"Somebody had to f***ing do it" - The Paradox on being representation pioneers in the emo/pop-punk scene

At Riot Fest 2025, we sat down with The Paradox, the rising pop-punk band that's redefining what representation looks like in alternative music. From their formation in July 2024 to landing a major tour with All Time Low, Mayday Parade, Four Year Strong, and The Cab, their journey has been nothing short of meteoric. The band gets real about being Black artists in a predominantly white genre, discussing how they're creating the representation they needed in high school. We explore their debut album NSFW, their influences ranging from Taking Back Sunday to Neck Deep, and why being "crybabies" who tell each other "I love you" is actually their greatest strength. This conversation bridges the classic emo era with today's scene, showing how The Paradox is both honoring the past and pushing the genre forward.

Key Topics & Timestamps:

• [00:00] Introduction and the most emo songs they're listening to
• [01:06] What makes The Paradox so emo - embracing emotions as men
• [01:53] Discussion of their new album NSFW
• [02:38] Their first show at Concord and covering Taking Back Sunday
• [02:55] The band's meteoric rise since forming in 2024
• [03:15] Upcoming tour with All Time Low, Mayday Parade, and more
• [03:56] Small bands to watch: Custodians, Zealand, Super Sometimes, Barry Hendricks, Kawaii AF
• [04:40] Being Black artists in pop-punk and creating necessary representation
• [05:51] Where to find The Paradox and tour information

Episode Highlights:

• "We're very emotional men... One thing I love about us is we're very in touch with our emotions. We tell each other we love each other, give each other hugs... little kiss goodnight."
• "With that, I think being able to have representation or give representation for people is awesome. Like one of my favorite comments is when people are like, 'Yo, I needed you guys in high school.'"
• "There's not many of us, you know, and all we want to do is just create more of that."

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It was never just a phase. We connect the Myspace era to today's waves.

At Riot Fest 2025, we caught up with Honey Revenge vocalist Devin Papadol for an electrifying conversation about the band's unique position in the modern emo landscape. From their pop-rock fusion that's transcending genre boundaries to becoming Kevin Lyman's favorite new band for Warped Tour 2025, Devin breaks down how Honey Revenge is creating music that makes you want to "cry but also shake ass." We explore the band's influences spanning from early 2000s pop icons like Kesha and Britney to metalcore roots, discuss their support for emerging artists like Love Rarely and Sweet Pill, and get exclusive details about their upcoming tour with Spiritbox. This conversation perfectly captures how the new wave of emo bands are destroying genre boundaries while staying true to the emotional core that defines the scene.

Key Topics & Timestamps:

• [00:00] Introduction and catching up at Riot Fest 2025
• [00:22] Current emo listening habits: Love Rarely and Sweet Pill
• [01:13] What makes Honey Revenge's sound so emo
• [01:37] The untherapized brain vomit that became their debut
• [02:59] How their live show converts skeptics into believers
• [04:03] The death of genre boundaries in modern music
• [04:40] Kevin Lyman's obsession with Honey Revenge
• [05:48] Warped Tour 2025 and feeling like the teacher's pet
• [06:10] Upcoming Spiritbox tour announcement
• [06:20] Building community through Discord and Patreon

Episode Highlights:

• "We make music that is a remnant of many things... reminiscent of the pop music we grew up on and the metalcore we grew up on."
• "Everyone stuck up their f***ing nose to genre. And now we're back... genres aren't real. And that's been my whole thing from the beginning."
• "Warped Tour changed the trajectory of my life... and Kevin Lyman just f***s with us."

JOIN THE CLUB!

Youtube: https://emosocial.club/youtube

Instagram: https://emosocial.club/instagram

TikTok: https://emosocial.club/tiktok

Twitch: https://emosocialclub.tv

Discord: https://emosocial.club/discord

Facebook: https://emosocial.club/facebook

Twitter: https://emosocial.club/twitter

Support the Show:

• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts/Spotify
• Share this episode with a friend who needs to hear it
• Support us and watch exclusive episodes: https://emosocialclub.tv

It was never just a phase. We connect the Myspace era to today's waves.

