The Check-In with Sam Akpro

Sam Akpro is a South London based songwriter and producer. His newest EP Gauzy is out now via Anti-Records. Sam shares the reason behind the switch in tone on the new record, how is it partially a return to a style in his past and a breakthrough to uncompromising self-production. He tells us how his introduction to music was a combination of going to church and skateboarding, and how those influences carry through his current songwriting. We learn why Sam wants to be true to his electronic roots on the new record, how London directors influence the visual side of his art and we sample a couple new tunes. Sam AkproAnti RecordsOur sponsors keep this show alive, please give them a visit.Kingston Union MFG is thee place for the Wino, the classic punk rock shoe for all occasions. Kingston is fully restocked and are rocking their Fall/Winter collection. Visit Kingston Union now. All shoes from their Blue Collection 50% off now! Ep supported by @distrokid. Distrokid now offers Bandzoogle where you can build your bands website and store in minutes. @thetourstories listeners get 30% off at distrokid.com/vip/tourstories. GET YOUR MUSIC OUT THERE! ITS EASY WITH @distrokidEp supported by Heil Sound. Now through December 4th, they are having their Fall Fifty sale. The following mics are $50 off their retail prices:PR 40 Champagne - Sale: $329, Retail: $379PR 40 Black - Sale: $329, Retail: $379PR 30 Champagne - Sale: $249, Retail: $299PR 30 Black - Sale: $249, Retail: $299PR 77D Black - Sale: $199, Retail: $249RC 22 Wireless Capsule - Sale: $149, Retail: $199 visit heilsound.comCODE Ruinous10 cannot be used in combination with the Fall Fifty discountSchecter Guitars, your first choice for high-quality construction and innovative design at an unbeatable price. @schecterguitarsofficialMentioned in this episode:DistrokidHeilsound.comSchecter Guitars

Nick DiamondsFused Arrow RecordsNick Diamonds is a singer, songwriter and producer based in Los Angeles. His newest single Got The Devil/The River (ft. Fat Tony, Yoni Wolf & Giovanni Marks) is due out November 9th via Fused Arrow Records and will be available both digitally and on 7”. Nick shares the inspiration behind the new record, how it has changed his process style and why it’s leading him to more of a producer role at this point in his career. He tells us why sample-based songwriting has become an addiction, how its forcing him to exercise his deductive muscle in the process and why supporting the vocals is his primary role on the new record. Nick explains the concept behind the resurrected single Do They Know Its Halloween? and why he gives all proceeds to the Save Lulu Life charity fund. Joe and Nick tell the story of their beloved bandmates Ryan Kattner’s basketball injury, they talk exercise routines, they share extremely personal things about their lives, and we sample a couple tunes.Our sponsors keep this show alive, please give them a visit.Kingston Union MFG is thee place for the Wino, the classic punk rock shoe for all occasions. Kingston is fully restocked and are rocking their Fall/Winter collection. Visit Kingston Union now. All shoes from their Blue Collection 50% off now! Ep supported by @distrokid. Distrokid now offers Bandzoogle where you can build your bands website and store in minutes. @thetourstories listeners get 30% off at distrokid.com/vip/tourstories. GET YOUR MUSIC OUT THERE! ITS EASY WITH @distrokidEp supported by Heil Sound. Now through December 4th, they are having their Fall Fifty sale. The following mics are $50 off their retail prices:PR 40 Champagne - Sale: $329, Retail: $379PR 40 Black - Sale: $329, Retail: $379PR 30 Champagne - Sale: $249, Retail: $299PR 30 Black - Sale: $249, Retail: $299PR 77D Black - Sale: $199, Retail: $249RC 22 Wireless Capsule - Sale: $149, Retail: $199 visit heilsound.comCODE Ruinous10 cannot be used in combination with the Fall Fifty discountSchecter Guitars, your first choice for high-quality construction and innovative design at an unbeatable price. @schecterguitarsofficialMentioned in this episode:Schecter GuitarsDistrokidHeilsound.com

