100 Words Or Less: The Podcast

Ray Harkins
  • 4.8 (436)
  • MUSIC INTERVIEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Host Ray Harkins dives deep with creators of independent culture from musicians, artists and other interesting people to find out what inspires them, how they came to be and many other unexpected places.

  1. Scott Mellinger from Zao & Creation Is Crucifixion

    4D AGO

    Scott Mellinger from Zao & Creation Is Crucifixion

    Scott Mellinger has spent decades shaping heavy music from the inside out. Best known as the guitarist and primary songwriter for Zao, his path runs through some of the most forward-thinking corners of underground metal and hardcore that span the chaotic experimentation of Creation Is Crucifixion to the long, evolving arc of Zao’s discography. In this conversation, Scott reflects on what it meant to join Zao at a turning point and help push the band into darker, more atmospheric territory often chasing sounds inspired by bands like Neurosis, even if it started as what he jokingly calls “trying to rip them off.” That instinct to stretch beyond genre expectations became a defining trait of his writing, blending heaviness with tension, space, and mood. We also get into the role of politics in heavy music in how it shows up, when it feels necessary, and when it can miss the mark. Scott speaks candidly about personal belief systems, including the band’s complicated history with Christianity and his own perspective now, and how those shifts shaped both the music and the identity of Zao over time. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify  Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order.  Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code NEWWAVE (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 14m
  2. Piper Ferrari from Roman Candle

    APR 29

    Piper Ferrari from Roman Candle

    This week we sit down with Piper Ferrari from Roman Candle for a conversation that drifts between isolation, creativity, and the strange ways identity takes shape. Piper talks about growing up in the kind of desert environment where time moves differently and where boredom, space, and silence end up shaping how you see the world. That sense of distance bleeds into everything, from songwriting to how you connect (or don’t) with people. We also get into how graphic design became part of her life almost by accident literally falling into it through necessity, curiosity, and the endless feedback loop of the internet. What starts as function slowly turns into another creative outlet, blurring the line between visual identity and music. A big thread through the conversation is the tension between online life and real life where the push and pull of building something in public while trying to stay grounded in something real. Piper opens up about how that balance affects her work, her perspective, and the way she navigates being a creative person right now. It’s a thoughtful, honest conversation about finding your voice in strange places and figuring out what actually matters once you do. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify  Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order.  Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code NEWWAVE (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 12m
  3. Travis Shettel from Piebald

    APR 22

    Travis Shettel from Piebald

    In this episode, we talk with Travis Shettel of Piebald about the band’s unique mix of humor and sincerity, and how their songs have aged into something more universal than anyone expected. Travis reflects on the early days, including working with Kurt Ballou, and how that era shaped both their sound and perspective. We get into longevity, cult status, and why Piebald feels more like a living band than a nostalgia act. At the core of it all: keeping things fun, staying connected, and embracing the idea of never breaking up again. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify  Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order.  Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code NEWWAVE (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 3m
  4. Ryan George from Carry On & Youth Code

    APR 15

    Ryan George from Carry On & Youth Code

    Ryan George is on the podcast this week and we discuss the Central Coast beginnings pre-Carry On, to A Life Less Plagued, to where things sit now with the Carry On reunion shows. We talk about that early 2000s moment when hardcore was shifting, how Carry On fit between youth crew and the darker wave that followed, and what it’s like playing those songs again in front of a new generation. We also get into The Adored era, finding a different lane outside of hardcore, and how all of that fed directly into Youth Code. Past, present, and everything in between. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify  Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order.  Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code HYPE (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 8m
  5. Jeff Hydro from Turmoil

    APR 8

    Jeff Hydro from Turmoil

    In this episode, we sit down with Jeff Hydro of Turmoil to trace the arc of a band that helped define late ’90s metallic hardcore scene. Jeff takes us back to Turmoil’s early days in the Lehigh Valley hardcore scene, unpacking how that tight-knit Pennsylvania community forged their identity, intensity, and work ethic. From there, we get into life on the road in Europe specifically what it was like linking up with Madball during a time when U.S. hardcore was exploding overseas, and how those tours cemented Turmoil’s global reputation. We also dig into the complicated legacy of a band that didn’t just reunite once but twice. Jeff reflects on what pulled Turmoil back together at different points in time, how each reunion felt creatively and personally, and what it means to revisit something that never really left people’s lives in the first place. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify  Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order.  Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code HYPE (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 15m
  6. Leah B. Levinson from Agriculture

    APR 1

    Leah B. Levinson from Agriculture

    In this episode, I sit down with Leah B. Levinson of Agriculture to trace a path that starts in the unlikely corners of Poway, California—where punk and hardcore weren’t just genres, but survival tools—and stretches into the band’s fully realized, ecstatic take on heavy music. Growing up around DIY spaces and tight-knit scenes, Leah carries that foundational ethos into everything they do, whether it’s the emotional directness of their lyrics or the communal energy embedded in Agriculture’s sound. We get into the instrument that’s become central to their voice—the Jazz bass—and how its tone and feel shape the band’s sense of movement, melody, and release. There’s a real conversation here about joy, too—what it means to actively choose it within a genre that often leans toward darkness, and how that perspective connects back to punk’s original promise of belonging, expression, and building something honest with the people around you. From Poway punks to expansive, life-affirming black metal, this conversation highlights an artist who’s less interested in fitting into a scene and more focused on expanding what those scenes can hold. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify  Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order.  Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code HYPE (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 9m
  7. Jennifer Finch from L7

    MAR 25

    Jennifer Finch from L7

    This episode features Jennifer Finch — musician, photographer, archivist, and cultural lifer whose work stretches far beyond her time in L7. We get into her earliest bands, including the experimental duo Uh and Sugar Babydoll / Pagan Babies with Courtney Love and Kat Bjelland, her move back to Los Angeles before joining L7, and what it felt like to be inside a band that became part of a larger cultural shift. We also talk about her post-L7 projects like Other Star People — recorded near Lake Havasu at Roy Thomas Baker’s studio and released on Interscope — and The Shocker, which toured Europe and Turkey as part of a loose Los Angeles collective scene. This is a deep one about scenes, memory, music, and what it means to spend your life both making culture and trying to hold onto it. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify  Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order.  Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code HYPE (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 3m
  8. Uri Avila from Trauma Ray

    MAR 18

    Uri Avila from Trauma Ray

    Uri Avila from Trauma Ray joins the show to talk about the band’s path from the Texas DIY scene to the release of their new EP Carnival. We get into his early musical upbringing playing church music, how those experiences shaped his sense of melody and atmosphere, and the unexpected ways things like karaoke and video games fed into his creative life. Uri also talks about how Trauma Ray evolved from a loose recording project into a full band, finding their place between shoegaze, post-punk, and heavier underground scenes, and what it’s been like seeing the project reach a wider audience while still holding onto that homegrown identity. Along the way we discuss songwriting, growing up in Texas, and the small personal influences that end up defining a band’s sound more than any genre label ever could. Weekly Recommendation Playlist brought to you by Evil Greed Apple Music Spotify  Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order.  Get 10% off your Evil Greed order by using the code HYPE (for a limited time only) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 9m
See All (764)

4.8
out of 5
436 Ratings

About

Host Ray Harkins dives deep with creators of independent culture from musicians, artists and other interesting people to find out what inspires them, how they came to be and many other unexpected places.

Information

You Might Also Like