Chord Progression

Life is funny sometimes. Every one of us have massive amounts of dreams that we want to achieve and go after in life, but so many of them go by the wayside for one reason or another. Whether it is a worry about not being good enough, a fear of what others might say and think as you strive to your dream, or anything else, we need inspiration to keep going.This artist not only struggled through forgiving herself for the things in her past that were holding her back, but the work to do that allowed her to find her sound, discover her passion for heavy music once again, and is a story we can all get behind.Katerina Nicole joins the Chord Progression Podcast with her newest EP, Serene in Violet Oceans, as her return to the heavy music she has always loved, available now. Join us as we dive deep into:Karetina's journey to discovery her sound and how she wants to express herself in music, starting in a pop and EDM world, to the world of heavy music from her time as a kid.How writing and creating "Serene in Violent O

Any new artist that is trying to get as much positive buzz around their debut album as possible knows how tough of a task it is. Do you focus on the social media aspect? Should your focus go towards making the most dynamic music possible? Or is it about playing live and getting fans excited for yet-to-be released music?This band, with their second turn on the podcast, have shown that it is a combination of all 3 that gets the best buzz for a debut album. Dynamic music, appearing all over social media and other media publicaitons, and playing new songs live with an energy to make fans want them early. That is how it is done.Zak and Rex from the nu metalcore band Uncured join the podcast. Their debut LP, Warpath, is available for you to check out now, however we recorded this hours before the album dropped. On this episode, we dive into it with the guys discussing:How Uncured made fans hyped for the new album playing every song live prior to its release, without letting fans know they were new.Why Uncured did n

The concept of the album in rock and metal has forever changed since the streaming revolution took over. As people, artists, and labels put more importance on releasing singles to maximize a song's life in a time with shorter attention spans, does that mean the album will die out.We say it will not, because it will take its construction and build onto its legacy as a time capsule of the band at that time. It may just be seen as a collection of singles, but it is the marker to an era for that band. And this newer band is driving that idea home with their career.Mitch from Moon Fever returns to the Chord Progression Podcast, with our first actual episode not plagued by interent connection issues. With the band's debut LP, Forever Sleep, already out, discover the band with us as we talk about:The new meaning and symbolism in rock & metal albums as the age of single-focused streaming forges on, as the encapsulation of an era or a time period in their evolving histories.A look into the release of Forever Sleep

Writing music is no easy task in the year 2025. At times it seems like artists past and present have either come up with the progressions and ideas that you have previously, or the only way to find success is to chase the trends of what is popular on Tik Tok and social media. So how do bands like Bad Omens, Sleep Token, and Knocked Loose pop off with unique sound and flare?The answer to those questions can be found right here, in this episode, with someone who lives this in his music, and needed to try and always be unique, in order to discover the answer.Aaron Nordstrom of Gemini Syndrome joins the Chord Progression Podcast today, with new music and a new album coming out in 2025. In this episode join us as we talk about:How the music industy being so single-dominated in the streaming age has its roots back when artists and labels were pitching to radio, and trying to follow what was popular on those platforms.Why artists being authentic in their niche is causing those music artists to find success in this e

When someone is the son of a well known musician such as Jason Bonham, and the grandson of legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, naturally people are going to assume this person is going to follow in their footsteps and make similar music.But that is not what happened. This man went on his own journey to discover what his desires in life were, and when it was found to be music, what his sound should be. What came out was vastly different than expected, more experimental than anticipated, and something that makes this artist his own person.Jager Henry joins the Chord Progression Podcast today! His debut LP "Heart of Thorns" released back in August of 2024, but this is the best way to discovering an emerging artist. On today's episode, we go deep into:Jager discovering his love for music and creating his own sound in his own unique way, bucking any expections others may have had for him.Why it is important to make music for what you want, and not to please an algorithm, or whatever is going to be the catc

