Chapter 497 - "I Think It Could Be Great" ...as read by Luke Caley of unpeople I’m so stoked to share my chat with Luke Caley from unpeople today! Unpeople recently released their self-titled ep on Sharptone Records! Luke talks about struggling with ADHD and how guitar helped him focus, the struggles of being a musician in the UK, Sharptone taking …

This week, we're scratching The Itch for riffs! And boy do our guests have them in spades! Jake Crawford and Luke Caley of Unpeople (and formerly of Press to MECO) join us for a delightful chat that covers the disbandment of their old band, the formation of their new one, the ingredients that make them so dynamic, and a whole bunch of pure music ne…

This week, we're scratching The Itch to dream big! We're sharing our personal interview wishlists with the world, because once it's out there, there's an expectation? Maybe? Plus, we put the call out for who YOU want to hear us talk with, and we've got some excellent responses to share! Join us for laughs and a glimpse into the possible future of T…

Chapter 496 - "I Like To Be Immersive In Music" ...as read by Brent Mills of Greyhaven Today we welcome Greyhaven vocalist Brent Mills to the podcast! Greyhaven just dropped their brand new ep, Stereo Grief, on Solid State Records! Brent talks about finding a place among rigid metal scenes and how that’s changing, what has led to long stretches bet…

Chapter 495 - "As Long As I Can Create and Make Art" ...as read by Sammy Kay Today we welcome Sammy Kay to the podcast! Sammy is currently playing guitar in The Kilograms, a new ska/reggae project with Joe Gittleman, formerly of the Mighty Mighty Bostones. The Kilograms released their debut ep earlier this year. Sammy talks about music as a means o…

This week, we're scratching The Itch to see shows by friends old and new! We got to see Itch guests Caskets on their tour with Set It Off and Crown the Empire, as well as repeat Itch guests SAUL headlining with Kingdom Collapse and Hang Your Hate. Join us for a discussion about the pros and cons of drinking too much before (and after) a show and th…

Chapter 494 - "What Am I Going To Leave Behind" ...as read by Joe Calderon of Lightworker Today we welcome back to the podcast Lightworker frontman Joe Calderon. The new Lightworker record, How The Beautiful Decay, is out today on Solid State Records! Joe talks about releasing the band’s debut during lockdowns, why it took so long to release their …

Chapter 493 - "Keep Moving Forward" ...as read by Tara Hahn of Half Past Two Today we welcome Half Past Two vocalist Tara Hahn to the podcast. The new Half Past Two record, Talk Is Killing Me, is out this Friday on Bad Time Records! Tara talks about how her aunt got her into ska and how growing up in Orange County fostered that love, nearly quittin…

Chapter 492 - "We're Not A Pirate Band" ...as read by Jules Mitch of SETYØURSAILS Today we welcome Jules Mitch from German metalcore band SETYØURSAILS to the podcast! The new SETYØURSAILS record, Bad Blood, is out today, April 12th, via Napalm Records! Jules talks about her dad’s influence on her as a music fan, moving to Cologne and starting the b…

Chapter 491 - "Prove We're Still A Heavy Band" ...as read by Matt McDougal of Boundaries Today we welcome Boundaries vocalist Matt McDougal to the podcast! Boundaries just released one of my favorite records of the year, Death Is A Little More, on 3Dot Records. Matt talks about getting involved in the Connecticut hardcore scene and the history of B…

This week, we're scratching The Itch for albums! We're filling you in on three of our favorite records from the first quarter of 2024: Dead Poet Society's "FISSION," Blind Channel's "Exit Emotions," and Kid Kapichi's "There Goes the Neighborhood." Enjoy, as Dead Poet Society completes the trifecta of having an album review episode, a live review ep…

Chapter 490 - "Other Emotions" ...as read by Chaney Elaine of House Parties Today we welcome Chaney Elaine from House Parties to the podcast! House Parties released their latest ep, Side Effects, back in January with Equal Vision Records. Chaney talks about the importance of Hayley Williams and Paramore, being excited to find a band name that wasn’…

