Whatever Comes Next with Tom Osman (Getting to know the music makers out on the fringes )

Well, here we are.

This is my interview with Peter Stahl of Scream. It’s also the first episode of my new podcast. The name? Yes, you guessed it: Whatever Comes Next.

Branding is important, no?

I don’t want to repeat too much of what I say in the intro to the interview, but to quickly contextualise this post, I interviewed Peter and Franz Stahl and Enoch Thompson of Scream for New Noise Magazine a couple of months ago.

Originally making a name for themselves in Washington DC in the 80s, Scream was a band I’d heard very good things about, without ever really getting to know them.

Released last month on Dischord Records DC Special is the band’s first full-length record in 30 years. It was recorded by the band’s original unit of Peter, Franz, Enoch and drummer Kent Stacks (with a host of guests).

Not long after the recording of the album, Kent Stacks was diagnosed with cancer. Sadly, he died prior to the album’s release.

I fell in love with DC Special. I never imagined, before I listened to the album for the first time, that it would be bursting with so much variety and creativity.

Interviewing the guys for New Noise was a great experience and I’m very grateful to Peter (and Dan at DisciplinePR) for giving me the opportunity to do this second interview where Peter and I delved into the lyrics of some of the album’s tracks, as well as a little bit of the band’s history.

Next Tuesday the Every Album Ever with Mike & Alex podcast will post an episode about DC Special, for which I gave the guys notes from both interviews. So go check them out on Spotify or YouTube.

So, that’s it really. I’ve been dipping my toe into podcasting for Ghost Cult Magazine and Blessed Altar Zine and now I’m ready to do my own thing too.

This is Whatever Comes Next.

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Bronson Arm is a noise-rock duo based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, comprising Blake Bickel on vocals and baritone guitar, alongside Garrett Yates on drums. With their debut, self-titled, full-length album set for release on 12 January (Learning Curve Records) I caught up with the pair to talk about the forthcoming record and their experiences making music together.

Everything about Bronson Arm generates a certain feeling of unease, from the song titles, to the album artwork, the band name and the music itself. As you’ll hear in the interview this was all very intentional Blake and Garrett looking for ways to keep listeners. on their toes.

I knew the album was going to be right up my street within minutes of my first listen to an advance copy of the album. I was also pretty sure it would be just right for Every Album Ever With Mike & Alex.

Well, it definitely piqued Mike’s interest. I never want to spoil the surprise of what Mike & Alex think of the music they discuss on the podcast, so I don’t know what they thought of the album, but I know they recorded an episode on it. That’ll be available on YouTube and Spotify later this day. I highly recommend that you check it out.

You can order a copy of the album from the Learning Curve Records web store. Meanwhile follow the band on Instagram @bronson_arm_noise to keep up to date. on live shows. and other news.

Thanks for reading (and listening). If you haven’t already, why not subscribe? It’ll make me happy and I’ll do my darnedest to keep you entertained.

On this latest episode of Whatever Comes Next I talk with Pej Mon, until recently a powerful and versatile drummer who made a major decision prior to the creation of his latest project Sätyäsenä. Pej decided he didn’t want to just be the drummer, he wanted to be the main creative force and songwriter.

The issue? Pej operates within the varied permutations of guitar-driven rock music (of the dark, psychedelic, sometimes avantgarde variety), but had zero guitar training.

The solution? Well, Pej learned guitar from scratch and at the same time created the debut self-titled record of Sätyäsenä.

As you’ll hear this is far from simple three-chord punk-rock; this is complex, multi-faceted rock music with shifting time signatures and melodies often derived from Persian or Arabian scales. And that’s just the technical side.

Creating Sätyäsenä has also been a journey of self-discovery and realisation, tied into his own spiritual practice.

We get into all of that in the interview, Pej’s musical background, adapting to life as a frontman and plenty more.

Sätyäsenä (the album) is a powerful, otherworldly beast of interweaving rhythms and mysterious visions, available on the 26th of January from Sympatry records (here via bandcamp).

Also check out the Every Album Ever With Mick & Alex podcast episode (coming out later today on YouTube and Spotify) where the guys discuss the album in detail.

Enjoy the interview.

As soon as I listened to a promo copy of Without Motion (the newly-released debut album by post-punk band Feral Family) I knew I wanted to promote it somehow.

I’ve been listening to the album regularly over the past weeks. The band’s mix of gothic guitar-driven rock, satisfyingly propulsive bass lines and moody imagery came as a welcome change of pace for me amid a lot of noise rock and extreme metal that I’ve been listening to recently.

Talking with Oscar and Jamie (two thirds of the band, alongside drummer Aidan) revealed the time and effort that’s gone into getting the band to this point of having their first full-length record recorded and released. It’s been quite a journey.

I was very interested to explore how Oscar and Jamie (the band’s sole constants) got to this point. I think their experience is quite insightful and valuable for anyone starting out and trying to make it as a band.

In a few days Feral Family will be embarking on their first UK headline tour, in support of the album. I’ll be seeing them at their London show (the last leg of the tour).

You can see all the dates below and if you click here, you can get links to the band’s social media, streams for the album and (if copies are still available) Without Motion on a very limited vinyl run.

I hope you’ll enjoy the conversation and (if you haven’t already done so) check out the album.

Thanks for reading. If you haven’t already, why not subscribe? It’ll make me happy and I’ll do my darnedest to keep you entertained.

For the latest episode of Whatever Comes Next I talked with vocalist Vincent, guitarist Heddy and drummer Mathieu of French, chaotic-hardcore unit Something Animal to discuss the five piece’s newly-released EP, Bestial Curse Pt. 1.

Having released their first EP, Urban Zoology, back in 2019, Something Animal found their plans disrupted by the global pandemic and subsequent lockdowns in France.

The band made the best of a less-than-ideal situation, writing a clutch of songs and bringing in their latest member, Mathieu (after their original drummer jumped ship), and once they were all able to be in one room again set about recording their latest EP.

And what exactly is chaotic hardcore (I hear you possibly ask)? Well, if I’ve got it right, it’s basically hardcore music with sudden shifts in tempo and rhythm. The “chaotic” part should not be taken to mean “messy”, quite the opposite, this is precisely-constructed, controlled chaos.

Don’t take it from me though, you can hear from the band directly in this here interview that is just one click away.

Thanks for listening. If you haven’t already, why not subscribe? It’ll make me happy and I’ll do my darnedest to keep you entertained.

Scotty Heath has been running Tankcrimes for half his life.

The underground label, dedicated to grimy punk rock and metal, has just put out new EP Noxious Concoctions by monstrous death metal entity Ghoul and this Thursday the band, alongside label-mates Necrot and Dead Heat will join Municipal Waste for the Brainsqueeze 2024 tour, celebrating 21 years of the latter’s debut album Waste ‘Em All.

Scotty and Municipal Waste go way back, with Scotty having been involved with the band in one capacity or another for about as long as he’s been running Tankcrimes.

We get into how Scotty Heath came to be affectionately called the band’s sixth member, the history of Brainsqueeze, the forthcoming tour, all sorts of insights about running a label, not to mention Scotty’s wild story about how he kept the label afloat during financial difficulty.

The man has a cool story and a very cool label. Hear all about it in this latest interview for Whatever Comes Next.

Thanks for reading (and listening). If you haven’t already, why not subscribe? It’ll make me happy and I’ll do my darnedest to keep you entertained.

Guitarist/ vocalist Tony Gonzalez and drummer/ vocalist Timo Silvola formed Barren Womb back in 2011. Since then the duo has released five full-length records, the latest being Chemical Tardigrade (F*****g North Pole Records/ Blues For The Red Sun).

A band with a social conscience, Barren Womb layers its societal critiques in absurdist humour (and no small amount of abrasive, guitar-driven rock). The music is in your face, sounding as crazed as a barrel-load of ferrets rolling down a mountain.

