Mike Hranica has been the frontman of The Devil Wears Prada since its inception in 2005. The band has has been continuously active, stable, and popular for the last 17 years. They have just released their 8th full length record, Color Decay, and are making huge waves with it. This episode explores Mike’s perspective on their career with many insights on this new album on Solid State.
Read MoreJason Wisdom himself falls into a certain archetype. A Tooth & Nail kid with a uniquely-wired mind who was inspired by bands like MXPX and Zao - and the range of possibilities for mixing various styles, genres, and mediums of expression that is permitted in the underground scene. Becoming the Archetype began in 2005 and released records until 2012. They are now back in full force after a decade-long hiatus with a new concept record entitled Children of The Great Extinction.
Read MoreToday we’re talking to Nathan Richardson of Salt Creek. Nathan started promoting shows as a teenager in Nebraska, he started his own merchandise company, and he has continued to make connections while growing his DIY skills. It seems that Nathan has real gratitude, curiosity, motivation, and finds joy in all that he throws himself into.
Read MoreFurnace Fest means so much to so many different people. From the bands who performed, to the fans who attended. All voices in the Labeled community have truly gathered around this Festival in a deeply meaningful way.
Read MoreGhoti Hook is a legendary Tooth & Nail band who were among the early explorers and pioneers of our scene. Their special focus and ability to have fun and entertain themselves translated directly into audiences everywhere. They were also incredibly hard workers and innovators who stayed true to their unique DNA through their final epic, beautiful and sad show at Cornerstone ’02. This episode features Joel, Adam and Jaime recounting their days in the band from their early beginnings to the ultimate demise.
Read MoreThis conversation with Kevin Klein from Valleyheart is a great look at how a modern artist sees the landscape today, and in what ways some things always stay the same in the midst of constant change. The one trend that continues to grow is the amount of control artists have over more and more layers of their art form, and why having clear vision and identifying constraints seems to matter more than ever. Valleyheart has a brand new Tooth & Nail album called Heal My Head out now, and its a terrific listen.
Read MoreThe Ongoing Concept is one of the most DIY bands in the Tooth & Nail/Solid State catalog, and they have achieved many innovative things like building their own instruments from scratch. The journey they have been on has been shaped by those that came before, but is a long quest for the artist to have as much creative control as possible. That desire to control everything has disadvantages too and this all makes for a very interesting conversation with band leader Dawson Scholz.
Read MoreIn this episode, we get the chance to to talk about a bunch of people in the Labeled universe through the perspective of Seth Roberts whose band Watashi Wa is back and doing big things. Watashi Wa has a new album out on Tooth & Nail on which Seth has pulled together some awesome collaborations. Not only do they have a new record coming out, but they are also on the west coast leg of LABELED FEST for which Seth is working on the the art team to do all the tour visuals and design work. Matt has known Seth since the first Tooth & Nail Tour in 2004, and Seth has always been a great connector of people in every environment he is in. That has led him to a rich set of experiences. We loved getting to discuss that with him and I know you will too.
Read MoreDiscovered directly by Brandon Ebel at Cornerstone, this set of individuals successfully navigated a mid-career identity change at the same time the whole industry was navigating major genre transitions. This conversation with David & Neil gives us a window into a fascinating time in our scene through the perspective of what may seem like perpetual outsiders but who truly have a special amount of gratitude that wound up fueling a long and fruitful career.
Read MoreLee Humerian was the drummer for Phinehas for nearly a decade. He is a very classic stereotype of a Tooth & Nail kid who followed his passion for music, energy and mission for God. Lee was drawn from music into full-time missions landing him in Ukraine in 2014. He and his family have made a home and life there during the escalating conflict over the last few years. I felt this was a great opportunity to get the perspective of someone from our world on a world that seems so foreign and unimaginable to me. This conversation is both fascinating, powerful & heartbreaking, and I’m glad you introduce you to a special person like Lee. I hope you get as much from this episode as I did.