One major goal of any musician is to make sure their live show is engaging, captivating, and a memorable experience for anyone in the audience. There are many tools and tricks that artists use in order to ensure this is achieved. But of those tools out there, is ther one that could be better.Prompters have been used in the music industry for quite a while now. But most prompters limit what you can use them for. We found someone who tried to better the prompter for live musicians. And we work to see if using a prompter limits what the artist can do on stage. The debate rages on.Tory Smith of Black Box Prompter comes to the Chord Progression Podcast for a different episode, trying to help out musicians with their live show. On this episode, we dive deep into:Why Tory created Black Box Prompter and what it needed to include to stand out from other prompters being used in the music industry.The debate on if a prompter will help an artist create a better live show, or if it will become a crutch that young artists

When we all discover a younger artist, we get the privilege of watching them grow and watching the sound they create evolve as time passes. Typlically, we see a change for artists as they go from what they feel they should create, to artists that create the music they want to.Then, we as fans get to go on that journey of life with the artist, and fully appreciate the music they create, and the overall sounds that amplify our emotions and our lives going forward.Sorry X (a.k.a. Alexa) joins the Chord Progression Podcast to show you who she is, and show you the musical journey her young career has gone on, and will take you on in the future. On this episode, we discuss:Alexa's backstory getting into music and creating art from a young age, and why not following imposed and set limits allowed her to create a more free-flowing, hard rock sound.The mindset any musician, artist, creative, or person needs to have when dealing with hate and negativity online.Working on her debut album and the type of creative sound t

20 years into being a band is quite the accomplishment. Being the stallworts of deathcore for that entire time is another accomplishment in itself. And after coming off of 2 well recieved records in "The Valley" and "Kin," what do they do to make sure they hit on 3 albums in a row.The answer is use their competitive nature and challenge themselves to write the heaviest record they could reminiscent of their 2nd album "This Is Exile," while keeping the evolved song structure found on "The Valley" and "Kin." So what is the result? And album that boasts those objectives incredibly well, and easily stands out as an "album of the year."Ben from the legendary deathcore band Whitechapel joins the Chord Progression Podcast. Their 9th album, Hymns of Dissonance" releases on March 7th and it is nothing short of heavy, enthraling, and increible. On this episode, we dive deep into:Why Whitechapel wanted to write their heaviest record to date for their 9th album, and how they absolutley succeeded in that endeavor.How Whit

As a podcast, not only do we want to help you discover many great bands to get into in the rock & metal world, but we also want to deliver knowledge to all the up and coming artists to help them avoid the pitfalls other bands have experienced before them.This time we found a band that has been experienceing success after only 2 years of being a band, and they are able to deliver some wisdom for many younger bands to find success early on.Chase from the San Antonio rock band Raven's Banquet joined the Chord Progression Podcast today. Get to know them and learn a lot more about how to gain success early in your bands career as we talk aboutHow the band got on the Rocklahoma lineup in their 2nd year as a band, including a funny story meeting Randy Blythe of Lamb of God.The mindset that is needed to find success early on in a band's career.Why quality in your music is everything for a band, but just not all the time (think live show, presentation, social media tendencies).We are delivering bands and content l

Music has a wonderful quality, regardless of genre, of being able to create a shared experience out of something increibly personal and individual. Listening to music creates that individual connection, experiencing live music creates that collective shared experience.When two sisters worked through the lost of a grandparent and the grief caused by it, they created music that expressed their personal experiences with grief, but also how those experiences intertwined. They created "harmonized dialogue."Sarafina and Emma from the Canadian gothic post-punk band Bonnie Trash are guests on the Chord Progression Podcast today. With their new album, Mourning You, set to release, discover the band and the beauty in their art as we discuss:Why playing songs heavier in a live setting is done to create that colletive moment between people, and enhance that individual emotional experience.How Bonnie Trash became an art and how the influence of heavier music mixed with childhood stories created their gothic post-punk soun

