Some people call it "pop-punk". Some call it "punk-pop". But the kids in the early 2000s, they called it "awesome". Guitarist and vocalist Shawn Harris fronted iconic band The Matches through three classic albums, playing to throngs of adoring fans across three continents. But as his musical career began winding down, he found himself expressing his creative energies through visual arts and graphic design. Settle back and listen in as Nick explores Shawn's inspirational creative journey, from high school musician to webcasting pioneer to award-winning picture book and graphic novel illustrator.

HIGHLIGHTS:

[02:15] Shawn reflects on what has kept Matches fans coming back for more over the last twenty years

[04:22] The surprising origin of the title of The Matches' first album, "E. Von Dahl Killed The Locals"

[05:59] The Warped Tour embraced more genres than just emo or pop-punk

[07:00] Green Day, Rancid, and Link 80 were big influences on young Shawn's music tastes

[07:41] The Matches couldn't get booked anywhere, until they found an early webcasting studio

[10:45] Shawn evaluates the pros and cons of working with a major indie label

[11:59] Shawn recalls how The Matches got to tour all over the world

[15:02] Shawn originally wanted to be a tailor

[15:47] A new documentary about The Matches, "Bleeding Audio", is playing indie film festivals

[17:59] Shawn explains how he moved from making music to visual and graphic arts

[19:15] A friend's wife hired Shawn to do the collage art for a childrens' book, "Her Right Foot"

[21:33] Shawn finds the book industry more favorable to writers and artists than the music industry

[22:50] Shawn and his friend created an animated web show for kids during the lockdown

[24:46] Shawn shares his recent musical discoveries

Thanks for listening! Tune in next week and don’t forget to take a minute to review the podcast. In this incredibly competitive podcasting world, every piece of feedback helps.

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Find out more about today’s guest, Shawn Harris

Find out more about your host, Nick Terzo

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

@GreenDay

@Rancid

@colinmeloy

@TheDecemberists

@plainwhitets

@zebrahead

@Yellowcard

@epitaphrecords

@VansWarpedTour

@Daveeggers4