On this episode, I chat with the members of up-and-coming punk duo RAUE— the band is comprised of Paige (songwriter and vocalist) and Jax (drummer)— about their new EP KARMA !!!, musical influences, entering a new era of raw music, and more!  You can find the band here:  https://rauemusic.com https://www.instagram.com/rauemusic/ https://twitter.com/rauemusic

On this episode of the podcast, I chat with James of Thousand Below— a fun and kind dude to talk to— about the band's third album "Hell Finds You Everywhere", their emotional single "Sabotage, "and Deberg's music tastes and influences. Hailing from San Diego, CA, the post-hardcore outfit recently released the music video for "Sabotage" and opened for Bad Omens on the "A Tour of the Concrete Jungle" run. Their third album deals with themes of isolation and finding hope in dark times. Next, the band is going on tour with Nothing More and Crown The Empire starting at the end of March.  You can find the band here:  https://thousandbelow.merchnow.com https://www.facebook.com/Thousandbelow/ https://www.instagram.com/thousandbelow/

On the 13th episode of " A Million Emo Thoughts', I chat with Stef of the rock band City Of The Weak about her band's single "United Hate Division", writing music that's raw and unapologetic in its stance, being a music teacher, and so much more.  You can find the band here:  https://www.cityoftheweakofficial.com https://www.instagram.com/cityoftheweak/

On this episode of "A Million Emo Thoughts", we have James Milbrandt of American metalcore band Versus Me on the show to discuss his band's new single "Terrified", musical influences, the pressures of touring, and so much more.  Formed in Jamesville, Wisconsin, Versus Me recently finished a tour with Kingdom Collapse and is embarking on a tour of album release shows with Awake At Last starting in February. You can find the band here:  https://www.vsmeband.com https://www.instagram.com/vsmeband/?hl=en

On this (awesome) 11th episode of the podcast, I chat with Ronnie Winter of Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and we discuss the band's journey in the alternative rock scene, the legacy of their hit single "Face Down", the process of creating the music video for the revamped version of the song, and so much more. Come for the emo nostalgia, stay for the cool chat.   Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is an American rock band formed in 2003. Hailing from Florida, the group was part of the first wave of rock groups to rise to prominence via social media. The newly remastered vinyl record of their 2008 album "Don't You Fake It" sold out in one minute.  You can find the band here:  https://www.facebook.com/redjumpsuitapparatus/ https://www.instagram.com/redjumpsuit/?hl=en https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCedwWl_3R9I9s2Q3kWmn6WA

Hi everyone! On the 10th episode of "A Million Emo Thoughts" (I'm so proud of reaching the 10th episode already). we have Jake Salazar, lead vocalist of RODERIK, on the show to discuss his band's single "Desperate Measures", mental health in music, pursuing your dreams, and so much more! This was such a fun episode.

We have Milan-based metal band Stain The Canvas on the ninth episode of the show to discuss their sophmore album "All Fine", released via In Vogue Records in 2022, the pressures of social media, and finding the energy to create music during the pandemic, and more.  They are embarking on a EU / UK tour in 2023, supporting Attilia starting in February in the Netherlands.  Stain The Canvas first appeared on the metal scene in 2019, with their first album "God Made Hell" , amassing two million streams globally and attracting a wide fan base for their hardcore sound. The 16 track long "All Fine" contains meditations on accepting one's current situation, eschewing perfection, and knwoing that it's okay to not always be fine.  You can find the band here:  https://www.instagram.com/stainthecanvasofficial/?hl=en https://www.stainthecanvasofficial.com

On this episode of the podcast, things are a bit different— We have Cody Crulz, a concert photographer, on the show to discuss breaking into the photograhy industry, his time working in the merchandising department at Hot Topic, and what his professional life looks like now. (He also gives some great tips to aspiring concert photograhers in our chat too!)  Orginally from Austrailia, Crulz had a dream of working in the rock music industry and made it happen through hard work, determination, and passion. It was a lot of fun to learn about the start of his journey into photography and how he's landed where he is today.  You can find him here:  https://www.instagram.com/codycrulz/

We have the Florida-born goth horror band Dark Divine on the show to discuss the reception of their (incredible) EP "Halloweentown", touring, living their dreams, and more.  It was an absolute pleasure chatting with them! Formed in Orlando, FL in April 2021,  the hard rock band shot to virality after appearing in the open verse Tik-Tok challenge hosted by metalcore outfit Motionless in White. However, Florida’s rock scene is responsible for the band’s composition. If you love spooky metalcore, emotional lyrics, and theatrics, this will be your new favorite band. You can find the band here:  https://www.tiktok.com/@darkdivineofficial  https://www.instagram.com/darkdivineofficial/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK4XYJ8qeQ8C7lC13eIby-A https://open.spotify.com/artist/3CMyREgx8ZErRUydXlmCDX?si=IfGCEDdFRy2yoYSLesZ1Lg