Timo talks to me about the origins of the band, squatting, life on the road for a Norwegian band and plenty of in-depth insight of the album.

You can listen to Chemical Tardigrade on all streaming platforms and if you like it, why not buy a physical copy? Timo recommends Stickman Records for anyone in Europe.

Meanwhile, you can follow the band on Instagram and facebook @Barrenwomb where you can see all upcoming tour dates for the band.

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King Yosef makes dark, industrial music. If you’re a child of the 90s like me, you might take Nine Inch Nails as a jumping-off point, but that’s only one aspect. Let’s just say the music is intense, often abrasive, but catchy too.

It would fit right in in a rock club, you could listen to it in the gym, or going for a run, sometimes you could even dance to it.

Yosef has navigated his way through the music business without any label backing, manager or agent, to the point where he’s just returned from touring Australia and Japan.

2023 saw the release of what Yosef considers his first proper album, An Underlying Hum. Latest single “Cut The Cord/ Shame’s Mirror” show’s how his sound is already evolving.

With a US tour supporting Health getting underway on March 2nd in Ventura, CA and other announcements in the pipeline, 2024 is shaping up to be a big year for King Yosef.

You can listen to and buy the latest single from King Yosef’s bandcamp, where you can also get links to all social media and see live dates of the upcoming tour.

Thanks for reading (and listening). Subscribe, if you haven’t done so already, to get every episode of Whatever Comes Next the moment it goes online each Tuesday.

Victoria, Canada’s NoMeansNo is a band that the average person on the street might not recognise, but their favourite band probably does. In fact NoMeansNo might be their favourite band’s favourite band.

Formed in 1979 by brothers John and Rob Wright, NoMeansNo carved out their own bass-and-drum-heavy strain of jazz-infused punk rock for over three decades, before finally putting the band to rest in 2016.

Wilfully obscure and surrealist when it came to promos and bios, NoMeansNo developed a certain mythos partly from a sense of mystery around the band members (certainly aided by decades of great music).

But now thanks to the diligent work of journalist, radio host and long-time-NoMeansNo fan Jason Lamb some of that mystery is being shed within the pages of ‘NoMeansNo: From Obscurity To Oblivion, an oral history’.

The book charts the life of the band, going all the way back to John and Rob’s formative years, told from the perspectives of those in the band, around the band, admirers of the band. It’s a story of many perspectives.

I was lucky enough to get the chance to talk with Jason and John for an interview feature that first appeared in issue 70 of New Noise Magazine. There’s also a web Q&A that you can read here.

Three is a magic number though, so now here for your listening pleasure is my extended interview with Jason Lamb and John Wright, where we talk all things NoMeansNo as well as John’s current project Dead Bob.

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Prisoner are a hard band to put into a neat box. The Richmond, Virginia five-piece could be described as sludge metal, crust punk, industrial metal and more besides.

What can be said with certainly is that the band’s forthcoming album Putrid / Obsolete makes for a convincing soundtrack to a world going up in flames.

As heavy in mood as it is sonically, you might expect (after listening to these raging blasts of intensity) that the makers of this music would be similarly intense and intimidating.

Happily, my experience of talking with Guitarist/ vocalist Pete Rozsa and drummer Joel Hansen was only positive.

We talked about their formative musical passions, the long process of brining Putrid / Obsolete into existence, our shared love of Neurosis (the band!) and plenty more.

You can pre-order the album from Persistent Vision Records, or Deathwish Inc for European customers.

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Lina Sophie & Richey Rose first met in November 2017 in NYC and discovered a shared love of indie-rock bands from the UK like Suede, Manic Street Preachers and The Cure.

Forming Songs for Sabotage, the duo’s first album Night of Joy drew from these guitar-centred sources, with splashes of the pop sensibilities of bands like Roxette.

Having dubbed their debut their “New York album”, the pair decided to relocate to LA in the midst of the global Covid pandemic, where they completed what would become their second album, Clean Trauma (reviewed for New Noise Magazine here).

While still demonstrating their indie-rock roots, the pair made a conscious decision to lean into pop aesthetics, with catchy hooks and prominent use of synths.

On the eve of the album’s online release I caught up with the pair to talk about the album, their musical inspirations, growing up as outsiders and the practicalities of being independent artists.

You can listen to Clean Trauma on the usual streaming platforms, or buy a copy from the Songs for Sabotage bandcamp page

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O ZORN! has been described as post-metal, sludge metal, doom metal, but I’m not one for putting bands in boxes (when I can avoid it), so let’s just say O ZORN! is dark. That’s certainly a suitable descriptor of the band’s latest record Vermillion Haze.

The band’s frontman, songwriter and driving force Bill Kielty and I discuss the events leading up to the making of the album and as you’ll hear plenty was going on that would explain the mournful tone of the record.

I only have one regret from this interview. I didn’t ask Bill if he ever considered doing a cover of Art Garfunkel’s “Bright Eyes”.

I’m going to leave it up to you to figure out that reference.

Thanks for reading (and listening). If you haven’t done so already, why not subscribe? And hey, what’s this? That’s right, the podcast is now on Spotify too. Well how about that.

Del Judas has quite an eclectic musical story by anyone’s standards. One-time extreme metal drummer, crooner by day, country-goth artist, now having released something separate from all of these elements, new single “Angela”.

I was drawn right in by “Angela” on the first listen and intrigued by the shift in tone from the significantly darker debut album Deity.

How often do you come across an artist that can be compared in various moments to Chris Isaak, Roy Orbison, Bauhaus, The Cure and Scott Walker?

Not so often, I’d say (answering my own rhetorical question).

Our conversation answered some questions for me. I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks for reading (and listening). If you haven’t done so already, why not subscribe? And if you like listening to podcasts on Spotify, head on over there to follow Whatever Comes Next.

Back in March the writer and performer Brother Dege released Aurora, an album evocative of his home town of Lafayette, Louisiana. It’s a beautiful album, rich in emotion, exploring the cycle of romance, break up and its impacts.

Sadly, just weeks after this conversation, and days before the release of the album, Dege died.

His backing band The Brethren and record label Prophecy Productions released the following statements.

“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of our Brother, Dege Legg. Thank you to the fans around the world, and our loving community for your support in this hard time. Please keep the family, band, and friends in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you for everything you gave to us, Dege. You are dearly missed.” - The Brethren

“It is with a heavy heart that I convey our sincere condolences to Dege Legg’s family, friends, and fellow musicians in his band. I am struck with grief and sadness on hearing about Dege’s passing, and I know that I am speaking for everybody at Prophecy Productions. In the short time of our recently engaged collaboration, we all got to know this exceptional musician as a particularly gentle, kind, and generous artist. Rest in peace, Brother Dege!” – Martin Koller (Prophecy Productions Founder)

“After searching our hearts, we have decided to proceed with the release of Aurora the sixth full-length of Brother Dege, which has been scheduled for March 15. To the best of our knowledge that is what Dege wanted. We will honor his artistic legacy by making it available to the world.

It was a pleasure to have this brief opportunity to talk with Brother Dege. Despite the sad circumstances around this interview I hope you will enjoy hearing Dege’s thoughts on music, writing and inspiration.

Aurora is out now and well worth your time.

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Dolly Dagger is an antipodean abroad (we get around). Based in LA, Dolly and her band are carving out their own little space in the indie-rock landscape of LA.

Anyone who’s spent a minute checking out Dolly’s Instagram (@dollydagger_xo) will immediately see the commitment to engage with fans and really create a community around the band and the music.

Out last week, “Tower” is the latest single, featuring some great lead guitar and drumming alongside the star of the show: Dolly’s powerful singing.

Check out “Tower” and Dolly’s other tracks on Spotify. I find the music pretty irresistibly catchy. Apparently Paramore has been a pretty big influence, but I don’t know that band so well, so I’ll have to take her word for it.

Whatever the sources of inspiration, Dolly Dagger makes a cool mix of alternative rock and catchy pop hooks.

