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Tune in to hear how music can be both a mirror and a medicine — helping us feel less alone, rediscover what moves us, and learn to use sound as a coping skill. Welcome to a space where music and mental health meet. Safe in Sound is a podcast with host Jeremy Houtsma, a licensed mental health counselor, that dives deep into the emotional stories behind the songs that shaped a generation — exploring how artists, therapists, and record label owners navigate mental health in the music industry. Each episode blends raw conversation and reflection, connecting the nostalgia of 2000s emo music with real, modern-day mental health experiences. Whether you’re a longtime fan of bands like Minus the Bear, Further Seems Forever, or Taking Back Sunday, or simply someone who finds healing through music, you’ll find honesty, connection, and hope here. Tune in to hear how music can be both a mirror and a medicine — helping us feel less alone, discover what moves us, and learn to use sound as a healing mechanism.

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Check latest episodes from Safe In Sound podcast

Travis Shettel: Piebald and the mental health effects of capitalism

2026/10/09

Travis Shettel is the lead singer and guitar player for the band Piebald. Piebald is an incredibly fun band to watch. Underneath all the silliness and fun, however, Travis Shettel is deeply serious about the state of our world. At one point, Travis wanted to get his Master's in social work to help others, but after experiencing the for-profit system and pitfalls of the healthcare system, he decided to drop out. Listen as Travis and I talk about all this and more.

Arabella Harrsion: Jejune's comeback, the new Emo scene and Music Therapy

2026/09/25

Arabella (Araby) Harrison is the bass player and 2nd vocalist for the band Jejune. As Jejune returns to the spotlight after 25 years of silence, Araby and I talk about the band's rise, life after, and how she took her musical gifts and applied them in practice as a licensed music therapist.

Walter Schreifels: Music, Spirituality and coping with stress

2026/07/31

Walter Schreifels is behind some of THE most influential bands in the Hardcore, Post-Hardcore, and emo scene. He is a founding member of Gorilla Biscuits, Quicksand, and Rival Schools, and played bass in Youth of Today. Personally, he is one of my favorite musicians out there. In this episode, we talk with Walter about his early life, his connection to spirituality, how he copes with the stress of just being human, and how Rival Schools took the name of a video game and managed not to get sued.

Mike Reed: Small Brown Bike/84 Tigers, Grief and Parenting

2026/07/10

Mike Reed is the guitarist and lead singer for the bands Small Brown Bike and 84 Tigers. Mike and I talk about his upbringing in a small town in Michigan, starting Small Brown Bike with his brother and childhood friends, transitioning out of touring, parenting, and confronting grief after the passing of bandmate and friend Travis Dopp and several other friends.

Matt Pryor- The Get Up Kids- Spirituality, Getting Sober and the Toll of Touring

2026/06/26

Matt Pryor is the lead singer of the iconic band The Get Up Kids. Matt has been touring as a musician for over 30 years, and while the life of a touring musician may seem like the greatest gig ever, for Matt, it has been full of ups and downs. After finding himself lonely, depressed, and anxious on tours in his later years, Matt realized he had been turning to alcohol to self-medicate. After finding himself in the ER, at risk for a stroke due to drinking, Matt decided it was time to get sober. Listen as Matt and I discuss his views on spirituality, sobriety, and life as a touring musician.

Erin Tate: Rock Bottom, Sobriety and Social Work

2026/06/12

Erin Tate is the former drummer for Minus the Bear. For 14 years, Erin played, wrote, and created with Minus the Bear, but after alcohol and substance use took over his life, he hit rock bottom. Erin lost everything: his marriage, his kid, and his band. After getting sober through AA, Erin has tried to make amends for the harm he has caused and keep himself accountable. Erin is now the site manager for a permanent supportive housing non-profit that helps homeless people transition from the street into housing. This is Erin's story as he has lived it.

Jim Ward: Sparta, Therapy and Survival

2026/05/22

In this episode, Jim Ward and I talk about Jim's music career, his non-profit "You Rock," and how anxiety, ADHD, and substance use have all affected his life. We also go over Jim's views on his own therapy journey, and how careful he is not to talk about mental health as some badge of honor he wears.

Bailey Pope: Comedy and the bravery of living into your authentic self

2026/04/03

Bailey Pope is a comedian, social media personality, and lover of music. Listen as Bailey talks about growing up Christian, discovering punk, emo, and hardcore, and taking the brave step into living into who she truly is even when it cost her everything.

Dan Weyandt: ZAO, Anxiety, OCD and Fear

2026/03/13

Dan Weyandt is the lead singer for the band ZAO. Behind that powerhouse of vocals is a Dad, Husband, Tattoo artist, and someone who suffers with severe anxiety, panic, and OCD. This episode is less about his band ZAO and more about Dan as a person and his struggle with his own mental health. Through the interview, listen as Dan and I discuss the anxiety that binds us and the ways we deal with it.

Trailer

2026/03/11

What Safe In Sound is all about.

Rachael Dietkus- Very Secretary, social work, skate culture and trauma informed design

2026/02/27

Rachael Dietkus is a social worker, designer, and founder of Social Workers Who Design, an organization that helps and teaches designers to create from a trauma-informed lens. Rachael was also a part of the late 90's and early 2000's Midwest emo scene, as part of the skate scene and playing violin in the band Very Secretary with Braid's first drummer, Roy Ewing. Listen as we talk about Rachael's time in the band and her career as a social worker, designer and how she melded the two into something special.

Dan Didier: The Promise Ring, Maritime and coping with anxiety through music

2026/02/13

In this episode, I'm joined by Dan Didier, drummer for the legendary Midwest emo band The Promise Ring. Dan sits down with us for a conversation that’s equal parts funny and refreshingly honest as we dive into drumming, recording, and the creative process behind the kit. We also get into something deeper — how playing drums became an outlet for managing anxiety and stress, and the role music can play in mental health. Dan opens up about his experiences with vulnerability, creativity, and finding balance both on and off stage, including his work with Maritime. It’s a conversation full of laughs, real talk, and plenty of insight for musicians, fans, and anyone who’s ever used music to cope.

Ben Jorgensen: Armor For Sleep, writing with vulnerability and overcoming failure

2026/02/12

Ben Jorgensen is the lead singer and guitar player for Armor For Sleep. Ben and I chronicle his journey through his younger years as he was awakened to the NJ punk scene, his journey in vulnerability in songwriting and overcoming failure.

Andy Squyres: Musician, Poet Priest- Disrupting the Christian Narrative

2026/01/16

In this episode of Safe In Sound, I’m joined by Andy Squyres for a real, honest conversation about faith, identity, and what happens when the Christian story you were handed starts to fall apart. We talk about disrupting the Christian narrative, stepping outside of the “safe” version of belief, and what it means to enter the uncomfortable space—the darkness—without rushing to fix it, explain it away, or slap hope on top of it too soon. This is an episode for anyone who’s felt trapped inside religion, confused by deconstruction, or exhausted by toxic positivity. If you’ve ever wondered “What if I don’t believe the way I used to?” or “Who am I without this framework?”—you’re not alone. Andy brings insight, humor, and depth as we explore what it looks like to rebuild meaning from the ground up, and how stepping into the unknown can sometimes be the most honest form of faith there is. 🎧 Press play for a conversation that’s raw, thoughtful, and deeply human.

Knox Burnett: Trauma therapy and the healing power of music.

2025/12/19

Knox Burnett is a friend and colleague practicing trauma therapy out of Seattle, Washington. In this episode, Knox and I talk about how music and therapy correlate to provide healing in one's own life.