There are sometimes when a band comes out of nowhere with something fresh, something new, that just has you wanting to scream YES! This could be caused by a multitude of things, but when it is an artist that does it in music, it is something special about the sound that does it for you.This brand new band inspired by the Cyberpunk 2077 soundtrack and wanting to build off of that takes that sound with the backdrop of a dystopian society to create a brand of music that sounds classic yet fresh, and has the depth to understand the inequality in the world's richest places today.Craig from the new band The Dark joins the Chord Progression Podcast today. The band's first release, their self-titled EP, drops on February 21st and we have so much to share with you about them including:How The Dark was started by Alan Ashby of Of Mice & Men wanting to make music inspired by the Cyberpunk 2077 soundtrack.The reason why free flowing creativity led to an exciting debut EP, and why joy amplifies the creative process mo

Losing a loved one, or someone incredibly close to you, is never an easy thing to process. The grief can be overwhelming, and can easily have anyone questioning why this happened, and how do they move forward from this point in time.A band that we haven't spoken to in 3 years has experienced a loss just like this. Through music, being there for one another, and having a community that supported them through it all, the band was able to find closue and move forward, with the memory of their friend still strong within them.New Jersey pop punk band All Systems Go return to the Chord Progression Podcast for the first time in over 3 years with their latest EP, Finding Closure, coming on February 19th. Join us as we discussThe highs and lows the band experienced since the beginning of 2022, from the release of an album, building momentum as a successful regional band, to the loss of a band member and how they worked through the grief together.How the band healed together after the loss of Dean, and the way that eve

Every now and again, we have an artist join the podcast to talk about their new music releasing, that gets so in-depth that you sit there, enamored that such a powerful sound can be manifested from great trauma and tragedy.After 6 years of not releasing music and processing through a good deal of emotion, a record from the depths of a man's soul is about to come out with an evolved sludgy deathcore sound, with so much more behind it than meets the ear.Tyler from the deathcore band Traitors joins the Chord Progression Podcast witht he release of the new album "Phobias" coming out on February 21st. With this episode, go deeper into a deathcore record than you ever have as we discuss:Why Traitors has not released new music since "Repent" came out in 2019, through "Phobias" coming out in 2025.Analyzing what the potential Tik Tok ban in the United States will impact heavy music, and all musicians, alike along with the impact of losing the platform's organic reach going forward.How Tyler's personal psychological jo

When you account for all the bands and artists that have ever made music and tried to succeed in their endeavors for life, a select few do. And amongst those select few, only a small handful are able to succeed in this for 25 years or more. But what causes that success?A heavy band that has been around since "metalcore" was a term knows this and with their latest album coming out more than 25 years after their first release, they know the reasons behind why their music succeeds, and why people still connect with it for all this time.Brandan from the metalcore band Bleeding Through joins the Chord Progression Podcast with their 9th album "Nine" due out on February 14th. On this episode join us as we discuss:Why "Nine" is Bleeding Through's favorite record and their pride behind the record, having an additional take on their continued sound.The "Negatively Positive" emotions at the core of Nine, and why heavy music as a whole encapsulates turning negative emotions into positive results.Brandan's cockiness on th

When we see a band begin to appear on radio and end a year charting on the Billboard Rock Charts, we have questions that need answering. Questions like who are they, what have they done to get that success? And what can we learn from their success to help us out?Well, fear no more everyone. Because not only do we have a band that has achieved that success to close 2024 and is still growing, but has a story that will inspire your creative side to thrive, and why you need to keep learning.Nils from the rock band Velvet Chains joins the Chord Progression Podcast. As their single Dead Insided ended 2024 at 31 on the Billboard Rock Charts, we set out to deliver you a new band to call your favorite. Check it out as we show you:The history of Velvet Chains from the iffy origin story of their name, starting as a grunge cover band that changed to original music during the pandemic, and how constructive criticism led to their eventual success.Dead Inside's creation, and why Velvet Chains gives their producers creative

