Punkast

Editor's Note (July 2026)Today we learned of the passing of Jennifer Finch.Rather than simply share the news, I wanted to make this conversation available again. Recorded live at the Punk Rock Museum during the 2025 Punk Scholars Network US conference, it captures Jennifer exactly as I remember her: generous, thoughtful, funny, and deeply curious. Throughout our conversation, she challenged assumptions, connected punk to larger social questions, and reminded us that museums, archives, and community spaces are places where we imagine different futures together.I'm grateful to have shared this conversation with her, and I hope others will enjoy hearing her voice and ideas again.—Jessica Schwartz————Original Episode Notes.Live from Las Vegas, it’s the Punk Scholars Podcast! What happens at the Punk Scholars Network conference in Vegas is now available for your listening (dis)pleasure as Jessica Schwartz interviews Fat Mike (NOFX, Punk Rock Museum) and Jennifer Precious Finch (L7, Sh!t My Rockstar Says!) with a never before heard musical collaboration to close this one of a kind interview out. Thank you to the Punk Rock Museum for hosting us. Enjoy. LinksThe Punk Rock MuseumJennifer Precious FinchFat Mike –We’d love to hear from you and are soliciting episode ideas and guests. Contact us at: punkscholarspodcast@gmail.comThe PSP theme music is excerpted from “Crows” by Watch You Drown. All rights reserved. Season 1, Episode 10 was recorded on March 3, 2025 “Live in Las Vegas” at the Punk Rock Museum as part of the Punk Scholars Network US and Canada Third Annual Conference. Ellen Bernhard produced the episode and gave the pre-podcast acknowledgments. Jessica Schwartz hosted the episode, and edited the audio and transcript, available here.

Punkast is a weekly podcast exploring punk in the historical present through critical conversations, inquiry, and collaboration.>>> Follow the show to stay tapped in. New episodes every Friday.In this episode:"There is this specter of demolition that, in some ways, haunts the American city."Jessica Schwartz is joined by urban historian and geographer Peter Ekman for a conversation exploring how architecture, urban renewal, and the built environment have shaped the sounds, spaces, and histories of punk. Drawing from his article Corner, Garage, and Basement: Reused Spaces and Vernacular Sounds Since the Bulldozer, Ekman traces the relationships between postwar urban redevelopment, street-corner singing, garage rock, and hardcore punk.Together, they discuss the politics of urban renewal, the sonic histories of doo-wop, garage rock, and hardcore, and the ways everyday spaces—including street corners, garages, and basements—became sites of creativity, resistance, and DIY cultural production. The conversation also considers Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., race, segregation, automobility, and the critical possibilities that emerge when architecture and sound are understood together.Peter Ekman is on the faculty of the USC School of Architecture and holds a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of Timing the Future Metropolis: Foresight, Knowledge, and Doubt in America's Postwar Urbanism (Cornell University Press). His research explores the history and theory of cities, landscapes, architecture, and the built environment, with particular attention to sound, urbanism, and everyday spatial practice.Recorded June 2026.Links + References:USC faculty website: Peter Ekman | USC School of Architecture Link to book, Timing the Future Metropolis: https://cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501778391/timing-the-future-metropolis/#bookTabs=1Link to article, “Corner, Garage, and Basement”: https://read.dukeupress.edu/qui-parle/article-abstract/34/2/379/407908/Corner-Garage-and-BasementReused-Spaces-andCredits:Punkast is hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz.Editorial support: Melanie Hui – audio editing, episode notes, and audio-synced transcript.Transcript:Audio-synced transcriptTheme Music:Lady Bits, "Bitch-a-thon," Lady Bits.Related:Jessica Schwartz co-hosts the Punk Scholars Podcast. Connect with Punkast:SpotifyInstagram: punkastuclaStay tapped in.

