Lead Singer Syndrome with Shane Told

What is it like to be the lead singer of a band? Shane Told, frontman of the critically-acclaimed rock band Silverstein, brings you candid interviews with all of your favorite singers on this podcast. Is it really all sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll? Find out for yourself on Lead Singer Syndrome.

Music
Music Interviews
Music Commentary
276
Dustin Kensrue (Thrice)
Episode 103 - Thrice frontman Dustin Kensrue, one of the most requested guests, joins the show this week! We talk in depth about their constant reinvention of their sound, their die hard fan base, religion, signing to a major label, and how much he hates the vocals on the first 4 Thrice albums.
56 min
277
Josh Todd (Buckcherry, Josh Todd and the Conflict)
Episode 102 - Buckcherry frontman Josh Todd joins the show this week! An electric performer and true rockstar, his mutiplatinum selling band is known for hits like "Crazy Bitch" and "Lit Up". Josh and Shane talk about how perception isn't always reality when it comes to image, his upbringing in the 1980's in the California rock scene, the video shoot for "Crazy Bitch", and his new solo side project Josh Todd and The Conflict.
51 min
278
Halloween Special with GWAR!!!!
Episode 101 - HAPPY HALLOWEEN! On this special Halloween edition of LSS, I speak with The Berserker Blöthar of GWAR! Sometimes going by his "earth slave name" of "Michael Bishop", we discuss his entry back into the band after nearly 2 decades following the death of original GWAR frontman Dave "Oderus" Brockie. Also discussed is their stint on Warped Tour, how much work it really is being in a band like GWAR, and what happened the first tour when they started shooting blood on the crowd.
58 min
279
Episode 100 - Tim McIlrath (Rise Against)
HAPPY 100th EPISODE EVERYONE! To celebrate, I speak with my good friend, and frontman of Rise Against, Tim McIlrath. We talk about the formation of Rise Against from the ashes of another punk band, their extremely unlikely mainstream success and the story behind "Swing Life Away", and how important it is to continue to spread their message on a bigger platform. An eyeopening must listen!
81 min
280
Matt Heafy (Trivium)
Episode 99! THE GREAT ONE Matt Heafy of Trivium joins the show! 4 years ago, Matt completely blew out his voice. Since that moment, which he thought was the end of his career, he's worked incredibly hard in all aspects of his life. We discuss his intense warm up and practice schedule, his recent love of Brazillian Jiu-jitsu, his pop-punk roots, and how it was to deal with Hurricane Irma.
60 min
281
Kellin Quinn (Sleeping With Sirens)
Episode 98 - Big episode! The very talented and charismatic Kellin Quinn joins the show to talk about the radical change of sound on the bands new album "Gossip", his views on gun control, and admitting he has a problem with alcohol. A must listen.
66 min
282
Sebastien Grainger (Death From Above)
Episode 97 - Drummer/Singer of Death From Above (1979) Sebastien Grainger joins the show! We talk about their return with a new album, the challenges of being a 2 piece band, and how hard it really is to play drums and sing at the same time.
62 min
283
AJ Perdomo (The Dangerous Summer)
Episode 96 - Shane gives AJ Perdomo of The Dangerous Summer a call, to discuss THEIR RETURN! Exciting news! They're back, with a new album already finished. AJ speaks of what caused the demise of the band, his vocal style on their last album, and what he's been up to for the last 4 years. A super honest discussion and a must listen!
59 min
284
We Came As Romans (Kyle Pavone and Dave Stephens)
Episode 95 - We Came As Roman is back! To celebrate, both Dave AND Kyle, co-frontmen of the band are on the show. We discuss them taking some time off to find themselves both musically and personally, how they write vocals and lyrics together, their new label Sharptone Records and how their side projects helped shape the sound of the new WCAR record. We also discuss bad band acronyms, leaving the hard partying days in the past, and how they’re moving forward - by checking their egos at the door. RIP KYLE
56 min
285
Roger Miret (Agnostic Front, Roger Miret and th...
Episode 94 - Roger Miret is a true New York Hardcore legend. As the frontman of Agnostic Front, he has been at it since 1980. His story however is not so simple. Born in Cuba, his parents moved to NYC and he faced and extremely abusive childhood, eventually living on the streets, and also served some time in prison for drug trafficking. Now happily married and living in Arizona, he has written a brand new tell-all book chronicling the stories he faced growing up, the hardcore scene and his time locked up. Shane and Roger discuss the behind the scenes stories of the book, and of course what it’s like to be considered one of the “Godfathers of hardcore”. My Riot: Agnostic Front, Guts, Grits and Glory is out now! Buy the book on Amazon: Use link: leadsingersyndrome.com/amazon
57 min
286
James Hart (Eighteen Visions, Burn Halo)
Episode 93 - Shane jumps on the phone with Chicago sports fan, Game of Thrones junkie, and frontman of Eighteen Visions, James Hart. One of the most respected bands in the 90's and 2000's hardcore scene, Eighteen Visions was not only known for their technical and heavy riffs, but also their image, often referred to as "Fashioncore". Now, back together with a new album in 2017, Shane and James discuss being straight edge in your late 30's, his major label experiences, his musical influences, and yes - Fashioncore.
