Bad Copy

Today, I am exceedingly proud (and also somewhat anxiety ridden) to share with you a podcast that has been in the works for a very long time. For years, I have had clandestine conversations with people in our sect of the music scene about the abuse which takes place off the stage, behind closed doors, in green rooms, over social media, etc. For years, I have been nothing short of exasperated as my concerns feel on deaf – or at least apathetic – ears.

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly gave me a chance to step away from music to assess where and with who I have been spending my time for the last two decades. I decided that I didn’t want to return to a scene which masquerades under guise of  “If you see someone fall down in the pit, pick them up” while also actively trying to suppress the experiences of survivors/victims because it’s easier to feign aloofness and keep listening to an abusive band than remove them from your favorite festival’s lineup.

I reached out to my friend Rich, who has been an integral part of outing abusers in Minneapolis, and asked him to be my co-host. The podcast is called enough. and focuses on giving survivors the strength and platform to shine their own light on the darkened corner of what we seemingly love to ignore about our little community. We are offering our interviews in both podcast form (we’re on all major streaming services) and video form (via YouTube) in hopes that hearing about/watching someone speak about one of the darkest days of their life will help educate, remind, and fuel people about why it’s so important to clean up our corner of the world.

Throughout the upcoming episodes, there will be discussion of band members, artists, label owners, venue owners, and others that you are likely familiar with. It won’t be pleasant to hear stories about people who have used their positions of power to manipulate others. You will likely feel disappointed, just as we collectively were when we heard about Beach Slang, Saves the Day, Brand New, PWR BTTM, New Found Glory, Simple Plan, Culture Abuse, Smith Street Band, Front Porch Step, The Orwells, Nobunny, Burger Records, among so many others. It’s going to be uncomfortable, but we feel these conversations are SO important to have to ensure that music is less of a scene and more of a welcoming community which fosters safety. We also hope that this podcast can be a platform to have open, honest conversations about how we can make positive changes in ourselves and our scene about how we react to stories of abuse and assault from this point on.

Episode 1 is a brief introduction of who we are and why we’re embarking on this carefully navigated endeavor.

Watch the video for Episode 1 below:

Or stream Episode 1, if you prefer:

Episode 2 features my friend and Colorado-native Savvi. When she moved to Laramie, WY for school, she knew this would be a big change in her life. What she didn’t know was that she would come to befriend, be groomed by, and then assaulted by the singer of a local band. Savvi shares her story, how this man’s actions left a permanent mark on her mentally and physically, and her thoughts on whether it’s possible to separate the art from the artist.

Watch the video for Episode 2 below:

Or you can stream Episode 2 here:

If you have been on the receiving end of harm from someone: be it artist, venue owner, audience member, or someone else and would like to share your story on a future episode, please reach out to us.