Aside from talking about the music, Dolly have plenty of experience with navigating the music world as an independent artist. We dived right into that.

It was an enjoyable and illuminating conversation for me. I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks for reading (and listening). If you haven’t done so already, why not subscribe? Or follow Whatever Comes Next on Spotify?

ATER is an extreme metal group from Chile, combining a love of Meshuggah with other elements like black metal to create a unique sound. Their latest record Somber is out now.

I spoke with founder, bassist, vocalist, producer and sole constant of the band Fernando “Feroz” Bühring to learn more about this crushing sound that he’s created with the band.

I’ve had a lot of fun listening to the record and I had a lot of fun talking with Fernando.

Go check out Somber on streaming platforms, their music videos on YouTube and follow the band on Instagram @ATER_dark

Thanks for reading (and listening). If you haven’t done so already, why not subscribe? And if you want to see Fernando’s friendly face as we talk, check out this and future episodes of Whatever Comes Next on YouTube

[A shorter print version of this interview first appeared online at New Noise Magazine - you can read it here]

Although a minor spelling adjustment has helped LA-punk-rockers CNTS avoid falling foul of online algorithms, it makes little difference when referring to the band out loud. Therefore, welcome to the sweariest episode yet of Whatever Comes Next.

So hold onto your hats — and if you need to, clutch your pearls.

Matt Cronk is the frontman of said CNTS and boy, has he been through some tough times in recent years. We go in depth on the major car accident that had all kinds of physical ramifications, ultimately leading to a botched surgery and a severed vocal cord.

Through a certain amount of luck, Matt found a way to get his voice back far quicker than anyone could have reasonably hoped. It certainly would have been a complicated conversation if he’d had to sign everything (and not very practical for this audio version of the interview).

On that note, as you may be aware, these episodes are now going up in video form on YouTube. You can watch the video version of this interview by clicking here.

Despite Matt’s recent trials and tribulations this was one of the most fun interviews I’ve ever done. I took a punt right at the start that Matt would have a dark sense of humour (not much of a punt, I’ve heard his music!) and it seems like he had fun too.

Thoughts & Prayers is out now on Ipecac. If you haven’t listened to the album yet, do so. It’s a dirty-punk-rock treat. Below is a little sample and probably my favourite song on the album. It’s possibly my favourite song of the year so far in fact.

And if you’re wondering about the bizarre video, hey, we talk about that too, plus a whole lot more…

Thanks for reading and listening. Subscribe for free to receive new posts each week. I’ve got some great guests loaded in the chamber and ready to go. Don’t miss out.

Neezy Dynamite is one half of bubblegum-doom duo FOX MEDICINE — a band with their own unique sound (and a taste for the caps lock).

What is bubblegum doom, you ask? Well, if you’ve already heard the band, you don’t ask (you already know) and if you haven’t, I’ll let Neezy put it in her own words.

In any case, the band is something different and a lot of that can be put down to Neezy, with FOX MEDICINE being an extension of her colourful personality.

As well as being a great guest, Neezy has a hand in all aspects of the band and a wealth of insight into the life of a DIY music maker.

So come along and learn about life in the underground-music trenches from Portland, Oregon’s finest.

Thanks for reading (and listening). You can also find the podcast on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcast. If you haven’t already done so, why not subscribe right here below?

Although Fabien W. Furter didn’t know it before our interview, both he and Steve Albini are significant to the genesis of this podcast.

Before starting Whatever Comes Next I decided that I’m going to write a book about DIY music making.

Part of my initial idea was to spend some time with several people involved in DIY music scenes around the world. When I was thinking of who would be great subjects for this project, Fabien was one of the first people I thought of.

As well as being a great admirer of his music (from both former band Wheelfall and current band Death W***e), I value Fabien’s experience as an independent-label owner (No Good To Anyone Productions). In all aspects he’s pure DIY and so exactly the right kind of person for me to talk to.

Add to that, I think he has great taste in music (not to mention Wheelfall’s 2015 album Glasrew Point being a fantastic musical statement that I never tire of).

But what about Steve Albini?

Well, another part of my book idea was that I would add a personal dimension to the book. As well as gathering insights from the various subjects, there would be a thread running through the book of my own personal creative journey. Specifically to go to Chicago and record with Albini.

Sadly, that last part can’t ever happen now, following his sudden death last week.

But perhaps now more than ever, with Albini no longer being with us, it’s time for all those who he inspired to follow the example he set and pursue their own DIY musical projects with honestly, authenticity and commitment.

I guess I have no excuse now. So up up and away we go.

Thanks for reading (and listening) to Whatever Comes Next. Subscribe for free and relentlessly pester me to write this book, until I do it.

Joplan, Missouri's Gravehuffer play what I like to call "Psychedelic Heavy Metal Monster Music".

That's my best attempt at describing this unique and adventurous band, comprising vocalist Travis McKenzie, guitarist Ritchie Randall, bass player Mike Jilge and newest edition, drummer Wes McNeely.

Ritchie, Mike and Wes join the show to share their tales of life in a DIY band, booking tours, travelling the country, building relationships, strange crowds, dangerous roads, sponsorships, the importance of the merch table, various on-the-road hijinks, as well as some history of the band.

Given the band’s eclectic mix of styles, it shouldn’t be too surprising to hear the guys talking up everyone from Frank Zappa, to Godflesh to James Brown.

Check out the band’s most recent release, the live album Mile High Live (and also enjoy Travis McKenzie’s between-songs banter). The band’s last studio album …Depart From So Much Evil features a sprawling, multi-part, twenty-two-minute closing track, which I love, so it had to go in the episode at the end.

We also play a little game of "describe the hard to describe band". So if you want to hear their thoughts on Celtic Frost, Faith No More ... and more(!), come this way.

Thanks for reading (and listening) to Whatever Comes Next. Subscribe for free and help be crawl out from obscurity one fingernail at a time.

Oakland, California's death-metal trio Necrot is a band that lives to be out on the road. Having recently released their powerful latest album, Lifeless Birth on Tankcrimes, the band is poised to set off on another North American tour.

Vocalist and bassist Luca Indrio discusses some of the trials and tribulations the band went through leading up to the making of the record and how the global pandemic ended up giving the band a much-needed pause that they otherwise wouldn’t have had.

The Necrot frontman also talks about his relocation from Italy to the US (and now his latest move to Mexico), touring, album art, songwriting, life, death, the importance of physical media and the state of the world today.

Check the band out at www.necrot.com or follow them on social media @necrot_official and see where you can catch the band live as they embark on their latest North American tour — kicking off on Wed. June 5 - Berkeley CA.

This interview originally appeared in a shorter print/ web version for New Noise Magazine.

(band photos courtesy of Chris Johnston)

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Thalia Zedek (Come, Live Skull), Jason Sanford (Neptune) and newest member, drummer/ saxophonist Ernie Kim, are E. With their great, latest record Living Waters released in April on Silver Rocket, the band is about to embark on a North American and European tour.

Thalia, Jason and Ernie discuss tours, recording, the making of and meaning in Living Waters, some of Thalia's other musical projects, why they make music and more. This interview originally appeared in a shorter web version for New Noise Magazine.

Band photos courtesy of Ben Stas

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Indie-rock-pop group Oh, Rose released their debut EP That Do Now See in 2014.

With a ten-year-anniversary reissue coming out this Thursday on Antiquated Future Records, alongside "The Call", the latest single from their forthcoming album Dorothy, songwriter and vocalist Olivia Rose joins the show.

She talks about her musical background growing up in Asheville, North Carolina, moving to Olympia, Washington, some of the history of Oh, Rose, the personal story behind the "While My Father Sleeps" record, what it takes to make a record and more.

Catch Oh, Rose supporting Future Islands on tour in North America this September.

Photos courtesy of Giselle Gabrielle

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Tommy Meehan is a man on a mission to follow the DIY-music-making dream.

