Episode 173: Jay Williz of BLVKOUT

On episode 173 of March Forth with Mike Bauman, Mike chats with Jay Williz of BLVKOUT! Hailing from Santa Rosa, California, BLVKOUT is a genre-defying band that draws influence from the likes of Memphis May Fire, Bring Me The Horizon, Bad Omens, and Spiritbox, while also mixing in pop influences. In a short period of time, BLVKOUT has already made noise in the punk and metal communities. After racking up over 50,000 streams in their debut year, BLVKOUT was named "Best Punk Band of 2024" and "Best Metal Band of 2024" by The North Bay Bohemian. Additionally, frontman Jay Williz - who has an extensive catalog as a rapper - took home "Best Hip Hop Artist of 2024" after the release of his introspective rap album Exhume:Rebirth. On April 18th, BLVKOUT released their explosive new single entitled "Save Yourself," which they worked on with audio engineer/producer/songwriter Nick Miller. In this episode, Jay talks with Mike about how he got into music, his early influences as a rapper, his struggles that eventually led to his sobriety, his rap return after a five-year hiatus with Exhume:Rebirth, how MGK's Tickets To My Downfall album opened the door for him to pop punk, getting into metalcore and heavier music, what's on the horizon for BLVKOUT, and more. This episode also features the aforementioned "Save Yourself" from BLVKOUT, available where you get your music! Follow BLVKOUT on Instagram @blvkoutband. Follow Jay on Instagram @jay.blvk. Follow Mike on Instagram @marchforthpod. To stay up-to-date on the podcast and learn more about Mike, visit https://linktr.ee/marchforthpod. If you or someone you know needs mental health resources, please visit the following links: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us; https://988lifeline.org/ Thanks for listening! If ya dug the show, like it, share it, tell a friend, subscribe, and above all, keep the faith and be kind to one another.