The music world in 2025 is vastly different than it was before social media became a thing. Yes, there is a lot more opportunity to be discovered and be creative, but fans may focus more in on the brand and the image that is created rather than the music itself. This can cause a band to shift promotion and creative ideas, setting themselves up for burnout.However, with a fresh release in 2025, one band said "screw that" and went as aggressive and creative as ever with their 8th record, rediscovering the passion they had for music like they did when they were 15 years old. And how was it received by the fans? With calls for an Album of the Year award already.Josh from the hardcore punk band Stick To Your Guns joins the Chord Progression Podcast today. With the new album, Keep Planting Flowers, recentlty released, we sit down with Josh and discuss the album with:How "Keep Planting Flowers" took Stick To Your Guns off of artistic autopilot 20 years into their career and why they have the passion for music like i

Rock and metal is not dead, and it is clear to see that when artists from outside genres are either trying their hand in rock and metal, or embracing their rock and metal influences from a young age. It is moments like this that let us know, rock and metal is thriving again.We have seen hip hop artists make this jump with varying degrees of success like MGK, and have seen artists make the jump with a lot of success like Jaali Cypher and Ekoh (both have been on the Chord Progression Podcast prior). Today, we talk to another.Doobie makes his debut on the Chord Progression Podcast. With a new rock-focused album coming and the first single out now, discover Doobie as we talk about:How Doobie grew up in the rock and metal world during his life though the influence of his mother, and how the memory of his father influenced him to be a part of the hip-hop world as well.The process Doobie is taking to make his brand new album with much more of a rock-focused approach, and how the first single 'Early Bird Gets The Whi

We all know that humans follow trends, but why? It is out of a want and desire to fit in and be accepted by others that are around you, to not feel like an outcast. Artists and musician are humans so the same applies to them, but is that something they should overcome for the sake of their art?Today we have a band that has lived through both. They lived through small success and always trying to follow what was trendy and popular to continue that success. They also lived through what happens when you create your own sound without trendy influence. Guess which one they still do?The guys in the alternative rock band The Lucky join the Chord Progression Podcast. After a 2024 where they released their newest EP "Wait It Out," we bring you a brand new band to get into as we discuss:The history of The Lucky, how the guys all met on the same dorm room flow, gained a little success with a previous band Hand Made House, and rediscovered the momentum post-COVID with The Lucky.How the concept of trial & error led th

When a longtime member departs from a band (this time on good terms, thankfully), what does the future look like for that band's music? Will it change, will it stay the same, or will it evolve with a new member added into the mix?These are the questions that keep fans up at night, and keep the artists wondering, working, and experimenting to continue the legacy that is their sound. And right now, that rings true for this band.Kristen Sturgis of Conquer Divide joins the Chord Progression Podcast today, as the band is kicking off their 2025 on the road in Europe. In this quicker episode, we get into it as we:Recap some of the epic tour pranks that Conquer Divide has pulled in their time as a band, leading them to legendary status amongst the scene.Discuss Janel's departure from Conquer Divide, if you might see her on tour with the band in the future, and how the band is going about possibly finding a replacement or forging ahead as a 4 piece in the future.Get a very early look at the third Conquer Divide album

When music has a formulaic feel to is, us as music fans tend to shy away from it. That is because it feels repetitive, feels overdone, and has this sense that it has already been done before, and probably for the better too. Why else would that formula be seen as one that works?But when artsists write music with no formula in mind, just purely based off of the inspiration that they are feeling at that time, that is when greatness comes. That is when something new is created, and the emergence of a new "formula" that others try to use emerges.Oli and Jamie from the English pop metalcore band TheCityIsOurs join the Chord Progression Podcast for the first time since 2021 with their brand new album Will You Still Love Me? releasing on January 31st. With this episode, enter this album with us as we dive deep into:The creation process behind the songs on Will You Still Love Me? and why it was written without any expectations or formula in mind.How a few songs were created, including the tough vocal track on Enough