One of his more recent musical projects Squid Pisser just put out their latest, great, bizarre, head-spinning, glitch-punk-metal album Dreams of Puke (SKiN GRAFT Records).

Tommy joined me to talk about the band, the album and how it was put together — as well as the equally wonderful and bizarre artwork (by artist/ musician Gregory Jacobsen).

We talk about how Tommy ended up joining his childhood heroes GWAR, his record label Sweatband Records, the positives of mask wearing, various other musical projects he's been a part of over the years and plenty more.

For a man penning such delightfully grotesque gems as "Vaporize a Neighbor" and "Gack Action Gods" Tommy comes across as a total sweetheart underneath the scary masks.

Squid Pisser have North American and European live dates coming in 2024. Go check them out!

Band photo courtesy of dancefloormurder

Closing track: "Virus A******s" from Dreams of Puke (SKiN GRAFT Records, 2024)

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Canadian, extreme-metal unit APES just put out their second full-length record, Penitence, on Secret Swarm Records — with the band finding new ways to fulfil their mission statement of being heavy and relentless.

I caught up with drummer Gabriel D’Amours to discuss the latest record, the history of the band and how Gabriel keeps his life centred around music.

Band photo courtesy of Tom Morin

Closing track: "Shadow Walker" from Penitence (Secret Swarm Records, 2024)

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https://instagram.com/apesqc

https://facebook.com/apesqc

https://secretswarmrecords.com

https://www.facebook.com/SecretSwarmRecords

https://www.instagram.com/secretswarmrecords

While some fans might know Gregory Jacobsen best for his funny cat paintings, this is only one small sliver of Gregory's art (visual and musical).

Avant-rock group Lovely Little Girls (the band Gregory has fronted for more than 20 years) is often a vehicle for some of the darker aspects of the vocalist and lyricist's psyche — and it's the band that we're largely focussed on today.

We discuss Lovely Little Girls' latest record Effusive Supreme (out last year on SKiN GRAFT Records) and how the band and Gregory's writing has evolved over the years.

There's time for delving into the stories behind some of the band's most colourful songs from past releases, songwriting, performing on stage, visuals and tales from the recording studio.

Gregory also tells the story of how he met and worked with Tommy Meehan (Squid Pisser), who talks about Gregory in episode 24 of the podcast — so here were are coming full circle.

Illustrations courtesy of Gregory Jacobsen

Closing track: "Incomplete" from Effusive Supreme (SKiN GRAFT Records, 2023)

https://lovelylittlegirls.bandcamp.com/

https://www.mandai.be/index.php (Euro distribution)

https://www.instagram.com/lovely_little_girls_band/

https://www.instagram.com/gregory_jacobsen/

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While having existed as a three-piece for around half a dozen years, the story of Birmingham's Mutes goes back further.

Back in 2014 singer, guitarist and chief-songwriter James put out his first eponymous EP as Mutes. Ten years later Mutes the band (comprising James, Craig Bainton on drums and Thomas Hewson on bass) have recently released the band’s fourth full-length album ...buried where you stand (No Sound Records).

Putting Mutes, and their latest album, in a neat box isn't so easy. You could call them alt-rock or maybe post-punk. I thought I heard Hüsker Du at times, maybe some Sonic Youth.

As James reveals in our interview for the latest episode of the podcast, a lot of different elements have found their way into the band's sound.

We talk about the latest album, James' childhood as a frequently-on-the-move "military brat", the practicalities of booking shows, the costs of recording an album and plenty more.

Check the band out online, follow them on the links below and if you feel so inclined (as I did), you can get yourself a CD copy of the album that comes complete with scanned booklet of James' original writings that would go on to be the latest album's lyrics. Pretty cool stuff.

Closing track: "Great White Nothing" from ...buried where you stand (No Sound Records, 2024)

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Three Second Kiss are not a band to be rushed. When they’re ready, they’re ready. That said, sometimes unexpected events can throw a spanner in the works.

So it was with the Covid pandemic, when Sergio Carlini( Guitar), Massimo Mosca (Bass & Vocal) and Sacha Tilotta (Drums) found themselves ready to make an album, but unable to be together in one room.

Ultimately though, perseverance prevailed, the result being From Fire I Save The Flame (Overdrive Records), an album bristling with electrical sparks firing between the three members.

So what did happen in the time between the band’s previous record, Tastyville and their latest offering? Well, you can find out in the latest episode of the podcast.

You can also hear how the band ended up working with the late Steve Albini, alongside a whole host of other stories.

How many bands can you name that live next to a volcano? At least one: Three Second Kiss.

Closing track: “Letter From Hurtville” from From Fire I Save The Flame (Overdrive Records, 2024)

Photo courtesy of Maria Vittoria Trovato

Follow the band on Instagram

Buy From Fire I Save The Flame on bandcamp

Listen on Spotify

Thanks for reading (and listening to) Whatever Comes Next. If there’s one thing in this world that I desire, that’s for you to subscribe below. In return a new episode will be yours every Tuesday. Already subscribed? Share with a friend!

Jon Ehlers (vocals, synths, samplers) and Atif Haq (drums) have been making music together as Bangladeafy for almost 15 years.

During that time the duo has carved out a sound that's wholly their own. Why so particular? Well, there are a number of reasons you could point to, but you probably couldn't describe it better than Jon Ehlers could and that's what we've got right here in this episode of the podcast.

Bangladeafy have also just released album number six, Vulture (on Nefarious Industries) and we'll be talking about that too — the background to the album, the instrumentation and how the duo's approach has evolved over the years.

You want more? Of course there's more. Just come on in and hear it from the horse's mouth.

Thanks for reading (and listening to) Whatever Comes Next ! Do you know what’s hard? Coming up with a witty way to say “please subscribe” each week. That said, please subscribe for all weekly episodes.

Photo Credit: Jenna Hill

Portland, Oregon's Forty Feet Tall play rock n' roll... or is post-punk... or is it psych rock? Well, it's something of all these styles and probably more.

The four piece have been honing their sound for over a decade. With the current line-up of Cole Gann (vocals/guitar), Jack Sehres (guitar), Brett Marquette (bass/backup vocals) and Ian Kelley (drums) firmly cemented, the band's latest single "Isochronism" is hot off the presses and featuring a delightfully trippy video (directed by the band's very own Brett Marquette).

I catch up with the whole band to talk about the latest single, the making of and inspiration behind the video, history, lives shows, the wooing of drummer Ian Kelley and plenty more.

Having the guys all together on one call really gives a sense of the fun and camaraderie of the band. Check it out for yourself right here.

Band photo credit: Bella Petro

Isochronism photo credit: KC Weimann

Closing track: "Isochronism" (2024)

Thanks for reading (and listening to) Whatever Comes Next. Subscribe to receive every weekly post. Many actions in this world are fraught with peril. This is not one of them.

Follow Forty Feet Tall:

https://www.fortyfeettall.com/

https://www.facebook.com/FortyFeetTall/

https://x.com/FortyFeetTall

https://www.instagram.com/fortyfeettall/

Justin Pearson's first band, Struggle, was formed after a Suicidal Tendencies show on JP's 15th birthday. Within that year he already had his first experience of being on a label and touring.

Since then, JP has not only been part of a host of punk and outsider bands, (from The Locust and Dead Cross, to currently, Planet B, Deaf Club and Satanic Planet), but also an author, podcast host, publicist and record label owner.

In this conversation, we go all the way back to JP's early years in Phoenix, Arizona. We discuss his difficult (but ultimately rewarding) move to San Diego, his early debt to the local chollos, starting out with Struggle, the importance of dialers and "Book Your Own F****n' Life" for DIY bands in the 90s, how technology has changed the musical landscape, the practicalities of running his label Three One G, the inspiration of Dischord's Ian MacKaye, and more.

