100 Words Or Less: The Podcast

Ray Harkins
  • 4.8 (434)
  • 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. Leah B. Levinson from Agriculture

    2D AGO

    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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. Jacob Bannon from Converge

    MAR 11

    Jacob Bannon from Converge

    Episode 700 of the podcast welcomes Jacob Bannon, vocalist of Converge, for a reflective, era-by-era conversation about one of the most influential bands to emerge from the hardcore underground. Rather than retracing the usual talking points, Jacob walks through the band’s history record by record, beginning with their early Massachusetts hardcore roots and moving through releases like 'Petitioning the Empty Sky', 'When Forever Comes Crashing', the volatile bridge of 'The Poacher Diaries', and the seismic impact of 'Jane Doe', all the way into the band’s modern era. Along the way we talk about the cultural footprint of the band—from the influence of the hardcore shirts Jacob has worn on stage over the years, to how those small visual signals have pointed younger fans toward entire corners of the underground. We also dig into “Hateverge” lore, documenting Converge’s famously chaotic Hatebreed cover set in the early 2000's. Jacob also shares insight into the band’s new Converge record, how the group continues to challenge itself creatively decades into its existence, and what it means to still be evolving after more than thirty years. A deep dive with one of hardcore’s most thoughtful artists, celebrating 700 episodes of the show and the legacy—and future—of Converge. 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 HISTORY (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 24m
  5. Michael Bingham from Spiritual Cramp

    MAR 4

    Michael Bingham from Spiritual Cramp

    On this episode, we sit down with Michael Bingham, frontperson of Spiritual Cramp and former member of Creative Adult, to dig into the unlikely path that shaped him. We talk about growing up in San Francisco, cutting his teeth in Creative Adult, and how stepping into the spotlight with Spiritual Cramp forced him to rethink what it means to be the center of attention. Michael opens up about the tension between wanting to disappear into the background and suddenly becoming the focal point of a band that’s impossible to ignore. From chasing catharsis onstage to questioning what “meaning” even looks like in punk, he reflects on the identity shifts, self-doubt, humor, and honesty that fuel his writing. It’s a conversation about growth, discomfort, and finding purpose in the noise — both literal and internal. 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 HISTORY (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 6m
  6. Jack Shirley from The Atomic Garden & Comadre

    FEB 25

    Jack Shirley from The Atomic Garden & Comadre

    On this episode, we sit down with producer, engineer, and musician Jack Shirley for a deep dive into the craft and philosophy behind his work. We talk about why live recording remains such a powerful and underrated way to capture raw emotion, energy, and musical chemistry—and how Jack has built a career around preserving that human feel in a world obsessed with perfection. We also explore the role that pop punk and the broader Northern California scene played in shaping his taste, his work ethic, and his sense of community. Along the way, Jack highlights some of the Nor Cal gems—bands, venues, moments, and scene staples—that left their mark on him and continue to influence the records he makes today. 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 HISTORY (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 19m
  7. Frank Bach from Monk

    FEB 18

    Frank Bach from Monk

    In this episode, we sit down with Frank Bach of the band Monk to explore how a life shaped in Southern Ontario forged his lens on punk, creativity, and work. Frank walks us through his early years in the Ontario DIY ecosystem, discovering punk not just as sound but as art—a design language, a worldview, and a way to build meaning. We talk about Monk’s evolution, its visual and emotional identity, and how those instincts later guided him into the corporate design world. From the tension and overlap between underground ethics and professional structure, to making space for creativity in a system built for efficiency, Frank reflects on the through-lines that tie it all together. This is a conversation about place, purpose, punk, and the strange harmony between making art and making a living. 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 HISTORY (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 13m
  8. Tyler Watamanuk, writer for GQ and author of “Bigger Than Fashion”

    FEB 11

    Tyler Watamanuk, writer for GQ and author of “Bigger Than Fashion”

    This week on the show, we sit down with writer and journalist Tyler Watamanuk—a voice at the crossroads of fashion, music, and culture. You’ve read his work at GQ, where he’s spent years breaking down the way style intersects with identity, subculture, and the everyday choices we make about the clothes on our backs. But before he was writing about menswear and global fashion houses, Tyler was deeply embedded in the hardcore scene, even playing shows with bands like The Ghost Inside, where his personal connection to the culture took shape long before he stepped into a newsroom. We dive into the intersection of fashion and hardcore, how the aesthetics and ethos of the scene shaped Tyler’s eye as a journalist, and the unexpected ways those roots prepared him for his career covering everything from luxury brands to underground designers. Tyler also talks about the journey to publishing his new book, Bigger Than Fashion: How “Streetwear” Conquered Culture, a sweeping look at how a once-niche movement grew into the defining visual language of the past 40 years. From DIY ethics to runway influence, from band tees to archival grails, and from playing stages with The Ghost Inside to reporting at GQ, this conversation traces the through-line of a life spent observing—and participating in—the cultures that ultimately changed the world. 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 NEWYEAR (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
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4.8
out of 5
434 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.

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