B-Side Breakdown

Three voices, one person’s mind. On “Absolution,” Steve Tulipana used the interplay between himself and his bandmates to explore how someone could commit an atrocity and justify it to themselves. The song came together in Martin Bisi’s studio, where the rhythms Paul Malinowski and Jason Gerken were developing called for a different approach. Hearing The Birthday Party’s “Zoo Music Girl” sparked an...

“Pearls” wasn’t chosen as a single, but it was one of the first songs that made Maintenance hear what their new record could become. It began with Costa playing chords on a classical guitar. The band built on that first idea together, while the words took shape from mumbled melodies, notes written on a subway commute, and a question about following a part of yourself you’re only beginning to under...

“RAH RAH RAH” began as a hook Nick Bacon couldn’t quite turn into a finished song. As he watched people in his Massachusetts community live with the threat of detention, he found the words. Nick talks about why the band released the song before finishing its next record, and how ska’s mix of joyful music and social conscience shaped its sound. He also talks about the lyric video: drummer Scott Boy...

The Iron Roses are back on B-Side Breakdown, and a lot has changed since their first appearance. With their new single "Dead Eyes" leading the charge, Becky and Nat talk about why this record hits harder—both musically and lyrically—and how the band has grown into the sound they always wanted to make. The conversation goes beyond the song itself, diving into the realities of building a touring ban...

What happens when the song that started your band also becomes the song that brings it back to life? Tim Andrews joins B-Side Breakdown to revisit "Another Day in Paradise," the first song Arrows at Dawn wrote under their new name and a track that nearly became the band's final chapter. Tim shares how a familiar Midwestern phrase became the foundation for a song about betrayal, frustration, and re...

More than twenty-five years after releasing their last full-length record, Overthrow returned with *Setting the Price*—not as a nostalgia project, but as the continuation of a story that was never truly finished. In this episode, Chris and Anthony break down "Tribute," a song rooted in loss, gratitude, and the people who helped shape both the band and the New York hardcore community. They reflect...

What happens when conspiracy theories stop being fringe entertainment and start influencing the way people understand the world? In Episode 53 of B-Side Breakdown, Shayne Miel of Overton breaks down "High On Faith," a darkly humorous and surprisingly thoughtful song inspired by misinformation, conspiracy culture, and humanity's need to explain the unknown. What began with a single lyric evolved in...

“This song was me finally going backwards and dealing with some demons.” For episode 52 of B-Side Breakdown, Marc-Alan Prince breaks down “The Damned,” a song about chasing perfection, surviving self-destruction, and coming to terms with the difference between romanticized youth and the reality of getting older. What starts as a conversation about touring and punk rock ambition turns into somethin...

This song came from a real moment in the woods that stayed with them long after they got home. On episode 51 of B-Side Breakdown, DPFKS break down “Magnetic Rock,” a song rooted in emotional exhaustion, connection, and a surreal experience on Minnesota’s Gunflint Trail that became the emotional center of the track. The conversation moves through the band’s pandemic-era formation, their attempt to...

For episode 50 of B-Side Breakdown, Shi from Scarboro breaks down “Chaser,” a song rooted in political exhaustion, fake empathy, and the disconnect between what people say they believe and what they’re willing to act on. Shi talks openly about working in politics and nonprofit advocacy, running for Congress from the left, and eventually walking away after years of watching corporate influence holl...

“ASM KoP” started as a phrase Nick Palmer couldn’t shake—something he said constantly in his day job as a retail recruiter: Assistant Store Manager, King of Prussia. What began as a hook turned into something more layered: a snapshot of aging punk lifers navigating retail jobs, suburban malls, and the space between who they were and who they are now. In this episode, Nick breaks down how the song...

In this episode of B-Side Breakdown, Brett Johnson talks with Johnny Laberda from Battery Eyes and Andrew Cahak of Unstable Shapes about “Upside Down,” a collaborative track that stretches beyond both bands’ usual comfort zones. Born from a casual conversation at Minneapolis mainstay Mortimer’s, the song evolved into one of the most anthemic and stylistically distinct moments on Battery Eyes’ upco...

In this episode of B-Side Breakdown, Brett Johnson sits down with David Jarnstrom of Minneapolis post-hardcore stalwarts Dead History to talk about “Through the Shadows,” a standout track from the band’s 2025 album Departures. Built around an initial guitar idea from Matt Rezac, the song took a long and winding path to completion—nearly left behind before emerging as one of the record’s most spaci...

