March Forth with Mike Bauman

On episode 182 of March Forth with Mike Bauman, Mike chats with Ali Slater!
Based in LA via NYC, Ali is a singer-songwriter in the pop-punk/emo vein who has been into music since she was a child. Following the deaths of a coworker and her high school music teacher Joe Carbone during the pandemic, Ali kickstarted her music dreams in a big way.
On 4/8/22, Ali released her debut EP entitled LUS!D. Fueled by catchy, well-written anthems like "Over It" (featuring Jacky Vincent) and the title track, the five-track EP showed off Ali's melodic and songwriting abilities, putting her on the radar of pop-punk and emo fans.
Since her debut, Ali has continued to release new singles and covers to bring listeners into what she calls the Ali-Verse. With three different characters/alter egos - Princess Ali, Miseria (Missy), and Hallie - Ali takes listeners on a personal trip in the Ali-Verse with her music and mental health journey on her latest releases. The latest of those is a cover of "Love the Way You Lie, Pt. 2" from Rhianna and Eminem, which just dropped on June 6th.
In this conversation, Ali speaks with Mike about her latest batch of songs and accompanying music videos with the Ali-Verse, her mental health journey with Bipolar II disorder, exploring those aspects of herself through her music, people who have encouraged and helped her along the way, inspiration from Lady Gaga, growing her audience via livestreams on Twitch and TikTok, and more.
This episode also features the song "Round The Ring" from Ali Slater, available where you get your music!
Follow Ali on Instagram @alislaterofficial. To stay up-to-date with Ali, visit https://linktr.ee/alislater.
Follow Mike on Instagram @marchforthpod. To stay up-to-date on the podcast and learn more about Mike, visit https://linktr.ee/marchforthpod.
If you or someone you know needs mental health support, please visit https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists.
Thanks for listening! If ya dug the show, like it, share it, tell a friend, subscribe, and above all, keep the faith and be kind to one another.

On episode 181 of March Forth with Mike Bauman, Mike chats with Resider!
Resider is a 4-piece Southern California nu-metalcore band who just dropped their new EP entitled SHADE on July 25th.
Fusing elements of nu-metal and metalcore from both past and present, Resider's aggressive and emotive sound is one that's already capturing the attention of heavy music fans. Since releasing their first single "SPORE BREATH" back in 2022, Resider has continued to hone their craft, building an audience through energetic live shows and powerful songs. That hard work has led to a big 2025 so far for the band.
In February, Resider announced their signing with Overshadow, releasing multiple singles leading up to the release of SHADE. One of those singles is "Gasfight," which is nearing 100,000 streams on Spotify alone as of this episode's release. On August 2nd, Resider will perform at Brick by Brick in San Diego, California for their EP release show with The Undertaking!, Hyper Vigilant, and Fire & Flesh.
On this episode, AJ Loera (guitar) and Will Wehrung (vocals) talk with Mike about how they got into heavy music, including influences and inspiration ranging from the likes of Linkin Park, to All That Remains, Parkway Drive, and Void of Vision, developing their sound with Resider, linking up with Joe Tichy and Overshadow, making a cohesive creative output with SHADE, music as a way to express darker emotions, and more.
This episode also features the song "Ishimura" from Resider off their new EP SHADE, available where you get your music!
Follow Resider on Instagram @residerofficial. To stay up-to-date with Resider and go see them live, visit https://linktr.ee/resideordie.
Follow Mike on Instagram @marchforthpod. To stay up-to-date on the podcast and learn more about Mike, visit https://linktr.ee/marchforthpod.
If you or someone you know needs mental health resources, please visit the following links: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us; https://988lifeline.org/
Thanks for listening! If ya dug the show, like it, share it, tell a friend, subscribe, and above all, keep the faith and be kind to one another.

