Interviews Episodes

This week, we're scratching The Itch to talk with a Texan! Well, he is now anyway. We're talking with Matt James, vocalist of Blacktop Mojo, a rising rock band that put out one of our top albums of 2021. They've got a new single out, a new tour, and a new family member on the way. We'll cover all of that, a fascinating choice of dream collaborators, a bus driver called Chicken Biscuit, and the worst co-worker Matt's ever had (and no, those last two are not the same). Enjoy! Before or after this...

This week, we're scratching The Itch... to learn. We had a great time laughing in the first part of our interview with the most electrifying band in alt entertainment, Oxymorrons. The laughs continue in the second half, but the conversation takes some turns into rich discussions about performance vs authenticity, the "freedom" of social media, the struggle of being a POC band, and existence as resistance. If you're down with a crash course in Justice 101, this episode is for you. And if you're n...

This week, we're scratching The Itch to be outnumbered! We're kicking off the new year and the new season with our first ever interview... with an entire band. Oxymorrons are a four-piece alternative band from Queens, and they bring as much energy to a conversation as they do to the stage. Tune in for an incredibly fun conversation that includes anime, nicknames, guilt trips, Chuck Berry, a $9 orange juice, and a pizza that looked like Texas... and this is just part one! Pull up... keep up if yo...

Happy holidays and welcome to our season finale! This week, we're scratching The Itch to welcome our first repeat guest: Eva Marie of Eva Under Fire! With another tour under her belt, a fresh new single, an album on the way, and a holiday season to celebrate, Eva is ready to roll for a great discussion that includes road adventures, the new generation of women in rock, and ... an obnoxious fast food menu? Check it out, listen to and follow Eva Under Fire, and we'll see you in January for The Itc...

This week we're scratching The Itch to talk about fire! Eva Under Fire, to be specific. Lead singer Eva Marie spent a rather adventurous van ride to our hometown of St. Louis talking with us about the joys of touring again, how she practices therapy on and off the stage, and the awkward first impression she made on Papa Roach's Jacoby Shaddix! Eva is a gifted interpersonal communicator, and this one is not to be missed. And hey, when you're done, follow our New Rock Roundup playlist and then co...

In this episode, we're scratching The Itch to choose violence! After their 2018 album _Thread_ won our hearts (and the #4 spot on that year's Top Albums list), Red Sun Rising announced a potentially permanent hiatus in early 2020. A few months later, an anonymous band called The Violent arrived on the scene with the powerful single "Fly On The Wall". Soon after, it was revealed that the three-piece band was comprised of former members of Red Sun Rising. This week, frontman Mike Protich joins us ...

We're back on the interview grind! In this episode, we have a chat with the delightful Daisy Dead, bassist and (understudy harsh) vocalist for The Dead Deads, whose killer (heh) new album Tell Your Girls It's Alright combines the best sounds of glam, punk, grunge, and straight up rock (especially of the 90s variety). Along the way we'll talk about their tour with Candlebox, how to play two instruments at once, a good source for song inspiration, teeth, and ... yo mama? Yep. This conversatio...

Earlier this year, The Itch had the privilege of being guests on The Struggling Artist Podcast, where we had a great conversation with our friend Trev Allen about the history (and future) of The Itch. As we prepare for our return, Trev was kind enough to let us post his episode here. So we invite you to give our interview a listen, and then explore the rest of Trev's conversations with musicians and other artists! We may not have had a new episode for a few weeks, but we've been listening to a ...

All Good Things is a band you may not have heard of, but you probably have heard. And despite the fact that their upcoming Better Noise Music release is functionally their proper band debut, they've been churning out bangers for years. How does any of this make sense, you ask? Find out in our conversation with vocalist/guitarist/doer of mad press Dan Murphy! Along the way we'll also discuss the NHL playoffs, the band's collaboration with Hollywood Undead, and a few new details about their upcomi...

As a thank you to every listener who made our conversation with Robb Rivera and Jason Zeilstra of Nonpoint our most popular episodes to date, we're milking that chat juuuust a bit more! Enjoy a bonus segment where Robb and Jason gush about some of their favorite artists, albums, live acts, and songs they wish they'd written! We could talk bands with bands all day... and we almost did. Check out parts one and two of our conversation with Nonpoint, as well as our updated Flavor of the Week playli...

