Interviews Episodes

This week, we're scratching The Itch for a new series: a Shiprocked Series! We've been talking about it for ages, and it's finally here. As Dan prepares to dock, we're unleashing the first of a trio of interviews with artists who will be performing (and vacationing) on the boat. And we're starting with a guy who made an immediate impression on us last year: Giovannie Yanez of Giovannie and the Hired Guns. Their album Tejano Punk Boyz made Dan's top 20 and featured a fascinating fusion of 90s alt...

This week, we're scratching The Itch for a New Year's celebration! Our friend Joey Varela of VRSTY joins us for the second time to discuss his recent and upcoming music, translating songs into Spanish, and the value of having true friends in the music industry. Enjoy, and happy 2023! 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, Tun...

This week, we're scratching The Itch for a holiday tradition! Eva Marie of Eva Under Fire joined us last year for an episode we dubbed Christmas Eva. And she was kind enough to join us again this year, which officially makes it annual! There are guests and there are friends in the podcast world, and as you'll quickly discover, Eva is squarely on the latter category. Join us for a free-flowing conversation about selling out their album release show, collaborating with the scorers of Stranger Thin...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to talk with a triple threat! Sam Bam Koltun LOVES playing guitar. So much so that the man is part of no less than three bands, while still finding time for more gigs on the side! Join us for a great chat about his work with Dorothy, Faster Pussycat, and Budderside (all of whom have released new music in 2022), playing with a busted finger, and his true feelings about a St Louis pizza staple! Shout out to Ari Strauss for the fantastic photo we used in this w...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to go solo! Keith Wallen is a member of Breaking Benjamin, but he's also a solo artist and sought-after collaborator. His debut solo album This World Or The Next came out last year, and he just got back from a UK tour playing it in support of his friends from the band Red. We were fortunate enough to catch up with him to talk about his album (including the making of the video for "Fractured"), his experience working with high-profile acts, and his impressive ...

This week, we're scratching The Itch for gratitude! We've put together a collection of short bonus clips from each of our 2022 interviews as a way to reflect on all the fun we've had learning from and about people in the music world. And we're not even done with our interviews for the year! Stick around til the end to get a sneak peek of who's to come. Happy holidays, Itch listeners! We appreciate you so much, and we hope you enjoy this clipisode. If you like what you hear, you can hear more of...

This week, we're scratching The Itch for a spiritual experience! Dorothy joins us to talk about her amazing new album Gifts From the Holy Ghost, battles of the soul, and learning a lesson about performance from a surprising source. It's a very unique conversation that goes in some unexpected directions. Things mentioned in this interview: Black Sheep video Sweet Dreams video Matt Pinfield interview Going There with Dr. Mike interview If you like what you hear, you can hear more of us every Sun...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to explore a tennis legacy! And maybe a musical one as well. Myles and Layne Ulrich of Taipei Houston join us to talk about their debut album Once Bit Never Bored, as well as their experience playing alongside Muse, their philosophy on social media, and how to fill a room with sound as a two-man band. 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...

