PODCAST · music
The Power/Less Podcast
by Brandon Durden
The Power/Less podcast is going to take a unique perspective in look at music, world issues, and how they intersect.Join me as I speak to musicians, producers, political advocates, commentators, and much more as we talk about a variety of topics in all things both within music, politics, and how they may influence each other.
Episodes
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The Cornell 7, Rape Culture, and the Fight to Support Survivors
In this episode, I’m joined by Jasmine, a social worker and survivor advocate, to discuss the Cornell Seven case, involving allegations that seven members of Cornell University’s Chi Phi fraternity sexually assaulted a former student in 2024. We examine how the case has brought renewed scrutiny…
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Greg Stoker on Metallica, Political Music, and the Myth of Being Apolitical
Greg Stoker is a veteran, anti-imperialist organizer, political commentator, and activist. He is the host of the podcast “Colonial Outcasts,” and a co-founder of RFE Media. Greg and I talk about the recent discourse surrounding James Hetfield and Metallica’s statements concerning political…
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Chris Bell on Failed State, Gig Work & Political Filmmaking
Chris Bell is a screenwriter, producer and director who has been a fixture of the NYC independent filmmaking scene for the better part of this last decade. His most recently released work is his feature length film Failed State, as well as previous series and short films such as Miss Me Yet,...
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Daniel Maté on Macklemore, Ed Sheeran, Palestine & Music Industry Silence
Daniel Maté is an award-winning songwriter, lyricist, composer, and musical theatre writer, with work that has been performed at places including the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center. He’s also the co-host of Bad Hasbara, where he combines comedy, satire, and political analysis to take a…
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Ro Khanna's West Bank Trip and Why The Right Words Aren't Enough- w/ James Ray
James Ray is an organizer, writer, and political commentator out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. James sits down with me in this latest episode to discuss Congressman Ro Khanna’s visit to the West Bank, his detainment, and his continued incoherent beliefs on Palestine, occupation, apartheid, and...
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HEATH HOWARD ON MEDICARE FOR ALL, GAZA, LABOR RIGHTS & THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT
Heath Howard is a progressive congressional candidate running in New Hampshire’s 1st congressional district in the Democrat primary on September 8th. Heath sits down with me to discuss his background in politics as a state legislator, how a severe injury in high school helped develop his…
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The Graham Platner Allegations and Why The Progressive Movement Needs To Reflect- ft. Hunter Dunn
Hunter Dunn of the 50501 Movement returns to the show to discuss the recent sexual assault and rape allegations of Senate Candidate Graham Platner. We chat about the growing red flags that were vehemently dismissed by progressives with large platforms, why these allegations are so much more…
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Maude Stout of Splitjaw Talks Hardcore, Political Lyrics, Trans Rights, and Truth & Reconciliation
Maude Stout, vocalist of Illinois hardcore band Splitjaw, joins me to talk about the band's latest EP Truth & Reconciliation, writing political music, the roots of hardcore, organizing in local scenes, and why heavy music still has something meaningful to say. We also discuss Palestine, religion,...
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CHRISTCORE SUPREMACY- Breaking Down The Best Christian Metalcore and Deathcore Records
Nick of metal band No Business and I sit down together to break down the unique cultural phenomenon of Christ core- metalcore, hardcore, and deathcore music influenced heavily by the Christian faith. We discuss why it is the one sub sect of Christian music that was on par with its secular...
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The Dave Rubin Humiliation Complex- With Hunter Dunn of the 50501 Movement
Hunter Dunn is the National Press Coordinator and Organizer of the 50501 Movement, the decentralized progressive grassroots movement throughout the United States. Hunter has recently made appearances in the Jubilee Surrounded series in debating the likes of Patrick Bet David and even more…
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Inside the Growing Movement to Abolish ICE and Shut Down Detention Centers
Adam Baumel is an organizer and advocate of the Neighbors Not Numbers grassroots coalition spearheading the Abolish ICE Pledge, a pressure campaign that tracks which House and Senate candidates have publicly committed to abolishing ICE. Baumel explains why abolishing ICE is a moderate position...
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Sikeen's Adam Elara on Genre Blending, Palestinian Genocide, and Art as Resistance
Support Tammy and James Stevens as they try to find housing while both fighting cancer. https://www.gofundme.com/f/urgent-housing-recovery-fund-for-homeless-cancer-patients Adam Elara is the front man of the band Sikeen, out of the Los Angeles area. Sikeen labels itself as an Arab and Desi rock...