Footballhead finally plays Riot Fest after attending since 2014 - and the truth about butt rock comes out.

Join Emo Social Club as Footballhead reveals why Breaking Benjamin equals The Beatles and shares wild Three Days Grace bar fight stories from their decade-long journey to Riot Fest's stage.

We're hanging with Marianas Trench backstage at Riot Fest 2025! The band gets into what makes their candid lyrics so emo, the tough choices that go into building a festival setlist, and an unbelievable story about a Black Sabbath cover band that dresses like McDonald's characters.

Topics discussed:

• Why their candid, personal lyrics are the most "emo" thing about them.
• The challenge of building a 30-minute setlist for Riot Fest and why they mashed up older hits.
• Bands they were excited to see, including The Pogues and Blink-182.
• A hilarious deep-dive into Mac Sabbath, a Black Sabbath tribute band dressed as McDonald's characters.
• Debating which McDonaldland character each band member would be.

We're live from Riot Fest 2025 with Toronto's Loviet for one of the wildest conversations yet! We kick things off with a heated debate about the best and worst My Chemical Romance songs before diving into Canadian stereotypes and the story behind her rebellious new single, "Stiffy."

Topics Discussed:

• The best (and worst) My Chemical Romance songs
• What really makes an artist emo?
• Debunking American myths about Canada (and moose)
• Musical influences from Pale Waves to The Beatles
• The rebellious energy behind her new single, "Stiffy"

This week we're live from Riot Fest 2025, hanging with the one and only Gabe Saporta of Cobra Starship and Midtown! Gabe shares an absolutely unbelievable story about how his dad got a surprise phone call from late-night legend Jay Leno and dives into a fan theory about whether Cobra Starship was actually more of a punk band than an emo one.

Topics Discussed:

The hilarious and heartwarming story of his father's prank call with Jay Leno.

A fan's TikTok theory on why Cobra Starship was more punk rock than Midtown.

How his Latin heritage and his dad's love for rhythm shaped Cobra Starship's sound.

Finding a butterfly knife in his backyard as a kid growing up in Queens.

The essential emo and punk bands that influenced him, including The Promise Ring and Jawbreaker.

Live from the backstage madness of Riot Fest 2025, Travie McCoy of Gym Class Heroes joins the Emo Social Club for a deep dive into one of music's most iconic communities! Travie shares incredible stories about the brotherhood within the Fueled By Ramen and Decaydance Records family, revealing how bands like Fall Out Boy acted as mentors on the road and helped shape his career. He also gets real about why Gym Class Heroes never considered themselves "emo," and how staying true to their unique sound was the most punk rock thing they could do.

Topics Discussed:

Catching up with Travie backstage at Riot Fest 2025.

The truth about the tight-knit and "incestuous" Fueled by Ramen/Decaydance community.

How Fall Out Boy acted as "big brothers" and mentors to a young Travie McCoy on tour.

Why Gym Class Heroes proudly stood apart from the "emo" scene by always being themselves.

Reflecting on the Myspace era and the legacy of songs like "New Friend Request."

Celebrating the upcoming 20th anniversary of the classic album The Papercut Chronicles.

This week, we're joined by Meredith Haines from the Chicago noise-rock duo Latter for a new episode of "Make Me a Fan." Meredith explains why the experimental post-hardcore band Pile is "your favorite band's favorite band" and how their music completely reshaped her approach to songwriting. Can she convert our host into a true believer?

Topics Discussed:

• How Pile's unconventional music inspired a generation of DIY artists.
• A deep dive into five essential Pile tracks, including "Baby Boy" from their breakthrough album Dripping and "Fingers" from A Hairshirt of Purpose.
• Meredith's journey from listening to "Hot Topic emo" to embracing experimental and noise rock.
• The host's first-time reaction to Pile's theatrical lyrics and "relentless wave of riffs."
• An unexpected debate on the lyrical genius (or lack thereof) of My Chemical Romance.
• News and updates on Meredith's band Latter and their upcoming music and tours.