance to unpack the realities of a lifelong career in music—from the discipline behind professional performance to the humility that keeps great players in demand—and what it really takes to build both longevity and legacy in an ever-changing industry. 👀 What you’ll hear
🕰️ Chapters 🔗 Guest Links 🔗 MAKE // BREAK & Host Links 🔗 V13 Media Links If this conversation hit home, subscribe and comment: what’s your definition of “making it” in music? #MakeBreak #Fowler #MusicBusiness | |||
| Garrett Barbuto on songwriting: building songs that actually move people | 20 Nov 2025 | 01:06:15 | |
Garrett Barbuto is the frontman of Garrett Barbuto & The Hot Pursuit, a Calgary-based rock outfit blending classic energy with modern grit. Known for his soulful voice and grounded songwriting, Barbuto has carved out a space between old-school musicianship and new-era independence. With the band’s 2024 EP One More Glimpse and recent collaborations like “Why Be Lonely?” with Accidental Martyr, he’s proven both versatile and fearless in his evolution. In this episode of MAKE // BREAK, Garrett joins host Lance Marwood to talk about building creative momentum, redefining success on your own terms, and how the best work often comes from chasing passion over perfection. 👀 What you’ll hear (4–6 bullets, no quotes)
🕰️ Chapters 00:00:00 Intro, why Garrett Barbuto is on MAKE // BREAK 00:00:45 Move to Calgary, bar-band beginnings, deciding to lead a band 00:02:42 Writing with a mentor, learning by failing fast, demo-to-studio pipeline 00:05:48 Timmins roots, classic rock imprint, the open-mic setlist laboratory 00:07:16 What still works in bars and why those songs matter for new writing 00:19:20 Performance persona, crowd energy, and letting moments happen instead of forcing them 00:22:05 Authenticity through subtraction, delegating banter, playing to strengths 00:30:56 Measuring creative progress beyond metrics, phrasing, and micro-choices that level up songs 00:36:22 Collaboration friction, earning your voice, and protecting a song’s character 00:39:04 Advice to musicians: seek real pros, expand your writing toolkit beyond acoustic guitar 00:50:41 Inspiration vs discipline, systems, deadlines, and making ideas move 00:59:08 Non-musical inputs, Canada stories, and stealing like an artist 01:04:14 Plugs, new solo project timeline, where to follow 🔗 Guest Links (site first, then socials) https://www.thehotpursuityyc.com https://instagram.com/garrettbarbutomusic https://instagram.com/thehotpursuityyc 🔗 MAKE // BREAK & Host Links https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/makebreak https://instagram.com/lowkeyhellish https://tiktok.com/@lowkeyhellish 🔗 V13 Media Links If this helped, subscribe and tell us in the comments: does discipline beat inspiration in your songwriting (explicit language) #MakeBreak #GarrettBarbuto #Songwriting | |||
| Aaron Farrell on travel writing, resilience, and Violent Expression | 28 Oct 2025 | 01:14:41 | |
Episode 031 – Aaron Farrell | MAKE // BREAK Aaron Farrell is a Welsh-born writer and editor whose work spans travel-lit grit and sharp cultural criticism. He’s the author of The Lost and Found: A Contemporary Travelling Thriller of Good, Bad and Bohemian All Pursuing Their Passions – However Pure or Perverse and the poetry collection ArtBeat: The Ekphrastic Spastic, alongside essays that thread music, class, and mental health. A former co-founder/editor at Cape Magazine, Aaron is now restarting his work with V13, where his “Violent Expression” columns distill lived experience into clear, hard-hitting prose. In this episode of MAKE // BREAK, we talk turning miles into pages, building durable writing habits, and navigating independent publishing with honesty, resilience, and a bias toward action. 👀 What you’ll hear
🕰️ Chapters 00:00 Intro, names, why this conversation on MAKE // BREAK 01:52 Welsh identity, Swansea upbringing, Dylan Thomas influence 05:11 Welsh language history, the Blue Books, finding a voice 11:34 Youth work, teaching, and the first sparks of writing 15:21 Camp America, New York summers, horizons opening 24:31 Returning to craft, reading more, building habits 33:45 Blogging in 2013, film reviews, keeping momentum 48:41 Deciding to travel long-term, Thailand to South Africa 53:32 Australia farm work, the van, Byron Bay library pages 56:47 Drafting the novel that became The Lost and Found 58:55 Self-publishing in 2020 and what he learned 1:08:37 Writing at V13, “Violent Expression,” next book in development 🔗 Guest Links (site first, then socials) https://v13.net/author/aaron_farrell/ 🔗 MAKE // BREAK & Host Links https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/makebreak https://instagram.com/lowkeyhellish https://tiktok.com/@lowkeyhellish 🔗 V13 Media Links If this helped, subscribe and tell us in the comments which part of Aaron’s indie publishing journey you want us to dig into next. (explicit language) #MakeBreak #AaronFarrell #IndependentPublishing | |||
| Ger Carriere on Wild Woman, Identity, and Creative Freedom | 21 Oct 2025 | 01:01:40 | |
