Going Off Track

Matt Byrne, drummer for arguably the world's biggest hardcore band, Hatebreed, joins us to talk about the art of the epic breakdown, literally rocking out in the cradle, and life on the road with Ozzfest.

Hatebreed links

Senior Staff Writer at The Ringer, Howard Beck joins us again on the eve of the start of the NBA season to talk... well BASKETBALL! There's some other fun stories too, like meeting Muhammad Ali and his Nickelback beef. Needless to say, Benny is giddy with this one.

Master chef and Texas Is The Reason bassist, Scott Winegard got with us this week to talk about music in the kitchen, food, ghost stories galore and upcoming stuff for TITR.

Scott's stuff

The absolutely amazing, talented singer songwriter, Nicole Atkins joins us for a really fun, funny, informative and truly off-track conversation. From punking "Weird Al" Yankovic to getting locked in the Beacon Theater bathroom by a ghost, it's a great ride.

Nicole on the web

This week we're digging back into the archives to revisit a great chat with Chris Shiflett, guitarist for a little band called The Foo Fighters (via No Use For A Name and let's not forget Me First and the Gimme Gimmes!)

Everybody loves Rusty! It's impossible not to. The H2O guitarist has lived a life of adventure and we get a chance to talk about a lot it here - from the early days, building a halfpipe in the band house and possibly inspiring Fugazi?, barely surviving getting shot to touring the world with his heroes, this episode goes off track in all the right ways.

Rancid drummer and The Used founder Branden Steineckert grew up in Utah between a steel plant and a prison — chased by cops for skateboarding and then later having to call them to his home for domestic abuse. (They were useless.) Now he gets to play drums in one of the world's best punk bands! This is a deep, fun, upbeat conversation with one of music's most resilient dudes.

This week’s guest is Johnny Whitney, frontman of the all-star band Evil Island, whose members come from Johnny’s former band The Blood Brothers, as well as Glassjaw and …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. Johnny tells us how he got Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto to appear on their new record—and what an incredible experience that was. He also talks about growing up in Seattle just as Nirvana was breaking through, and how that moment shaped his own interest in music.

Ensign frontman, Tim Shaw tells us tales of learning the ropes with Sick of It All, getting his ass kicked at a Discharge show and being healed of road-douchery by Rancid. Of course he and Benny also get into a lot of reminiscing about CBGB and the New Jersey scene.

This week we dip back to 2022 for a really intelligent conversation with Hot Water Music bassist, Jason Black. A bunch of ska talk, Metallica, New Jersey... enjoy.

This week we're going all the way back to 2014 to revisit this wonderful chat we had with the hilarious stand-up comedian, actress, writer, and producer, Nikki Glaser. Long-time listeners of the show should be entertained to hear original hosts, Steven and Jonah conversing along with Benny.

Check Nikki's website for tour-dates and more

Here is a FUN episode - the always great, Tucker Rule, drummer for Thursday, L.S. Dunes, Frank Iero and the Future Violents... - Put two drummers together and what do you get? Well, in this case it's a really insightful, funny conversation that is classic G.O.T. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Tucker's Linktree

This week we reach back to the dark depths of Covid to revisit a wonderful interview with Frank Turner that certainly brightened our day in April of 2020.

Check Frank's upcoming tour schedule of Europe and North America

Oh what a great convo we've got for you this week - Mike Olender fronted Endeavor, Disembodied, Burnt by the Sun, For The Love Of, River Black... and guess what? - more than one of those are back! Some great stories from the past but we didn't get bogged down there. He's got a lot going on today and a lot of wonderful ideas about hardcore, faith, politics and humanity. There is also the insane van-fire story from his very first tour.

Equal Vision Records is a label with awesome vision, as evidenced by the many of our recent guests who call it home. So after great talks with Quicksand, The Flatliners, Sparta, and I Am The Avalanche, to name just a few, we decided to go right to the man in charge, Label Manager Dan Sandshaw. He gets right into it, telling us how hardcore shows in his native Connecticut 'changed his worldview.' He gives us insight into a label that has had real integrity and a wonderful artist roster throughout its history.

Equal Vision Records weblinks

Author and music journalist, Andrew Sacher joins us to talk about indie bands, ska bands, classic rock and of course emo, the subject of his new book, "Emo Revival: Community, DIY, and Rebirth in Post-Hardcore and Emo (2008-2018)".

Andrew on the web

Pre-order "Emo Revival"

Detroit in the house this week with Rich and Ryan, massive-dynamic rhythm section of The Suicide Machines. Snow tricks, Bourgeois Filth, drunk at Punk in Drublic... and what about being too broke to tour with the Foo Fighters? It's another off track classic.

This week we introduce a new special episode: the first, "Brain Edition with Doc & The Wizard". Two specialists in what's between the ears - both studied professors of psychology, get real with Benny on the mind of the musician (and everybody else). Both are music lovers and rich souls with knowledge to offer. Enjoy.

Minor Threat, Bad Religion, Dag Nasty, Junkyard - there's so many more bands that Brian Baker, guitarist (and bassist) extraordinaire has started or shined in. The boy is still rocking hard and grinding out that SOUND! We're on track and off track and all over with this one. Come hear the legend.

On this day in 2020 - we had fucking MILO AUKERMAN from THE DESCENDENTS on the show! So while none of us want to go back to those lockdown days, we DO want to hear Milo again talk about science and PUNK ROCK!