Chord Progression

At one point in time, every band has had a dream to be signed to a great label and to release a debut album to show that their creative endeavors are both worth it and their new way of life. But the questions for so many that want to acheive that remain the same. How do we get signed? What do you have to do to release a debut album? How do you make your sound unique?Well we aim to get those answers with a band that not only is living that right now, but thriving in that situation overall. And with a debut record set to release, you can see how a great plan came together.Tim from the St. Louis band dead7 joins us on the Chord Progression Podcast today. With the band's debut album, 'Love What You Can While You Still Got Something Left to Love,' releasing on July 11th, we dive deep into the story that got them from local band to a signed contract with a record label and a debut LP ready to drop. Join us as we go through:- How the band created the sound on their debut album to push electronic boundaries with catc

Calva Louise is a complete enigma of a band that you will ever find. 3 band members from different corners of the globe somehow came together at the right time to achieve their dreams with their own style of music. Only problem is… it seemed like the world was against them.From living with nuns, couch surfing for years in London, working odd jobs just to get by, the world seemed to always say no to Calva Louise. But they never said no to themselves, always finding a way around every challenge in life. And with an expansive musical influence from all 3 members, they never said no to trying whatever they felt like in their music. And that is proving to be the makings of one of the most eclectic bands you will ever find.Jess, Alizon, and Ben from Calva Louise join the Chord Progression Podcast today. With the band’s 4th album, Edge of the Abyss, due out on July 11th, join us in the journey of this band that has led to an album of the year candidate in 2025. On this episode, we talk about:- The most wild origin s

Over the past 5 years, we have seen the French metal scene begin to really grow in relevance. We have seen Gojira explode in popularity thanks to their performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Novelists get big with Camille taking over vocals, Landmvrks headlining a tour in the USA, & Resolve growing as well. So... who is next?How about a band that never lets one song be like another that they have done? What about a band that never has a set writing process so their music can always be unique? What about a band that takes modern metal and mixes it with emo, metalcore, alt rock, synthwave, phonk, and new-metal styles? So that band... is here.Mattieu (Kirby) and John from the French modern metal band TSS (formally The Sunday Sadness) join the podcast today. With the band's new album, End of Time, ready to release on June 27th, we dive into the album and the band with the guys for almost an hour. On this episode, we talk about:- How TSS writes all of their music to be unique and make sure no two songs sound

Rock & metal music have been seeing a large amount of artists blending their style with other genres to create a much larger sound and a more expansive idea of what heavy music can be. Some have hit, some need some work, and some really hit.This artist really hit from her music making roots in country, but with her childhood containing some of the best heavy music around, she was bound to blend country and heavy music together. And when bands like Seether, Skillet, Asking Alexandria, and From Ashes to New take her out on tour before the release of her debut album, you know something is there.That is why Royale Lynn is our guest on the Chord Progression Podcast today. As she is set to release her debut album on June 27th, being heavy music with a country blend, we aim to find out all about it. On this episode, we talk about:- How Royale Lynn cultivated her sound growing up on a farm and in a small town where country music was king, but a love of heavy music prevailing to label her as a "metalhead from a sm

Hot Milk is an enigma of a band like Sleep Token or Bring Me The Horizon. They are not comfortable being put in a box in regards to their music or their art. No matter what genre or classification you try and put them in, they are going to break it.So with their 4th album on the way, was the band able to continue that goal of making everything their own, never worrying about what anyone else is doing, and challenge themselves to do better than before? Would an album of the year candidate prediction for 2025 convince you?Han and Jim from Hot Milk join the Chord Progression Podcast today. With the release of their 4th album, Corporation P.O.P, set to release on June 27th, we give you the inside scoop into the album in 30 minutes or less. Join us as we all discuss:- Why Hot Milk recorded Corporation P.O.P. analog, to create a more raw and personal touch to the dynamic music put into each and every song.- The writing process for Corporation P.O.P. and how Hot Milk wrote it from everywhere all at once, leading to