Photo credit: Becky DiGiglio

Closing track: "Biblical Loophole" DEAF CLUB feat. HIRS COLLECTIVE (Three One G, 2024)

Don't Fall In Love With Yourself, a documentary about Justin Pearson on TurnStyle Films, is available to buy from the links below. You can also watch the official trailer on YouTube:

Don't Fall In Love With Yourself links: Itunes , Blu-ray , VHS , Vinyl soundtrack

Follow Justin Pearson: Instagram , Facebook

Thanks for reading (and listening to) Whatever Comes Next. Subscribe to receive every weekly update. Do it for yourself. Do it for me. Do it for my mom’s cat.

The musical story of singer, guitarist and songwriter David Judson Clemmons goes back to the late 80s and right up to the present day.

It includes playing with future Nu-Metal production whizz Ross Robinson and working with Michael Jackson recording engineer Brian Malouf.

It's a story that also features future Machine Head drummer Dave McLean and former Megadeath guitarist Chris Poland.

From Virginia, to LA to Berlin, Germany and from Ministers of Anger, to Damn The Machine, to JUD and an extensive solo career, there's plenty to cover — including David's plans for his next record.

We get into all of that, some of David's influences, stories from his time running an antique-furniture-restoration shop and plenty more.

Photo by Anne de Wolff

Closing track: "Dark Walk Home" from Tribe & Throne (Village Slut Records, 2020)

Visit David Judson Clemmons' website for news, links, videos, social media and to buy his music.

Thanks for reading (and listening to) Whatever Comes Next. Give me your email and I’ll give you the world (and by “the world” I mean, every weekly episode of the podcast as it comes out).

Having to deal with losing multiple band members and a global pandemic between albums might not be the most uncommon story for musicians over the past few years.

For Kenny Cook and Anciients, however, that’s just one part of the story of how the band went from releasing their second album, Voice of the Void, in 2016 to now, in 2024, being on the cusp of releasing their follow-up record Beyond the Reach of the Sun.

As Kenny discusses in our interview, even as the Canadian progressive-metal act was releasing Voice of the Void (and later winning a JUNO for it), events inside and outside the band were starting to turn everything upside down.

We get in to the whole story as well as discussing the album, looking back on the origins of the band, Kenny’s experiences with booking shows and tours, and plenty more besides.

Band photo by Shimon

Closing track: "Cloak of the Vast and Black" from Beyond the Reach of the Sun (Season of Mist, 2024)

Follow Anciients: Band Website , Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Thanks for reading (and listening to) Whatever Comes Next. Already a subscriber? That means you quite enjoy these interviews, right? Sounds like a perfect scenario for sharing the podcast with a likeminded soul.

Born in the midst of Covid upheaval Baltimore, Maryland’s noise-rock unit Mast Year have been making good use of their short time together.

Having put out their debut record, Knife, last year, the four-piece of Noel Mueller (guitar), Darin Tambascio (bass), Ben Price (drums) and Eric Rhodes (vocals), recently released their follow up Point of View on guitarist Noel’s Grimoire Records.

Drawing from a range of influences, Mast Year’s music is dark, grimy and often bleak, but as quickly becomes clear talking with Darin and Eric, there’s just as much humour among the band members as there is existential horror.

So what do Donald Crowhurst and porn fatigue have to do with Point of View? The answer lies within this interview.

Band photo by Ben Price

Closing track: “Teignmouth Electron” from Point of View (Grimoire Records, 2024)

Follow Mast Year: facebook, Instagram

Thanks for reading (and listening to) Whatever Comes Next. Share this podcast and the sun will instantly emerge from a cloudy sky… somewhere… probably.

Pity the fool who tries to sum up Manic Abraxas in three or four words.

Taking major inspiration from the genre-hoping Celtic Frost, Manic Abraxas draw whatever influences they please into their petrol-soaked stew of dirty, chugging, psychedelic hard rock... or is it metal?

You can decide for yourself.

With founder Dallas Seger on guitars/vocals/synths alongside Justin Hamm on bass/vocals/synth and Tom Bennett on drums, the band recently released their sci-fi-inspired Skinformation album.

Dallas and Justin join me to discuss the record, working with mentor Steve Austin of Today is the Day and some of their other inspirations.

Photo by Michael Hallahan

Closing track: "Skinformation" from Skinformation (2024)

Buy Skinformation and other Manic Abraxas releases: https://manicabraxas.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the band:

https://www.instagram.com/manic69abraxas/

https://www.facebook.com/manicabraxas/

Check out Dallas' custom, hand-made guitars at Seger Guitars: https://segerguitars.com/

Thanks for reading (listening to and watching) Whatever Comes Next. Spread the love, help me build this show and maybe I’ll one day pay off this laptop after my last one exploded.

Nick Sakes got into music relatively late, first picking up a guitar at the age of 26.

First fronting the intense and influential Dazzling Killmen in the 90s, Nick has gone on to play, tour and record as part of Colossamite, Sicbay and Xaddax.

His current band Upright Forms (along with bassist-vocalist Noah Paster & drummer Shaun Westphal) recently released their debut album Blurred Wires on SKiN GRAFT Records.

Still with some of the old abrasive, angular fury in his music, Upright Forms demonstrate that Nick can allow some poppier hooks and melodies (and, dare we say it, joy!) to take their place alongside punk rock aggression.

We talk about the latest record, songwriting and some of the varied musical history that's taken Nick to where he is now.

Closing track: "Regular Multiplier" from Blurred Wires (SKiN GRAFT Records, 2024)

For all things Upright Forms, visit the band's website: www.uprightforms.com

Thanks for reading (listening to and watching) Whatever Comes Next. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and if you’re in my neighbourhood, I’ll make you a sandwich.

It was with singer and guitarist Kerry Jones that the idea of Death Doula first originated, but it was only after meeting guitarist and sound-maker Kyle Alexander that Death Doula the band really started to take shape.

With the line up of the band rounded out with Keith Vidal on bass and Adam Kozie on drums, Death Doula are poised to release their debut album Love Spells.

Kyle joins me to talk about the album, the band's origins and why making music with Kerry is so special.

Closing track: "The Witness" from Love Spells (Death Doula Records, 2024)

For all things Death Doula visit the band's website: www.deathdoulaband.com

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Andy Ortmann is a music maker, a visual artist and the founder of Nihilist Recordings.

We discuss some of the releases, performances and stories of Andy's career — which stretches back to the early 90s.

Whether it's the many costumes worn onstage as part of his band Panicsville, the unique packaging of some of his own releases (and others on Nihilist) or the variety of different recording methods employed over the years, Andy continues to find new ways not to repeat himself.

Andy shares tales of meeting the members of Whitehouse, how he came to release music by Nurse With Wound's Steven Stapleton on Nihilist, why he chose to dress like a plant onstage and much else besides.

Closing track: "Poemè Psychoacoustique" from Psychoacoustic Electronics (Nihilist, 2023)

Check out all things Nihilist on the label's website and bandcamp pages: https://www.nihilistrecordings.com/

https://nihilistrecordings.bandcamp.com/music

Thanks for reading (and listening to and watching) Whatever Comes Next. Subscribe and I shall personally hand deliver every new episode of the podcast to your door… and by “personally hand deliver” I mean automatically and by “door” I mean inbox.

Next Friday sees French rock group Dirty Shades release Stuck in Motion — their debut album.

Anouk Degrande discusses the band’s songwriting, the cost of recording, music promotion, and how it is for independent artists working in France.

Band photo: Guido Robard

Closing track: "Cannon Fodder" - Stuck in Motion (Modulor Music 2024)

Check out all things Dirty Shades:

https://www.instagram.com/dirtyshadesmusic/ https://www.facebook.com/dirtyshadesofficial/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrry5gVc95R-5d0U72EbNnw https://www.tiktok.com/@dirtyshadesmusic

https://dirtyshades.bandcamp.com/

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As Above, So Below — the first God Bullies album in 30 years, recently released on Reptilian Records — has a very different lineup to the last time the band appeared on record, but the story of frontman and founding member Mike Hard and guitarist Scott Kodrik goes back many years.

