The Hang! As Seen On Almost Famous Magazine!

Austin punk band CorMae started with a social media ad and a dream. Now vocalist Amber Appleton and drummer Aaron Gilligan are talking about their album "Everything Is SO GREAT!", signing with DC-Jam Records, and what it actually costs to chase a career in punk rock. Amber didn't start out playing punk. She grew up singing, spent years performing folk, country, and indie music, and eventually left a career as a paralegal to put everything she had into CorMae. Aaron came to Austin from New Zealand in 2021 to pursue music. They met through the local music scene, fell in love, and eventually started building a band together. On this episode of The Hang!, we get into how CorMae developed its sound, mixing late-'90s riot grrrl, early-2000s indie rock, garage punk, and the wonderfully strange world of egg punk. Their seven-song album "Everything Is SO GREAT!" takes the everyday frustrations of trying to survive and turns them into loud, funny, sometimes painfully relatable songs. Amber explains how "Credit Card? You Got It!" came out of losing jobs, struggling to pay bills, and repeatedly reaching for her credit card to stay afloat. She also talks about "ADHD," the mental overload of juggling music and everyday responsibilities, and "Tired," a song about exhaustion, uncertainty, and trying to keep a dream alive. We also talk about CorMae's signing with DC-Jam Records, their experiences touring with of Montreal, and their first independent western U.S. tour, the Sunny Side Tour, running October 21 through November 12, 2026. One of my favorite parts of this conversation is hearing Amber explain why she wants to be right in the middle of the audience. She doesn't want people standing around watching a performance. She wants them participating, shouting, dancing, and feeling like they're part of something. That leads us into a bigger conversation about the punk community, women in music, riot grrrl, and why independent musicians need people to show up and support them. We also get into Karen O and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bikini Kill, Aaron's love of post-punk, and Amber's Riot Them Collective, which supports femme-fronted and queer-fronted rock bands. If you've ever wondered how independent punk bands survive financially, what goes into booking a DIY tour, or why punk music still brings people together, there's plenty here to talk about. SUPPORT CORMAE 🎵 Music, vinyl, CDs, cassettes and merch: https://cormae.bandcamp.com/ 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4D5AqxIGoCoCHMB0IfAkWx 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cormae_band/ 🏷️ DC-Jam Records: https://app.dcjamrecords.com/ 📩 Band inquiries: [email protected] Check out CorMae's music, catch them on tour, and tell us which song you connected with. Riot theme playlist    Subscribe to The Hang! from Almost Famous Magazine for more conversations with the musicians making the music worth showing up for. #CorMae #RiotGrrrl #EggPunk #AustinPunk #DCJamRecords #PunkRock #IndependentMusic #TheHangPodcast Chapters:  00:00 Meet CorMae: Austin's Riot Grrrl Egg Punk Band 02:10 Amber Appleton's Musical Beginnings 05:20 Aaron Gilligan, New Zealand and Moving to Austin 07:18 How CorMae Formed Through Social Media 10:05 Band Auditions and Signing With DC-Jam Records 12:50 Everything Is SO GREAT! — Credit Card, ADHD and Tired 19:18 Why Punk Rock Community Matters 25:33 CorMae's Wild Live Shows and Audience Participation 29:36 The Sunny Side Tour, Vinyl and Supporting Indie Music 34:16 Karen O, Musical Influences and the Riot Them Collective The Hang! Podcast – Presented by Almost Famous Magazine https://www.almostfamousmagazine.com