We all saw the emergence of Kasey Karlsen as an up-and-coming vocal powerhouse in the metal scene with her covers of Zombified by Falling in Reverse and To The Hellfire by Lorna Shore in early 2022. Since then, she has formed the band Deadlands with longtime friend CJ, to create original music and take their musical journeys to new heights.It is now 2025, and there is new music set to come from the band. But as fans we are wondering about this new music. Is it going to show more range from Kasey? Is the songwriting going to prove this band is going to be a major player in the second half of the 2020's? And is it any good? Well, we got answers.Kasey from Deadlands joins the Chord Progression Podcast today for your listening pleasure. With the band's newest EP, Seven, due to come out on June 27th, join us as we dive deep into Deadlands and Seven. On this episode, we talk about:- Why 'Seven' was inspired by the seven deadly sins, the writing process behind each sin, and why gluttony focus so heavily on eating di

Hardcore music is easily a genre on the rise in the heavy music scene, and in pop culture as well. Alpha Wolf, Kublai Khan TX, and thrown have all made their mark in 2024 becoming mainstays in the heavy music scene. Knocked Loose is the largest band hardcore has ever had, and will not stop growing. So who is next for the genre?How about and band that is releasing their first full album in 9 years? An album where each song has one element that changes itself up ever so slightly, to either make a good song great, or a great song extraordinary:? That band is here today.Ringo from the San Jose hardcore band Mugshot is our guest on the podcast today. With a new album, All The Devils Are Here, coming out on June 20th, and be ready for something incredible in the hardcore realm. On this episode, join us as we talk about:- Why it took Mugshot 9 years to release a new album, and how working with their trusted producer elevated every single song to be greater than their original idea.- The album in its entirety, how ea

Dry Kill Logic has been away from music for 20 years. After releasing their most recent album back in 2006, the band has released 2 singles between then and now. You would think that a band that hasnt been active for 20 years would make a comeback, and also succeed when fans get a chance to see them live right?Well, with a few festival performances in 2025 and a new song to add to it, the soft launch for the band is here and so far, the reaction has been highly positive. Even for a band that hasn't had an online presence since the MySpace days, that connection still has proven strong. So it must be caused by something else.Cliff from the metal band Dry Kill Logic joins the Chord Progression Podcast to not only get you back into the band for 2025, but to ready you for their full relaunch in 2026. On this episode, we talk about:- The reason why Dry Kill Logic returned after 20 years, and how they are able to do so.- Why creating a positive connection with their music during their time has led them to still conn

Writing a progressive death metal album might not be the easiest thing. But what might even be harder is when you join the band as the vocalist in the middle of the writing process, doing what you can to add your voice to the structure that is already there. That is what happened to Kyle from Fallujah when the band wrote Empyrean in 2022.But now with a new album coming out, Kyle had a chance to be a part of the writing process from the beginning. This led the album to be a lot more special for Kyle, and showed another moment of growth for this progressive death metal band's sound.Therefore, Kyle from Fallujah joins the podcast today! With the brand new album Xenotaph releasing on June 13th, 2025, we dive deep into the album with Kyle to show you the inside scoop of how Xenotaph was made. On this episode, we talk about:- Why this album is special for Kyle, stemming from his first experience writing with the band when the album structure was already completed, now to writing Xenotaph with his full influence att

Why has heavy music been on a massive resurrgence in cultural relevance and popularity over the past 5 years? We could easily boil it down to a large number of reasons from changing preferences in the younger generations, to a connection to the culture that was lost previously. But there is one attribute that needs to be consistent in any answer, the music needs to be good and inventive.More and more heavy music artists are creating a sound mixing heavy music with many different other influences, and creating an incredible sound. This can come from something more raw and visceral, something more suspiscious and moving, or in this artist's case, GROOVE.Jacob from Australian metal band Thornhill joins the Chord Progression Podcast. Following the release of their 3rd album Bodies, the band went on their headlining run in the USA, with plenty more to come. So on today's episode, we talk to Jacob about:- The growth of heavy music in culture over the past 5 years, and why bands being more inventive with their overa