Chapter 489 - "Nothing Is Better Than This" ...as read by Jonah Matranga Today we welcome Jonah Matranga back to the podcast! Iodine Records recently released Onelinedrawing’s Sketchbook 1999-2001, a collection of the Sketchbook ep’s plus some of Jonah’s favorite material from the timeframe on vinyl! Jonah is also the singer for Sons Of Alpha Centa…

This week, we're scratching The Itch to hang with a MO bro! Or sis, to be accurate. Casandra Carson, frontwoman of Springfield, Missouri's Paralandra, joins us for an energized chat about her band's new album The Body Electric. Along the way we'll discuss the story behind "Love of My Life", Casandra's gift to her boyfriend, the fun they had making …

Chapter 488 - "Embrace Yourself and Express Your Feelings" ...as read by Avralize Today we welcome Avralize to the podcast! Avralize recently released their debut record, Freaks, on Arising Empire Records! The guys talks about live music unlocking a love for heavy music, how covid lockdowns led the band to take their music more seriously, the meani…

Chapter 487 - "Accidental Hardcore Frontman" ...as read by Rob Fish Today we welcome 108 and Unsufferable frontman Rob Fish to the podcast! Unsufferable dropped their first two songs earlier this year with Iodine Records! Rob talks about discovering hardcore, his involvement with Hare Krishna, how he keeps ending up fronting hardcore bands, his app…

This week, we're scratching The Itch to run it back! Keith Wallen becomes a repeat guest, joining us to talk about his upcoming album Infinity Now and our collective Shiprocked experience. We'll discuss gratitude, loss, how Keith challenges himself as solo artist outside of Breaking Benjamin, and a surprising journey that inspired one of his new tr…

Chapter 486 - "We Have A Voice That Is Going To Be Heard" ...as read by Venues Today we welcome back to the podcast Robin and Lela from Venues! The new Venues record, Transience, is out this Friday, March 29th, via Arising Empire Records! Robin and Lela discuss the contrasts between this album cycle and Solace, the band undergoing lineup changes an…

Chapter 485 - "I Like That The Record Expresses Something" ...as read by Jørn Kaarstad of Bokassa Today we welcome Bokassa guitarist and frontman Jørn Kaarstad. Bokassa released All Out Of Dreams back on February 16th with Indie Records! Jørn talks about the lack of a punk scene growing up, the struggles of picking a band name, touring with Metalli…

Chapter 484 - "I Should've Been Able To Have Those Conversations" ...as read by Frail Body Today I’m stoked to share my chat with Lowell and Nic from Frail Body! Frail Body will release their new record, Artificial Bouquet, next Friday, March 29th, on Deathwish Records. The guys talk about the Rockford Illinois scene, their love for screamo, signin…

This week, we're scratching The Itch to lie to you (but just a little)! We've got a smidge more Shiprocked-related business to take care of in the form of booking the 2025 lineup. (Alan, if you're listening...) Plus, Dan saw a show featuring two acts from Shiprocked 2024 in Beartooth and episode 180 guests Sleep Theory, as well as two bands he was …

Chapter 483 - "Let's Write A Metal Album" ...as read by Joel Hokka of Blind Channel Today we welcome Joel Hokka, lead vocalist for Finnish nu metal band Blind Channel to the podcast! Blind Channel recently released Exit Emotion on Century Media Records. Joel talks about the band’s love for Linkin Park, how Covid got the band to participate in Eurov…

Chapter 482 - "A Soundtrack To Everybody's Life" ...as read by James Clark of Kill The Lights Today we welcome James Clark, vocalist for Kill the Lights to the podcast! Kill the Lights released Death Melodies last week on Fearless Records! James talk about moving to America to play soccer, staying to pursue music, the formation of Kill the Lights, …

Chapter 481 - "Expressing What We Have In Our Minds" ...as read by Defocus Today we welcome Simon and Jeffery from Defocus to the podcast. Defocus released There Is A Place For Me On Earth back on March 1st via Arising Empire Records! The guys talk about their musical backgrounds, releasing music during lockdowns, expanding their sound on the new r…

This week, we're scratching The Itch for a tradition! March Bandness returns, and we've got an 8-artist field vying for the prize of their very own dedicated Itch episode! Visit the polls below to vote on the first round, and check back later, as the link will stay updated with each current round. Plus, one artist gets a bonus preview, as KC and Da…