Cocktail Slippers guitarist Stine “Rocket Queen” Bendiksen and bassist Astrid “Sugar Cane” Waller join The Hang! to talk about 25 years of the Oslo rock band and their new album, Joyride. Rocket and Sugar go back to the beginning, when a previous garage rock band called The Barbarellas lost its singer and drummer. Instead of calling it quits, the remaining members started writing their own songs, changed the name and eventually became Cocktail Slippers. One thing hasn't changed much since then: there really aren't many rules. The band's sound pulls from very different places. Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, punk, progressive rock, jazz, ’80s and ’90s hard rock and Scandinavian rock all come up in the conversation. Those differences also shape how Cocktail Slippers write. Rocket says songwriting means rehearsing, jamming and rewriting until the song works. Their other rule is pretty simple: if somebody in the band really hates something, they don't use it. That brings us to Joyride. Rocket and Sugar talk about the title track, “Don't Know Why,” “This Town” and why some songs can take years to finally reach their finished form. “This Town” started with a bass idea from Sugar and became a song about Oslo that they believe could really be about anyone's hometown. Rocket has also described the track as intentionally more pop-leaning than much of Joyride. There's also a great story about Stevie Van Zandt. Rocket and Sugar remember getting a call from his office in 2004 after he had been playing their music on his radio show. That relationship eventually led to Wicked Cool Records and roughly two decades of working together. They respect Stevie's musical instincts, but they don't automatically agree with him. Sometimes they push back. Sometimes they stop talking for an hour. Then they get back to work. The conversation also gets into women in rock, mansplaining and the meaning behind “She Devil,” plus Joan Jett's influence on Rocket and some advice Joan gave her about taking time for fans. Rocket and Sugar also talk touring, the Underground Garage Cruise, the pressure musicians now feel to constantly create social media content, why selling merch at shows still matters, and the simple combination that's kept Cocktail Slippers alive for 25 years: stubbornness and loving the music. Watch the full conversation, tell us your favorite Cocktail Slippers song below, and subscribe to The Hang! for more conversations with the people making the music. #CocktailSlippers #joyride #StevieVanZandt #LittleSteven #norwegian #womeninrock #RockAndRoll #musicinterview  Instagram Facebook YouTube  CHAPTERS 00:00 — Meet Rocket & Sugar of Cocktail Slippers 02:35 — How Cocktail Slippers Started From The Barbarellas 04:05 — Led Zeppelin, Sabbath, Jazz & the Band's Influences 08:25 — How Cocktail Slippers Handle Creative Disagreements 10:27 — Making Joyride and Writing Without Rules 13:39 — “Don't Know Why,” “This Town” & Songs That Keep Evolving 19:06 — 25 Years Together and Being Women in Rock 22:53 — How Stevie Van Zandt Discovered Cocktail Slippers 26:13 — Touring America, the Underground Garage Cruise & Fans 32:56 — Social Media, Selling Music & Surviving the Music Business The Hang! Podcast – Presented by Almost Famous Magazine https://www.almostfamousmagazine.com

Alex Windsor plays guitar in Bad Cop/Bad Cop, but "Superego" is something different. It’s her first solo EP, six songs that let her step outside the band and finally find out what happens when the songs, lyrics and decisions are hers. Alex joins The Hang! to talk about making "Superego", the self-doubt that almost kept her from doing it, and the long road that took her from a small Illinois town to international punk stages. Her connection to music started young, but Green Day’s "American Idiot" changed the direction of her life. She remembers being 13, realizing she could actually play those songs and thinking, “If they can do this, I can do this.” She went on to study music and jazz, worked as a teacher and session player, moved to Los Angeles through Guitar Center and eventually joined a band she had already become a fan of: Bad Cop Bad Cop. We get into how that background followed her into Bad Cop/Bad Cop and the making of the band’s 2025 album "Lighten Up". Alex talks about bringing jazz harmony, music theory and a different guitar vocabulary into punk without losing what makes punk work. Bad Cop Bad Cop currently features Stacey Dee, Linh Le, Myra Gallarza and Windsor, with "Lighten Up" released through Fat Wreck Chords. Then we get into "Superego". “Fix Me (Tear Me Apart)” grew out of Alex’s experience with people trying to make her fit their idea of who she was supposed to be. “Goddess Complex” takes on imposter syndrome and the uncomfortable gap between how other people see you and how you see yourself: “I wish I could love myself the way you love me.” And “Light” closes the EP with a different idea of love—standing beside someone and fighting for their rights, happiness and existence. Alex also talks about Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy helping her see that even accomplished songwriters wrestle with fear, why taking care of yourself on tour matters more than living out some outdated rock-and-roll fantasy, and what it means to look into a Bad Cop Bad Cop audience and see young girls watching women own the stage. One of Alex’s favorite things to do after a solo is find a young girl near the front and hand her the guitar pick. For Alex, it means: your turn. We also talk Green Day and Billie Joe Armstrong, Prince, Paul McCartney, The Baboon Show, Honey Revenge, Winona Fighter, touring Europe and the moment at Punk Rock Holiday in Slovenia when Alex realized the kid with the big dream had actually gotten there. What part of Alex’s story connected with you most? Let us know below, and subscribe to The Hang! for more conversations with the people making the music. https://www.instagram.com/alexnicolewindsor/ www.youtube.com/@alexnicolewindsor https://www.facebook.com/alexnicolewindsor/ https://music.apple.com/us/album/superego-ep/6817935522 #AlexWindsor #BadCopBadCop #Superego #PunkRock #WomenInPunk #FemaleGuitarist #PunkInterview #TheHangPodcast CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome To The Hang! 00:25 Meet Alex Windsor of Bad Cop Bad Cop 02:04 How Green Day’s American Idiot Changed Her Life 11:13 Why a Punk Guitarist Studied Jazz 15:17 Moving to Los Angeles and Finding Bad Cop Bad Cop 24:38 Why Alex Windsor Finally Started Writing Solo Music 33:50 Inside Superego and “Fix Me (Tear Me Apart)” 40:53 “Goddess Complex,” Imposter Syndrome and Self-Love 43:20 Why “Light” Ends the EP With Hope 49:27 Women in Punk and Passing the Guitar Pick to Young Girls 1:06:22 The Moment Alex Windsor Realized She Made It   The Hang! Podcast – Presented by Almost Famous Magazine https://www.almostfamousmagazine.com