A large pilar of the Chord Progression Podcast has been to give as many artists in the rock and metal space a chance to be discovered by the largest audience posssible. It is something that helps keep the genre we love alive. And we always are thrilled to see other people and platforms doing the same thing.We have been watching a platform work at this intensly over the past few years as a way to try and bring people to discover new artist in a way that MTV used to, creating an experience and an event for people to discover new artists together. What it turned into, was something even greater.Danny from BSBTV joins the Chord Progression Podcast. Airing on Twitch every Monday and Thrusday, the first ever global music TV and A&R platform is here to show you who they are and what they are about. On this episode, we discuss:- The histroy of BSB TV from its creation at a bar room table with a want to recreate old MTV music discovery with instant reaction, to being the the first global music TV and A&R platf

Everyone knows that is is harder than ever to make it in the music industry as a band in 2025, and the likelihood of it getting any easier is rather grim for the future. With more music readily available on streaming platforms, and with making money in music becoming more difficult, there are less avenues artists can take for them to become successful.We picked up with a band we had on the podcast in December of 2023 to see how they not only have grown over the past year and a half, but also provide the tools newer artsits need to use in order to gain success in the music industry come 2025 and beyond.Canada's No Exceptions return to the Chord Progression Podcast today. With a brand new EP coming this summer and a spot on the Rock The Park festival in July opening for Bad Omens, we discover their growing success through:- The importance of networking not only in your local scene, but also when you are around others in the music industry whether it is producers, roadies, other musicians, and promoters.- How No

3 years ago, Steven from Wolves At The Gate joined us on the Chord Progression Podcast to talk about the band's 5th album, Eulogies, and we dove deep into the album's meaning with faith in the Gospel and pandemic reflections. Now in 2025, there is a new album coming our way from Wolves At The Gate.But for a band releasing their 6th album some questions come to mind. What is the album going to be about? What is going to make this album different from what came before it? And is the sound going to evolve from the last album to this one?That is what we ask Steven today before the release of the band's 6th album, Wasteland, and May 30th. Join us as we talk about:- The inspiration of the new album, Wasteland, and the immersive experience to break free from short term, instant gratification in the world today.- How Steven reverse engineers other songs he likes in order to discover why he enjoys them, in order to become a better songwriter.- The difficulty artists face making fresh music as their careers go on years

A hallmark of musicians, bands, and artists getting popular in the 2020's is having a song used for Tik Tok or on Instagram reels. Yes it is great when a piece of a song goes viral on those platforms, but what is the outcome of that? Have we seen more artists find sustained success from those moments, or fail to capture the lightning in a bottle and fall from being viral? History shows, it's the latter.So we wonder, what makes a song, that goes viral on Tik Tok or Instagram Reels, provide long term growth and success for the band or artist that makes it? The answer... structure.Anthony and Jon from Defy the Tyrants return to the Chord Progression Podcast for the first time since 2021. With their self-titled debut album out now, join us as we discuss- Why song structure is the most paramount aspect to focus on for any artist in the 2020's, which will help music that goes viral on Tik Tok and Instagram to have sustained growth, and not just be a moment in time.- The concept of slightly changing recorded songs i

The last time Senna came to the Chord Progression Podcast, they were just starting out on Sharptone records, finally cutting their teeth in the rock music world. Since that time 2 years ago, they have been working hard to become a mainstay in the European metal scene.So what happened over those few years? What is Senna doing now? And what helped them achieve creative success on their upcoming album? Well... it all has to deal with time and putting good out into the world.Marcel & Viktor from the German band Senna come back to the Chord Progression Podcast with their debut album "Stranger Love" releasing on May 23rd. Join us recaping the last 2 years and preparing you for the album as we talk about:- Why it took a long time over the past 2 years for Senna to fully be prepared to release Senna, from Viktor joining the band, to the rest of the band forming professional accountability.- The reason why artists need to make time their friend in the creative process, and not be beholden to deadlines that constri

