The Hardcore Therapist

The Hardcore Therapist 149- Scott Crawford (Salad Days, Creem, Something Better Change Documentaries)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2255460/fan_mail/new] Today I’m joined by Scott Crawford, a multi-talented filmmaker, musician, writer, and documentarian who directed Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC. A D.C. native who started the fanzine Metrozine as a teenager, Scott brings an insider’s perspective to the DIY spirit, community, and cultural force of the D.C. punk and hardcore scene, including bands like Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Government Issue, Rites of Spring, and Fugazi. Scott also directed CREEM: America’s Only Rock ’n’ Roll Magazine, which explores the influential Detroit publication’s impact on music journalism, rock criticism, and outsider culture. His newest documentary, Something Better Change, follows D.O.A. frontman Joe Keithley as he takes the politics of punk from the stage into public office. I’m really excited to talk with Scott about hardcore, storytelling, subculture, memory, politics, DIY ethics, and why documenting these scenes matters — not just historically, but emotionally. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2255460/support]

The Hardcore Therapist 148.5- Are You Ready for Love or Just Ready to Be Chosen Again?

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2255460/fan_mail/new] After divorce, readiness for love is not measured only by time it is measured by whether you can enter a relationship without performing, self-silencing, or falling in love with someone’s potential. I explore how to recognize genuine readiness, evaluate present behavior, communicate needs without emotional begging, and choose a partner who wants the person you are now. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2255460/support]

The Hardcore Therapist 148- Ryan Smith (Rain the Shining)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2255460/fan_mail/new] Today I’m joined by Ryan Smith, the musician behind Rain the Shining. Rain the Shining is Ryan’s Baltimore-based music project, blending guitar-driven indie rock with roots in hardcore and punk. His music carries that tension between reflection and resistance — songs about time, memory, disappointment, injustice, and trying to make something honest out of what life gives you. His album In a Haze of Younger Days looks at what it means to meet your younger self and sit with who you’ve become, and his newer single “Take a Seat” leans into a more direct protest energy. I’m really excited to talk with Ryan about hardcore, songwriting, mental health, creativity, and what it means to keep making art as life changes. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2255460/support]

The Hardcore Therapist 147.5- For Lou Koller: When a Band Becomes Part of Your Story.

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2255460/fan_mail/new] In this tribute episode, I reflect on the death of Lou Koller of Sick of It All and what it means when a band becomes woven into the story of your life. I share memories of seeing Sick of It All throughout several decades in Detroit and explore how music can hold our grief, identity, community, and connection to younger versions of ourselves. This episode is about legacy, the emotional impact artists can have on people they never personally meet, and the importance of telling people what they mean to us while we still have the opportunity. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2255460/support]

The Hardcore Therapist 147- Chris LaPointe (Wake of Humanity)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2255460/fan_mail/new] Today I’m joined by Chris LaPointe, vocalist of Wake of Humanity, a Washington state vegan straight edge hardcore band rooted in animal rights, environmental justice, human justice, and resistance. Wake of Humanity is part of the New Age Records family, which makes this conversation especially meaningful because The Hardcore Therapist Podcast has also been connected with and supportive of New Age Records. So this feels like one of those moments where the hardcore community overlaps in the best way — music, values, activism, and mental health all in the same conversation. For more than a decade, Wake of Humanity has used hardcore as a vehicle for conviction, writing songs that speak to injustice, accountability, and the urgency of staying awake in a world that can make people want to shut down. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2255460/support]