Advertise on podcast: Back On The Grind

Michael Crigler is an artist behind much of the artwork for DIY Bandits, Back On The Grind Records, Stay Free Coffee and other projects I worked on. He's also a longtime, dear friend and mentor. We start with how a conversation about album art turned into a friendship, including a phone call back when I was angry at the world and he offered another way to look at it. From there we get into what it means to choose compassion over rage, how that shaped my time in prison, and how he approaches creative work: trust, mistakes, nature, and the balance of order and chaos. We also get into the artwork for the Pat The Bunny and Ceschi friendship LP and the Looms / Trash Boat And The Ambush 7", wild places, slowing down, and the rules we use when things fall apart. The song at the end is 'One Of Us - Freaks,1932' by Trash Boat And The Ambush Signup for my news letter. One email a month or less about upcoming records, building a punk club, music suggestions and other fun things I share https://pepeba.kit.com/newsletter Support the podcast & get bonus episodes & goods (there’s a join for FREE option) patreon.com/BackontheGrind Connect with Michael Crigler instagram.com/michaelcriglerart/ 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 [email protected] 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.

A short bonus episode in the middle of the friendship series. Early is an addiction recovery coach and host of the Recovery Demystified podcast, they speak directly to anyone questioning their relationship to substances and wondering what social life looks like beyond the bar. They acknowledge how lonely and painful that stretch can be, then share three tips for building a sober social life! Support the podcast & get bonus episodes & goods (there’s a join for FREE option) patreon.com/BackontheGrind Connect with Recovery Demystified / Early recoverydemystified.com/secular-addiction-recovery-coaching/instagram.com/recoverydemystified/ 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 [email protected] 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.

In this conversation, Pepe Bandit and Folk Punk Dad explore the multifaceted nature of friendship, discussing its importance, the challenges of making friends, and the dynamics that evolve over time. They delve into the impact of school environments on friendship formation, the role of alcohol in social interactions, and the need for a clearer understanding of what constitutes a friendship. The discussion highlights the emotional support and trust inherent in friendships, while also acknowledging the complexities and nuances that can arise throughout different life stages. Hear about themes such as trust, vulnerability, and the importance of acquaintances. They discuss how friendships evolve from companionship to deeper connections, the significance of social interactions in adult life, and the effort required to build lasting relationships. The dialogue emphasizes the value of shared interests and community in fostering friendships, while also reflecting on personal experiences of moving and integrating into new social circles. The song at the end is Don't Worry About It by Mutiny Amongst Friends...you can get the full album free at diybandits.bandcamp.com/album/broken-home-sing-alongs Support the podcast & get bonus episodes & goods • patreon.com/BackontheGrind Connect with Folk Punk Dad: instagram.com/folkpunkdad/linktr.ee/folkpunkdad 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 [email protected] 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.

Pepe Bandit sits down with fellow coffee roaster and DIY lifer John Cozz of Cozz Coffee for a wide-ranging conversation on running, magic, and lessons learned. They trace parallel paths through coffee roasting and DIY music — Pat the Bunny, Jeffrey Lewis — and the value of just knocking on doors or sending the email to make things happen. John talks about growing up with a magician father and how that shaped his creative instincts, while Pepe shares his own story of going for his first-ever run on the morning he was sentenced to prison. The back half gets into the real mechanics of building a small coffee roastery — cash flow, the 80/20 rule, moving too fast — then Pepe shares a high-stakes history in the marijuana trade that led to prison in the first place, including cartel members and a genuinely hair-raising run-in with a cop in the California mountains. Support the podcast & get bonus episodes & goods (there’s even a FREE option) patreon.com/BackontheGrind Connect with Cozz coffee: instagram.com/cozzcoffee/cozzcoffeeroasting.com/patreon.com/BackontheGrind/posts/john-cozz-on-152903606?l=zh-CN (this is the full episode with John on Patreon) 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 [email protected] 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.

To honor Jesse's one year of sobriety today, I invited him on the pod for a quick bonus episode. We talk about what this milestone means to him and some new comforts he gained as a result. Jesse's also been writing new solo music — and he's teaming up with Back On The Grind Records to bring it to vinyl. We close the episode out with a track from the upcoming album. Send some love to Jesse for making it this far. This community thrives the more we take care of each other ❤️ Support the podcast & get bonus episodes & goods (you can join for FREE) patreon.com/BackontheGrind 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 [email protected] 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.