Lia Braswell spent years behind the drum kit for artists including A Place to Bury Strangers, Le Butcherettes, Sextile and She Wants Revenge. On The Hang!, she talks about why making her solo album Rising meant finally creating something that was completely hers. Her relationship with music started before she really understood what music was. As a five-year-old in Van Nuys, Lia remembers feeling the vibrations of her older brother playing music in the family garage. After he died from cancer, drums became part of how she processed the loss. By seven she was taking lessons, eventually moving through jazz, alternative rock and the Southern California DIY scene before touring internationally. That career took Lia to Coachella and stages around the world, but there was another side to it. She tells Scott that after years of putting her own ideas on the back burner to play for other artists, she began feeling isolated and inauthentic. The pandemic stopped the touring cycle. Getting sober pushed things further. Instead of immediately going back on the road, she sat down and finished the record she had kept putting off. That record became Rising, released by Waxwork Records. Lia gets into several songs during the conversation. “Romantic Comedy” came from the fantasies and emotional rush that can follow an unexpected connection. “Entitlement” grew out of the uncertainty of 2020, a band breakup and her tendency to turn blame back on herself. “Carve My Name” is tied directly to her late brother and an old family video she didn't see until decades after it was recorded. Then there’s “Gloomy Gazebo,” the song Lia calls her favorite on the album. Its roots go back to a lonely night on tour in Brighton when she found herself dancing alone by the water and confronted a surprisingly difficult idea: what would it actually mean to fall in love with herself? Lia also talks about femininity in music, being labeled a “female drummer,” jazz greats Elvin Jones and Max Roach, Ringo Starr, the musicians who shaped her playing, and why her dream studio collaboration would be Kate Bush. We also get into her new single “If Not for the Chaos,” her work with Derek Coburn, life after getting sober, and the challenge of supporting independent musicians in a world where creating the music is only part of the job. Watch the episode, tell us which part of Lia’s story connected with you, and subscribe to The Hang! for more conversations with artists about how the music actually gets made. #LiaBraswell #rising #womeninmusic #femaledrummer #dreampop #musicinterview #TheHangPodcast Instagram Bandcamp CHAPTERS 00:00 Lia Braswell: Drummer, Songwriter and Solo Artist 02:30 Feeling Music Before Understanding It 05:12 Losing Her Brother and Discovering the Drums 12:26 Ringo, Jazz, Bowie and Lia’s Musical Influences 17:30 Women, Femininity and Inequality in Music 26:30 Why Lia Braswell Finally Made Music for Herself 33:54 The Sound and Emotion Behind Rising 37:48 Romantic Comedy, Entitlement and Carve My Name 48:06 Gloomy Gazebo and Learning to Love Herself 58:43 Why Lia Braswell Wants to Work With Kate Bush The Hang! Podcast – Presented by Almost Famous Magazine https://www.almostfamousmagazine.com

In this episode of 'The Hang!', Tipa Tipo take us inside a musical and romantic partnership built across Peru, New York and beyond. Adele and Felipe explain how they learned to create together without letting perfectionism, disagreement or artistic insecurity derail the relationship. This interview explores the making of Arquetipas, arriving October 2, 2026 via Bit Rosie, and the deeply personal story behind “No Me Fui” — a song Felipe wrote about getting lost inside a relationship without wanting to leave. They also break down “My Country Se Come Vivo,” “Solo Mover Mi Cuerpo,” “Peter Pan” and “Boyfriend Island,” while exploring how Spanish, English, politics, movement, color and cultural identity shape their music. What You’ll Learn from Tipa Tipo: * How Tipa Tipo blends cumbia, salsa, disco and yacht rock * How Adele and Felipe navigate love and creative conflict * The real relationship story behind “No Me Fui” Why vulnerability and imperfection became part of their process Here’s what you’ll learn from two independent musicians building a sound that connects North and South American musical worlds while staying fiercely DIY. Subscribe to The Hang! from Almost Famous Magazine for more artist interviews, new music discoveries and conversations about the stories behind the songs. #TipaTipo #Arquetipas #TropicalYachtRock #LatinMusic #TheHang #yachtrock  Instagram YouTube Website TikTok CHAPTERS: 00:00 – Meet Tipa Tipo & Arquetipas 02:37 – Adele Fournet’s Musical Beginnings 08:01 – Felipe Wurst’s Journey From Peru to Music 14:25 – Making Music as a Couple 21:49 – Perfectionism, Vulnerability & Letting Go 25:06 – Why Tipa Tipo Writes in English and Spanish 28:27 – My Country Se Come Vivo & Political Songwriting 32:22 – Solo Mover Mi Cuerpo: Moving Through the Chaos 35:24 – Peter Pan, Boyfriend Island & Modern Archetypes 39:38 – Grifo, Arquetipas, Touring & Dream Collaborations The Hang! Podcast – Presented by Almost Famous Magazine https://www.almostfamousmagazine.com