The two discuss some of the many tales from decades spent navigating the noise-rock underground, from their peculiar first meeting, their time together in Thrall and how this new iteration of God Bullies came about and came to release As Above, So Below.

Recorded at the famous Electrical Audio studio in Chicago, As Above, So Below shows that God Bullies in 2024 is still a noise-rock beast to be reckoned with.

Photo: Scott Kodrik

Closing track: "As Above, So Below" from As Above, So Below (Reptilian Records, 2024)

For all things God Bullies:

https://www.instagram.com/god_bullies_official

https://god-bullies.bandcamp.com

https://www.tiktok.com/@god_bullies

https://x.com/GOD_BULLIES

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

Check out my new album Real Silence from Drama Recorder

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Earthbound is the new album by noir-pop band The Old Ceremony — a collection of beautifully constructed songs, from a band led since its formation in 2004 by singer and multi-instrumentalist Django Haskins.

Although it's been nine years since the band's last album, you can be sure that Django, (with his various other projects, teaching and family commitments) hasn't been twiddling his thumbs at any point.

We discuss the latest record, Django's songwriting, his many years of performing, influences, meeting Chuck Berry and other tales from a lifetime of music.

Closing track: "North American Grain" (Robust Records, 2024)

For all things The Old Ceremony and links to Earthbound visit the band’s website www.theoldceremony.com

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

Check out my new album Real Silence on Drama Recorder

Thanks for reading (and listening to) Whatever Comes Next. If you haven’t already done so, why not subscribe? I will take about 0.0000000000000001% of the time it took up upload this episode.

Since their formation in 2014 Veilburner have been carving out their own particular place in the realm of extreme metal. Honing their unique brand of experimental dissonant blackened death metal, the duo of Mephisto Deleterio and Chrisom Infernium have created a musical, visual and mythic world that is all their own — with the duo operating behind a mysterious masked appearance that evolves with each album. Back in early 2019 (following the release of the band's fourth album, A Sire to the Ghouls of Lunacy), I interviewed Veilburner via email for Blessed Altar Zine. Two more interviews followed coinciding with the band's fifth and sixth albums.

With the duo poised to release their seventh album, The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom (out November 15th on Transcending Obscurity Records) I got the opportunity to talk to the men behind the masks for the first time.

On this occasion, I was talking with Dave and Chris as they shared some of the band's history, myth making, concepts, artwork, masks and more.

As well as sharing the story behind one of the band’s masks, Dave and Chris both also shared a series of photos of some of the other artefacts in their workrooms. You can see them all on a slideshow at the end of the YouTube video interview. For this audio version of the interview I’m including a selection below.

Closing track: "III Visions of Hex-Shaped Hiss, Behead the Howling Spirit" (Transcending Obscurity Records, 2024)

See more Veilburner visuals on Instagram, follow the band on facebook and head to Transcending Obscurity Records for the latest record and other Veilburner releases and merch.

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

To call XII: A gyönyörű álmok ezután jönnek (the 12th record by Thy Catafalque) avantgarde metal doesn’t quite give a full picture, but then no simple classification really could.

Born out of black metal roots, the band (originally a duo) has evolved to take in everything from prog rock, Hellenic folk music and alternative rock (with extreme metal still a major component of the latest record ).

Tamás Kátai discusses the album in detail, touching on performing, songwriting and some of his own personal history.

Photo by Orsolya Karancz

Closing track: “Piros Kocsi, Fekete Éj” (Season of Mist, 2024)

For all things Thy Catafalque:

https://thy-catafalque.hu/

https://shop.season-of-mist.com/band/thy-catafalque

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Check out my new album Real Silence on bandcamp

Thanks for reading (watching and listening to) Whatever Comes Next. Subscribe for free and no doubt good things will happen (apart from getting each weekly episode sent straight to ya).

Five years on from their last studio album, Watchwinders, Swiss noise-rock group Coilguns return with a new addition on bass and synths (Kevin Galland) and an evolution in their sound with latest record Odd Love.

Guitarist and founding member Jona Nido talks about the record, Humus Records (the label he started for Coilguns that has grown to put out music by dozens of bands), being the band's tour manager and more.

Band photos: Andy Ford (@AndyFordUK)

Closing track: "Generic Skincare" (Humus Records, 2024)

For all things Coilguns visit the band’s website

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Check out my new album Real Silence with Augurio Drama at Drama Recorder

Formed in 2016 by friends and former bandmates Georgios Schoinianakis and Nikos Vlachakis, Föhn is a funeral-doom project based out of Athens, Greece.

After several years crafting the tracks that would become debut album Condescending, the lineup of Föhn was completed in 2023, with bassist Georgios Miliaras joining before the now three-piece band entered the studio to create one of the most sonically and emotionally heavy albums of 2024.

Vocalist Vlachakis discusses the album, his enduring friendship with bandmate Schoinianakis and life outside of music.

Closing track: "Persona" (Hypaethral Records/ These Hands Melt, 2024)

Band Photos by Sakis Vlachakis and edited by Arnaud Daval

For all things Föhn: https://www.foehngr.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Check out my new album Real Silence on Drama Recorder

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When garage/punk rock duo Christopher Henry and Roman Meisenberg started making music together in West Virginia as F**k Your Birthday, they probably didn’t imagine they'd end up living and playing in Wenzhou, China, but you never know where life will take you.

Chris and Roman discuss their latest EP BBQd (out now on Nefarious Industries), adapting to life in China, other musical projects and how they both jumped from teaching to follow careers in mixing and music production (Chris) and photography (Roman).

Closing track: "Moonshine" (Nefarious Industries, 2024)

For all things FYB:

Bandcamp

Instagram

https://www.nefariousindustries.com/

Band photo: Xia Tie Niu

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

Check out my new album Real Silence: https://dramarecorder.bandcamp.com/album/real-silence

Thanks for reading and listening to Whatever Comes Next. Subscribe for free and a rainbow will instantly appear… somewhere.

Maura Pond, Benjamin Schurr and Levi Flack have been releasing music together as Luna Honey for seven years. In that time they’ve released six studio albums, each of them its own unique sonic document.

The latest record, Bound, is at times reminiscent of artists as diverse as Scott Walker, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Coil and Swans.

In Luna-Honey land the tone is often dark, but there’s a playfulness and delight in absurdity, allowing the listener to have fun (even while feeling slightly unnerved).

Maura discusses the latest record, some of the band’s musical and lyrical inspirations, working with ex-Swans guitarist Norman Westberg and the joys of pitch-shifted kazoos.

Closing track: "Barbie Cake" from Bound (Self released, 2024)

For all things Luna Honey: https://www.lunahoney.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Check out my new album Real Silence on Drama Recorder

Thanks for reading and listening to Whatever Comes Next. Magick is complicated, subscribing to receive all weekly episodes is not.

All Night Blood is a powerful, fiery and emotive rock record by Phoenix, Arizona post-hardcore quintet Common Wounds (out now on Protagonist Music).

While the record is the band's full-length debut, guitarist and vocalist Ian Lanspeary has been making music for over 20 years.

We delve into Ian's musical upbringing, some of the many musical inspirations that found their way onto the latest record, songwriting and how the musical landscape has changed for independent artists over the past two decades.

Closing track: "Lost Voices" (Protagonist Music, 2024)

Photo by Kindness Photo Co

For all things Common Wounds:

https://linktr.ee/commonwounds

https://www.instagram.com/commonwounds/

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

Check out my latest album Real Silence on Drama Recorder

Last days at hot slit is the latest musical offering from former Cows bassist Kevin Rutmanis.

Having started his own solo project during Covid lockdown (initially as Lord Kevin and His Slide Bass), Rutmanis has since collaborated with drummer/artist Gina Skwoz and multi-instrumentalist Trevor Dunn (of Mr Bungle and too many other projects to mention).

