Ill Will Podcast

Evan Lawrence, singer of Johnny Baseball, joins Parking Lot Hands for an expansive conversation about Salt Lake City and Ogden hardcore, melodic punk, songwriting, scene history, and the future of one of Utah's most exciting hardcore-rooted pop-punk bands.Evan begins with his introduction to live music: seeing The Acacia Strain and Impending Doom, discovering local hardcore through One Clean Life at Mojo's, and watching a new generation of Ogden bands establish itself within the Salt Lake scene. He reflects on learning drums, playing in early metalcore bands, and starting Johnny Baseball with friends in the early 2010s. The side project played early shows with Citizen and Turnover before disappearing as its members left for college, careers, and adult life. Years later, Evan revived the name with a clearer sense of purpose.The conversation explores the difference between a pop-punk band and a pop-punk band that comes from hardcore. Evan discusses New Found Glory, Saves the Day, Lifetime, The Movielife, Title Fight, and Polar Bear Club, along with the ethics and community connecting those bands to hardcore even when their sound crosses genre lines. He explains how Johnny Baseball evolved from melancholic early material into the fast, melodic, riff-heavy band it is today—and learned to balance giant hooks with unmistakable hardcore DNA.Evan opens up about his creative process, from improvising melodies as a kid to filling his phone with voice memos whenever inspiration appears. He talks about writing honest, relatable lyrics and using Johnny Baseball as an outlet for frustration, bitterness, humor, and hope. That includes a closer look at “Good Dudes Back Hard,” confronting abuse and harmful behavior within music communities, and why authenticity matters more than adopting the aesthetics of a scene.The episode gets inside Johnny Baseball's recording process and the influence of drummer, musician, and Grotto Audio producer Nic Kartchner. Evan explains why intentionality is essential in the studio, whether a band arrives with a finished song or an idea still searching for its defining moments. He shares practical advice for young bands and reflects on the value of honest collaboration with a producer who can capture emotion and personality.Johnny Baseball's live shows are an experience of their own. Evan talks about the band's 2023 return, the humor and spontaneity behind its performances, and its very real budget for hundreds of inflatable baseball bats. He discusses playing mixed bills, creating a space where people can have fun without abandoning substance, and building momentum through consistent releases, touring, and long-term goals.From there, the conversation widens into a celebration of hardcore across generations. Evan makes the case for a youth crew renaissance, more fast punk, more circle pits, and renewed hope alongside hardcore's necessary anger. He recommends Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits, New Brigade, Time Heist, The Rival Mob, and Anklebiter, while explaining what the current Salt Lake scene gets right and why a thriving local community should never be taken for granted.There is plenty of deep-cut music talk, too: Snapcase's Progression Through Unlearning, Victory Records mail-order catalogs, early sets from Title Fight and Citizen, and favorite album artwork from Converge, Coalesce, Ink & Dagger, Judge, and Seven Angels Seven Plagues. Evan also looks ahead to Johnny Baseball's next chapter: bigger hooks, a bigger sound, faster songs, heavier hardcore elements, more touring, and a stronger version of everything that already makes the band distinct.Plus, the episode answers the truly important questions: Which Salt Lake bands could Evan front after a hypothetical Thanos snap? Could Johnny Baseball win a local-band baseball tournament? How competitive can Mario Kart become on tour? And if the rulebook does not explicitly prohibit bunting off a tee, is it really cheating?

Today we chop it up with Greg, frontman of Salt Lake's longest running hardcore band, Don't Trust Anybody, and one of Salt Lake's newest, Diva. We talk about his introduction to Salt Lake Hardcore in the late 90s, how DTA has had to "reintroduce" themselves to generations and generations of hardcore kids over the years, and why now might be the best era of Salt Lake Hardcore yet. Nic Kartchner and Jacob Cook drop in for the hang as well.

Today we chop it up with Charles Paletta aka Chuck Spade aka Nil0 aka frontman of the defunct Snake Eyez and brand new band, XForever WarX. Trevor Hale of Cherem/Tamerlane/etc/etc/etc and Jacob Cook of Absolved drop in for the hang too. We cover a lot of ground so sit back and soak in some serious salt lake city straight edge energy.

On tonight's show I interview one of my best friends on Earth, a collaborator and co-conspirator in so many of my life's greatest hijinx. Your favorite single successful guy. Trevor Hale. And as a bonus, I tap in the infamous Casey XBIGDOGGX Sartain for a final half hour of absolute comedic gold.

It took us months to make this one happen because Nick is a busy dude. Between slamming in Devoid, crooning in Mannequin Twin, and powerlifting, he's always in action. But we did it. So listen to it.

Jacob is a one-of-a-kind lyrcist, vocalist and human. We talk about how Talking Back Sunday started it all, the influence and legacy of Parallax, his time with Despite Despair, and what's next for Absolved. If you listen to the end, you might just get a taste of the new Absolved jam, "The Helm," featuring Chuck Eyez.

Yes, we talk about Lars Ulrich. Also, how the Freddy vs. Jason soundtrack and Guitar Hero inspired Matt to pick up the drums, why Militant isn't a guilty pleasure, more about Lars, why modern production needs to be shittier and a whole lot more.

Episode 2 of the Ill Will podcast is up with Zach Williams of Recidivist. We talk the new wave of American Death Metal, finding Metallica on his dad's iPod at an elementary school electronics day, "scary straightedge guy" Tracy Stables taking Zach to his first show, meeting Matt Lloyd at a Five Guys years before recording with him, and what's next for Recidivist.

Talking Salt Lake Hardcore, growing up in Utah, and why you should miss the haters and simply do what you love. Photo: Andrew Albrecht