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Back On The Grind — Music
Back On The Grind

A podcast exploring life, music, people & the stories that bring us closer.

Episodes are published on the 1st & 15th every month.

With intimate interviews, folk punk & my own personal experiences, I explore how we can show up for the story of life. There’s no reason to do this alone, we can learn from each other, even if we make some mistakes along the way. Join me as I embark on a journey to figure out how to find meaning & balance, navigate relationships & culture, all while growing with you. We can survive our failures, learn from them & celebrate the victories we also achieve when we put in the work.

I have a strong connection to the folk punk & DIY, underground music community in general, so expect to hear about that too. Some other common themes on the show are, creativity, prison, addiction/recovery, spirituality, personal authority & relationships. I hope to become a valuable part of your life through my efforts here at Back On The Grind as I bring you closer to myself & the guests I converse with.

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Help support this project & overall journey & get some member exclusives:

patreon.com/BackontheGrind

Do you have a question about something you heard in an episode?

Do you have a question about something you’re dealing with in life?

Is there a topic you think should be discussed?

Is there something you want to know about me?

Get in touch with your questions & I will do my best to address it on the show.

Email (I guarantee results)

Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com

Connect on Instagram

instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Get coffee roasted by your host Pepe Bandit

StayFreeCoffee.com

DRINK COFFEE & STAY FREE!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Copyright: © ...Who Cares

Latest Episodes:

Mike Wilson of Harley Poe on opening & closing a record shop & the DIY ethos #28 Jun 01, 2024

Show notes

Mike Wilson of Harley Poe talks with Pepe about a wide range of topics like the Grateful Dead, joining Harley Poe & pissing for authority figures. There's plenty of talk about not wanting to work for someone else & the DIY spirit that makes this possible. Expect to hear about the hurdles & challenges (often mental) that Mike & Pepe both faced on their journeys of trying not to have a boss. At the end of the show we play the previously unreleased track "The Night My Cat Went To The Moon" by Mike Wilson. Enjoy!

Support the podcast (& get exclusives!)

patreon.com/BackontheGrind

HIGHLIGHTS:

Why Mike is in a Grateful Dead cover band
What motivated Mike to open a record shop
Joining Harley Poe
Why Harley Poe doesn't tour much
Bandit Coffee Roasters cease & desist story
Pepe vs The Minimalist
Not going back to working for someone else
Mike's biggest hurdle to starting his own business was a mental hurdle
How the DIY ethos helped Mike & Pepe to start working for themselves
Thoughts on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
The shift that seems to happen as you enter the second half of life
Why Pepe got so involved in the punk scene
Showing a stranger your butthole & pissing for authority figures
Mike's Coke Zero addiction
"The Night My Cat Went To The Moon" previously unreleased song

Connect with & Listen to the music of Mike Wilson:

instagram.com/recordstoreguymike/

open.spotify.com/artist/0pULVNhcCRT9158jRhNaFr

mikewilson.bandcamp.com/

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Surviving 13 Years in Prison w/ Ping Lieu #27 May 15, 2024

Show notes

Pepe talks with Ping Lieu who spent 13 years in prison for discussing a potential crime he never actually carried out. This is an older but unreleased episode Pepe recorded while he was fighting his own case and preparing to enter prison himself.

Support the podcast & get bonus material

patreon.com/BackontheGrind

What led Ping to serve 13 years in prison
What it was like for Ping to receive his sentence
The hardest moment of Ping's life & a moment of relief
Crying & the emotional tension it let loose
The different security levels in prison
The hardest aspect of being in prison
Useful skills learned in prison
Benefits & challenges of being Asian in prison
What Ping would've done differently in prison
Struggles after release
What Ping started doing after release
Advice for people potentially facing incarceration

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sister Wife Sex Strike talk Folkpunk, Unauthorized Starbucks Show, Spirituality & More #26 May 01, 2024

Show notes

Folkpunk Dad sits down with Sister Wife Sex Strike who have been making a name for themselves in the folkpunk community lately. They talk about their recent TikTok fame, their popup Starbucks show, songwriting, anarchism + spirituality & more. Enjoy!