Punkast is a weekly podcast exploring punk in the historical present through critical conversations, inquiry, and collaboration.>>> Follow the show to stay tapped in. New episodes every Friday.In this episode:"I make zines and jokes and have thoughts."Jessica Schwartz is joined by zinester, archivist, and independent scholar Liz Mason for a conversation exploring DIY publishing, archives, humor, and the enduring cultural life of zines. Together, they discuss independent publishing as a creative practice, a form of community building, and a form of cultural research, while reflecting on libraries, radio, oral history, fandom, and the evolving relationships among memory, documentation, and punk.The conversation centers on Mason's Most Unwanted Zine, a research-driven publication built from surveys of zinesters and readers that playfully transforms qualitative data into satire. Along the way, they discuss fax-machine funerals, collaborative storytelling, aging in DIY culture, creative curiosity, and the ways zines continue to document everyday life while preserving voices often left out of traditional archives.Liz Mason has been publishing zines since the 1990s. Her work has appeared in Punk Planet, The Zine Yearbook, and the backs of her friends' toilets. She managed Chicago's legendary zine hub, Quimby's Bookstore, for more than two decades and is currently pursuing a Master's in Information Science with a specialization in Archives and Records Management at Chicago State University. Mason is also the creator of Caboose, co-host of the Rough Draft podcast, and a DJ at CHIRP Radio.Recorded June 2026.Links + References:LizMasonIsAwesome.comRough Draft with Keidra and Liz PodcastLiz Mason Official: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter | LinktreeLizMasonZines - Etsyhttps://www.facebook.com/LizMasonIsAwesomehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-mason-caboose-zine/Instagram: @caboosezineBluesky: @caboosezine.bsky.socialCredits:Punkast is hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz.Editorial support: Arrow Avalon – audio editing, episode notes, and audio-synced transcript.Transcript:Audio-synced transcriptTheme Music:Lady Bits, "Bitch-a-thon," Lady Bits.Related:Jessica Schwartz co-hosts the Punk Scholars Podcast. Connect with Punkast:SpotifyInstagram: punkastuclaStay tapped in.

Punkast is a weekly podcast exploring punk in the historical present through critical conversations, inquiry, and collaboration.>>> Follow the show to stay tapped in. New episodes every Friday.In this episode:"Fulfill your purpose, do what you love…"Jessica Schwartz and co-host Tequila Mockingbird are joined by Johnny Indovina, singer, songwriter, and founder of Human Drama, in a conversation exploring songwriting, artistic purpose, and the communities that sustain creative life. Together, they reflect on the legendary Scream scene in Los Angeles, Human Drama's evolution from The Models, and the collaborative spirit that shaped one of the city's most influential underground music communities.Johnny also discusses his documentary 7 Days in Mexico, the unexpected journey that rekindled his relationship with music, and the enduring connections between artists and audiences across Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Mexico City. Throughout, the conversation reflects on authenticity, creative perseverance, and the importance of continuing to do the work that gives life meaning.Johnny Indovina is the singer, songwriter, and founder of Human Drama, an influential band whose emotionally resonant music has shaped gothic rock, post-punk, and alternative music for more than four decades. Through Human Drama and his solo work, Indovina has built an international following grounded in deeply personal songwriting, artistic honesty, and enduring connections with audiences across the United States, Latin America, and beyond.Recorded July 2023.Links + References:Human Drama SpotifyHuman Drama WebsiteJohnny Indovina BandcampCredits:Punkast is hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz.Co-hosted by Tequila Mockingbird.Guest produced by Tequila Mockingbird.Editorial support: Arrow Avalon – audio editing, episode notes, and audio-synced transcript.Transcript:Audio-synced transcriptTheme Music:Lady Bits, "Bitch-a-thon," Lady Bits.Related:Jessica Schwartz co-hosts the Punk Scholars Podcast. Connect with Punkast:SpotifyInstagram: punkastuclaStay tapped in.

