The Emo Social Club Podcast

"I think all black and brown people across all industries and fields know that we always have to work 10 times harder to be met in the middle." We're joined by rap rock pioneers Oxymorrons at Warped Tour. They get real about the challenges and pride of being Black artists in the alternative rock scene. The band also shares the creative freedom behind their latest independent album cycle. _________...

Join Emo Social Club for an insightful chat with Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley as he shares the journey behind his clothing brand, Walking Disaster, his creative philosophy, and what makes music truly emotional, all from Warped Tour. Chapters: 00:00 Launching Walking Disaster: From Socks to Full Brand 02:00 Deryck Whibley on Defining Emo Music 04:00 Life & Creative Philosophy: Just Try Stuff Gues...

We're a collective from a bunch of like outcast scenes that are like working together and now become a part of another scene that is accepting of all sorts of different kinds of music". We talk with the incredibly popular band The Home Team (known for hits like "Loud" and "Walk This World With Me") while at Vans Warped Tour . The band shares their thoughts on the collective, accepting nature of th...

"I really love instrumentation and production and lyrics and... giving people a feeling that they can relate to."   Joining us from the seclusion of the Artist Lounge at Vans Warped Tour in Orlando , Huddy breaks down what it means to be an artist in the modern alternative scene. While often associated with the new wave of pop-punk, this conversation dives deep into the music history and influence...

"You ever been beaten down by life after 30 years? ... That's the genesis of Slow Joy. It's just emotionally driven lyrics and things that make sense really loud." In this episode, we sit down with Esteban from Slow Joy at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago to discuss the reality of tour life and the release of his deluxe record, A Joy Even Slower . Bridging the gap between the Myspace era and today's a...

"We have this phrase called Þetta reddast, which we say a lot, and it's just like the things will work out somehow. And I think that describes it quite well." We're live from Reykjavik for the Iceland Airwaves festival! Brian sits down with Icelandic experimental pop artist Lúpína to discuss the vibrant and creative local music scene. Lúpína shares why singing in her native Icelandic language feel...

"We have literally... been had a wake up call." Spencer Chamberlain of Underoath gets brutally honest about why the band can no longer ignore TikTok and social media. What does "emo" even mean? We're live on the tour bus with Spencer Chamberlain and Chris Dudley of Underoath to figure it out. We dive deep into the 20th anniversary of their foundational album, They're Only Chasing Safety , and how...

Join us for a chat with Canadian emo-revival band Arms Length immediately following their set at the When We Were Young festival. We dive into what makes the band so inherently "emo," which they attribute to their "northern sadness" and the isolation of their Canadian upbringing. Despite living comfortable lives, their music channels the feelings of mental illness and translates it into a sound re...

"I don't think people think of us when they think of emo. Probably we covered 'Mamma Mia' by ABBA today. That was emo. Yeah." Join the "Meeting of the Brians" as we sit down with Brian Logan Dales of The Summer Set right after their set at the When We Were Young festival. Despite playing an acoustic show in Tucson and driving through the night to make it, Dales brings his trademark high energy. We...

"I think that honestly, it was the only place that I felt safe expressing myself at such a, like a level of emotional vulnerability . Just vulnerability in general, even with the physicality of it."  Emo Social Club connects the Myspace era to today's waves by exploring the music that defined us and the emotions that still resonate. In this powerful episode, we sit down with the influential post-h...

"We were just trying to talk about, like, evolution and man's inhumanity to man, and I don't really ever think we got to the core, the bedrock of emo experience."  In this episode of Emo Social Club , we chat with Brian of the legendary punk band Bad Religion about the band's enduring legacy and their connection to the emo and pop punk scene. Even with a focus on heavier topics like evolution and...

"I gotta listen to a little bit of Zen... I need to balance it. I'm like, cry a little bit. I don't know." Live from the middle of the desert, we're hanging out with Taylor Acorn right after her massive set at When We Were Young Festival 2025! Taylor was shocked to see how many people chose her set over scene legends Mayday Parade, who were playing at the same time. We even broke the news to her t...

"What makes Her Leather Jacket so emo?" We caught up with Her Leather Jacket at When We Were Young Festival 2025 to talk about their incredible journey, from honing their sound to collaborating with legends of the scene. The band discusses how mentorship from Aaron Gillespie of Underoath completely opened the door for them to be more vulnerable in their lyrics and songwriting. This collaboration w...