Support the podcast & get bonus material

patreon.com/BackontheGrind

Highlights:

Getting into folkpunk
Accessibility within folkpunk
Blowing up on Tiktok
Not having personal social media
TikTok people vs. show people
Unauthorized popup show in Starbucks
Songwriting
Lyrical themes
Anarchism & religion
Action & contemplation
Spirituality in folkpunk
The gay wave of modern folkpunk

Connect with Sister Wife Sex Strike:

tiktok.com/@sisterwifesexstrike
instagram.com/sisterwifesexstrike/

Listen to Sister Wife Sex Strike:

open.spotify.com/artist/2tEMuU8MNYgXwKX6jJ6l2X

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Becoming A Punk With A Camera #25 Apr 15, 2024

Show notes

"The only thing that saved me was DIY punk."

Punk With A Camera (PWAC) & Pepe discuss having no place to fit in or feel welcomed until finding DIY punk, filming, working with bands & difficult times with parents while growing up. There's talk about starting a project or passion, learning from our mistakes, supporting the community & much more.

Support the podcast & get bonus material

patreon.com/BackontheGrind

HIGHLIGHTS:

First camera/early filming
Connecting film & DIY punk
Mystery Johnny Hobo mini VHS tapes in Pepe's garage
Growing up with neglectful parents
Why PWAC has no contact with his mother currently
Finding punk "parents"/mentors
Not being scared to fuck up
Helping people to get where they're going
Labels taking advantage of musicians
The concept of "give & take"
Being uncomfortable talking about money
Releasing vinyl for bands (& why you can't sometimes)
Pythons & platypus

Connect with Punk With A Camera:

instagram.com/punkwithacamera/
punkwithacamera.com/

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Navigating band life with Tall Travis #24 Apr 01, 2024

Show notes

Folk/punk musicians Tall Travis sit down to talk with Folkpunk Dad about a range of topics regarding maintaining a band, creating music and friendship. It's the first time we have an entire band on the podcast all at once. They also discuss their appreciation for superstition, magic, whimsy & mystery. We also play their new song Ghost Of Apartment B2 at the end of the episode. Enjoy!

HIGHLIGHTS:

Obstacles & benefits of having band members spread throughout different states
The song writing process
The value of the collective & the individual
DIY recording techniques/philosophies
Navigating the bands decision making process
DIY music/art & de-professionalism
Getting permission to cover Woody Guthrie & Pat The Bunny
Advice if you want to start a band
The mythology of who Tall Travis is
New song "Ghost Of Apartment B2" played

Connect with Tall Travis:

instagram.com/talltravisband/
talltravis.bandcamp.com/

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rise and Shine w/ Pepe Bandit & Folk Punk Dad #23 Mar 15, 2024

Show notes

How we show up in (or retreat from) the world is greatly influenced by how we wake up in the morning. Pepe Bandit & Folkpunk Dad discuss the value of morning routines & share some things they've done as they developed their own morning routines. They both share how not having a morning routine kept them stuck in unhealthy places.They share what helps them now in the mornings when those difficult times arise.

Support the podcast & get bonus material

patreon.com/BackontheGrind

HIGHLIGHTS:

The news that made Pepe not want to get out of bed
Pepe's & Folkpunk Dad's very difficult time without a morning routine
The key to Pepe's success with getting through all that he's faced
Folkpunk Dad's essential nightly routine
It's normal for your morning routine to change & shift
Making a promise to show up for yourself
When to drink coffee in the morning
Folkpunk Dad's & Pepe's methods to get guidance/feedback
Pepe's prison morning routine
Recommended places to start if you don't currently have a morning routine
Behavioral Activation Therapy

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Show Time with Trash Boat And The Ambush #22 Mar 01, 2024

Show notes

"We're very obsessed with soup"

Trashboat And The Ambush join Pepe for a fun & lighthearted conversation largely centered around setting up DIY shows. First they start off with stories about punk pits, cats & the internet & then dive into their experiences and advice for organizing shows & the community that gets built around this. Towards the end, some unknown folk punk history is shared, some folk punk lore is discussed & a new track by Trash Boat And The Ambush is played.

Support the podcast & get bonus material

patreon.com/BackontheGrind

HIGHLIGHTS:

The benefits of starting to set up shows
What if there's already someone hosting/organizing shows in my town?
Security culture in setting up shows
Pepe reflects on some past shows he set up in the early days
Soup and feeding bands
Voodoo soup story
Reaching out to bands
An unknown bit of history in the folk punk world (regarding Love Songs For The Apocalypse)
You're gonna have shitty shows / You gotta stick with it
Raccoon vs opossum...what came first in folk punk?
New song SS Colombia Eagle played

Download the new Trash Boat And The Ambush track SS Colombia Eagle

backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/album/back-on-the-grind-vol-1

Listen to & connect with Trash Boat And The Ambush

open.spotify.com/artist/4k4Xcm2YFkr7jesWipX6KY
linktr.ee/trashboatandtheambush

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inside A Women's Prison with Tray Johns #21 Feb 15, 2024

Show notes

"You are in a capacity where you don't have eminent domain over nothing in your life, EXCEPT how you respond and that's the only thing you really have."