65 min
287
Josh Scogin ('68, The Chariot, Norma Jean)
Episode 92 - Shane sits down with his buddy and '68/The Chariot/ex-Norma Jean frontman Josh Scogin. One of the most critically acclaimed heavy bands of the last decade, The Chariot announced their breakup suddenly in 2013 after a Warped Tour stint where they were arguably as big as ever. Shortly after, Scogin announced his new project '68, a 2 piece band where he now picked up the guitar as well. We talk about the learning curve of becoming a guitar player/singer, looking back on the legacy of The Chariot, touring in Siberia, and the time Silverstein covered The Chariot in their hometown.
71 min
288
Dennis Buckley (88 Fingers Louie, The Story So ...
Episode 91 - Dennis Buckley of 88 Fingers Louie sits down with Shane to talk about being back on the road with a new album after almost 2 decades, watching his ex-bandmates get huge in Rise Against, and the mix up with another band called The Story So Far.
71 min
289
Cole Becker (SWMRS)
Episode 90 - SWMRS frontman Cole Becker takes time out of his busy schedule and joins Shane between lunch and soundcheck while on tour in Providence, Rhode Island. Starting his first band Emily's Army when he was barely a pre-teen, he learned the ropes from his best friend and SWMRS drummer's father, who happens to be Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day. Now 22, Cole has found his own voice and sound, and he discusses Art vs. Business, how to rev up a crowd of young fans, and his mega crush on Miley Cyrus.
58 min
290
Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed, The Jasta Show)
Episode 89 - Hatebreed's own Jamey Jasta sits down with Shane on the very last day of Warped Tour outside the bus in Pomona, CA. Never one to not speak his mind, Jamey and Shane discuss the Victory Records days, keeping their talking/screaming voices in check, Jamey's very successful podcast, and Hatebreed once being sabotaged and called a racist band.
69 min
291
Warped Tour Round Table Special (Kevin Lyman, J...
Episode 88 - It's a very special episode today! Backstage at Warped tour in St. Louis, Kevin Lyman (founder and producer of Warped), Jack Grisham (TSOL), Steve Soto (The Adolescents) and Lisa Johnson (Rock Photographer) join Shane to have a round table discussion about the state of the scene, Warped Tour drama, the changes from punk then and punk now, and also discuss the upcoming It's Not Dead punk rock festival featuring a huge lineup of punk rock bands, headlined by Rancid and Dropkick Murphys. Photo by Lisa Johnson
62 min
292
Fronz (Attila)
Episode 87 - The notorious Chris "Fronz" Fronzak of Attila joins the show.... Is his on stage persona real? Is he really as crazy as he leads on? Listen and find out as Shane hangs out with him on the back of Attila's bus on Warped Tour, drinking whiskey, beer, and a box of "Fronzia" wine.
70 min
293
Ryan Locke (Seaway)
Episode 86 - Seaway's Ryan Locke jumps on the phone from his "Vacation" and speaks with Shane while he's in Orlando, FL on Warped Tour. After getting through a couple interruptions from a strange woman on the streets, they chat about Ryan's conversion from drumming to singing, our Mom's being friends, the Canadian "theme" and how smoking weed led to the formation of Seaway.
63 min
294
Bryan Garris (Knocked Loose)
Episode 85 - One of the most requested guests, Knocked Loose frontman Bryan Garris talks about the hype surrounding his band, religion, the importance of hardcore history, playing Warped Tour for the first time, and being terrified about having to write a follow up to the acclaimed debut album Laugh Tracks.
56 min
295
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY FROM SHANE!!!
A Happy 4th of July message from Dad.Music: Aug…
3 min
296
John Floreani (Trophy Eyes)
Episode 84 - I'm on Warped Tour, and I sat down with John Floreani, of Australian punk/indie/alternative/whatever group Trophy Eyes, a band who put out my favourite record of 2016. We talk about his early life and ongoing struggle with addiction, the weird things about America, life on Warped Tour, and if they knew they had something special while making their last record Chemical Miracle - in Thailand.
68 min
297
Chadwick Johnson (Hundredth)
Episode 83 - Chadwick Johnson from the hardcore band ... wait a second... they aren't a hardcore band anymore... That's right Hundredth has taken a complete 180 and have ditched the screaming, the breakdowns, and even the heavy guitars. Listen to his explanation of why this happened, what the hardcore fans of the bands are saying, and what he predicts is about to happen as they embark on the entire Vans Warped Tour... playing ZERO old songs. After that... check out their awesome new record "Rare" on Hopeless Records... Out now.
60 min
298
John Joseph (Cro-Mags, Bloodclot)
Episode 82 - John Joseph joins the show for an extremely candid and unedited chat with Shane. He discusses his abusive childhood that left him living on the streets of NYC at age 14, his rise to hardcore fame in the 1980's, his current projects writing books and competing in triathlons, and his feud with former Cro-Mags bass player/vocalist, Harley Flanagan.
85 min
299
JT Woodruff (Hawthorne Heights)
Episode 81 - In a very honest, candid discussion with Shane, JT Woodruff of Hawthorne Heights talks about their quick rise to fame, their lawsuit with Victory Records, and the death of their guitarist Casey Calvert.
100 min
300
Brian Swindle (Have Mercy)
Episode 80 - This week Brian Swindle of Have Mercy joins the show, calling in from Shane's FAVORITE place ever - Houston, Texas. They discuss their new record being the comeback from their "sophomore slump", how hard it is to define Have Mercy under a specific genre, and how losing members of the band has affected Brian personally. Bonus: Brian spills the beans on an upcoming acoustic project!
58 min