It's that time of year again! The end of the year usually brings around "Best Of" lists, and it's no different for us here at the NED. This year we are joined by our friend Anthony DelPlato of Everything In Waves to recount our favorite releases of 2025: singles , EPs, and albums! (go listen to his music! and his conversation with us from earlier this year!)
We also share some records from 2024 that didn't end up on our lists from last year but made an impact on us this year. This records deserve some love too.
What were some of your favorite releases from 2025??!
Happy New Year!
See You Next Year! lolololz
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We're on instagram! @NostalgicEmoDads
Let's Go!!!! Our first full-band conversation is here, and it's with the one and only Plead The Widow's Cause.
This band has been one of Derek and Jake's favorite "newer" bands over the past couple of years, having gotten to see them a couple times at some tiny local hardcore shows in Richmond. We talk about how they have kind of taken the spirit-filled post-hardcore scene by storm, how they write songs, the crossover between emo and Christian music, their DIY approach, and, of course, Pokemon.
Their latest album "Silver Glass Stare" is incredible, so go listen to it, buy it from them through Bandcamp, and/or get the limited edition emerald vinyl over at Resuscitation Records!
Here are some of their links!
Socials: @pleadthewidowscause
We are also on instagram if you desire to get in touch! @NostalgicEmoDads
Growing up in the Richmond music scene, we adored Conditions. They were such a special band, with special dudes, who really shared their heart and love for the city.
So when I heard of the through-line that connected Conditions' guitarist Alex Howard to playing with country star Jelly Roll, I absolutely had to ask him to walk us through the story!
Alex talks his of his upbringing in a musical family, starting on bass in school band before Blink-182 made him want to learn guitar, playing in his first band Motion Picture Demise, the formation of Conditions, joining Sleeping With Sirens, touring the world, and encountering a yet-unknown Jelly Roll in Nashville (under somewhat suspicious circumstances) to now playing bass in his band. And more!
What a ride, and we're so happy for him and all he's gotten to experience! We can't wait to see Conditions in Richmond for their Fluorescent Youth anniversary show. Go listen to their latest single "Belong Forever" wherever you consume your music.
Follow Alex and Conditions on socials:
@alexmarkhoward
@conditionsband
We're also on instagram if you feel so inclined!
@NostalgicEmoDads
What a cool story this one is! Adam Brazie sang and played guitar in Ever We Fall, a darling indie/emo band on Hopeless Records. They only released one full-length (We Are But Human), but it's a must listen!
We talked to Adam about his finding the scene, learning guitar and out-of-tune pianos, getting signed to Rise Records while still in high school - that's right, Ever We Fall is a Rise band! - then transitioning to Hopeless Records and touring the country, being featured on the TMNT soundtrack, and more, all before he turned 20.
The ride was short lived but left a lasting impact on listeners. Let us know your favorite Ever We Fall song!
We are on Instagram as well, feel free to hit us up on there and/or give us a follow. @NostalgicEmoDads
This conversation was an absolute blast! Nick is such a kind dude with a wonderful perspective on the history of his band Vanna. We talk about how he was the lead vocalist on their debut EP, how much fun it is to riff, how similar our stories are, art school, favorite Vanna songs, being a fan of music, his work as a tattoo artist, and so much else!
Thank you Nick for the great convo! He and the rest of Vanna will be on tour in December for a few dates, go check them out!
Follow on socials!
@nickadamtattoo
@vannaband
@sacredsuntattoo
We're also on instagram! @NostalgicEmoDads
We've got another wild episode for you this week!
Bobby Faithful is a sort of mythical human in the realm of 2000s emo/post-hardcore, especially regarding Bet On Black, "the supergroup that never was" (his words). There have been so many ties that lead back to Bobby and this band, including multiple grammy winning producers, amazing emo bands, and even a super successful emo cover band (Throwing Back Sunday).
We talk about growing up in the hardcore scene in the DC/DMV/NOVA area, finding community as a person of color, meeting Andrew Goldstein in a technology class, and a bunch more.
Lately Bobby has been crushing through some really intense health issues (as you will hear throughout our conversation), but what's amazing is how he is using it to his advantage in crafting music. Truly inspiring stuff!