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Why Evangelicals Support the Iran War: End Times Prophecy, Christian Zionism & the Death Cult
Jacob Dallas is one of the co-hosts of the podcast Workers’ Lit, which covers everything from political and historical literature, to pop culture, and the current news of the day. Jacob is also the author of the book, They Called Her Rebel, which is a fantasy novel about late state capitalism,...
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How Liberal Media Sold the Gaza Genocide - Adam Johnson on NYT, CNN & Propaganda
Adam Johnson is a journalist and media analyst, whose work has been featured in The Nation, The Intercept, Los Angeles Times, In These Times, and The San Francisco Chronicle in addition to his own Substack, The Column, and being the cohost of the Citations needed podcast. Adam has recently…
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Stephen Keech of Haste The Day Breaks Down Their Comeback Album, DISSENTER
Stephen Keech is the frontman and vocalist of the metalcore band Haste The Day. Keech sits down with me to discuss their comeback record, "Dissenter," as well as the band's comeback set at Furnace Fest in 2023, how the band's approach to writing has changed and stayed the same over the past two...
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How Minneapolis Became Victorious Against The Federal Government and ICE's Occupation- w/ Zaq Baker
Zaq Baker is a singer/songwriter and author out of Minneapolis. Zaq returns to the show to discuss the on the ground organizing, protesting, and reality for the residents of Minneapolis and the Twin Cities as they fight against the occupation and terrorization of their communities by ICE. We...
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Gen X Lead Poisoning and the CIA- w/ WeKnewNothing
Backer is the founding member of the genre bending pop punk/emo/post hardcore band WeKnewNothing out of Los Angeles, CA. Backer and I discuss his political journey and activism, class consciousness, generational gaps in political understanding, conspiracy theories, the CIA, and more Follow...
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Wild Dogs and Firefly Collectors- with Taylor Bickett
Taylor Bickett is an independent singer songwriter out of the Nashville, TN area. Taylor returns to the show just shy of a year after breaking down her emotionally packed, social commentary heavy song, “The Crime,” to discuss her latest singles, “Wild Dogs,” and “Firefly Collector.” Taylor...
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Citizen's Impeachment Talks Grassroots Uprisings, Integrity, Challenging Politicians, And The Inevitability Of Trump's Impeachment
Keira Havens is the executive director of Citizens’ Impeachment, a nonpartisan grassroots movement with the purpose of impeaching, convicting, and ousting Donald Trump and those within the administration who enable him. Havens is also the founder and director of Courage for Democracy, a PAC that...
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The United States BOASTS About Torpedoing Defenseless Ship After Joint Naval Exercise With India
In an unsurprising and yet demoralizing decision, Pete Hegseth, The "Department of War" and the entirety of the United States military committed a blatant war crime on an Iranian warship which was defenseless and had no weapons on board after an exercise with the Indian Navy.follow and support…
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Congressional Candidate Matt Conroy Talks A Progressive Uprising, AI, And The Housing Crisis
Matt Conroy is a progressive congressional candidate, running for office in Illinois’ fifth congressional district. Matt and I discuss the fecklessness of out of touch, career politicians and why there is a growing insurgency of progressive challengers against long standing representatives and...
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Gavin Newsom Thinks Democrats Should Throw Trans People Under The Bus
A few weeks after discourse surrounding Governor Gavin Newsom's 2028 likelihood, he made sure to go on CNN to underscore his supposed strategy for the Democratic Party: not care about "pronouns" and cultural issues. Here's the problem, he doesn't care about economic ones either. Follow the...
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Brain Poisoned Mike Huckabee Declares Loudly That Israel Is Better Than The United States
It's a cold day in hell when Kristin and I watch a Tucker Carlson clip, but Huckabee is always indicative of the worst aspects of the Christian Zionist movement in the U.S. Follow and support the podcast: thepowerlesspod.com
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Power Chords for Class War: Allapartus Break Down Class Solidarity, Revolution in "Long Con"
Adam Woodley of NYC based band Allapartus returns to the show to discuss the band’s newest single, “Long Con.” Adam discusses the inspiration for the track, from recent readings on organizing, politics, and communication to It’s A Wonderful Life. We also talk our perspectives on the resistance...
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Activism or Grift? Calling Out ICE, Gaza, and Fake Resistance- with Kim Hunt (slaythegop)
For this episode I sit down with Kim Hunt, return guest and political commentator on her accounts @slaythegop. Kim and I discuss the ongoing escalation of violence from ICE in Minneapolis and around the country, the connections between ICE and the IDF, how liberal commentators and Democrats are...