Tape and Tears join Pepe Bandit to talk about their first DIY tour & everything that comes with learning it on the fly, from forgetting to count merch money until they were nearly out of gas, to the venues that never mentioned how or when they'd get paid. They dig into the community that carried them through it, from bands like Swamp Rats letting them crash on couches & jamming Mischief Brew songs in the living room, to the mentorship or generosity of Mike Wilson (from Harley Poe) & other people from the folk punk scene at large. The conversation opens into the origins of the band itself — Gilliana's mental health crisis while studying abroad in Berlin, the queer folk punk community there that pulled her back toward the music, & how "Tape and Tears" became both a band name & a way of holding pain & progress together. They close with practical tour wisdom (pack a cooler, eat before you're hangry) & a shared belief that showing up with heart matters more than sounding polished. Support the podcast to get bonus episodes & goods (there’s a join for FREE option) • patreon.com/BackontheGrind Connect with Tape And Tears: instagram.com/tapeandtearstapeandtears.bandcamp.com/musictapeandtears.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 [email protected] 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.

In this episode, Pepe Bandit talks with members of the band Ruen. They start with fire — how a century of replacing Portugal's natural forests with pine and eucalyptus monoculture has made wildfire season a recurring catastrophe across southern Europe — then dig into the punk, DIY, & squat subcultures of Portugal & the Netherlands. The rest of the episode is dedicated to their new concept album, The Tragedy of the Commons. You'll hear samples of songs as they explore land rights, enclosure &, resistance — including the present-day fight against lithium mining in Boticas — along with the influence of books like When the Wolves Howl & Re-Enchanting the World. Support the podcast & get bonus episodes & goods (there's a join for FREE option) •patreon.com/BackontheGrind Connect with Ruen: instagram.com/weare_ruen weareruen.bandcamp.com/music 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 [email protected] 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.

Jimmy of The Looms joins Pepe to revisit personal authority, DIY shows, and spirituality from the earlier Lomes of Pigeon Pit episode. From there, they open into new territory: including how the things that upset us most in others are often things we haven't dealt with ourselves, the pull toward revenge instead of actually improving things, why anarchism might work at the level of a house show but strains under mass civilization, Jimmy's own path through Buddhism and monastery life, and a back-and-forth on Spinoza's determinism and what's left of a person once every external identity is stripped away. Support the podcast & get bonus episodes & goods •patreon.com/BackontheGrind connect with The Looms: instagram.com/theloomsband/thelooms.band/thelooms.bandcamp.com/music 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 [email protected] 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.

Yell At God — the Philly-based folk punk band sits down with Pepe Bandit for a deep dive into hope. First they start with the dichotomy of touring: the exhaustion of the road paired with the explosive connection of a live show. From there the conversation opens into hope itself — why it's an actionable practice rather than a feeling you either have or don't, how social media can drain it, and why hopelessness and complacency are closer cousins than they seem. The band also works through a question passed along from a previous guest, Lomes of Pigeon Pit, about whether hope can distract from other opportunities/the present. The conversation closes with concrete, low-stakes ways to rebuild a sense of agency: text a friend, plan a show even if five people come, go to the library, buy the next person's coffee. We close out playing Folk Punk Birthday Song. Support the podcast & get bonus episodes & goods •patreon.com/BackontheGrind Connect with Yell At God instagram.com/yell_at_god/linktr.ee/yellatgod 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 [email protected] 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.

Lomes of Pigeon Pit, joins Pepe Bandit for an unguarded conversation that starts with songwriting as alchemy — puking out the f****d-up parts of the world and finding gold in the filth — and follows it into personal authority forged through hardship, acid trips, and a philosophy of spiritual anarchism built on empathy. They discuss the work of transmuting hope and gratitude into action, the magic of DIY shows and what gets lost and gained when a band outgrows the basements it started in. The conversation also turns toward the strange weight of being someone strangers cry in front of, and what it means to carry that without claiming credit for someone else's survival. Pepe shares why this one is personal for him — his own kid found Lomes's music during the years he was locked up, long before the two of them ever met. We close out playing the Pigeon Pit song "Thread The Needle." Support the podcast & get bonus episodes & goods • patreon.com/BackontheGrind Connect with Pigeon Pit: linktr.ee/pigeonpit (for show tickets and more)instagram.com/pigeon.pit/?hl=enpigeonpit.bandcamp.com/music 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 [email protected] 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.