"It's not a venue called the Loading dock. It's literally the loading dock." Live from When We Were Young Festival, we're hanging out with Rob Damiani, frontman of the incredible Don Broco. Rob takes us back to one of the most memorable shows of their career at The Loading Dock in Salt Lake City—a venue that is, quite literally, a loading dock. We get into the band's surprisingly emo history, from...

"I'd say Tom's broken heart is what makes this emo repeatedly, d**n." Live from When We Were Young Fest, we catch up with our friends from Chicago, Plain White T's! As their landmark album All That We Needed celebrates its 20th anniversary, the band reflects on their definition of "emo"—pop punk songs written about girls —and how that shaped their sound. We get the details on their upcoming annive...

"We're still in my high school band, technically." After 37 years together, The Bouncing Souls prove that punk rock longevity is about more than just the music—it's about the chemistry. In this episode recorded at Riot Fest 2025, we catch up with Greg from The Bouncing Souls to discuss their incredible journey from New Jersey punk kids to scene veterans. Fresh off the release of their new single "...

"I have to psych myself up for it every f***ing show... what if somebody f**ing k*lls me? I have kids, you know what I mean?" At Riot Fest 2025, we caught up with Dan Campbell from The Wonder Years for an intimate conversation about the band's 20-year journey in the emo and pop-punk scene. Campbell reflects on the emotional weight behind their songwriting process, discussing how The Greatest Gener...

"Somebody had to f***ing do it" - The Paradox on being representation pioneers in the emo/pop-punk scene At Riot Fest 2025, we sat down with The Paradox, the rising pop-punk band that's redefining what representation looks like in alternative music. From their formation in July 2024 to landing a major tour with All Time Low, Mayday Parade, Four Year Strong, and The Cab, their journey has been noth...

At Riot Fest 2025, we caught up with Honey Revenge vocalist Devin Papadol for an electrifying conversation about the band's unique position in the modern emo landscape. From their pop-rock fusion that's transcending genre boundaries to becoming Kevin Lyman's favorite new band for Warped Tour 2025, Devin breaks down how Honey Revenge is creating music that makes you want to "cry but also shake ass....

Footballhead finally plays Riot Fest after attending since 2014 - and the truth about butt rock comes out. Join Emo Social Club as Footballhead reveals why Breaking Benjamin equals The Beatles and shares wild Three Days Grace bar fight stories from their decade-long journey to Riot Fest's stage. JOIN THE CLUB!   Youtube: https://emosocial.club/youtube   Instagram: https://emosocial.club/...

We're hanging with Marianas Trench backstage at Riot Fest 2025! The band gets into what makes their candid lyrics so emo, the tough choices that go into building a festival setlist, and an unbelievable story about a Black Sabbath cover band that dresses like McDonald's characters. Topics discussed: Why their candid, personal lyrics are the most "emo" thing about them. The challenge of building a 3...

We're live from Riot Fest 2025 with Toronto's Loviet for one of the wildest conversations yet! We kick things off with a heated debate about the best and worst My Chemical Romance songs before diving into Canadian stereotypes and the story behind her rebellious new single, "Stiffy." Topics Discussed: The best (and worst) My Chemical Romance songs What really makes an artist emo? Debunking American...

This week we're live from Riot Fest 2025, hanging with the one and only Gabe Saporta of Cobra Starship and Midtown! Gabe shares an absolutely unbelievable story about how his dad got a surprise phone call from late-night legend Jay Leno and dives into a fan theory about whether Cobra Starship was actually more of a punk band than an emo one. Topics Discussed: The hilarious and heartwarming story o...

Live from the backstage madness of Riot Fest 2025, Travie McCoy of Gym Class Heroes joins the Emo Social Club for a deep dive into one of music's most iconic communities! Travie shares incredible stories about the brotherhood within the Fueled By Ramen and Decaydance Records family, revealing how bands like Fall Out Boy acted as mentors on the road and helped shape his career. He also gets real ab...

This week, we're joined by Meredith Haines from the Chicago noise-rock duo Latter for a new episode of "Make Me a Fan." Meredith explains why the experimental post-hardcore band Pile is "your favorite band's favorite band" and how their music completely reshaped her approach to songwriting. Can she convert our host into a true believer? Topics Discussed: How Pile's unconventional music inspired a...