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B-Side Breakdown

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B-Side Breakdown
Artists break down one song that matters
Stories behind the music
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E59: “Absolution” by Season to Risk with Steve Tulipana

Link To Listen To Episode In Bio!!! ^^

Three voices, one person’s mind. On “Absolution,” Steve Tulipana used the interplay between himself and his bandmates to explore how someone could commit an atrocity and justify it to themselves.

The song came together in Martin Bisi’s studio, where the rhythms Paul Malinowski and Jason Gerken were developing called for a different approach. Hearing The Birthday Party’s “Zoo Music Girl” sparked an idea, while coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial informed Steve’s thinking about the character. With Paul and Duane Trower joining him on vocals, those internal arguments became three distinct voices—an experiment that made “Absolution” one of his favorite tracks on In a Perfect World.

We also talk about revisiting that record for its vinyl reissue, Steve’s changing perspective on the band’s early artwork, and making new music that reflects who the members have become.

Follow Season to Risk

Bandcamp:
https://seasontorisk.bandcamp.com/

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/seasontorisk

🎧 Full episode:

Link in bio

Thanks for supporting B-Side Breakdown — where the song is just the start of the story.

Brett Johnson
Host, B-Side Breakdown
https://www.bsidebreakdown.com

#BSideBreakdown #SeasonToRisk #Absolution #SteveTulipana #InAPerfectWorld NoiseRock PostHardcore BehindTheSong MusicPodcast IndependentMusic taken in Kansas City, Missouri by @bsidebreakdown

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12 days ago

A bandmate. A gig. A venue. The right person when someone drops out two days before a show.

Finding your people in live music still takes too many scattered posts, group chats, and “you know anyone?” texts.

That’s why I’m building SideStage.

A professional network bringing musicians, artists and bands, venues, crew, and music businesses together—to find opportunities, promote shows, and get shit done.

Built from decades of living it.

Join the waiting list at sidestage.co. Free to join. 18+.

Tag someone you’d want on SideStage. 🤘

#SideStage #LiveMusic #Musicians #IndependentArtists #MusicCommunity by @bsidebreakdown

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12 days ago

E58: “Pearls” by and with Maintenance

Link To Listen To Episode In Bio!!! ^^

“Pearls” wasn’t chosen as a single, but it was one of the first songs that made Maintenance hear what their new record could become.

It began with Costa playing chords on a classical guitar. The band built on that first idea together, while the words took shape from mumbled melodies, notes written on a subway commute, and a question about following a part of yourself you’re only beginning to understand.

The band also remembers the less solemn parts: a keyboard shortcut that briefly erased the project, and Frank holding his ground over an unusual drum part when they recorded it. We talk about both moments, and about the ten days they spent together making From Flowers with the rare luxury of focusing on music and each other.

Follow Maintenance

Bandcamp:
https://maintenance914.bandcamp.com

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/maintenance914/

🎧 Full episode:

Link in bio

Thanks for supporting B-Side Breakdown — where the song is just the start of the story.

Brett Johnson
Host, B-Side Breakdown
https://www.bsidebreakdown.com

#BSideBreakdown #Maintenance914 #Pearls #FromFlowers #PostHardcore Songwriting BehindTheSong MusicPodcast IndependentMusic YonkersMusic taken in Yonkers, New York by @bsidebreakdown

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21 days ago

E57: “RAH RAH RAH” by Nick and the Adversaries with Nick Bacon

Link To Listen To Episode In Bio!!! ^^

“RAH RAH RAH” began as a hook Nick Bacon couldn’t quite turn into a finished song. As he watched people in his Massachusetts community live with the threat of detention, he found the words.

Nick talks about why the band released the song before finishing its next record, and how ska’s mix of joyful music and social conscience shaped its sound. He also talks about the lyric video: drummer Scott Boyce filmed outside an ICE holding facility in Burlington, and the band cut that footage against an American flag. For Nick, putting the song out was a way to make sure the band’s voice was heard, however many people listened.

Follow Nick and the Adversaries

Bandcamp:
https://nickandtheadversaries1.bandcamp.com/track/rah-rah-rah

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/nickandtheadversaries/

🎧 Full episode:

Link in bio

Thanks for supporting B-Side Breakdown — where the song is just the start of the story.

Brett Johnson
Host, B-Side Breakdown
https://www.bsidebreakdown.com

#BSideBreakdown #NickAndTheAdversaries #RahRahRah #NickBacon #Ska TwoTone ProtestSong Songwriting BehindTheSong MusicPodcast IndependentMusic taken in Boston, Massachusetts by @bsidebreakdown

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21 days ago

E56: “Dead Eyes” by The Iron Roses with Becky & Nat 
Link To Listen To Episode In Bio!!! ^^

The Iron Roses are back on B-Side Breakdown, and a lot has changed since their first appearance. With their new single “Dead Eyes” leading the charge, Becky and Nat talk about why this record hits harder—both musically and lyrically—and how the band has grown into the sound they always wanted to make.

