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
301
Brian Burkheiser (I Prevail)
Episode 79 - In this 2nd of a 2-parter with both I Prevail frontmen, I speak with Brian Burkheiser, the clean vocalist. We discuss their calculated success, being terrified of dealing with overnight success, and how he figured out he could sing while riding in his buddy's car one day.
73 min
302
Eric Vanlerberghe (I Prevail)
Episode 78 -First of an I Prevail 2 parter with both frontmen! Screamer/unclean vocalist/yeller whatever you wanna call it, Eric Vanlerberghe joins the show. Topics include their rapid rise to fame, being very calculated in their decisions, how they write songs, and a scary moment when their bus caught fire.
60 min
303
Matt Pryor (The Get Up Kids, The New Amsterdams)
Episode 77 - Matt Pryor of The Get Up Kids joins the show this week. A massive influence of Shane's, without The Get Up Kids, Silverstein would have never formed. Matt and Shane discuss TGUK's place in the 90's emo scene, The Emo Game, Matt's 15 year old daughter's budding solo career, and writing custom songs for his fans. Matt also talks about new Get Up Kids songs that may be coming out in the near future.
76 min
304
K.Flay
Episode 76 - Alt-pop/hip-hop artist, basketball fan and coffee drinker K.Flay joins Shane on the show this week. Fresh off the release of her new album "Every Where is Somewhere", they discuss her upbringing in the midwest where music was surprisingly not a focus in her life, her transition from rapping into singing, co-writing with Pharell, Trump, her departure from RCA records, and her stint on Warped Tour.
67 min
305
John Henry (Darkest Hour, The Primals)
Episode 75 - Darkest Hour frontman John Henry calls into the show during a car ride from LA to Las Vegas to play a "concert". During the lengthy chat with Shane they discuss his distaste for Victory Records, the longevity of Darkest Hour, how his voice has evolved, and how Darkest Hour is basically a punk band in how they operate.
69 min
306
Happy Easter!!!
Happy Easter everyone! No new podcast episode this week, BUT Shane talks about some of his favorite podcasts he's done so far on LSS. Why not take the time to catch up on some old episodes you may have missed!? Have a great week, and we will be back next Monday with an ALL NEW episode. Peace + Love.
6 min
307
Deryck Whibley (Sum 41)
Episode 74 - Sum 41's Deryck Whibley joins the show (at 8:30AM!) and talks to Shane (total fanboy) about his new found sobriety, the early days of Sum 41, the massive comeback they've made, and obviously Guns 'N Roses.
59 min
308
Dan Marsala (Story of the Year)
Episode 73 - Shane's good friend and Story of the Year frontman Dan Marsala joins the show to talk about the upcoming crowd funded Story of the Year album, what it was like to get so much popularity so fast, and what the band has gone through over 15 years of ups and downs. Bonus: Dan and Shane discuss their bromantic past.
61 min
309
Walter Schreifels (Quicksand, Rival Schools, Go...
Episode 72 - Huge episode! Gorilla Biscuits guitarist / Quicksand singer / Rival Schools singer / Youth of Today bassist Walter Schreifels joins the show. A wearer of many hats since starting Youth of Today in the mid 1980's, Walter discusses the early days of New York Hardcore, how he got the confidence to transition from guitar player to lead singer, and the move to a major label for Quicksand and Rival Schools. Also discussed are his new super group Vanishing Life and his other project Dead Heavens.
67 min
310
Scott Lewis (Carnifex)
Episode 71 - Carnifex's Scott Ian Lewis sits down with Shane before their show at Lee's Palace in Toronto. As frontman of one of the most "under the radar" bands in the Deathcore genre, Scott explains their struggle with former label Victory Records, their hiatus which got him through a hard period of time personally, and their revitalization and growth on the last two albums. Also discussed is Scott's approach to writing, his theatre background, and the current state of the Deathcore genre.
58 min
311
Matisyahu
Episode 70 - Gold selling and Grammy nominated Jewish reggae superstar Matisyahu joins the show this week! This super unique chat includes: his change in appearance and how it affected his career, trying to find that "lightning in the bottle" mainstream success again, having a cult following, the art of improvising on stage, and bringing children on the road.
66 min
312
Danny Worsnop (Asking Alexandria, We Are Harlot)
Episode 69 - Well, this is definitely my favourite episode yet! Don't let the shorter running time fool you, this one is action packed! Danny Worsnop explains his departure and return to Asking Alexandria, his wild and spontaneous youth, drinking and drug use, and the head scratcher of him starting his own solo country project.
52 min
313
Justin Pierre (Motion City Soundtrack)
Episode 68 - Motion City Soundtrack frontman Justin Pierre takes time away from cleaning his floors for a long chat with Shane. Recently, Motion City Soundtrack decided to call it quits after nearly 20 years of non-stop touring and putting out records both on indie and major labels. Justin and Shane discuss "retirement", his previous drug and alcohol problems, the struggles of singing and songwriting, the fake Silverstein/MCS beef on Warped Tour, and his upcoming solo record.