Pepe talks with Tray Johns who was sentenced to over 12 years in a women's Federal prison for about $500 worth of drugs. You will learn about life inside a women's prison and hear the story of Tray's journey to, through and out of prison. Tray talks about the things that helped them feel happy, normal or simply okay in prison, having parties, responding to difficulties that arise & more. This an unreleased interview form an older podcast that Pepe recorded (but never published) while he was fighting his case & heading to prison himself.

Support the podcast & get bonus material

patreon.com/BackontheGrind

HIGHTLIGHTS:

Tray's difficult & impressive pre-prison life
Becoming a "jailhouse lawyer"
Teaching skills & empowering others while incarcerated
Supporting/advocating for someone in prison
Being recognized as a number not a human
Social structures/prison families created by women in prison
Birthdays & holidays in prison
Advice for dealing with guards
Does it get easier to serve your time as it goes on?
Parenting from prison
Difficulties for family and friends of an incarcerated person
Advice for women who might be facing prison time

If you liked this episode you will enjoy Finding Happiness In Our Broken Places with Mitchell Gray:

SPOTIFY open.spotify.com/episode/3Jevl78DTRhgrYf3egoaoT?si=PsdHv01ORmGaLfqS8P8WDw
APPLE PODCAST podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/back-on-the-grind/id1681556943?i=1000641680693

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Days N Daze / Escape From the Zoo on Relationships, Relapse & the X-Files #20 Feb 01, 2024

Show notes

Je-C (Days N Daze / Escape From The Zoo) & his wife Veronica (Escape From The Zoo) come on the show to talk about relationships, relapse & the X-Files. They share some laughs, shed some tears & also discuss Nick Lutsko, their intro to punk music, why they didn't come on the show last year as planned, romanticizing the tortured artist idea & relationships with parents.

If you enjoy the parts of this episode where we discuss what happens when an event in your life cracks you open & you then have a choice to make; then we suggest you listen to episode #19 (it's right before this one) titled "Finding Happiness In Our Broken Places with Mitchell Gray." We take an even deeper dive into the topic & it's been a favorite episode for listeners.

Support the podcast & get bonus material

patreon.com/BackontheGrind

HIGHLIGHTS:

What it was like for Veronica to push for sobriety in the relationship
Doing EDMR in rehab
Benefits & challenges sobriety brought to their relationship
The value of open communication in a relationship
Veronica & Je-C respond to the Johnny Hobo poll we ran in episode 15
The text Je-C sent Pepe after he and Veronica relapsed
Je-C's emotional retelling of the events leading up to his relapse
The crack that gets created in your life when you experience a loss
Where Veronica's love of the X-Files comes from

Connect with Days N Daze:

https://www.facebook.com/daysndaze/
instagram.com/daysndazeofficial/

Listen to the Mitchell Gray episode we mentioned Finding Happiness In Our Broken Places:

SPOTIFY open.spotify.com/episode/3Jevl78DTRhgrYf3egoaoT?si=PsdHv01ORmGaLfqS8P8WDw
APPLE PODCAST podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/back-on-the-grind/id1681556943?i=1000641680693

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Finding Happiness In Our Broken Places with Mitchell Gray # 19 Jan 15, 2024

Show notes

"If I let myself be available to be happy, most of the time it does happen."

Pepe connects with Mitchell "Trash" Gray as they discuss their prison experiences, exploring their broken places & their individual relationships to happiness that developed through the journey. It's an emotional conversation at times that traverses topics from addiction to Buddhism and overall lets you see you have a choice to make when you push up against difficult moments or your own broken places. Listen to the episode to find out the choices Mitchell & Pepe made when they were standing on the edge of these places. We end with the song "Dying Red Sun" by Mitchell's band Our Own Legacy.

Support the podcast & get bonus material:

patreon.com/BackontheGrind

HIGHLIGHTS:

Thoughts on happiness
What led Mitchell into prison
The painful moment Mitchell knew things had to change
A different perspective on being a broken person
Pepe's painful moment when he broke open in prison
A convicted murderer offers a shoulder to cry on
Mitchell cries at a punk show & Pepe cries at a ska show
Where do you most belong?
The one thing Mitchell would want you to take away from this conversation

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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