On episode 180 of March Forth with Mike Bauman, Mike chats with Free Friends!
Comprised of Ben DeHan (vocals/guitar), Lauren "Lo" DeHan (vocals/cello), and Gil Perez (drums), Free Friends is a pop punk/emo trio from Baltimore, Maryland that formed in 2023. Since their inception, Free Friends has captured the attention of pop punk and emo fans with their own unique blend of emotion, energy, Lo's cello, Gil's chops on the kit, and Ben's lyrics and riffs. 
From releasing new singles, making music videos, and playing live gigs, Free Friends has been on the grind since first forming back in May, 2023. Over the years, the band has collaborated with the likes of Makeout, Hit The Lights, glimmers, The Dangerous Summer, Pine Creek Academy, The Great Heights Band, and High Wire, among others.
In 2024, Free Friends dropped their debut EP entitled Sweet Nothing, which was produced by Matt Malpass (Blink-182, Magnolia Park), Eric Taft (The Great Heights Band), and Bryan Czap (The Dangerous Summer). Their latest single entitled "Toxic Trait" with Pine Creek Academy just dropped on May 28th. 
This August, Free Friends will release their debut, full-length album. Prior to that, they're going to hit the road July 25-27 for "The Poolside Maintenance Tour" with Pine Creek Academy, and August 14-23 for the "Now That's What I Call Pop Punk Tour, Vol. 1" with Mighty Vices and Break Out Day.
In this episode, Ben, Lauren, and Gil talk with Mike about forming Free Friends, persevering through the challenges of being a band in the modern-day music scene, making their upcoming LP, hitting the road this summer with their friends, not quitting on your dreams, and more.
This episode also features the song "Toxic Trait" from Free Friends and Pine Creek Academy, available where you get your music!
Follow Free Friends on Instagram @freefriendsrock. To stay up-to-date with Free Friends and go see them on tour this summer, visit https://freefriendsrock.com/.
Follow Mike on Instagram @marchforthpod. To stay up-to-date on the podcast and learn more about Mike, visit https://linktr.ee/marchforthpod.
If you or someone you know needs mental health resources, please visit the following links: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us; https://988lifeline.org/
Thanks for listening! If ya dug the show, like it, share it, tell a friend, subscribe, and above all, keep the faith and be kind to one another.

On this episode of March Forth with Mike Bauman, Mike chats with Jesse Weber of The Failsafe!
The Failsafe is a modern rock band that melds soaring riffs, powerful choruses, electronic elements, and pop-inspired vocals for a sound that's both catchy and filled with conviction. Since dropping their LP Erasing Color in 2019, The Failsafe has a musical catalog that's topped 1 million streams. Over the years, they've shard the stage with the likes of Nonpoint, Skillet, Drowning Pool, Saliva, Adelitas Way and Saving Abel, among others.
On June 27th, The Failsafe dropped their latest single, a cover of Panic At The Disco's "The Ballad of Mona Lisa." The cover will be featured on Ghost Killer Entertainment's Pop Goes Hardcore Volume 3 playlist, which releases July 4th.
The Failsafe has upcoming tour dates this July, including 7/18 at Rockfest in Cadott, Wisconsin, and a headlining performance 7/25 at Booney Bash Fest in Gould City, Michigan.
On this episode, Jesse returns to talk with Mike about The Failsafe's cover of "The Ballad of Mona Lisa," finding his rock voice after starting out in choir when he was younger, including being able to sing "Pardon Me" from Incubus, his new covers channel, the challenges of music marketing for bands today, upcoming tour dates with The Failsafe, and more.
This episode also features the aforementioned cover of "The Ballad of Mona Lisa" from The Failsafe, available where you get your music!
Follow The Failsafe on Instagram @wearethefailsafe. Follow Jesse @thefailsafejesse and @jesse_vox.wav. To stay up-to-date with The Failsafe and check out their upcoming tour dates, visit https://wearethefailsafe.com/.
Follow Mike on Instagram @marchforthpod. To stay up-to-date on the podcast and learn more about Mike, visit https://linktr.ee/marchforthpod.
If you or someone you know needs mental health resources, please visit the following links: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us; https://988lifeline.org/
Thanks for listening! If ya dug the show, like it, share it, tell a friend, subscribe, and above all, keep the faith and be kind to one another.

On episode 178 of March Forth with Mike Bauman, Mike chats with guitarist Wes Anderson!
Based in Baltimore, Maryland, Wes is a guitarist who has been playing music for over 25 years. Since 2018, Wes has focused on his solo work, collaborating with artists from the hip hop, rock, alternative, and numetal genres.
By 2024, Wes' musical collaborations had amassed over 500,000 streams. Among those collaborations are the likes of P-Nut (311), Howi and Donald Spangler (Ballyhoo!), Lyrics Born, Duke Sims, Kosha Dillz, Marlon Asher, King Green, DJ Lethal (Limp Bizkit), Jared Gomes (Hed PE), Trey Miller (Cherie Amour), Bevin Hamilton, The Kaleidoscope Kid, MC Bravado, Blake G, and Madalen Duke, among others.
On May 23rd, Wes dropped his compilation album entitled destination nowhere, which was accompanied by two new singles the day of the release: the title track with RDGLDGRN, and "chillin on the couch" with Blake G and Madalen Duke.
In this episode, Wes talks with Mike about the decision to put together his compilation record destination nowhere, music marketing strategy for his releases, his favorite albums from growing up (is Slipknot's Iowa the heaviest album of the 21st Century?), attending the Turnstile show at Wyman Park Dell in Baltimore, future music in the works, making decisions that would make the 8-year-old you proud, and more.
This episode also features the title track off destination nowhere from Wes Anderson and RDGLDGRN, available where you get your music!
Follow Wes on Instagram @songsbywes. To keep up-to-date on the latest with Wes, head over to https://wesandersonmusic.com/.
Follow Mike on Instagram @marchforthpod. To stay up-to-date on the podcast and learn more about Mike, visit https://linktr.ee/marchforthpod.
Thanks for listening! If ya dug the show, like it, share it, tell a friend, subscribe, and above all, keep the faith and be kind to one another.

