Workers Comp's Peter Mahoney on Surviving the DIY Scene

Episode 017 – Peter Mahoney | MAKE // BREAKPeter Mahoney is a Toronto-based guitarist, recording engineer, and DJ rooted in the city's punk and hardcore underground. As guitarist for Workers Comp (who deliberately pulled their music from streaming in favour of Bandcamp) and a collaborator in UNWELL alongside Cursed/Burning Love/SECT vocalist Chris Colohan, Peter has spent two decades navigating pay-to-play scams, revolving lineups, and the real cost of making loud, fast music on your own terms. He also runs House of Trash, offering affordable recording and mixing to DIY bands. In this episode of MAKE // BREAK, Peter opens up about losing bassist Nick, rebuilding through grief, rejecting social media pressure, and why community built on genuine friendship outlasts every trend.👀 What you'll hearDiscover how Peter identified pay-to-play scams and industry gatekeepers as a teenager in TorontoLearn why Workers Comp pulled their music from streaming and what they use insteadHear the gut-wrenching story of losing bassist Nick and deciding to keep the band aliveExplore what community really looks like when you strip away the buzzwords and trend-chasersFind out why Peter built House of Trash to record bands affordably on his own termsUnderstand the internal resistance artists face when social media becomes a second unpaid job🕰️ Chapters00:00 Cold open: the real cost of playing music00:51 Single Release Playbook promo01:15 Meet Peter Mahoney — guitarist, engineer, cat dad05:31 Early illusions about the music industry09:42 Pay-to-play shows and industry scams in Toronto13:21 Joining the wrong bands and learning to say no19:28 Building community and finding the right people25:27 Defining success on your own terms33:34 The shit sandwich: social media and self-promotion43:37 Leaving Spotify and the case for Bandcamp51:53 Recording at House of Trash and learning to engineer58:04 Losing Nick and pivoting through grief1:06:15 Shameless plugs, upcoming shows, and final wisdom🔗 Guest Linkshttps://youreentitledtoworkerscomp.bandcamp.com/https://www.instagram.com/workerscompband/https://unvvell.bandcamp.com/https://www.instagram.com/house.of_trash/https://www.instagram.com/vernaltrash/🔗 MAKE // BREAK & Host Linkshttps://open.spotify.com/show/5GDOUd909p7ir2W74M9teg?si=cbc7e01e13ba4a20https://instagram.com/lowkeyhellishhttps://tiktok.com/@lowkeyhellish🔗 V13 Media Linkshttps://v13.netSubscribe and drop a comment: when have you had to pivot instead of quit in your own creative life?[Explicit language throughout.]#MakeBreak #Mahoney #DIYPunk