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Episode 120- The Murder of Renee Good by ICE Gestapo Thugs and Regime Change in Venezuela, w/ Rob Rousseau
Rob Rousseau is a political commentator and podcaster, cohost of The Insurgents podcast as well as host of the daily live show, TRRS. Rob and I discuss the recent extrajudicial murder of Renee Good, a legal observer of ICE, mother, and wife who was gunned down in the morning on January 7th. Rob…
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END OF THE WORLD (and 2025)- Albums Of The Year, Hating On Sleep Token, Best Movies, And More
Alec and I sit down to discuss our favorite movies and music of 2025, as well as what was disappointing, what we missed, and more. Follow the podcast: thepowerlesspod.com instagram.com/thepowerlesspod https://bsky.app/profile/thepowerlesspod.com
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Episode 118- Robert Becker- Book of Beart
In this episode, I sit down with Robert Becker of Foxtrot to talk about his new solo project Book of Beart and his upcoming EP Tribulations. We break down the songwriting process behind each track, how the pandemic shaped the record, and what pushed him to finally step out on his own…
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Congressional Candidate Dylan Blaha discusses defying unlawful orders, AIPAC, fighting for the working class, and how to fight
Dylan Blaha is a progressive candidate for the Democratic primary in the IL-13 congressional district. Blaha and I discuss his political trajectory from his 13 year career in the armed services, running against a pro corporate, pro Israel Democrat incumbent in Nikki Budzinski, why the progressive...
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Episode 116- pulses., "pulses pack, vol 1"
pulses. are a four piece post hardcore, genre blending outfit out of Virginia. Kevin Taylor, Caleb Taylor, and Matt Burridge discuss their latest release, a mixtape titled, “pulses. pack, vol. 1.” They discuss why the songs and remixes are bigger than just B sides, and the lyrical and musical...
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Episode 115- Fauxtrot, "Picture Perfidy"
Fauxtrot is a post hardcore band out of Pennsylvania. Robert, Austin, and Derek sit down with me to break down the background, songwriting, production, lyrics, and influences for their latest song, and what people can expect from the band going forward. Follow Fauxtrot:...
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Episode 114- Ryan Woods
Ryan Woods is a singer, songwriter, and multi instrumentalist out of Los Angeles, CA. Ryan sits down with me to break down his brand new record, "Godboy," his songwriting process, how lockdowns during COVID changed the way he approached creating music, and the inspirations behind the record.…
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Episode 113- Molly Rennick, Living Dead GIrl
Molly Rennick is the lead singer and founding member of the modern metal band Living Dead Girl, originally from Ontario. Molly and I discuss how the band’s name came from the day she was born, the roller coaster of auditioning strangers from Craigslist to join her band, and the trajectory of…
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Episode 112- Heavy Weights, Heavier Politics: Logan Ragsdale on Powerlifting and Class Consciousness
In this episode, I sit down with Logan Ragsdale; a powerlifter, former musician, and outspoken leftist from Alabama. We get into the overlap between gym culture and politics, the myth that “lifting makes people fascist,” and why reactionary content online is such an easy grift. We also dive into...
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Episode 111- June Sternbach
Use these resources to assist Palestinians in Gaza: https://www.thecut.com/article/how-to-help-gaza-aid-starvation-crisis.html ceasefiretoday.com June Sternbach is a cohost of the podcasts Kill The Computer and Ill Conceived, as well as the social media editor of The Onion. June and I discuss a...
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Episode 110- Kelly Barber, Wave Break
Use these resources to assist Palestinians in Gaza: https://www.thecut.com/article/how-to-help-gaza-aid-starvation-crisis.html ceasefiretoday.com Kelly Barber is the vocalist and founding member of the band Wave Break out of New Jersey. Kelly and I discuss her start in music, the trajectory of…
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Episode 109- Francesco Montesanto, Sainthood Reps
Use these resources to assist Palestinians in Gaza: https://www.thecut.com/article/how-to-help-gaza-aid-starvation-crisis.html ceasefiretoday.com In this episode I speak with Francesco "Cesco" Montesanto, the lead vocalist and guitar player for the alternative rock band Sainthood Reps out of Long...
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Episode 108- Matic Blagonič, Hei'An
Use these resources to assist Palestinians in Gaza: https://www.thecut.com/article/how-to-help-gaza-aid-starvation-crisis.html ceasefiretoday.com For this episode I speak to Matic Blagonič, the vocalist and mastermind behind the Slovenian post-metalcore band Hei'An. Matic and I discuss the live...