On episode 177 of March Forth with Mike Bauman, Mike chats with Firmament!
Hailing from Canton, Ohio, Firmament is a melodic, metalcore/progressive rock duo comprised of brothers Eric and Brandon Carbenia. Formed in 2014, Firmament released their debut LP entitled Spirit of Place in 2018. The album received critical acclaim and drew the band comparisons to the likes of Tool, Porcupine Tree, and The Contortionist.
Having persevered through lineup changes, financial struggles, personal hardships, and a hiatus marked by a relocation to Austin, Texas, Firmament moved back to Ohio in 2023. On May 2nd, they dropped their sophomore album entitled A New World If You Can Take It, which was self-produced by the Carbenia brothers, and mastered by Kris Crummett and Jens Bogren. The 17-song effort takes listeners on a musical journey that explores themes of personal loss, mysticism, and philosophy, all while fusing Firmament's own blend of alternative rock, modern metalcore, and progressive post-hardcore. 
In this episode, Eric and Brandon talk with Mike about how they got into music, including music theory and music production, their relocation to Austin, learning about different people and lifestyles, life in Ohio and the rust belt, the stories and themes which helped inspire A New World If You Can Take It, a visit to New Vrindaban in West Virginia, how they incorporate those stories and elements in their music, and more.
This episode also features the song "Liquid Lush" off A New World If You Can Take It from Firmament, available where you get your music!
Follow Firmament on Instagram @firmamentband. To stay up-to-date with Firmament, visit https://ffm.to/firmamentband.
Follow Mike on Instagram @marchforthpod. To stay up-to-date on the podcast and learn more about Mike, visit https://linktr.ee/marchforthpod.
If you or someone you know needs mental health resources, please visit the following links: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us; https://988lifeline.org/
Thanks for listening! If ya dug the show, like it, share it, tell a friend, subscribe, and above all, keep the faith and be kind to one another.

On episode 176 of March Forth with Mike Bauman, Mike chats with Tai of Bury the Masses!
With influences like Dropout Kings, Limp Bizkit, and System Of A Down, Bury the Masses has a blend of trap metal, nu-metal, and rap that's already capturing the attention of music fans in a short period of time. Fronted by rapper Berran Lee, Bury the Masses dropped their debut single "Hitta Lick" on April 18th. Recorded with Everest Studios, the accompanying music video for "Hitta Lick" has already amassed nearly 80,000 views on YouTube.
With masked identities outside of Lee, Tai of Bury the Masses joins Mike in this episode to discuss the band's genesis, working with Everest Studios, annoying alpacas, how they teamed up with Lee, future collaborations, including a track with Black Cat Bill of Dropout Kings, and more. 
This episode also features "Hitta Lick" from Bury the Masses and Berran Lee, available where you get your music! 
Follow Tai on TikTok @tai.burythemasses. To stay up-to-date with Bury the Masses, visit https://linktr.ee/burythemasses. To watch the music video for "Hitta Lick," visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9tYKCBy6Zw.
Follow Mike on Instagram @marchforthpod. To stay up-to-date on the podcast and learn more about Mike, visit https://linktr.ee/marchforthpod.
Thanks for listening! If ya dug the show, like it, share it, tell a friend, subscribe, and above all, keep the faith and be kind to one another.