This week, we're scratching The Itch for a new interview series! Francesca Ludikar, Creative Director and co-founder of 361 Degrees Records alongside the band Nonpoint, joins us to explore the non-musical side of music as we explore The Itch On The Industry. Her skills behind the camera and beyond have played an essential role in Nonpoint's revitalization, as well as in the development of Sumo Cyco. Join us for a great talk about origins, assets, and how to direct a photo shoot without being in ...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to go silent... but only for a few seconds. Mitch Swanger of Silent Theory joins us for an enlightening conversation about the search for the right singer, questionable treatments for stage fright, and how YouTube has done right by his band. Plus, Dan receives a great birthday gift and The Itch receives a great compliment. 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. I...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to catch up with a friend! Eva Marie of Eva Under Fire joined us twice last year in anticipation of their album Love, Drugs & Misery. Now the album is finally here, and it's capping a fantastic year for the band. Join us as we chat with Eva about the album, their new single featuring From Ashes to New, her series of mental health articles on Loudwire, and how being PG-13 (at best) is an important part of her identity. Plus, Eva lives out a dream experienc...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to visit Cyco City! Following up on episode 107, creative whirlwind Skye Sweetnam of Sumo Cyco joins us to talk about her journey from pop star to rock star, our mutual love of Skindred and Nonpoint, and how to make an insane THIRTY-TWO music videos among three albums. If you've seen Sumo Cyco live or enjoyed their albums (or even if you haven't, really), Skye's energy is contagious and her history in the industry is rich and fascinating. We hope you learn as...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to head north! We've got the most streamed rock band in Finland with us to kick off a new recurring interview series: Itch International! Blind Channel made waves in 2021 after appearing on Eurovision, leading to their song "Dark Side" receiving over 700,000 Spotify streams and over 12 million YouTube views. Earlier this year, they embarked on their first ever US tour alongside From Ashes to New and Fire From the Gods, and now they have their sights set on th...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to get filthy! Des Rocs, whose album A Real Good Person In A Real Bad Place took home our 2021 Debut Album of the Year award and earned a spot on our 2021 Top 20 Albums, joins us to talk about his creative process, the cost of fierce independence, and ... how he wants people to fear for his life? It's an incredibly insightful look into the mind of a true artist. Enjoy. Also, The Itch has a sponsor! We're partnering with our own podcast production suite, Zenc...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to keep a promise! Cam Cole won our 2nd annual March Bandness tournament, and we've owed you an episode on him ever since. But we weren't content to just talk ABOUT him. We wanted to talk WITH him. So here you are, 3 months later... and we think it was worth the wait. Cam is a fascinating person and performer who has brought his one-man band show from the streets of London to the US for the first time ever. As he enters the last weeks of this road trip of a l...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to talk about mawwiage! Tonya and Cody of Lydia's Castle join us to talk about their debut EP, their recruitment of former Staind drummer Jon Wysocki into the band, and how they built a rallying cry out of a tragedy they undured as a couple. After that, stick around to hear about The Itch's experience seeing Lydia's Castle live at a venue that Dan almost literally could crawl home from. Don't worry, he didn't have to. To see, hear, and definitely feel a...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to get Lit! Affable and multi-talented bassist Kevin Baldes joins us for a great discussion spanning the band's career, from their evergreen single "My Own Worst Enemy" to their lively new album Tastes Like Gold, which comes out June 17th. Along the way we'll discuss Kevin's other artistic endeavors, the times Lit almost broke up, and a proposed sequel to their most famous music video. And as promised, here's a link to Lit's video for "Yeah Yeah Yeah". Enjoy!...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to spotlight a great new band! Moodring's debut album, Stargazer, drops June 10th. In this episode, frontman Hunter Young joins us to discuss his history in the heavy music scene, his upcoming tour with Cane Hill, the passing of a pet that inspired the album's title track, and how his band isn't here to tell you everything's OK. Plus, the highly entertaining genre title he gives his band. Check out Moodring's new singles, as well as their debut EP. And...

We didn't want to take a week off before dropping episode 101, but we also needed more time to get it just right, so in the meantime we're doing something new: an interview teaser! Enjoy this introduction to Hunter Young of Moodring, and stay tuned for our full interview, where we talk debut albums, pet reptiles, and our collective love of air conditioning! And hey, when you're done, follow our New Rock Roundup playlist and then connect with us! itchrocks.com Twitter.com/itchrocks Facebook.com...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to throw on our letterman jackets and go VRSTY. Frontman Joey Varela joins the show to talk about telling his own story on their new album Welcome Home, how a metalhead became an R&B vocalist, and how sometimes the best ideas arrive while you're not wearing pants. He's a genuine and humble dude and we think you'll like getting to know him. After that, The Itch closes the show by sharing our experience seeing Joey and VRSTY on tour with 10 Years and Black Map...

This week, we're scratching The Itch for death and darkness! The Dead Deads and The Darkness, that is. Our friend Daisy Dead returns to chat about their current tour, and it's a lot of laughs. We'll talk nicknames, giant rats, and jokes that are so bad they're great. Or possibly still bad. You decide. Then The Itch checks in with our experience at the St Louis tour stop at Pop's, where we attempted to deliver a birthday card and ended up seeing Justin Hawkins lead the crowd... with his pecs...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to meet a longtime virtual friend! Kaz, host of The Heavy Rock Show on East London Radio, joins us face to screen to face for the first time to discuss UK rock, music journalism, and her new gig with Emerging Rock Bands! Along the way we'll spotlight some of these emerging artists, taking a deeper dive into Kaz's interview with Malxolm Brixkhouse and her love for Black Lakes and their debut album For All We've Left Behind. Enjoy! And hey, when you're do...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to explore the music industry! We're joined by the ever-dynamic Amy Sciarretto, founder of Atom Splitter PR. Amy has played a huge role in the development of numerous bands in the rock/metal world, including Slipknot and Killswitch Engage. She's interviewed everyone from Maynard James Keenan to Henry Rollins to... Leonardo DiCaprio? (And you have to hear her hot take on him!) We'll hear stories from her career, get tips on how to make the magic happen, and ev...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to talk dreadbeards! When last we spoke with Nonpoint guitarist Jason Zeilstra, the band had just announced the formation of their new label, 361 Degrees Records, and released "Ruthless", the first original track since Jason joined the band. Now, they've released the Ruthless EP, a music video for "Back in the Game", and finally got to tour behind their new music. Jason joins us to talk about all of these experiences, tips for proper haircare, and his favorit...