Kristeen Young is a singer, songwriter and pianist based in New York city. Her 12th studio album Full Scrotal Scorpio is out now. Kristeen shares her experience growing up in St. Louis in a strict religious home and how she maneuvered her limited access to music and culture. She tells us why leaving a sketchy and archaically structured record label led her producing, mixing and engineering Full Scrotal Scorpio. Joe and Kristeen discuss her approach to the new record, how she collaborates with her drummer Jefferson White and why she wanted the record wanted to “bounce” alongside its dark themes. Kristeen tells us the story behind working with Billy Corgan, and we sample a few new tunes. Kristeen YoungOur sponsors keep this show alive, please give them a visit.Kingston Union MFG is thee place for the Wino, the classic punk rock shoe for all occasions. Kingston is fully restocked and are rocking their Fall/Winter collection. Visit Kingston Union now. All shoes from their Blue Collection 50% off now! Ep supported by @distrokid. Distrokid now offers Bandzoogle where you can build your bands website and store in minutes. @thetourstories listeners get 30% off at distrokid.com/vip/tourstories. GET YOUR MUSIC OUT THERE! ITS EASY WITH @distrokidEp supported by Heil Sound. For 60 years, Heil Sound has provided innovative, professional quality sound for stage, studio, broadcast, and podcast. Grammy-winning artists and sound engineers worldwide trust Heil microphones for their legendary sound. To find out more about the full line of Heil microphones and products, visit heilsound.com. NOW! TO GET 10% OF YOUR TOTAL PURCHASE AT heilsound.com, USE CODE Ruinous10Mentioned in this episode:Heil MicrophonesDistrokidSchecter Guitars

James Goodson is a singer, songwriter and founding member of Richmond, VA based Dazy. His newest release, MAXIMUMBLASTSUPERLOUD VOL. 2: 24 SONGS FROM 2023-2026 is due out 10.23 via Lame-O Records. James tells us how a 24-song release is ironically a product of his affinity for short, non-limiting philosophy of releasing music and why he thinks this represents the Dazy vibe at this point the bands 6+ year history. He tells us how the record pushed him in a new direction in both song-writing and sonic dynamics and why it was both scary and challenging. We learn how winds up with several versions of the same song, Joe and James brainstorm a novel release/touring concept and we sample a few new tunes. DazyLame-O RecordsOur sponsors keep this show alive, please give them a visit.Kingston Union MFG is thee place for the Wino, the classic punk rock shoe for all occasions. Kingston is fully restocked and are rocking their Fall/Winter collection. Visit Kingston Union now. All shoes from their Blue Collection 50% off now! Ep supported by @distrokid. Distrokid now offers Bandzoogle where you can build your bands website and store in minutes. @thetourstories listeners get 30% off at distrokid.com/vip/tourstories. GET YOUR MUSIC OUT THERE! ITS EASY WITH @distrokidEp supported by Heil Sound. For 60 years, Heil Sound has provided innovative, professional quality sound for stage, studio, broadcast, and podcast. Grammy-winning artists and sound engineers worldwide trust Heil microphones for their legendary sound. To find out more about the full line of Heil microphones and products, visit heilsound.com. NOW! TO GET 10% OF YOUR TOTAL PURCHASE AT heilsound.com, USE CODE Ruinous10Mentioned in this episode:DistrokidHeil Microphones

Taylor Zantingh and Tyler Paterson are two founding members of PISS, a noisy, genre-bending four-piece from Vancouver, B.C. Their debut album you made me / skin on linen is due on October 30th via Sub Pop Records. Taylor and Tyler tell us how their separate disciplines combined to form PISS and why Taylor’s collage writing project informed the shape of made me / skin on linen. We learn how anonymity provided Taylor a sense of safety in her writing for the new record and why a change in Tylers approach to music helped blend the overall dynamic. Taylor tells us how she views her breath as an instrument, how she prepares for the physical damage of touring and why they recorded her vocals in a secluded camper van. Tyler and Taylor tell us why they are getting physical copies out to like-minded communities for free and we sample a couple new tunes. PISSSub Pop RecordsPaper Bag RecordsOur sponsors keep this show alive, please give them a visit.Kingston Union MFG is thee place for the Wino, the classic punk rock shoe for all occasions. Kingston is fully restocked and are rocking their Fall/Winter collection. Visit Kingston Union now.Ep supported by @distrokid. Distrokid now offers Bandzoogle where you can build your bands website and store in minutes. @thetourstories listeners get 30% off at distrokid.com/vip/tourstories. GET YOUR MUSIC OUT THERE! ITS EASY WITH @distrokidEp supported by Heil Sound. For 60 years, Heil Sound has provided innovative, professional quality sound for stage, studio, broadcast, and podcast. Grammy-winning artists and sound engineers worldwide trust Heil microphones for their legendary sound. To find out more about the full line of Heil microphones and products, visit heilsound.com. NOW! TO GET 10% OF YOUR TOTAL PURCHASE AT heilsound.com, USE CODE Ruinous10Mentioned in this episode:Heil MicrophonesDistrokid