81 min
314
Alesana (Shawn and Dennis)
Episode 67 - Dennis and Shawn of Alesana take a little time out their day off on tour to call Shane from everyone’s favourite home away from home on tour - Starbucks. They talk everything from their enormous and unexpected success in Latin America, being a part time band, becoming almost completely DIY, and their elaborate song writing processes.
66 min
315
Scott Vogel (Terror, Buried Alive, Despair, Slu...
Episode 66 - Terror's Scott Vogel joins Shane after returning from Mexico where he was going through 2 weeks of surgery for his neck and back, after taking years of abuse as the frontman of various hardcore bands over the past 25 years. The conversation includes Scott's relationship with his family, the changing ethics in hardcore, "Vogelisms", and Shane's love of Scott's former band Buried Alive, who put out Shane's favorite hardcore record of all time. It's Shane's birthday today! If you want to buy him something on his Wish List, check out leadsingersyndrome.com/bday
79 min
316
Sherri DuPree-Bemis (Eisley, Perma)
Episode 65 - Eisley's Sherri Dupree-Bemis joins the show for a super honest and thorough chat about motherhood while still being a full time musician, getting signed to a major label at such a young age, taking over all the lead vocal duties on their new record, and her marriage to Say Anything frontman Max Bemis.
75 min
317
Jack Grisham (T.S.O.L., The Joy Killer)
Episode 64 - Today we have a real Punk Rock LEGEND on the show. Mr. Jack Grisham of T.S.O.L. joins Shane to talk about the band being back together and on the Warped Tour after their debut record came out 36 years ago. Jack, notorious for his on stage antics, says he "never thought he'd live this long", and talks about the early days of the LA Punk scene, his practice as a hypnotherapist in California, and the song "Code Blue" which features the classic horror punk lyrics, "I want to fuck the dead". An awesome listen.
54 min
318
Vic Fuentes (Pierce The Veil)
Episode 63 - Pierce The Veil frontman, and Shane's old buddy Vic Fuentes joins the show (finally) to discuss growing up with punk rock and the importance of still incorporating it into his music, staying grounded and still striking the drums, and why it takes Vic so long to write. He also talks about his very long warm up ritual before shows, and how his Mom prefers when he sings in a lower register.
68 min
319
Max Kerman (Arkells)
Episode 62 - Arkells frontman Max Kerman joins the show to discuss the massive success they've had in Canada (Three top 5 albums, two number 1 singles, and multiple Juno awards including Group of the Year twice), his unique upbringing and high school life in Downtown Toronto, and their very last minute band name change that they are now forever stuck with. Check out Lootcrate! It's a rad subscription service that brings you 4-6 pop culture items every month for only $20 a month. It's the best surprise you know is coming. Go to lootcrate.com/leadsinger and use promo code leadsinger to get $3 off today!
76 min
320
Davey Muise (Vanna)
Episode 61 - At 8 months old, Davey Muise (of Vanna) was left abandoned in a dresser drawer as his drug lord parents were busted by the federal police in a massive raid in Boston, MA. The police found him hours later. He was adopted, but his adopted parents had a divorce. Later in his life, he had a child with a women he loved, and after raising the child for 2 months, he found out it wasn't his. Davey fell into darkness of depression and addiction, only to pull himself out using music. Now, he's not only the frontman of Boston's finest Vanna, but also traveling around America speaking at high schools about his story, inspiring kids to find their passion.
82 min
321
Mark Rose (Spitalfield)
Episode 60 - Happy New Year! Between Christmas and New Years I went on my first ever solo tour, and I brought along my old friend Mark Rose, who used to front the incredible (and criminally underrated) Spitalfield. Mark has been playing solo for years, so I thought he could show me the ropes. We talk about the transition from band to solo artist, the demise of Spitalfield, Victory Records, and his "custom song" company Down Write.
75 min
322
Sierra Kay (Neaux, Versa Emerge)
Episode 59 - Sierra Kay of Versa Emerge and Neaux joins the show!
72 min
323
Matty Arsenault (A Loss For Words, manager of P...
Episode 58 - A Loss For Words frontman Matty Arsenault joins the show and describes their long career where they made plenty of friends, but never quite turned into a huge band in the pop-punk world. Matty discusses how playing with tough Boston hardcore bands felt natural, his dream to open a pizza shop in Japan, and how he picked up his newest gig, being the manager of Pvris.
60 min
324
HUGE NEWS! ALL ACCESS CLUB NOW LAUNCHED
It's finally here! The Lead Singer Syndrome ALL …
6 min
325
Rody Walker (Protest The Hero)
Episode 57 - This week we have a unedited (well mostly) episode featuring Rody Walker of Protest The Hero. The self-deprecating and hilarious frontman (“Most of the time it sounds really bad to me to be quite honest”) talks to Shane about finding his unique voice, struggling on tour, their unorthodox business model, catering to non-English speaking audiences, and how many bands these days in the metal world are using backing tracks. We also discuss Margot Robbie and having to go #2 outside.
81 min