Follow him on socials for updates about his new band Dead Youth Club and his health related updates! @bobbyfaithful
We are also on instagram! @NostalgicEmoDads
Our guest this week is Mr. Stevie Benz! His story is super entertaining and a bit of a rollercoaster ride through the 2000s, participating in many bands that were really good but never got the pop-off or blow-up they probably deserved.
We talk a lot about guitars, home recording, touring, how amazing all the bands he played in are, and what he's up to now! Hint: it's music mastering. Hit him up at https://www.steviebenz.com/
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** This was our very first episode recorded through Microsoft Teams, so Derek had a little but of audio trouble with his mic (forgive him!) but Stevie sounds great! **
We're also on Instagram! @NostalgicEmoDads
OH YEAH! We got Jake back! (At least for this episode).
Derek and Jake play the classic game Would You Rather, but with a little nostalgic emo twist. Join us! Play along! Let us know your answers!
@NostalgicEmoDads on instagram.
For our first ever live AND in-person episode, Andrew and Derek sat on the floor and discussed their dream shows while on Instagram Live.
There were two rules: one lineup must be of only ACTIVE bands, the other lineup could include disbanded bands or a mix of both. For each show we picked 5 bands. We also decided on some other fun details for our shows as they went along.
Do ya think we had any overlaps?! Tune in to find out!
Also, we're on Instagram. Sometimes we go live. @NostalgicEmoDads
Oh yeah! Today we turn the tables a little bit and ask questions of one of our hosts, Andrew, and his drummer, Josh, about their band Drifted!
We talk a bit about their (seemingly polar opposite) musical upbringings, how they met, what it's like to start a band in your 30s, and their upcoming Southern Summer Stroll!
Catch them on a date near you!
June 26 - Another Round Bar VA
June 27 - 27 Club NC
June 28 - Paper Moon Studios SC
June 29 - Blackstrap GA
And give them a follow! @driftedband_us
We're also on instagram while yer at it! @NostalgicEmoDads
For our 50th Episode, we're celebrating big by bringing you a conversation with the one and only Ben Jorgensen!
A few weeks ago Andrew and Derek sat down to chat about the whole discography of Armor For Sleep, and jokingly mentioned how cool it would be to get Ben on the podcast to pick his brain on some production and songwriting stuff. And here we are!
In this conversation we talk about Ben's strength in lyricism, how the emo resurgence is here to stay, the impact of What To Do When You Are Dead, what a beast Nash Breen is on the drums, and of course, their amazing new album The Rain Museum.
Follow Ben and Armor For Sleep on your socials!
We're also on Instagram: @NostalgicEmoDads
One word to describe Virginia-native band Mae: beloved.
There is something beautiful and special about this emo/indie/rock band that fans and musicians alike are drawn to. The songs are majestic, the lyrics are poetic, the musicianship and conceptualizations are next level. But it is all done with taste and in a super approachable manner.
Join us as we do a deep dive through the Mae discography, share our emotional memories with the band, discuss the highlights (and maybe lower lights) of the catalogue, and more!
Go listen to Mae! Find them on tour!
We're also on insta! @NostalgicEmoDads
Did you know BOYS LIKE GIRLS had 4 albums? We didn't either. Join Andrew and Derek as they discuss first discovering the band through their music video for The Great Escape, the many twists and turns the band has taken musically, Andrew's "theory" on Martin's voice, Derek's apologetics for Crazy World, and, of course, how iconic that first self-titled record is.
Oh, and Wawa.
We're on Instagram! Give us a follow if ya wanna! @NostalgicEmoDads
For our final episode of our Richmond Series, we had the opportunity to chat with Aaron Stone of My Epic. Many people probably don't associate My Epic with Richmond, unless you were Jake and were there from the beginning. But My Epic played a lot of shows in the city, toured with some local favorites, and formed special bonds with people and venues in the city.
Aaron is awesome and forthcoming with so many memories about the scene as it was then, what it was like finding music as a pastor's kid who went to public school, influential bands for his writing style, and who the greatest metal band out of Richmond is.
Go listen to their latest record Loriella out on Tooth and Nail! Watch Loriella the Film on YouTube!