N8NOFACE is a singer, musician and writer raised in Arizona, based in California. His new album Tomorrows World is due out October 16th via Stones Throw. N8 shares his experience growing up in the Sonoran Desert and how his inherent need for music and literature shaped the artist he is today. He tells how producer Dave Sitek pushed him in a new direction on Tomorrows World and why that was such a powerful experience. We learn why his approach to songwriting is to do “everything wrong” and how the different voices in his songs are a product being consumed by emotion. N8 breaks down the meaning behind the song Memories, he shares his touring set up and we sample a few new tunes. N8NOFACEStones Throw RecordsOur sponsors keep this show alive, please give them a visit.Kingston Union MFG is thee place for the Wino, the classic punk rock shoe for all occasions. Kingston is fully restocked and are rocking their Fall/Winter collection. Visit Kingston Union now.Ep supported by @distrokid. Distrokid now offers Bandzoogle where you can build your bands website and store in minutes. @thetourstories listeners get 30% off at distrokid.com/vip/tourstories. GET YOUR MUSIC OUT THERE! ITS EASY WITH @distrokidEp supported by Heil Sound. For 60 years, Heil Sound has provided innovative, professional quality sound for stage, studio, broadcast, and podcast. Grammy-winning artists and sound engineers worldwide trust Heil microphones for their legendary sound. To find out more about the full line of Heil microphones and products, visit heilsound.com. NOW! TO GET 10% OF YOUR TOTAL PURCHASE AT heilsound.com, USE CODE Ruinous10Mentioned in this episode:DistrokidHeil Microphones

Yoni Wolf is a singer, songwriter and founding member of Cincinnati based WHY? His newest album Oh Golly/Yes Lord is due out October 30th via Waterlines. Yoni shares his relationship with music as and youngster and how his dad opened his songwriting world with just a few major chords. He tells us how a reductive approached shaped the new record and why Oh Golly/Yes Lord functions as a mediation on both the future and the past. We also get some insight into to his writing process and what motivates his production style from record to record. Joe and Yoni celebrate the power of studio ambiance, Yoni tells us why a intimacy is the goal of his live performance, and we sample a couple new tunes.WHY?Our sponsors keep this show alive, please give them a visit.Kingston Union MFG is thee place for the Wino, the classic punk rock shoe for all occasions. Kingston is fully restocked and are rocking their Fall/Winter collection. Visit Kingston Union now.Ep supported by @distrokid. Distrokid now offers Bandzoogle where you can build your bands website and store in minutes. @thetourstories listeners get 30% off at distrokid.com/vip/tourstories. GET YOUR MUSIC OUT THERE! ITS EASY WITH @distrokidEp supported by Heil Sound. For 60 years, Heil Sound has provided innovative, professional quality sound for stage, studio, broadcast, and podcast. Grammy-winning artists and sound engineers worldwide trust Heil microphones for their legendary sound. To find out more about the full line of Heil microphones and products, visit heilsound.com. NOW! TO GET 10% OF YOUR TOTAL PURCHASE AT heilsound.com, USE CODE Ruinous10Mentioned in this episode:Schecter GuitarsDistrokidHeil Microphones