On episode 175 of March Forth with Mike Bauman, Mike chats with Julia Who!
Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Julia Who is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. In a vibrant, local Nashville music scene, Julia plays bass live for the Music City-based Sleep Nation, in addition to making her own music.
On May 7th, Julia released her solo EP entitled Shadow Self-Portrait. The 5-song EP is a very personal, introspective listen that deals in part with Julia's self-reflection on her past relationships, addiction, and growth.
In this episode, Julia and Mike discuss how Julia got into music at a young age back home in Kentucky, eventually learning the bass, the pain she dealt with after a breakup from a long-term relationship, personal regrets on her healing journey, addiction, sobriety, moving to the Music City, the local Nashville music scene, the making of Shadow Self-Portrait, feeling unlovable, relationships, and more.
This episode also features the song "Evidence" off Shadow Self-Portrait from Julia Who, available where you get your music!
Follow Julia Who on Instagram @juliawhotunes. To listen to Shadow Self-Portrait, visit https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/juliawho/shadow-self-portrait/.
Follow Mike on Instagram @marchforthpod. To stay up-to-date on the podcast and learn more about Mike, visit https://linktr.ee/marchforthpod.
This episode is dedicated to Adam Ramey of Dropout Kings. If you or someone you know needs mental health resources, please visit the following links: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us; https://988lifeline.org/
Thanks for listening! If ya dug the show, like it, share it, tell a friend, subscribe, and above all, keep the faith and be kind to one another.

On this episode of March Forth with Mike Bauman, Mike chats with Steven Aripez!
Aripez is an independent filmmaker from Temecula, California whose love for movies dates back to his childhood. He started taking film seriously at the age of 16, initially as a writer.
Aripez wrote, produced, directed and edited his first feature film entitled The Director's Cut. Inspired in part by the style of movies like Clerks from Kevin Smith, The Director's Cut (2022) is a hangout murder mystery set in a video store. Additionally, Aripez has writer credits for The Morning Star, as well as writer and producer credits on Switchblade Holiday, and Rob, The Robber. He's also one of the brains behind The Temecula Valley Film Festival.
An avid fan of horror and comedy, the next adventure for Aripez is his raunchy comedy film entitled Romancing with Herp. A nod to gutter cinema in the vein of films like Knocked Up, Superbad, and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Aripez launched a Kickstarter for Romancing with Herp that's active through 6/5/25 to help bring independent, raunchy romcoms back to the mainstream.
In this episode, Aripez talks with Mike about the genesis of Romancing with Herp, including the film's plot, getting Tober Williams, Nikki Howard, Nick Hibbitts, and Steve Bridges signed on to the movie, the Kickstarter perks for backers, his love for gutter cinema and raunchy comedies, his goal of getting a theatrical release for the movie, shooting the film locally in Temecula, and more.
Follow Aripez on Instagram @aripezfilms. Follow Romancing with Herp on Instagram @romancingwithherp.
To donate and help support the successful launch of Romancing with Herp, visit the Kickstarter link at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aripezfilms/romancing-with-herp. Every dollar counts!
Follow Mike on Instagram @marchforthpod. To stay up-to-date on the podcast and learn more about Mike, visit https://linktr.ee/marchforthpod.
Thanks for listening! If ya dug the show, like it, share it, tell a friend, subscribe, and above all, keep the faith and be kind to one another.

On episode 173 of March Forth with Mike Bauman, Mike chats with Jay Williz of BLVKOUT!
Hailing from Santa Rosa, California, BLVKOUT is a genre-defying band that draws influence from the likes of Memphis May Fire, Bring Me The Horizon, Bad Omens, and Spiritbox, while also mixing in pop influences. In a short period of time, BLVKOUT has already made noise in the punk and metal communities.
After racking up over 50,000 streams in their debut year, BLVKOUT was named "Best Punk Band of 2024" and "Best Metal Band of 2024" by The North Bay Bohemian. Additionally, frontman Jay Williz - who has an extensive catalog as a rapper - took home "Best Hip Hop Artist of 2024" after the release of his introspective rap album Exhume:Rebirth.
On April 18th, BLVKOUT released their explosive new single entitled "Save Yourself," which they worked on with audio engineer/producer/songwriter Nick Miller.
In this episode, Jay talks with Mike about how he got into music, his early influences as a rapper, his struggles that eventually led to his sobriety, his rap return after a five-year hiatus with Exhume:Rebirth, how MGK's Tickets To My Downfall album opened the door for him to pop punk, getting into metalcore and heavier music, what's on the horizon for BLVKOUT, and more.
This episode also features the aforementioned "Save Yourself" from BLVKOUT, available where you get your music!
Follow BLVKOUT on Instagram @blvkoutband. Follow Jay on Instagram @jay.blvk.
Follow Mike on Instagram @marchforthpod. To stay up-to-date on the podcast and learn more about Mike, visit https://linktr.ee/marchforthpod.
If you or someone you know needs mental health resources, please visit the following links: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us; https://988lifeline.org/
Thanks for listening! If ya dug the show, like it, share it, tell a friend, subscribe, and above all, keep the faith and be kind to one another.