It is only human that songwriting evolves over time, regardless of the genre. Rock music, metal music, any kind of heavy music really undergoes an evolution in songwriting as life, culture, and history change around us. But it is slow.However, many artsits experienced a massive shift in songwriting style 5 years ago when the Covid-19 pandemic threw the entire world into isolation. So how has songwriting changed because of the pandemic, what are its impacts in 2025, and how have bands gotten better because of it.They guys in Wounded Touch, a metalcore band out of Michigan, join the Chord Progression Podcast today. The band's second album "A Vivid Depiction of Collapse, is releasing on May 16th. Discover the band and the album as we dive deep into:- A history of Wounded Touch, and how they wrote Americanxiety during the pandemic isolated, aggressive, and exposing their pissed off mindset during that time.- Writing A Vivid Depiction of Collapse together with a new perspective in order to cerate a cohesive &

When any band changes vocalists, naturally fans are going to be rather vocally opinionated regarding the change whether they like it or not. But when that vocalist transition is from a male vocalist to a female vocalist (or vice versa), the opinions and criticisms can be much more striking. So how does that band succeed going forward.This French band experienced just that in 2023, and through a combination of band unity, mental & emotional strength from the new vocalist, and the quality of music to back it up, the band not only succeded but began to thrive. Now in 2025, with a brand new album starting the next era, plenty more greatness is in store.Camille from the French band Novelists is with us on the Chord Progression Podcast today! The new album Coda (releasing May 16th), is the first full-length album with Camille as lead vocalist. Dive into this with us as we talk about:What Camille experienced taking over as lead vocals for Novelists from having the mental strength to deal with polarizing fan opin

There are many musicians out there that start in one sound or genre, and then move to the next. It is not anything uncommon. But one of the hardest decisions artists have to make is if taking a step back from the success you had prior to start something new will lead to greater happiness and success later on.One upcoming band has already discovered this and is here to show you that taking a step back to take 2 steps forward in the end is not as scary as it seems, and could be a great idea for any artist to take.AJ and Will from the metalcore band Resider join the Chord Progression Podcast today, to help get you to discover great new music. On this episode we discuss:- How Resider's origins came from the progressive deathcore world, and how taking a step back from their prior success lead to the band finding better success in the long run.- Why the band will always put on the best performance no matter the circumstances, and how a 1 AM show proves just that.- The reality of a growing band touring through the U

Rock and metal music is for everyone, truthfully. It always has been from the authenticity of the sound, to the connection each song has to us, all the way to the impactful live shows that never die in our minds. This authenticity is why many artists gravitate to the genres.There are also artists out there in other genres that grew up loving rock & metal, as well as still loving it to this day. So what should we do as fans when those artists try and find their sound in rock & metal? We do what we should do, embrace it and give them a chance to show us who they are.IV4 joins the Chord Progression Podcast, after reaching out to us via Instagram DM. This is how we bring you some great new artists in the rock and metal word. Discover IV4 as we talk about:IV4's backstory of how she hustled & grinded her way into the music industry, created an alternative R&B sound, only to discover her true sound in heavier music.Why IV4 went against the wishes of label experts in regards to going into rock & m

Doesn't it seem like NERV is on every tour that you see come to your town in the past few years? Doesn't it seem like they don't slow down and will continue to push forward in order to make their musical dreams come true? It certainly did to us, and we wanted to find out why.Not only did we go forward and find out how they do this, but we also got the background behind their newest EP coming out in May. This is an EP that shows off how their genre-bending style continues to evolve, and the success it already has had with fans & taste makers alike. So enough with the introduction, let us get into it.Dillon from the band NERV joins the Chord Progression Podcast. NERV's newest EP, Lost, is set to drop in the first half of May, during their tour with Citizen Soldier. Discover NERV, the Lost EP, and more as we discussWhy NERV decided to go heavier on the new Lost EP, how the titular song finally made it into regular rotation on Sirius XM Octane, and how dealing with personal loss sets the tone for the EP's ove