Chapter 480 - "This Is All I've Done With My Life" ...as read by Shane Handal Today we welcome Shane Handal to the podcast! Shane is the frontman for Philly indie rock band Timelost. Timelost released their new album, Drained, back on February 23rd via Church Road Records. Shane also works for Atom Splitter PR! Shane talks about growing up and the …

Chapter 479 - "We've Been Called 100 Genres Already" ...as read by Floya Today we welcome Phil and Marv from Floya to the podcast! New Floya record, Yume, is out today on Arising Empire Records! The guys talk about their metalcore backgrounds, how they teamed up to start Floya, the origin of the band name, releasing their album single by single and…

Chapter 478 - "Growth Can Be Brutal" ...as read by Emily Highfield of Suldusk Today we welcome Emily Highfield from Suldusk to the podcast! Suldusk released Anthesis last Friday on Napalm Records! Emily talks about music as a safe place, finding a community on SoundCloud, discovering a love for black metal, pushing the aggression on Anthesis, and m…

This week, we're scratching The Itch for ... more culmination? Not content to summarize Shiprocked in one episode, we're back with part two of our recap. And we sandwiched an interview in between! Shiprocked 2024 was something we'll never forget, and after this episode, you might not either. Thank you for whatever part of this journey you've been a…

Chapter 477 - "It Sounded Like Fun" ...as read by Taylor Roberts Today we welcome Taproot guitarist and Riding With Killers frontman Taylor Roberts to the podcast! Riding With Killers released Full Circle back in December and Taylor and I chatted in January. Taylor talks about his painting business, the struggle to find his place in the Gulf Coast …

Chapter 476 - "A Reflection Of The World We're Living In" ...as read by Boris from Moneky3 Today we welcome Monkey3 guitarist Boris to the podcast! Monkey3 released Welcome To The Machine last Friday on Napalm Records. Boris talks about how the band's name is a tribute, the struggles of trying to find a vocalist and what led to the band going the i…

Chapter 475 - "We Didn't Expect That Kind Of Focus" ...as read by Øystein Brun of Borknagar Today we welcome Borknagar guitarist Øystein Brun to the podcast! Borknagar released Fall last Friday on Century Media Records. Øystein talks about how doing press has changed over his 30 year career, the rise of the Norwegian metal scene, how the album artw…

This week, we're scratching The Itch for an intermission! When we last left our heroes, The Itch was at halfway through recapping our Shiprocked adventure. Eva Under Fire had an adventure of their own at this point in the story, so this week vocalist and part-time Itch co-host Eva Marie joins us to discuss Shiprocked from the artists' perspective. …

Chapter 474 - "The Niche Can't Be Completely Obscure" ...as read by Leah Today we welcome symphonic metal vocalist Leah to the podcast. Leah released her new record, The Glory and The Fallen, today. Leah talks about discovering symphonic metal, creating a fanbase without touring, the theatrical and visual elements of Leah, her dreams for the future…

Chapter 473 - "Rock Will Always Be Appreciated" ...as read by Damien Douleur of The Requiem Today we welcome Damien Douleur frontman for The Requiem to the podcast. The Requiem released A Cure To Poison The World last Friday on Fearless Records. Damien talks about growing up as an immigrant in the United States, creating music for art instead of ch…

This week, we're scratching The Itch for a culmination! After 20 years as a radio show and 200 episodes of a podcast, The Itch finally celebrated in the most fitting way possible: by spending a week stuck on a boat with about 30 bands, including about 10 we've had as guests! Shiprocked 2024 is in the books, and it was the perfect storm... literally…

Chapter 472 - "Doomsday Goes Away" ...as read by Uffe Cedarlund of Haystack Today we welcome Entombed guitarist and Haystack frontman Uffe Cederlund to the podcast! Haystack just released their new record Doomsday Goes Away last Friday. Uffe talks about music schools in Sweden, the desire to start a three piece band, getting older as a musician, th…

While The Itch is on vacation, we're sharing past interviews with our current Shiprocked sea mates. Next up is Episode 130: A Conversation with Sam Bam Koltun of Dorothy, Faster Pussycat, & Budderside, originally published December 6, 2022. Enjoy. If you like what you hear, you can hear more of us every Sunday night broadcasting rock to the masses …