Punkast is a weekly podcast exploring punk in the historical present through critical conversations, inquiry, and collaboration.>>> Follow the show to stay tapped in. New episodes every Friday.In this episode:Experimental composer, improviser, and educator Si Paton joins Jessica Schwartz for a live conversation with UCLA students exploring listening, neurodivergence, improvisation, and the creative intersections of punk, noise, jazz, and DIY music cultures. Together, they discuss how musical communities emerge through collaboration, experimentation, and shared practices of listening, while reflecting on improvisation as both a creative process and a way of navigating the world.The conversation also explores graphic notation, theatrical performance, ensemble composition, and Paton's research on developing shared musical languages across diverse musical traditions. Throughout, Paton reflects on the value of embracing uncertainty, making mistakes, and creating spaces where experimentation can thrive.Si Paton is a composer, bassist, academic, and promoter. He completed his PhD at Birmingham Conservatoire under the supervision of Ed Bennett and Seán Clancy, researching composition for improvising large ensembles and the development of shared musical languages across different stylistic traditions. He previously studied electric bass and jazz composition at the University of West London with Paul Westwood and Eddie Harvey. Past projects include the prog-jazz group Selectric, punk-funk big band Pack of Wolves Arkestra, and the acoustic-grindcore suite Gillberg Variations. As an improviser, he has performed with Nils Økland, Steve Tromans, Chris Sharkey, Maria Chiara Argirò, Cath Roberts, and Apocalypse Jazz Unit. He is also the curator of Thinking/Not Thinking Fest, a three-day festival celebrating musical juxtapositions.This conversation includes questions and contributions from students in a UCLA musicology course facilitated by Jessica Schwartz and was recorded in January 2024.Links + References:Si Paton - InstagramSi Paton BandcampRejection Sensitive Dysphoria (Bandcamp)Sound and Music (composer profile)Apocalypse Jazz Unit (Bandcamp)Credits:Punkast is hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz.Editorial support: Arrow Avalon.Transcript:Audio-synced transcriptTheme Music:Lady Bits, "Bitch-a-thon," Lady Bits.Related:Jessica Schwartz co-hosts the Punk Scholars Podcast. Connect with Punkast:SpotifyInstagram: punkastuclaStay tapped in.

Punkast is a weekly podcast exploring punk in the historical present through critical conversations, inquiry, and collaboration.>>> Follow the show to stay tapped in. New episodes every Friday.In this episode:ICE OUT OF LOS ANGELES'Fear literally controls people. It ruins ...it runs people's lives...the stuff of nightmares.' 'We can't really make progress without solidarity from men, from people of all ages, and from people all across the spectrum... we just need solidarity across struggles and oppressions.' '...it's just really exciting to see what comes out of Los Angeles, like communities, you know.'Punkast correspondent Arrow Avalon is joined by Los Angeles photographer, organizer, and community builder Serafina Maxima in a conversation exploring photography, punk, community, and the ongoing impacts of immigration enforcement in Los Angeles.Known for her community-centered Photobook Meetups, Serafina reflects on photography as art, documentation, and activism while discussing the responsibilities that come with representing communities through images. Together, Arrow and Serafina explore local organizing, creative spaces, women in photography, and the role of cultural workers in preserving community histories.The conversation also addresses ICE-related violence, protest, policing, and the ways fear, documentation, and collective memory shape everyday life in Los Angeles. As part of an ongoing Punkast project examining punk, community, and responses to immigration enforcement, this episode highlights lived experiences, grassroots organizing, and the importance of creating spaces for connection and solidarity.Arrow Avalon is a Punkast correspondent + guest producer as well as a photographer, musician, promoter, and UCLA undergraduate whose work explores punk, photography, community, and social justice in Los Angeles.Recorded May 2026Links + References:Serafina Maxima: IG @f1lmfomoArrow Avalon: IG @arrow.avalonCredits:Punkast is hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz.Correspondent: Arrow AvalonEditorial support: Arrow Avalon– audio editing, episode notes, and audio-synced transcript.Cover Photo:Gregory BojourquezTranscript:Audio-synced transcriptTheme Music:Lady Bits, "Bitch-a-thon," Lady Bits.Related:Jessica Schwartz co-hosts the Punk Scholars Podcast on the Punk Scholars Network. Connect with Punkast:SpotifyInstagram: punkastuclaStay tapped in.