Episode 008 – Ger Carriere | MAKE // BREAK Geraldine “Ger” Carriere is a Cree singer-songwriter, bestselling author, speaker, and the founder of Wild Woman Personal & Professional Development. Based in Saskatchewan, Ger’s work spans music, literature, and empowerment, each rooted in her mission to help women, especially Indigenous creatives, reclaim their voice and lead with purpose. Her recent singles Can I Be Her, Are You My Type, and Blessed in My Heels continue a run of soulful pop that balances strength with vulnerability. In this episode of MAKE // BREAK, Ger joins host Lance Marwood to talk identity, resilience, and the ongoing act of choosing yourself, again and again, in a world that often asks you to shrink. 👀 What you’ll hear
🕰️ Chapters 00:00 Opening reflections on love, fear, and purpose 01:20 Ger introduces herself in Cree and shares her origin story 06:00 Rejecting “niche down” advice and embracing creative duality 10:36 On identity, underdog energy, and reclaiming representation 16:18 Early influences from Tupac, Prince, and Tina Turner 23:41 The high-school moment that taught her to never shrink again 41:11 Surviving without safety nets and betting on herself 42:50 The making of Wild Woman and her newest singles 49:53 Vulnerability, personas, and authenticity in performance 52:39 Lessons from therapy on validation and self-worth 1:00:36 Closing thoughts on faith, fear, and finding your voice 🔗 Guest Links https://www.wildwomanwithin.me https://instagram.com/gercarriere https://tiktok.com/@gercarriere https://www.youtube.com/@GCARRIER23 https://open.spotify.com/artist/3fbfbBjMDl5zUeJXdmIn8g 🔗 MAKE // BREAK & Host Links https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/makebreak https://instagram.com/lowkeyhellish https://tiktok.com/@lowkeyhellish 🔗 V13 Media Links Subscribe and drop a comment: how do you balance being multifaceted without losing your core? (explicit language) #MakeBreak #Carriere #WildWoman | |||
| Cousteau Christopher of Djentrified on going viral and confronting injustice | 17 Oct 2025 | 01:17:31 | |
Episode 002 – Cousteau Christopher | MAKE // BREAK Cousteau Christopher is the Santa Barbara musician behind Djentrified, a project fusing djent, metalcore, and deathcore with cinematic and political storytelling. His breakout single “This Song Shouldn’t Exist” went viral as a fundraiser for Palestinian relief, followed quickly by “Welcome to the Abyss” and “Harbinger.” With chart placements on Metal Contraband and NACC Heavy, Djentrified proved that independent heavy music can still cut through the noise. Yet, just as momentum built, TikTok banned Christopher’s account without explanation, cutting off 16,000 followers overnight. On MAKE // BREAK, he talks about resilience in the face of digital gatekeeping, the realities of DIY promotion, and why his music is designed as both warning and call to action. It is an honest account of what happens when heavy riffs collide with systemic resistance, and why artists must keep creating even when platforms try to silence them 👀 What you’ll hear
🕰️ Chapters 🔗 Guest Links 🔗 MAKE // BREAK & Host Links 🔗 V13 Media Links Tell us in the comments: would you choose comfort or conscience in today’s music business? (audio glitch in parts, explicit language) #MakeBreak #Djentrified #MusicIndustry | |||
| Robert Stahl breaks down indie publishing and short story craft | 14 Oct 2025 | 00:57:15 | |
Episode 007 – Robert Stahl | MAKE // BREAK Robert E. Stahl is the Dallas-based horror author behind Show Me Where It Hurts (JournalStone, 2025), a debut collection of 30 short stories and poems exploring grief, transformation, and the monstrous within. A former bartender turned writer and filmmaker, Stahl built his voice at the intersection of prose and comics, drawing on influences like Swamp Thing while developing a pragmatic editing and submissions routine. In this episode of MAKE // BREAK with host Lance Marwood, he breaks down the “rejection math” behind landing pro-market placements, the origins of that unforgettable teeth cover, and the mindset that carried him from first readers to a book deal and Texas tour. It’s equal parts craft talk, resilience playbook, and indie-publishing reality check. 👀 What you’ll hear
🕰️ Chapters 00:00 Why Show Me Where It Hurts and the iconic teeth cover 01:52 Rejections, first pro-market sales, contest experiences 04:29 Political horror and placing in Story Unlikely 06:20 Swamp Thing influence and Monkey’s Paw mechanics 10:18 Publishing gauntlet, grief, and finding JournalStone 13:28 Resilience mindset — “the action is the juice” 16:39 Blood onstage story and Halloween gig 17:50 Books that reset creatives — King, Pressfield, Gilbert 18:44 Comics craft — Moore, Hickman, Gaiman shaping horror voice 25:37 Contemporary horror influences — Jones, Ketchum, Barker 39:45 Top films — Hereditary, The Descent, Talk To Me 48:06 Editing, first readers, routine, and rejection-proof habits 🔗 Guest Links https://www.instagram.com/robert_e_stahl_author/ https://www.facebook.com/RobertEStahlAuthorhttps://x.com/RobertStahlTX 🔗 MAKE // BREAK & Host Links https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/makebreak https://instagram.com/lowkeyhellish https://tiktok.com/@lowkeyhellish 🔗 V13 Media Links If this helped, subscribe and tell us in the comments how you handle rejection in the publishing grind (explicit language) #MakeBreak #Stahl #HorrorWriting | |||