Give My Epic a follow on socials! @myepicrock
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Sincerely, thank you to everyone who listens to this podcast, especially the ones about the local scene we hold near and dear to our (heavy) hearts. If you want to listen to more and you haven't (yet), there are ten other Richmond Episodes (like wildflowers) out there! You just may have to scroll (further up, further in) our podcast feed to find them.
That's enough My Epic puns for now.
We're on Insta as well! @NostalgicEmoDads
One of the more confessional, dynamic, piano-rock driven bands of the 2000s Richmond Emo scene was Colin Healy and the Jetskis. In this wonderful conversation with frontman Colin, we talk about writing pop songs, going mini-viral in Richmond, recording, success in simplicity, and falling in love playing music with your wife.
Colin and Caroline still perform out at venues around Richmond, so give them a follow and go say hi sometime!
@colinandcaroline
colinandcaroline.com
We are also in instagram if ya feel like following along!
@NostalgicEmoDads
Get ready for an absolute history lesson of Richmond Emo from the perspective of this week's guest, Jason Thompson! He walks us through his early years finding hardcore shows in Richmond, learning guitar, Straight Edge, the transition to "emo", learning Cubase during a medical study, being a Dad, and his new hobby that's even more niche than the hardcore scene: mopeds!
It was an absolute joy to talk with Jason, he is such a positive dude with great stories to share. So when you're done listening to this episode, go listen to all the bands he's had a hand in! It's a lot. And check out his podcast! Moped Monday!
https://www.mopedmonday.com/
https://open.spotify.com/show/4atJDv1gJ0zoPLBliWZ9O2
https://www.instagram.com/mopedmondaypodcast/
https://stores.inksoft.com/mopedmondaypodcast/shop/home?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaYVr3KRoLkgMmcnHhP7irGIoLvW4ai5caxo5Xx_oB5PhMXqXsuPsPE39QM_aem_RZIfAhifNCqQmaibw7xD9w
We are also on Instagram for pics of Wawa coffee and cottage cheese! @NostalgicEmoDads
Jim Ivins was, is, and always will be, the biggest fan and advocate for the Richmond Emo Scene. We chatted for several hours about what it was like playing punk rock, the MTV effect, his famous hair-metal uncle, why he thinks Richmond should have been the next Seattle, and oh yeah, how he fronted the first (and only) American rock band to play Sudan.
Buckle up, this is a fun one! Jim's charisma is infectious.
Welcome to RVA3.
Go listen to all of Jim's music wherever you partake of music, and check him out on socials!
https://www.jimivins.com/
@thefanrvaband
We are also on instagram if you like seeing pictures of Jake, funny memes, and the like. @NostalgicEmoDads
Armor For Sleep is one of those really cool bands that seemed to have gone under the radar. Their debut album Dream To Make Believe introduced listeners to their emo lyricism and storytelling, as well as their knack for being able to write fantastic riffs.
But then they released 2005's What To Do When You Are Dead. And the evolution was incredible. A concept record, complete with a reprise; dynamic musical selections and production choices; searing vocals; and one of the more iconic album covers of that era (with an instruction manual included).
Unfortunately the follow up to that, Smile For Them, left more to be desired, which seemed to have led to their disbandment.
BUT, they are BACK!
A whole new record came out a couple years ago called The Rain Museum, and we are falling back in love with the "good guys" of emo. Go support their new music!
And give us a follow on instagram if you want to see our faces digitally or whatev. @NostalgicEmoDads
Derek and Andrew take a few minutes on a Sunday afternoon to talk about 10 things EACH that they love about their best friend and co-host Jake.
If you would like to see a touching montage we made for him, you have to find us on Instagram: @NostalgicEmoDads.
Jake is doing just fine, we just wanted everyone to know how much we love him.
This week we take a break from our usual hard-hitting journalism to play a little game called First Time, Last Time.
It's an episode that (we hope) will help you all get to know us a bit better, and helped us learn more about each other, too! Some highlights include:
Lots of talk about cottage cheese
Our musical gear purchases
Our jobs
Do we cry to music? (Yes)
Tattoos
And maybe even talk of Jake's solo emo project.
Enjoy!
We're on instagram if you want to see our faces! @NostalgicEmoDads