Labeled: The Stories, Rumors & Legends of Tooth & Nail Records

Chris Conley is nothing if not original. His ability and willingness to listen to and follow an inner voice led him to an early arrival into the all-ages music scene with great influence. Saves The Day continued to evolve musically and did not get stuck in a certain sound even though commercial success would have wanted just that. After helping set the tone for the scene and being signed to a major label (Dreamworks), Saves The Day delivered their album, In Reverie, which was another evolution of direction & departure from what the radio or even their fans were expecting. This lead to them being quickly abandoned by the label. Nonetheless, it’s Chris’ and my favorite album of theirs. We discuss this and much more including some close ties to my band, so please enjoy this conversation with Chris Conley.

Shane Told, lead vocalist of post-hardcore band Silverstein and host of Lead Singer Syndrome, reflects on two decades in music. He shares insights on the evolution of the band, from quirky tour anecdotes to navigating the complexities of label management. Shane reveals the importance of self-management and long-term planning for success. He also discusses the vibrant Canadian music scene that shaped his journey, while highlighting the resilience required in a constantly changing industry. This conversation is a goldmine for music enthusiasts!

Today we have a convo with Chad Gardner of Kings Kaleidoscope. What's most intriguing about Chad is that he is an incredibly efficient, high-level, high-energy problem solver. He fits a pattern that we see over and over again in this world of kids who come from families with engineering and technical talent and use this to power high level creativity and art. chad's ability to lead creative teams and react and improvise is what leads to the aesthetic and musical excellence that Kings Kaleidoscope is known for. They are also known for having a rebellious spirit from within the Christian music and worship worlds, pushing boundaries, and an extremely DIY approach to everything. They have a new self-titled album out today, go listen on Spotify, and also a full US tour starting this week, go to https://kampkaleidoscope.com/ to find your city and get tickets. Listen to the new album https://ffm.to/kings-kaleidoscope.NQD

Reese Roper is simply a legend. Five Iron Frenzy (FIF) was one of the first Christian bands truly existing in both the Christian and mainstream space. In the late 90s during the ska explosion, they achieved real commercial success, made a bold choice to stay on a small independent label, and were delivering absolutely scorching lyrics that were full of questions and critique - lyrics that challenged the existing cultural structures. Packaging those lyrics in the ska-punk package was a perfect move that paid off deeply to their fan base. FIF is also one of those bands that pioneered and cultivated their followers into super fans by delivering on multiple layers of depth across time and staying true to their principles. They are heroes of the scene and certainly paved the way for the next generation. They are now releasing an incredibly cool vinyl box set of all their music. You gotta check it out and the promotional video for it. I’ll link it in the notes because it delivers the perfect amount of silliness and humor that you’d expect from FIF. I thought this would be a great chance to talk to Reese and get his reflections on some of the special things they have accomplished plus some of the challenges. Link to the FIF boxset promotional video

JT Woodruff is one of the most intentional and efficient leaders and operators in the history of the scene. His band Hawthorne Heights has had absolutely huge ups and downs. Ups like their first 2 records going gold and creating one of the most iconic emo songs ever, Ohio Is For Lovers, which has almost 100 million Spotify plays. The downs include a lengthy, costly lawsuit with their label as well as the death of a best friend and bandmate, Casey Calvert, in 2007. Hawthorne Heights has handled their career incredibly well, racking up over 20 years of successful continuous activity while continuing to innovate, adapt, and grow as people and as a band. JT is one of the most principled people i know, and his values and principles have guided him well across the spectrum from the smallest details of being punk and DIY to large scale business moves like creating the ...Is For Lovers Festival which is becoming wildly successful.

Mayday Parade is an incredibly well-balanced group of guys. Balanced in a way that equates to functioning well as a healthy team in a high output, low drama, great to be around way. Mayday has been able to remain extremely hard-working and consistent for over 15 years in a landscape full of ups & downs and unhealthiness. They have achieved long-term success and have helped write the map on how things are done properly in this scene. Most importantly, they have built up and now benefit from an unimaginably dedicated and supportive fanbase. Join me as I catch up with Derek Sanders and discuss all of this plus much more!

Jason Dunn started Hawk Nelson in 2000 with his pals northeast of Ontario where they were like thousands of other aspiring garage bands who just loved to make noise until a connection with Trevor McNevan towed them in to ride the wave of pop punk right into the height of Tooth & Nail's dominance. In the decade that followed they enjoyed great success, became a business with a full team and commercial momentum of their own until the commercial trends began to shift leaving Jason to feel an internal dissonance that he didn't know how to resolve...

The mind of Brandon Ebel is quite a unique thing. He has an ability to rapidly shift his perspectives to analyze things at multiple levels, and has a strong bias toward action and a incredible eye for talent of all kinds. He seems to be all over the place but a better description might be that he has a laser focus and intensity that is consistent on a different horizon that perhaps only he understands. His special abilities to adapt and find consistency in extremely dynamic environments like the music industry have had a profound influence on many people over many years and seems very likely to continue.

Capital Lights came along in the peak of Tooth & Nail’s power and influence. Oddly, in this period there there are many bands who seemed to have everything going for them and were musically outstanding, yet their full potential was never realized. Bryson Phillips is a a truly gifted singer and songwriter that has been praised by both Brandon Ebel & Aaron Sprinkle over the years. I have had no personal experience with him though, so I really enjoyed getting to hear his perspective of the time he spent in the scene. I’m sure you will too!  Capital Lights on Spotify Listen to His Favorite Christmas Story

Special drop here!. Matt and Devin got the chance to preview the 2023 Furnace Fest lineup and have Chad Johnson and Johnny Grimes join the show so we could all react to it together. Emery is not playing this year, but we love the fest and we love Chad and Johnny and just like talking about all these bands, the history of the scene and fest and the future of it all. Grab your tickets at: https://www.furnacefest.us/