Read MoreSteve and Ben from Wolves At The Gate have been at this game for a long time, and their band is continually gaining momentum, skill, fans, press coverage & relationships. With the release of their 5th album, Eulogies, they are seeing the compounding rewards of those efforts. The band has been able to maintain a clear vision and knows exactly who they are. Their sound and approach to ministry have been unwavering, yet their music progresses. They remain DIY and hands-on in their organization. They seem to have made the transition from a new & upcoming Solid State band to what you would call a veteran, influential Solid State act. In this episode, we discuss some of the changes they have seen in the the business & technology and also the evolution of their process
Read MoreThis episode is a continuation of the previous Haste The Day chapter with Jimmy Ryan, who was not a Tooth & Nail kid but found his way into the scene. Jimmy helped build a legendary Solid State band and then walked away from his dream. This left a giant hole which provided the opportunity for a Tooth & Nail kid if there ever was one, the multi-talented Stephen Keech, to walk into to a fairytale dream-come-true scenario and knock it out of the park - taking Haste The Day to an even higher level of success.
Read MoreJimmy Ryan, the original lead singer of Haste The Day, is in a rare category. His band was a breakout hit in the pinnacle of the Tooth & Nail/Solid State golden age, but Jimmy was NOT a Tooth & Nail kid. The rest of his band certainly were as they were youth group kids from a nice Indianapolis suburb when they joined forces with Jimmy. He was considerably older than them and, for better or worse, became the "tour dad.” Jimmy may not have grown up as a Tooth & Nail kid, but he was a perfect fit to continue the tradition of Solid State bands who would bring the intensity to the mission of mosh and ministry; he even ended up working at the label for a season!
Read MoreThe Moon is Down is one of the most influential albums in the entire Tooth & Nail catalog. Of course it is a fan favorite, but this one also checks the box in a big way as a named influence by countless artists, drummers, guitarists, song arrangers, and vocalists. Many of whom cite this album as helping them expand their minds to new possibilities and causing them to have creative breakthroughs. This conversation covers primarily the lead up to, capture, and impact of this classic album but also some great stories and interaction between the members and Matt. We loved making this episode and are honored to have had the opportunity.
Read MoreIvoryline is one of those bands that accomplished a lot in a short time but due to the circumstances of reality did not have a career that was able to reach its full maturity. Their fairly short run gives us all that feeling of slight tragedy but also leaves us with a nostalgic feeling of what might have been or still could be. Ivoryline did 2 amazing records with Aaron Sprinkle, had rock radio hits, got on some great tours around the world, and just as quickly lost momentum as the scene, economy, and people's tastes began to change. At the request of many fans, Vocalist Jeremy Gray and Matt take some time to discuss this iconic band from inception to the end.
Read MoreGarrett and Thomas from Silent Planet join us for a discussion from the studio to talk about their new record Iridescent and beyond. In this episode, we discuss being a third or even fourth wave Solid State band along with their philosophy and process.
Read MoreIt used to be that you could tell the reaction to an album by things like first week sales or reviews in major publications, but in 2021 it's a lot different. You can still feel the energy around an important release like this one, but the buzz comes from places like “reaction videos” from prominent YouTubers and other new media. It's a little bit of a different landscape, but there is still just an air about some records that indicates something special, some type of credibility, and The Fire Itself definitely seems to be one of those records.
Read MoreAaron Sprinkle and his brother Jesse began playing in the band Poor Old Lu 30 years ago in 1991. Poor Old Lu broke up in 1996, but Aaron was already well on his way to building an absolutely legendary career of influence on our scene.
Read MoreAugust Burns Red is a creation born of our scene, and by all accounts one of the most successful outputs of the whole culture. ABR has sold over a million records in North America alone, has 2 Grammy nominations, and has played over 2000 in shows in 45 countries while having no member changes in the last 18 years. It's astonishing to see what can come out of a very small group of people with shared interests that begin by goofing off together but made steady progress over many years refining their machine and discovering their purpose.
Read MoreJosh Kemble is someone who instantly strikes me as having two of my favorite qualities, mindfulness and authenticity. Combined, they give the experience of being present in a conversation while able to tie in multiple layers of meaning. It's almost as if Josh is aware of the experience he is creating in others, and that's key in crafting music or art that is going to connect with people.