Spread JoyFeel It RecordsBriana Hernandez is the singer of Chicago based band Spread Joy. Their newest record III is out now via Feel It Records. We learn how Briana went from being over the idea of being in a band to becoming the lead singer of Spread Joy. She shares how the band approached the new recorded differently, why they scrapped their first attempt and why slowing down the writing process provided a freshness to III. She also shares her approach to vocal delivery and why recording live in the studio is important to the bands collective experience. We hear why the band was temporarily not able to play live shows, we get the story behind the slightly unnerving video for their single Iambic Pentameter, and we sample a couple new songs. Our sponsors keep this show alive, please give them a visit.Kingston Union MFG is thee place for the Wino, the classic punk rock shoe for all occasions. Kingston is fully restocked and are rocking their Fall/Winter collection. Visit Kingston Union now.Ep supported by @distrokid. Distrokid now offers Bandzoogle where you can build your bands website and store in minutes. @thetourstories listeners get 30% off at distrokid.com/vip/tourstories. GET YOUR MUSIC OUT THERE! ITS EASY WITH @distrokidEp supported by Schecter Guitars. For 50 years, Schecter Guitars has pushed the limits of craftsmanship, innovation, and tone—building instruments trusted by players who demand more from their sound. This milestone celebrates a legacy forged on stages and in studios worldwide, while looking boldly ahead to the next era of performance-driven design. Have your mind blown here. Schecter GuitarsMentioned in this episode:Schecter GuitarsDistrokid

Will Schwarz and Lynn Truell are two of the four founding members of Imperial Teen. Their newest record All Over You is due out October 9th via Merge Records. Will and Lynn tell us how supportive and caring collaboration plays a role in the bands creative process and longevity. We learn how All Over You reflects the current state affairs and why Will took a playfully pessimistic approach to his writing. The three discuss the resonating power of modular song titles like All Over You, Will and Lynn share their experience making the video for the new single Overdrive and they commiserate on the lost activity of “hanging at the mall” . Imperial TeenMerge RecordsOur sponsors keep this show alive, please give them a visit.Kingston Union MFG is thee place for the Wino, the classic punk rock shoe for all occasions. Kingston is fully restocked and are rocking their Fall/Winter collection. Visit Kingston Union now. Ep supported by @distrokid. Distrokid now offers Bandzoogle where you can build your bands website and store in minutes. @thetourstories listeners get 30% off at distrokid.com/vip/tourstories. GET YOUR MUSIC OUT THERE! ITS EASY WITH @distrokidEp supported by Schecter Guitars. For 50 years, Schecter Guitars has pushed the limits of craftsmanship, innovation, and tone—building instruments trusted by players who demand more from their sound. This milestone celebrates a legacy forged on stages and in studios worldwide, while looking boldly ahead to the next era of performance-driven design. Have your mind blown here. Schecter GuitarsMentioned in this episode:Schecter GuitarsDistrokid

Dawn Moraga and Tim Lusk are the guitarists, singers and founding members of the Kill Devil Hills based band Cor De Lux. Their third full length and Ipecac Records debut Year Of he Horse is due out on September 18th. Tim and Dawn share their live performance focused songwriting process, the evolution of singing duties in the band and why all rehearsals begin with their version of a therapy session. Dawn tells us why her vocals come second to playing guitar in the band, how she’s controls the energy in each song and why she’s apprehensive of traditional guitar instruction. We hear why the Year of The Horse reflects their lives at a certain time, they share their experience recording with the great J. Robbins and the two give us the story behind the song Blind Smile.Cor De LuxIpecac ReocordsOur sponsors keep this show alive, please give them a visit.Kingston Union MFG is thee place for the Wino, the classic punk rock shoe for all occasions. Kingston is fully restocked and are rocking their Fall/Winter collection. Visit Kingston Union now. Ep supported by @distrokid. Distrokid now offers Bandzoogle where you can build your bands website and store in minutes. @thetourstories listeners get 30% off at distrokid.com/vip/tourstories. GET YOUR MUSIC OUT THERE! ITS EASY WITH @distrokidEp supported by Schecter Guitars. For 50 years, Schecter Guitars has pushed the limits of craftsmanship, innovation, and tone—building instruments trusted by players who demand more from their sound. This milestone celebrates a legacy forged on stages and in studios worldwide, while looking boldly ahead to the next era of performance-driven design. Have your mind blown here. Schecter GuitarsMentioned in this episode:Schecter GuitarsDistrokidKingston UnionKingston Union, your home for the original Wino shoes Kingstonunionmfg.com