In this episode of B-Side Breakdown, Brett Johnson sits down with Brad Gunnarson—better known around the Twin Cities as B-Gun—to unpack “Teenager,” a Deftones cover recorded under the project name Killing Stares. Originally appearing on White Pony, the song was reimagined for For the Song You Saved, a community-driven Deftones tribute benefiting Oasis for Youth. Brad talks through the long-held id...

Brett Johnson sits down with James and Terry of The Jukebox Romantics (Downstate NY) to talk about “The Walk to Heartwood” — a heartfelt standout from their 2025 full-length, This One Looks Cool. Equal parts punk gratitude and FEST devotion, the song is a self-described “love letter to Heartwood Soundstage” and the Gainesville DIY scene. Built around themes of chosen family, emotional return, and...

In this episode of B-Side Breakdown, Brett Johnson talks with members of Too Late, But Still about “Feedback City,” a standout track from their 2025 EP Night Songs. The conversation traces how the song came together organically in the room, shaped less by traditional structure and more by evolving movements and shared instincts. Lyrically, “Feedback City” pulls directly from lived experience—tour...

Brett Johnson sits down with Travis Omilian of Banquets (Jersey City, NJ) to talk about “Goodbye Before You Go” — a stirring track from the band’s first album in over a decade, Petty Relics. What started in 2010 as a group of friends making melodic punk with a wink (a band named after a beer, a debut 7" titled This Is Our Concern, Dude) has grown into something far deeper. Across Top Button, Botto...

Kind Skies is a great band from Lexington, KY. They do things their way, authentically and organically, and allow things to unfold as they do. I caught up with Chris on the first segment of the episode then the rest of the band showed up for the second. It was great to chat with them and deep dive into their track "Unrest" that comes off their August 2025 release, "Echo". Be sure to show your supp...

Finally got a chance to talk with ExactlyNo, one of my favorite bands from Minneapolis, MN about their single, “All I Need”.  Known for their big, dynamic sound—explosive drums, guitars that double as riffs and atmosphere, and vocals that carry both raw edge and melodic intention—ExactlyNo push their sonic boundaries on this track. “All I Need” was produced by Jeremy Tappero and mastered by Bruce...

Take Two... You'll hear us joke about it in the episode but this was my 2nd attempt at getting Aaron Stoquert from The Snorts on an episode. We pulled up this time around to talk about the song “Butterflies,” off of their 2024 release, "pitter patter", which I can't recommend enough from beginning to end. If you’re into songs that sprint, sting, and stay with you after they’re over, this one’s a r...

I was happy to get the chance to sit down with Zac from Minneapolis, MN based johnnyrook to talk about their song, "Missing You For Days". johnnyrook has been a staple in the Minneapolis rock scene for decades now, and after a hiatus have come back strong with their new record, "The More Things Change" released this past July. Be sure to show your support on Bancamp Friday and connect with them on...

Adios Fatso is a Massachusetts-based DIY punk project injecting dark humor and sharp social commentary into short, explosive songs. I sat down with Sir-Ken Celli from the group and chatted about their jam, "WTF", which was mixed by Andrew Berlin (Descendents, Rise Against) and mastered by Jason Livermore (NOFX, Lagwagon) at the legendary Blasting Room. It's a super fun song with a SLAMMING ending...

Skjolden is the first solo project from Carl Skildum of Inexorum, Majesties, and Antiverse. Located in Minneapolis and entirely self-directed, Skjolden crosses death metal and melodic black metal. I've known Carl for a long time across multiple bands/projects, and I loved pulling with him on this episode to reconnect and learn what he's been working on. On this episode, we focus on “While Dying”,...

504 Plan is a high school punk band from Washington, D.C., whose music is as urgent as it is unfiltered. Their debut vinyl, DCxPC Live & Dead Vol. 6, features the explosive single Call to Action and captures both their sweat-soaked live energy (recorded at DC9) and their studio polish (tracked at the legendary Inner Ear with Don Zientara). In this episode, we sit down not with the band, but wi...

Indoor Friends (Boston, MA) fuse confessional punk and melodic power-pop into something entirely their own, and nowhere is that more clear than in their latest single, psyayayduck What starts as a lyrical spiral of emotional wreckage becomes a full-blown cathartic release—chaotic, catchy, and unexpectedly fun. In this episode, the band breaks down the writing process behind psyayayduck and how the...