The conversation goes beyond the song itself, diving into the realities of building a touring band, navigating lineup changes, finding the right people, and refusing to compromise on the vision. They share how years of writing, touring, and challenging one another shaped Molotov Nights, why they aren’t afraid to throw away great songs that don’t serve the album, and what they learned by releasing the record independently.

It’s an honest conversation about trust, collaboration, and pushing each other to make something better—proof that the strongest bands aren’t just built on great songs, but on shared purpose.

Follow The Iron Roses:
https://theironroses.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/theironroses

🎧 Full episode:

Link in bio

Thanks for supporting B-Side Breakdown — where the song is just the start of the story.

Brett Johnson
Host, B-Side Breakdown
https://www.bsidebreakdown.com

#BSideBreakdown #TheIronRoses #DeadEyes #MolotovNights #PunkRock IndependentMusic DIYMusic Songwriting MusicPodcast BehindTheSong PoliticalPunk taken in Richmond, Virginia by @bsidebreakdown

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2 months ago

E55: “Another Day in Paradise” by Arrows at Dawn with Tim Andrews

Link To Listen To Episode In Bio!!! ^^

What happens when the song that started your band also becomes the song that brings it back to life?

Tim Andrews joins B-Side Breakdown to revisit “Another Day in Paradise,” the first song Arrows at Dawn wrote under their new name and a track that nearly became the band’s final chapter. Tim shares how a familiar Midwestern phrase became the foundation for a song about betrayal, frustration, and refusing to settle for a life of quiet resignation. The conversation explores the band’s early years, recording their debut album, nearly walking away from music after years of burnout, and how an unexpected friendship reignited the passion to create again. With a new lineup, new songs in the works, and live shows returning, this episode is about rediscovering why making music mattered in the first place.

Follow Arrows at Dawn:
https://arrowsatdawn.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/arrowsatdawn

🎧 Full episode:

Link in bio

Thanks for supporting B-Side Breakdown — where the song is just the start of the story.

Brett Johnson
Host, B-Side Breakdown
https://www.bsidebreakdown.com

#BSideBreakdown #ArrowsAtDawn #AnotherDayInParadise #TimAndrews #BehindTheSong Songwriting AlternativeRock Grunge IndependentMusic MinnesotaMusic MusicPodcast NewMusic taken in Owatonna, Minnesota by @bsidebreakdown

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2 months ago

E54: “Tribute” by Overthrow with Chris Ruffini & Anthony Salerna
Link To Listen To Episode In Bio!!! ^^

More than twenty-five years after releasing their last full-length record, Overthrow returned with *Setting the Price*—not as a nostalgia project, but as the continuation of a story that was never truly finished.

In this episode, Chris and Anthony break down “Tribute,” a song rooted in loss, gratitude, and the people who helped shape both the band and the New York hardcore community. They reflect on the friends, family members, and bandmates they’ve lost over the years and how those experiences became the emotional foundation of the song.

The conversation also traces Overthrow’s journey from forming as teenagers on Long Island in 1995, through their original run and breakup in 2001, to the reunion shows that eventually reignited their creative spark. They discuss rediscovering old riffs that had been sitting unfinished for over two decades, the collaborative songwriting process behind *Setting the Price*, the challenges of self-funding and recording the album, and the excitement of hearing “Tribute” receive heavy rotation on SiriusXM. More than a comeback story, this episode is about honoring the past while proving there’s still something meaningful left to say.

Follow Overthrow:
https://overthrowlihc.com/
https://www.instagram.com/overthrow_lhc

Thanks for supporting B-Side Breakdown — where the song is just the start of the story.

Brett Johnson
Host, B-Side Breakdown

https://www.bsidebreakdown.com

#BSideBreakdown #Overthrow #Tribute #SettingThePrice #NewYorkHardcore Hardcore NYHC LongIslandHardcore PunkRock IndependentMusic Songwriter MusicPodcast BehindTheSong MusicStories HardcoreMusic taken in Massapequa VFW Post 7277 - Long Island, NY by @bsidebreakdown

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4 months ago

taken in Durham, North Carolina by @bsidebreakdown

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4 months ago

E53: “High On Faith” by Overton with Shayne Miel
*Link To Listen In Bio!!!* 👆👆

What happens when conspiracy theories stop being fringe entertainment and start influencing the way people understand the world?