Chapter 471 - "A Burst Of Creative Energy" ...as read by Eric Urbach from States Of Nature Today we welcome States Of Nature frontman Eric Urbach to the podcast! States Of Nature will release Brighter Than Before this Friday on Sell The Heart Records. Eric talks about learning to play guitar to join the band that would become Static Thought, signin…

While The Itch is on vacation, we're sharing past interviews with our current Shiprocked sea mates. Next up is Episode 126: A Conversation with Dorothy, originally published November 15, 2022. Enjoy. If you like what you hear, you can hear more of us every Sunday night broadcasting rock to the masses from 6-9pm CST on KCLC-FM. If you're not in the …

Chapter 470 - "Trying To Shift Perspective" ...as read by Reconciler Today we welcome Joe and Derron from Reconciler to the podcast! Reconciler released Art For Art’s Sake last Friday on Smartpunk Records! The guys talk about unknowingly being a part of the same scene, giving up a solo project to start Reconciler, surviving Covid and label drama, f…

While The Itch is on vacation, we're sharing past interviews with our current Shiprocked sea mates. Next up is Episode 86: A Conversation with Matt James of Blacktop Mojo, originally published February 8, 2022. Enjoy. If you like what you hear, you can hear more of us every Sunday night broadcasting rock to the masses from 6-9pm CST on KCLC-FM. If …

Chapter 469 - "Authenticity, Honesty, and Choosing To Do The Right Thing" ...as read by Mariel Loveland Today we welcome Mariel Loveland from Best Ex to the podcast. Best Ex released With A Smile back in October on Iodine Records. Mariel talks about trying to find her place in high school, the importance of a record label’s ethos, how misogyny and …

While The Itch is on vacation, we're sharing past interviews with our current Shiprocked sea mates. First up is Episode 46: A Conversation with Maty Madiro of From Ashes to New, originally published March 29, 2021. Enjoy. If you like what you hear, you can hear more of us every Sunday night broadcasting rock to the masses from 6-9pm CST on KCLC-FM.…

This week, we're ON A BOAT! But we're leaving you with some oldies-but-goodies while you're at Kinko's straight flippin' copies. If you like what you hear, you can hear more of us every Sunday night broadcasting rock to the masses from 6-9pm CST on KCLC-FM. If you're not in the St. Louis area, you can stream the show from 891thewood.com, TuneIn, Ra…

As The Story Grows Presents Albums That Matter: Caspian - You Are The Conductor Today I dive into my love and relationship with Caspian's debut record, You Are The Conductor! https://caspiantheband.bandcamp.com/album/you-are-the-conductor https://asthestorygrows.substack.com/ https://www.patreon.com/asthestorygrows Discord Music: Caspian - "Quovis …

Chapter 468 - "There Will Be A Lot More" ...as read by Kolby and Dalton from Levels Today we welcome Kolby Carigan and Dalton Kennerly from Levels to the podcast. Levels will release their new ep, Pulse, this Friday on Sharptone Records. The guys talk about how where they grew up shaped their musical experiences, the long road to get Kolby in the b…

This week, we're scratching The Itch for science! Jack Underkofler of Dead Poet Society joins us to talk about his band's new album, and our first favorite album of 2024: FISSION. Jack goes in depth on the process of keeping the band's music genuine while also having the eyes and ears of a label and fans on them, going to embarrassing places in his…

Chapter 467 - "The Chemistry Is Right" ...as read by Lukas Kerk of Hiraes Today I’m stoked to share my chat Hiraes guitarist Lukas Kerk. The new Hires record, Dormant, is out tomorrow on Napalm Records! Lukas talks about teaching himself guitar, Dawn of Disease's musical evolution, how Dawn of Disease morphed into Hiraes, the joy of having Britta w…

Chapter 466 - "We Want To Give The People A Positive Message" ...as read by Dennis Diehl of Any Given Day Today we welcome Any Given Day frontman Dennis Diehl to the podcast. The new Any Given Day record, Limitless, is out this Friday on Arising Empire Records! Dennis talks about the process of bands that led to the formation of Any Given Day, the …