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Episode 107- Scary Hours
Use these resources to assist Palestinians in Gaza: https://www.thecut.com/article/how-to-help-gaza-aid-starvation-crisis.html ceasefiretoday.com For this episode I speak with Ryan of Scary Hours, a hardcore band out of New Jersey. Ryan and I discuss Rise Against, his upbringing in music, where…
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MORALLY BANKRUPT: Why Liberal Influencers Taking Dark Money Is Incredibly Stupid
Journalist Taylor Lorenz recently released a report detailing dark money groups funding liberal influencers. With a lot of debate online and public blowups between influencers and journalists on the "left," let's look at why this funding isn't useful for the left the way it is the right, and why...
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Episode 106- Pinkshift
Provide support to Palestinians in Gaza by going to the vetted links in this article: https://www.thecut.com/article/how-to-help-gaza-aid-starvation-crisis.html ceasefiretoday.comVocalist Ashrita Kumar, guitarist Paul Vallejo and drummer Myron Houngbedji of Maryland based band pinkshift sit down...
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Episode 105- The Children We Choose Not to See with Kim Hunt (slaythegop)
Use this link to find vetted organizations to support Palestinians in Gaza:...
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Episode 104- The Working Class Origins of Heavy Metal and Corbyn's New Party w/ James Matthewson
In this episode of the Power/Less Podcast, I speak with James Matthewson, a former spokesperson for the Labour Party, organizer, tv broadcaster and author, about the intersection of metal music, working-class identity, and politics. James shares insights on the current state of left-wing politics...
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Episode 103- Nathan Johnson, Fox Lake
On this episode of The Power/Less Podcast, I’m joined by Nathan Johnson, frontman of Denver heavy band Fox Lake, for a deep dive into their brand new album,New World Heat, which is out now. We talk about the record’s chaotic blend of nu-metal, hardcore, and hip-hop influence, the band’s goal of...
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Episode 102- Tilly Middlehurst
In this episode, I talk with Tilly Middlehurst, a student and academic debater at Cambridge University. Tilly and I talk about political ideology, the role of debate, and how foreign policy shapes domestic issues. She shares her background, her viral debate with Charlie Kirk, and why engaging…
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Episode 101- Renee Christine
On this episode of The Powerless Podcast, I sit down with rising indie artist and cellist Renee Christine to talk about her breakout single "Turtle Island," a track that’s blown up across platforms for its powerful blend of protest, poetry, and raw cello-driven intensity. We get into her path…
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Episode 100- Calva Louise
For the 100th episode of The Power/Less Podcast, I sat down with Alizon Taho and Ben Parker of genre-bending alt-metal trio Calva Louise to talk all about their incredible new album Edge of the Abyss, out now on Mascot Records. We got into the DIY production process, the influence of sci-fi films...
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Episode 99- Zohran's Socialist Republic of NYC, w/ Joshua P. Hill
Activist and political commentator Joshua P. Hill of New Means discusses Zohran Mamdani's historic victory over Andrew Cuomo, the ongoing escalation of war perpetuated by Israel and the US against Iran, the diversion tactics of legacy media to distract from ongoing slaughters in Gaza, and the…
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Episode 98- Kasey Karlsen, Deadlands
Kasey Karlsen is the vocalist of modern metal band Deadlands out of New York. Karlsen and I discuss her popularity growth via social media and the start of Deadlands as a legitimate and passionate project. Karlsen also breaks down their brand new EP, "SEVEN," and it's concept with the seven…
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Episode 97- Chained Saint
In this episode I sit down with Ethan, Cameron, and Sean — the guitarist, drummer, and vocalist of South Florida metal band Chained Saint. Despite being a young band (one of them just graduated high school), they bring a sound rooted in classic thrash and old-school hardcore. We talk about…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Power/Less podcast is going to take a unique perspective in look at music, world issues, and how they intersect.Join me as I speak to musicians, producers, political advocates, commentators, and much more as we talk about a variety of topics in all things both within music, politics, and how they may influence each other.
HOSTED BY
Brandon Durden
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Power/Less Podcast have?
The Power/Less Podcast currently has 142 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Power/Less Podcast about?
The Power/Less podcast is going to take a unique perspective in look at music, world issues, and how they intersect.Join me as I speak to musicians, producers, political advocates, commentators, and much more as we talk about a variety of topics in all things both within music, politics, and how...
How often does The Power/Less Podcast release new episodes?
The Power/Less Podcast publishes regularly with 142 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Power/Less Podcast?
You can listen to The Power/Less Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Power/Less Podcast?
The Power/Less Podcast is created and hosted by Brandon Durden.
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