In Episode 53 of B-Side Breakdown, Shayne Miel of Overton breaks down “High On Faith,” a darkly humorous and surprisingly thoughtful song inspired by misinformation, conspiracy culture, and humanity’s need to explain the unknown. What began with a single lyric evolved into a broader exploration of belief, uncertainty, and the stories people create to make sense of a complicated world.

During our conversation, Shayne discusses the challenge of writing about conspiracy theories without turning the song into a lecture, the personal experiences that inspired the lyrics, and the strange moment we’re living through where truth, opinion, and entertainment increasingly overlap. We talk about everything from ancient mythology to modern media, the role attention plays in shaping public discourse, and why people often gravitate toward simple explanations when reality is far more nuanced.

It’s a conversation about a song, but it’s also a conversation about belief itself—how we form it, why we cling to it, and what happens when the search for certainty becomes more powerful than the pursuit of truth.

Follow Overton:
https://overtonnc.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/overton.nc

Thanks for supporting B-Side Breakdown — where the song is just the start of the story.

Brett Johnson
Host, B-Side Breakdown

https://www.bsidebreakdown.com

#BSideBreakdown #Overton #HighOnFaith #ShayneMiel IndependentMusic MusicPodcast Songwriting PunkRock AlternativeRock IndieMusic taken in Durham, North Carolina by @bsidebreakdown

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4 months ago

by @bsidebreakdown

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5 months ago

E52 - “The Damned” by and with Marc-Alan Prince

🎧 Full episode:
Link in bio! ^^

“This song was me finally going backwards and dealing with some demons.”

For episode 52 of B-Side Breakdown, Marc-Alan Prince breaks down “The Damned,” a song about chasing perfection, surviving self-destruction, and coming to terms with the difference between romanticized youth and the reality of getting older. What starts as a conversation about touring and punk rock ambition turns into something much more personal — living out of vans and on couches, pushing himself past the limit, battling illness, and trying to rebuild a life after realizing the lifestyle he was chasing was no longer sustainable.

Marc-Alan talks openly about the years he spent touring relentlessly, the bands that imploded under the pressure, and the complicated feeling of watching friends move on while still trying to hold onto the thing that once gave life meaning. The episode also dives into the making of his upcoming record Runaway, recorded live in a rented Austin house with full live-performance video sessions inspired by Bridge City Sessions, along with his decision to keep certain releases completely offline as a reaction against streaming culture and Spotify’s treatment of artists.

Follow Marc-Alan Prince:
https://www.instagram.com/marcalanprince/
https://marcalanprince.bandcamp.com/album/runaway
https://www.youtube.com/@marcalanprince

Thanks for supporting B-Side Breakdown — where the song is just the start of the story.

Brett Johnson
Host, B-Side Breakdown

https://www.bsidebreakdown.com

#BSideBreakdown #MarcAlanPrince #TheDamned #Runaway #PunkRock FolkPunk AcousticPunk DIYMusic IndependentMusic Songwriter AustinTexas MilwaukeeMusic BridgeCitySessions TravelWellRecords MusicPodcast Punk AltCountry Americana TourLife MusicStories taken in Milwaukee, Wisconsin by @bsidebreakdown

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5 months ago

E51 - “Magnetic Rock” by and with DPFKS

🎧 Full episode:
Link in bio

This song came from a real moment in the woods that stayed with them long after they got home.

On episode 51 of B-Side Breakdown, DPFKS break down “Magnetic Rock,” a song rooted in emotional exhaustion, connection, and a surreal experience on Minnesota’s Gunflint Trail that became the emotional center of the track. The conversation moves through the band’s pandemic-era formation, their attempt to merge rock songwriting with electronic and experimental textures, and how this song became the clearest representation of what they wanted DPFKS to be. They also dig into building songs collaboratively through synths, modular electronics, and live instrumentation, the challenge of translating that process to the stage, and the intentionally immersive approach behind So Much Love to Give — including handmade screen-printed vinyl packaging, visuals, and even a DPFKS video game.

Follow DPFKS:
https://www.youtube.com/@DPFKS_MPLS
https://dpfks.bandcamp.com/album/so-much-love-to-give
https://www.instagram.com/dpfks_mpls

Thanks for supporting B-Side Breakdown — where the song is just the start of the story.

Brett Johnson
Host, B-Side Breakdown

https://www.bsidebreakdown.com

#BSideBreakdown #DPFKS #DeepFakes #MagneticRock #MinneapolisMusic TwinCitiesMusic IndieRock SynthRock MusicPodcast taken in Minneapolis, Minnesota by @bsidebreakdown

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5 months ago