Amy fronted Evil Robot Us' a DIY folk punk band out of Buffalo that shared its first bill with Against Me! and later toured and recorded with Erik Petersen — but this story follows where that punk ethic took her next: ten years as a children's librarian, a decade as a professional aerialist and storyteller, and now grad school to become a therapist for kids and families. Pepe and Amy trace the thread connecting it all - while swapping stories from the early 2000s scene, talking through parenting during incarceration, raising a neurodivergent kid, recovering from long COVID, and closing by honoring Erik Petersen's lasting influence. Support the podcast & get bonus episodes & goods patreon.com/BackontheGrind For more Evil Robot Us' or to connect with Amy evilrobotus.bandcamp.com/musicamykgodfrey.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 [email protected] 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.

Pepe Bandit & Chris Conde discuss queer identity & expression through music. Chris addresses the discomforts that can arise in early personal life & performances around this subject. They explore censorship & cancel culture & the importance of growth within the community. The dialogue emphasizes the need for open communication & understanding while confronting these issues.  They delve into the complexities of accountability, redemption, & the importance of doing the work after past mistakes. The difficulties of understanding allegations in context, the delicate balance of forgiveness & the challenges of navigating truth & consent are also explored. Ultimately, they emphasize the need for truly open dialogue in fostering healing & understanding. Support the podcast & get bonus episodes & goods patreon.com/BackontheGrind Connect w/ Chris Conde: instagram.com/conde_nyc/ chrisconde.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 [email protected] 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.

A bonus episode that explores 3 different perspectives (audience member / band / organizer)from this years STOOP FEST! We play Pathétique by Frog Legs at the end. First Interview - Greg Bee (audience member) Second Interview - Frog Legs (band) Third Interview - Willow (organizer) stoopfest.orginstagram.com/froglegspgh/froglegsband.com/ Support the podcast & get bonus episodes & goods patreon.com/BackontheGrind 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 [email protected] 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 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 [email protected] 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.

*** If you need to support a friend, loved one, or yourself...You can call, text, or chat with a 988 Lifeline counselor for help during difficult moments anytime, day or night. Just dial 988 it's free & confidential. ***If you or someone you care about needs support, SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals & families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.  1-800-662-HELP (4357) In this conversation, Early Brunner of Recovery Demystified joins Pepe Bandit in responding to listener's questions about addiction & recovery. They discuss the importance of creating supportive resources for individuals struggling with substance use & emphasize the need for personalized recovery approaches. Expect to hear about the challenges of maintaining friendships during recovery, & the complexities of family dynamics when addiction is involved. Learn about the challenges of relapse, & the journey towards helping others in recovery. The conversation also delves into the critical issues of mental health, suicide, & the necessity of seeking help. Early & Pepe emphasize the need for open discussions about these topics to reduce stigma & promote healing. The song at the end is titled "Dent" and performed by Mr. Michael Motorcycle. Support the podcast & get bonus episodes & goods patreon.com/BackontheGrind Connect with Recovery Demystified: recoverydemystified.com/instagram.com/recoverydemystified/ 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 [email protected] 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.

Pat almost refused to do this. Before we even hit record, he told me he had a strong feeling this interview shouldn’t happen.  We gave it a shot anyway. What came out isn’t a story that is pretty & clean.  It’s what it actually looks like when someone is trying to figure out their life after actively screwing parts of it up. We talk about growing up feeling isolated & out of place. Writing music while dealing with depression & not wanting to be alive. Hitchhiking with no phone, no stability, no real plan. Stealing from people who trusted you & having to sit with that. Getting sober & realizing that doesn’t fix the damage, it just means you have to face it. There’s a moment in here when we’re talking about that betrayal, & you can feel it. Not simply as a story but, as something that actually happened between two people trying to sort out the messiness. Over all it’s a conversation with two friends trying to be honest about who they were & who they’re trying to become now. If you’ve ever looked at your own life and thought, “I’ve made a mess of this”…this conversation is going to feel familiar & hopeful. Support the podcast & get bonus episodes & goods patreon.com/BackontheGrind Connect with Friends In Real Life instagram.com/friendsinreallifemusic/friendsinreallife.bandcamp.com/music 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 [email protected] 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.