The latest record is the first to feature all three of them together and they're altogether in this interview too … with me.

And oh what a pleasure to be in their company. Full of insights, full of fun, surreal and absurd. Exactly what I would hope for from these great, creative individuals.

Closing track: "Humanity One" (Overdrive Records, 2024)

Photo by Buzz Osborne

For all things Dunn with Lords and Lady Kevin and to buy their music:

bandcamp

Instagram

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

Check out my latest record Real Silence with Augurio Drama on Drama Recorder

On the 13th of December, 2024 An Axis Of Perdition (the long-running highly-conceptual, extreme-metal project of Michael Blenkarn-Durning and Brooke Johnson) released their latest album Apertures on Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings.

A couple of months earlier I caught up with Michael to reflect on the two parallel creative impulses that drive his music making—on the one hand the urban, industrialised mode that comes out in An Axis Of Perdition, alongside the fascination with the natural world that finds expression in Nemorous.

We also discuss Michael’s earliest music-making experiences, his thoughts on black metal, music formats and what 2025 holds in store for Nemorous—with the band due to perform new music at Rebellion, Manchester in February and Fortress Festival later in the year (alongside Ulcerate, The Great Old Ones, Agalloch and many others).

Closing track: "Chant of the Worshipful Prey" from Apertures by An Axis Of Perdition (Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings, 2024)

For all things Nemorous:

bandcamp

facebook

For all things An Axis Of Perdition:

bandcamp

facebook

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

Check out my latest record Real Silence with Augurio Drama on Drama Recorder

Thanks for reading and listening to Whatever Comes Next. New years resolutions can be hard to follow, subscribing to these posts, in contrast, is very easy.

San Francisco's Sleepbomb make heavy, psychedelic, atmospheric metal and lay this intense sonic landscape on top of iconic movies.

Most recently the band has created a companion to scenes from George A. Romero's classic horror movie Night of the Living Dead, entitled The Sleeping Dead.

With the 24th of January seeing the album's release on Koolarrow / Consouling Sounds, the band's Tim Gotch and Charlie Hernandez join me to discuss the album and some of their other compositions from Sleepbomb's two decades of making music.

Closing track: "It Was a Good Plan" from The Sleeping Dead (Koolarrow / Consouling Sounds, 2025)

Band photo: Fred Aube

For all things Sleepbomb:

https://www.sleepbomb.com/

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

Check out my latest album Real Silence on Drama Recorder

Thanks for reading and listening to Whatever Comes Next. What better way could there be to start the new year than by subscribing to receive all weekly interviews and articles?

Häxkapell is a partly black metal project that incorporates folk, as well as other metal elements. Led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Oraklet, Om jordens blod och urgravens grepp is the second album from the project and released on Nordvis this Friday.

Oraklet joins me to discuss the light and the dark of the latest record, his experiences with subconscious writing, growing up as a metalhead and some of his other musical projects.

Photo credit: Ludvig Swärd

Closing track: "Metamorfos" (Nordvis, 2025)

For all things Häxkapell:

Instagram

Bandcamp

Nordvis

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

Check out my latest album Real Silence on Drama Recorder

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Last year I released Real Silence, an album of experimental-electro spoken word with Augurio Drama.

My friend Michael Quinn suggested interviewing me about the album. I thought it would make for a fun episode of the podcast.

So here's me being interviewed in my flat in Glasgow.

Thanks to Existent/NonExistent for the artwork.

Thanks to Sara Salomon for the graphic design.

Check out Real Silence on Drama Recorder

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

Thanks for reading and listening to Whatever Comes Next. Subscribe to receive every weekly interview and monthly article, which I’ll now have to write, seeing as I’ve said it here.

OCRE is Pierrick A. and Damien A., an alternative-rock duo based in Clermont Ferrand, France.

On the 21st of February this year the band releases their debut, full-length record, So Often Lifeblood Comes From Ashes via Atypeek Music, Araki Records and Urgence Disk.

Pierrick joins me to discuss the album, songwriting, how Covid influenced his vocal style, our shared love of Sonic Youth, his enduring relationship with Damien, Birds in Row, playing live and the necessary evils of social media.

Photo credit: Simon Chervier Closing track: "It Was Nothing" (Atypeek Music, Araki Records and Urgence Disk, 2025)

For all things OCRE:

Bandcamp

Instagram

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

Check out my latest album Real Silence on Drama Recorder

Thanks for reading and listening to Whatever Comes Next. Subscribe for free and no doubt great things will happen… you’ll also get each weekly interview and monthly article. Oh yipee.

Formed as a four-piece ten years ago, Belgian, instrumental-rock group Endless Dive were reduced to the duo of Pierre Van Vlaenderen and Nathan Mondez prior to the making of their latest record Souvenances (released on the 28th of February, via Floral Records and Luik).

Drawing together guitars, electronic textures and old, childhood VHS recordings, Souvenances is like a long-lost audio photo book discovered in an attic. Evocative and beautiful.

Pierre and Nathan discuss the making of the record, some of the band's history and their plans for once again playing as a four-piece.

Photo credit: Adélaïde Lannoije

Closing track: Deux roues (Floral Records, Luik, 2025)

For all things Endless Dive:

Instagram

links

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

Check out my latest album Real Silence on Drama Recorder

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American guitarist, composer (and more recently singer) Mike Baggetta has been making music for over 20 years—whether as a sideman or lead songwriter.

For his most recent project mssv (Main Steam Stop Valve) Baggetta brought in two of the best musicians you could reasonably hope to play with to realise his musical vision: Mike Watt (Minutemen, fIREHOSE, The Stooges, Porno For Pyros etc) on bass and Stephen Hodges (Tom Waits, David Lynch etc) on drums.

The band's latest record On And On (out March 7th on BIG EGO Records) is a dreamlike swirl, taking in Americana, alternative rock and jazz—often blurring the lines where the listener wonders, is this improvisation or precisely organised? Exactly the kind of ambiguity Baggetta revels in.

In this conversation Baggetta discusses his songwriting, touring, writing for Watt and Hodges, the inspiration of Kim Gordon and Sonic Youth and how the musical flow of On And On exemplifies its title.

Closing track: On And On (BIG EGO Records, 2025)

For all things Mike Baggetta and mssv:

https://mikebaggetta.com/

https://mainsteamstopvalve.com/

On And On on bandcamp

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

Check out my latest album Real Silence on Drama Recorder

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Richard Johnson's work in the underground music world stretches back to the early 90s. From his fanzine Disposable Underground (now an online music blog) to his early recording work with Enemy Soil, Johnson has spent plenty of time writing, performing and writing about music.

Asymmetrical (released this Friday on Selfmadegod Records and Malokul) is the latest release (and first album in 14 years) from one of Johnson's current bands Drugs of Faith — and a blistering grind n' roll explosion it is too.

We discuss the record, some of Johnson's other musical history and projects, Non Serviam, Disposable Underground, Napalm Death, Pig Destroyer, Killing Joke, Einstürzende Neubauten, the state of the music industry, phone interviews and learning to type.

Closing track: Gas Mask (Selfmadegod Records, 2025)

band photo: Ivan Khilko

For all things Richard Johnson and Drugs of Faith:

Drugs of Faith

Selfmadegod Records (CDs)

Malokul (vinyl)

Disposable Underground

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

Check out my latest album Real Silence on Drama Recorder

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Hamburg, Germany's KARLA KVLT blend the percussive power of early Swans, the doomy, droning proto-metal of Black Sabbath and the hypnotic tones of vocalist/ bassist Teresa Matilda Curtens (coming across like some kind of shoegaze/dream-pop singer, if the dream were apocalyptic).

Father and son, guitarist (and former EISENVATER frontman) Markus E. Lipka and drummer Johann Wientjes (who also plays with wife Curtens in MELTING PALMS) join me to discuss Thunderhunter, the very different musical worlds of their other projects, recording techniques and the changing musical landscape in Hamburg.