Hi everyone! This is the sixth episode of "A Million Emo Thoughts" and we have The Backfires as our guests today!  Alex Gomez (lead vocalist) and Matt Walter (bass) drop by the show to discuss the band's new single "Reflections on My TV",  playing venues in NYC, and much more.  You can find the band here:  https://www.thebackfires.com https://www.instagram.com/thebackfires/?hl=en https://www.tiktok.com/@thebackfiresofficial https://open.spotify.com/artist/2wMknlekLTOb4vRWn61NO5?si=GxdgwdalRU-qgWw3FMTtVQ Hailing from both sides of the Atlantic (half the band comes from the US and the other half comes from the UK), the band released their debut EP, "Consider The Backfires"  in 2021, supported by three music videos. Their tunes and live shows take listeners back to the escapism that music represents. They will be performing in NYC and the UK next year.  Subscribe to the show at the link below for exclusive interviews and entertainment reviews :  https://anchor.fm/ashley-oken/subscribe

Hi everyone! This is episode 5 of the "A Million Emo Thoughts" podcast where we do artist interviews and music commentary, and today's guest is Tristan Matthew, guitarist for the band Alltheprettythings.  On the show, we discuss the inspiration for the band's single and the sound of their upcoming EP, how friendship sustains the band, and the pressures of social media.  Come for the information on the band, and stay for the wonderful and humorous conversation!  You can find the band here:  @alltheprettythingsofficial- Instagram, Facebook, Tik-Tok, Youtube

It's Episode 2 of "A Million Emo Thoughts" and we have pop singer Lulu Simon on the show to discuss her sophomore EP "Muscle Memory", released on October 7th, her girls' anthem single "All In", adjusting to living in LA, and the art of writing sad songs.   Dubbed a "sensitive pop" singer, Lulu Simon knows what musicianship looks like— she's the daughter of Paul Simon and Edie Brickell—yet forges her own path by diving into her personal experiences with her music, reflecting on heartbreak and the pangs of growing up with all of the sadness that those events can bring. Influenced by  Kim Petras, The 1975, and No Doubt, Simon outlines the grief of losing a relationship with heartbreak tracks that take listeners through her emotional journey and juxtaposes it with "All In", a catchy song that inspires women to get everything they want in life. A hyper-pop devotee, Simon makes pop that's intimate, vulnerable, and relatable for all, no matter one's point in their journey.  You can follow Lulu Simon here:  Instagram- @lulusimonofficial  Youtube- @lulusimon  Facebook- @lulusimon

Pop-punk artist Mattsta-Graham sits down on Episode Three of "A Million Emo Thoughts" to discuss his (incredible) new album "Prescribe Whatever", being discovered on Tik-Tok and signing to I Surrender Records, the story behind his fun music video for his single "Gotta Be Productive" that was a spoof of the "Friends" theme song and so much more.  Follow Matt @mattstagraham on all platforms and listen to his new album "Prescribe Whatever" right here on Spotify.

The debut episode of "A Million Emo Thoughts" is here and so is punk and grunge band Pollyanna's debut album!  Pollyanna, a four-piece rock band from New Jersey, is our first guest on "A Million Emo Thoughts"! Front person Jill Beckett and bassist Brandon Bolton discuss the angry tone of the band's debut record "Slime", their single "Relationship Anxiety, writing songs about commitment and sexual liberation, the New Jersey rock scene, and its commitment to its artists. With a name derived from the dictionary definition "to be unreasonably illogical and optimistic" — this describes Jill's "stuck in 2017" optimistic attitude— the band was started when Jill and drummer Dan McCool were 13 years old looking to play music outside of the confines of the lead vocalist's surroundings and has since evolved to bring a 90's femme punk energy to the New Jersey and tri-state rock scene.  You can follow Pollyanna here:  Facebook: Pollyanna Twitter: @pollyannanj  Youtube: @thisispollyanna  Instagram  @thisispollyanna

Hi! I'm Ashley Whitney, an elder emo and the host of "A Million Emo Thoughts", a music commentary and artist interview podcast that will soon air on Fridays.  A music journalist by trade— I write for New Noise Magazine, MTV News, and other outlets—  I will review three stand-out tracks from rising bands on new music Fridays and go through all of my thoughts on them as well as give a spotlight to the groups that can be underrepresented in the flood of new music. I will also interview both upcoming and mainstream rock acts on their new projects, musical influences, what started their love of rock music, how, and more. So slip on a band tee and rock out with me. Excited to be on this new adventure with you!