The Itch's conversation with Robb Rivera and Jason Zeilstra of Nonpoint continues! Join us as we discuss how Jason joined the band, the response to their new single "Ruthless", the value of record stores and album liner notes, and the origins of their famous cover of Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight". Plus, find out what question makes the band stop the interview! Check out part one of our conversation with Nonpoint, as well as our updated Flavor of the Week playlist, and then connect wit...

The Itch is about to get Ruthless! Nonpoint dominated our March Bandness tournament, and then proceeded to announce not just a brand new, bangin' single, but their own independent record label, 361 Degrees! Oh, and that single was the theme for AEW's Blood and Guts match. And the band started a YouTube series chronicling their journey. And the kicker? All of those things were supposed to happen a year ago. Join us as we talk with the longest and shortest tenured members as Robb Rivera ...

In this episode, The Itch is joined by Matty Madiro, the drummer of From Ashes to New, whose third album Panic appeared on our Top 20 Albums of 2020. Matty shares his fascinating journey from joining Trivium to becoming part of FATN, how Linkin Park changed his taste in music, and the forward-thinking business model he wants to see the rock industry embrace. After the episode, be sure to check out From Ashes to New's video for "Panic" and follow our Flavor of the Week and New Rock Roundup playl...

SAUL's Rise As Equals was not only one of the best debut albums of 2020, but it was one of our top ten albums overall. So we were thrilled to have a chance to talk with vocalist Blake Bedsaul about making the album, being in a band with family, good nicknames for a band's fanbase, and what records are truly "all killer, no filler." Enjoy! And we've added tracks from this episode to our Flavor of the Week playlist! itchrocks.com Twitter.com/itchrocks Facebook.com/itchrocks itchrocks@gmail.com ...

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, The Itch is joined by our friend Trev Allen of The Struggling Artist Podcast to discuss the Boston music scene, punk rock, and how the Dropkick Murphys were a gateway to both! It's a fun follow-up conversation after our recent appearance on his show! Check out our ongoing Flavor of the Week playlist, and then connect with us! itchrocks.com Twitter.com/itchrocks Facebook.com/itchrocks itchrocks@gmail.com Thank you so much for listening. If you like what you ...

We're almost ready to return! In the meantime, here's one last revisit to one of our favorite episodes of last season: our conversation with Sean Dowdell of Grey Daze. Enjoy his stories about life with Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, and our newly recorded intro about Amends...Stripped, a collection of acoustic versions of Amends tracks using alternate takes of Chester Bennington's vocals. Check out this episode's updated playlist of some of Sean and Chester's favorite artists, and then conn...

We couldn't wait to share the rest of our conversation with Arya Goggin of Skindred, The Itch's official favorite band™, so this episode is here early! In part 2, Arya discusses a trifecta of events that cursed their global touring plans, how to structure a setlist, and the state of rock in the UK. Plus, Dan plays a card that nearly earns himself a livestream concert! Check out this episode's epic playlist, and then let us know what you think! Twitter: https://twitter.com/itchrocks Facebook: h...

In this episode, guys have the pleasure of speaking with Arya Goggin, drummer of Skindred, The Itch's official favorite band™. In part 1 of our conversation, Arya discusses the differences between finding success in the US and the UK, the challenges of socially distanced musical collaboration, how to become a cat person, and why the cowbell never stopped being cool. Plus, the guys strike the deal of a lifetime. Check out this episode's playlist, and then let us know what you think! Twitter: ht...

Just in time for the 20th anniversary of Linkin Park's game-changing debut Hybrid Theory, The Itch has the pleasure of speaking with the multi-talented Sean Dowdell of Grey Daze, who just released the album Amends, featuring vocals by his late friend Chester Bennington. Join us as we discuss: Sean's teenage years with Chester Their bonding musical influences His initial reaction to hearing Hybrid Theory A perceived rivalry between Grey Daze and Linkin Park and his thoughts on their futures ...