Closing track: Swallowed (Exile On Mainstream, 2025)

Band photo: Aylin Sengül

For all things KARLA KVLT:

⁠bandcamp⁠

⁠Exile On Mainstream webstore⁠

⁠Instagram⁠

⁠EISENVATER⁠

⁠MELTING PALMS⁠

For all my music and related writings visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠my website⁠⁠⁠

Check out my latest album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Real Silence on Drama Recorder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

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Dan St. Jacques has proven himself to be a rock n' roll lifer. Coming up in the more experimental realms of alternative rock and post punk in Providence, Rhode Island, St. Jacques has featured in more bands than you have fingers.

With St. Jacques' latest band The Hammer Party currently working on new material, the vocalist, and sometime bass player looks back on his musical upbringing and some of the bands he's played in, played with, or been inspired by.

Closing track: Tiamat's Revenge (Psychic Static, 2024)

Photo credit: Collin Leonard @innovacancy

For all things The Hammer Party:

⁠bandcamp⁠

⁠Instagram⁠

⁠facebook⁠

For all my music and related writings visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠my website⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check out my latest album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Real Silence on Drama Recorder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

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Instrumental-rock trio Stinking Lizaveta have been making mind-warping, rhythmically-slippery, guitar-driven music together for over thirty years.

Having sprung up from the West Philadelphia punk underground, the trio of guitarist Yanni Papadopoulos, his brother Alexi on electric upright bass and drummer Cheshire Agusta have continued to evolve their sound—most recently with 2023's Anthems and Phantoms.

Now current label SRA Records has put out James-Plotkin-remastered versions of the band's first two albums, Hopelessness and Shame (recorded with frequent collaborator Steve Albini) and follow-up Slaughterhouse (built from a recording session with Today Is The Day visionary Steve Austin).

The two albums are available on vinyl for the first time, alongside vinyl editions of the band's early demos with Steve Albini and a live record from 2023—giving listeners an opportunity to enjoy both ends of the band's life so far.

Yanni and Cheshire join me as we discuss their memories of working with Albini and Austin and their thoughts on the underground musical landscape today.

Closing track: "Schute Lube" (SRA Records, 2025)

Photo credit: Dan

Buy the albums on vinyl from SRA Records

Check out all the band's releases on bandcamp

Follow Stinking Lizaveta:

facebook

Instagram

For all my music and related writings visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠my website⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check out my latest album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Real Silence on Drama Recorder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

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The musical backgrounds of Paula and Dave Lombardo could hardly be more different. A shy Canadian girl, Paula found herself playing large auditoriums as a teenage backing singer for Las Vegas showman Wayne Newton; Dave, a Cuban immigrant to the US, was already on his way to becoming a metal icon as drummer for Slayer by the time he reached his 20s.

Venamoris is the couple's first musical collaboration, with Dave having helped Paula find a way back into music after an ultimately disillusioning move to Nashville as a solo artist some years ago.

Having released their debut Drown In Emotion in 2023 on Three One G, the duo's follow up To Cross or To Burn is out now on Ipecac.

Originally featured in Issue 75 of New Noise Magazine (and as an extended online version), this extra extended version sees Paula and Dave discuss the latest record, Paula's musical journey, how the pair first met and their thoughts on changes in the musical landscape.

Big thanks to Monica at Speakeasy.

Venamoris for New Noise Magazine:

Print / Web

Closing track: "In The Shadows" (Ipecac Recordings, 2025)

Photo credit: Hannah Verbeuren

Purchase or stream To Cross or To Burn

For all things Venamoris:

Instagram

Bandcamp

For all my music and related writings visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠my website⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check out my latest album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Real Silence on Drama Recorder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

Ten years ago, looking to start a new creative project, Conan Neutron brought a batch of untested song ideas to producer Toshi Kasai to see what might be done with them.

Toshi suitably enthused, Conan quickly brought in Dale Crover on drums and Tony Ash on bass and Conan Neutron and The Secret Friends was born.

With the band having just released their latest LP The Way of The Neutron (via Seismic Wave Entertainment) Conan joins me to discuss the album, songwriting, his podcast Conan Neutron's Protonic Reversal and stories from his many years riding the rock train through the musical underground.

Thanks to Dan at Discipline PR.

Closing track: "A Villain of Circumstance"

Photo credit: Ed Hunsinger

For all things Conan Neutron, the music, the podcast and the latest record:

⁠Instagram⁠

⁠Podcast⁠

⁠bandcamp⁠

For all my music and related writings visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠my website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check out my latest album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Real Silence on Drama Recorder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

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San Francisco death-grind group Cartilage may look like a band of bloodthirsty psychopaths in their promotional photos, but it's all in good fun (if not good taste).

Inspired by both the comedy and gore of classic splatter movies, as well as a broad range of extreme metal bands, Cartilage have been honing their sound (and on stage antics) for over ten years.

Their latest EP Tales From The Entrails: A Necrology is out now on Italy's Everlasting Spew Records and given the gory themes and presentation it's a suitably vicious sounding record.

In contrast vocalist Mark Wallace and lead guitarist Mike Flory couldn't be a sweeter couple of guys to chat with, as we discuss the latest record, their influences and some of the misadventures and mishaps that can occur when your onstage setup involves large volumes of "blood".

Thanks to Dave at Earsplit PR.

Closing track: "Frothed Vomit Slosh"

Photo credit: Kei Mowry

Buy the latest EP, check out other Cartilage merch and follow the band:

⁠Tales From The Entrails ⁠

⁠bandcamp⁠

⁠facebook⁠

⁠Instagram⁠

For all my music and related writings visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠my website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check out my latest album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Real Silence on Drama Recorder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

Life's a Glitch is the debut record by rock 'n' roll group Frankie and The Studs (out now on Dead Beat Records) and the album marks the culmination of almost ten years of various songwriting sessions and lineups.

Bandleader Frankie Clarke's music-making experience goes back even further and as the daughter of guitarist, singer and producer Gilby Clarke (who has recorded much of her band's work) she was already learning about life in the entertainment world before she ever recorded or performed herself.

We discuss the band, the latest record and tales from Frankie's formative years.

Thanks to Katz at Junkfood PR.

Closing track: "She's Insane"

Photo credit: Greg Vorobiov

For all things Frankie and The Studs visit their website:

⁠Frankie and The Studs⁠

For all my music and related writings visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠my website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check out my latest album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Real Silence on Drama Recorder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

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Formed in the mid 2000s by Kelly Waldrip, Oakland, California's Sludgebucket have gone through many evolutions to reach the current heavy-fusion sound of their latest album Vampiric Earth.

With the band now composed of Kelly on bass and Marc Kaufman on drums Vampiric Earth is a funky, heavy record full of slippery rhythms and clever instrumental interplay between the duo.

Kelly and Marc join me to discuss the record, their inspirations and the history of Sludgebucket.

Thanks to Kyle at Good Boy PR

Closing track: "Floating In Dead Space Between The Stars"

For all things Sludgebucket:

bandcamp

facebook

Instagram

Check out my latest album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Real Silence on Drama Recorder

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman

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Casket Schwagg is the second album by Kalamazoo, Michigan noise-rock duo Bronson Arm (released via Learning Curve Records on the 9th of May).

Vocalist and baritone guitarist Blake Bickel returns to the show (both he and drummer Garrett Yates having appeared on episode 2) to discuss the latest album, touring and what noise rock means to him.

Thanks to Curran at The Chain

Closing track: "Casket Schwagg"

Photo by J. Ludeker

For all things Bronson Arm:

bandcamp

Instagram

Check out my latest album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Real Silence on Drama Recorder

Podcast artwork and logo: https://www.garjk.com/

Intro music: "Detachment" by Tom Osman⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Thanks for reading and listening to Whatever Comes Next. See this wee box below? Gonnae pop an email address in it. I would be much obliged.