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Ep. 272: Avery w/ Nina Saporta and Janet LaBelle

Release Date: 12/05/2025

This Was The Scene Podcast

The Mimsies were an underground band associated with the late 1990s and early 2000s DIY music scene. Their sound combined straightforward melodic elements with a raw, unpolished style typical of independent releases from that era. While they did not achieve widespread commercial success, they developed a small following through word of mouth and local performances. The band is often noted for reflecting the aesthetic and approach of the broader underground punk and indie communities. Having Aspergers The Flaming Lips Moving the band to LA Blurring the lines with band members Labels wanting...

Ep. 280: The Bombpops w/ Jen Razavi

This Was The Scene Podcast

The The Bombpops are a San Diego punk band known for blending fast, melodic riffs with emotionally honest lyrics. Fronted by Jen Razavi and Poli van Dam, their dual vocals give their songs a raw, conversational energy. They gained recognition through releases on Fat Wreck Chords, the iconic label founded by Fat Mike of NOFX. Their music often explores themes like relationships, anxiety, and personal growth while keeping a high-energy punk sound. With catchy hooks and heartfelt storytelling, they’ve carved out a strong place in modern punk. I got Jen on the Zoom and this is what we chat...

Ep. 279: Matt Allison

This Was The Scene Podcast

Matt Allison is a Chicago-based music producer known for capturing the raw, unpolished energy of punk, emo, and indie bands without sanding off their personality. Working out of his Atlas Studios, he’s helped shape records for bands like Alkaline Trio, The Lawrence Arms, and The Menzingers, giving them that punchy, lived-in sound that feels like a basement show bottled up. His production style leans toward honesty over perfection, letting grit and character sit front and center instead of hiding behind glossy overproduction. In a world of hyper-edited music, Allison’s work feels like a...

Ep. 278: Student Rick w/ Adam Reiter

This Was The Scene Podcast

Student Rick was an emo band from South Bend, Indiana. They gained recognition for their song “Falling for You,” featured on Soundtrack for a Generation and included in the video games Aggressive Inline and Amped 2. The song was often misattributed online to bands like Taking Back Sunday and Simple Plan during the file-sharing era. Formed in the late ’90s, the band solidified their lineup in 2000 and signed to Victory Records in 2001, releasing their debut album later that year. They toured extensively, including the 2002 Vans Warped Tour, but faced lineup changes and injuries along the...

Ep. 277: Tsunami Bomb w/ Dominic Davi

This Was The Scene Podcast

Formed in late 90s Northern California, Tsunami Bomb stood out immediately, blending sharp lyrics, melodic hooks, keyboards as a true lead instrument, and dual female vocals into a sound that mixed punk urgency with pop instincts and a darker edge. Early releases like The Invasion from Within! and constant touring built a global following, while 2002’s The Ultimate Escape on Kung Fu Records pushed them further, later landing on Rolling Stone’s Top 50 pop punk albums of all time. After lineup shifts and a long hiatus, they returned in 2015 with founding members Dominic Davi, Oobliette...

Ep. 276: Junction 18 w/ Chris Kelley

This Was The Scene Podcast

Junction 18 toured relentlessly across the U.S. and Canada alongside bands like New Found Glory, Midtown, Hot Rod Circuit, and Simple Plan, carving out a loyal following in the early 2000s scene. After appearing on the Vans Warped Tour, they signed with Fearless Records and released their debut album This Vicious Cycle in 2000, followed by additional releases including Heroes from the Future and a split with Over It. Although plans for a new album in 2005 were ultimately scrapped, their influence lingered, leading to reunions including a brief set in 2015. In 2025, the band resurfaced with...

Ep. 275: Circa Survive w/ Colin Frangicetto

This Was The Scene Podcast

Circa Survive was an American rock band formed in Philadelphia in 2004 by vocalist Anthony Green and guitarist Colin Frangicetto, later joined by Brendan Ekstrom, Nick Beard, and Steve Clifford. Green was previously the frontman of Saosin, bringing a distinct voice that became central to Circa Survive’s identity. The band released their debut Juturna in 2005 on Equal Vision Records, followed by On Letting Go. Their third album, Blue Sky Noise, arrived in 2010 via Atlantic Records, marking their most mainstream release. In 2012, the band went independent with Violent Waves, before releasing...

Ep. 274: Over It w/ Peter Munters

This Was The Scene Podcast

Over It were a pop-punk outfit that emerged in 1998 from Alexandria, Virginia and later planted roots in Orange County, California. With high-energy hooks and relentless touring through the early 2000s, they carved out a place for themselves on the independent scene with albums like The Ready Series, Timing Is Everything, Silverstrand, and their major-label release Step Outside Yourself. Along the way they hit the Vans Warped Tour and toured with some of the era’s biggest punk and rock acts, making a lasting mark on a generation of pop-punk fans. Some of those bands included Motion City...

Ep. 273: Grade w/ Greg Taylor

This Was The Scene Podcast

Grade were a key part of Victory Records’ late-90s surge, blending hardcore intensity with emotional depth and forward-leaning songwriting. Their music felt restless and urgent, pushing beyond genre lines without losing the raw energy that defined the scene. Releases like Under the Radar and Headfirst Straight to Hell helped bridge hardcore, post-hardcore, and early emo influences at a pivotal moment. Though their time was brief, Grade left a lasting imprint on the Victory era by proving heaviness and vulnerability could coexist. I got Greg on the Zoom and this is what we chat about Almost...

Ep. 272: Avery w/ Nina Saporta and Janet LaBelle

This Was The Scene Podcast

More Episodes

Avery is a pop-punk band that started in the NJ music scene in 1999. What started as just Nina on bass and Janet singing while playing drums, evolved over the years, with Jess coming on as guitarist, Janet moving up to vocals and keys, and Mike joining on drums. Over the next 10+ years, Avery played hundreds of shows including multiple festivals, toured nationally, and released two records. Avery songs were also featured on multiple television shows on Nickelodeon, Disney, and MTV. The band also wrote the theme song for a commercial for Rebelle Friendship Bags. After a 10 year hiatus, Avery reunited in the summer of 2019 for a series of reunion shows with fellow bands from the NJ pop punk music scene. Though the members are split between the east and west coast, Avery will continue playing occasional shows throughout the year (it was way too fun not to do it again).

I got Janet and Nina on the Zoom and this is what we chat about:

Growing up together
Pillow changing their minds about starting a band
How they felt at shows
The origins of the name Avery
Recording at Portrait Studios
Their connection to Black Flag and the Misfits
Breaking Marky Ramone’s drumset
Nina’s sparkle bass
Getting songs played on Nickelodeon and Disney
How did the band end
Playing the 2019 show after one practice the night before
And a ton more

Click here to hire my Sister who's a Realtor in Plymouth, MA
Click here for Piebald's upcoming shows

Click here to Check out Janet’s DJ night Sun, Dec 14 at 2:30 PM at Wonderville on 1186 Broadway, Brooklyn, New York.

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