Jeff Berrall - bass player of Elefant (2001-2009) and bass player in Caveman (2010-current) & current personal project Chest High Fires with my wife Carrie who is also co-owner of FPR.

This past year we founded Future Prophet Records, and I am finding, producing and recording young bands & releasing them on the label.

As of now we only sign the bands to one 7” single - 2 songs pressed on vinyl, and we are hyper focussed on these being strong singles.

We have released 2 bands so far - Gargoyle (Alligator Head) and Birthday Girl (Never (The Sound) / It Takes a Year), Swear Tapes releases April 18th, and we just signed Balaclava and recorded them last weekend actually.

What made you want to start Future Prophet Records and what are some goals/ ambitions you have with your organization?

I wanted to produce and move away from touring. I had started producing and some of the bands got record deals from the songs we’d done, but then some songs didn’t come out and I wanted more control over the final product. It made more logical sense for me to be the label, and being a label owner gives me an avenue to address some of the complaints I’ve had over my 25 year career - recording and releasing songs quicker, less fuss, more singles, capturing the true sound of a band.

My true ambition is to become a producer in my own right, beyond the label, but also for Future Prophet Records to be a known brand and a place to find fresh talent on their way up. I really hope all of my artists go on to have successful careers, and I see myself as their first step.

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How did you go about getting your first client? Getting an artist to trust you enough to manage their career is a huge weight for you.

The first artist I produced was Joe Sutkowski of Dirt Buyer, I was a fan and just asked him. I took him upstate to record with my good friend Josh Druckman at Outlier Inn. The tracks came out amazing and helped him land a deal with Bayonet Records. His newest album Dirt Buyer III just came out on that label, it’s great - go check it out.

I do think my experience speaks for itself - over 2 decades of touring, multiple record deals from indie to major. I’ve recorded a bunch of albums in a myriad of beautiful studios, been in the room with the big wigs of the music industry, and all that lived experience gives people a level of trust in me. I have studied rock n roll my entire adult life, and people hear that when they speak to me, my love and devotion to the craft.

I have a lot of experience to share and advice - the negative things that happened to me, let’s not have that happen to you, and the positives that did work for me.

Also, continuing to work in a music venue and fostering relationships with musicians creates a better vibe when I approach artists I want to work with and potentially sign to the label.

I’m not on the outside looking in. I’m still here and an active part of the community. I think that must feel different to people.

My recording process is unique and perhaps a draw for bands. I work closely with them, helping choose the songs, and we do a lot of pre-production. I come to their practices and listen, give suggestions, and we do not go into the studio until the band is really ready, and then we record everyone live together, often to tape, 2 days maximum in the studio.

Are there any projects you can give us a tease on we should be on the lookout for?

BALACLAVA

And finally are you actively looking for more artists, if so what’s the best way/ place for acts to send their demo?

email futureprophetrecords@gmail.com

but to be honest, I tend to sign bands that I have seen play live.

demo’s are one thing

being a great live band is quite another, and that is what I’m looking for

Thank you so much to Jeff for allowing me to interview him. We met briefly at a record fair in Brooklyn a few months ago and after briefly talking I knew Jeff was a great person to partake in an interview. I love the concept of Future Prophet Records and I look forward to what they have in-store for the future! Thanks for the read and remember…. YOU ARE THE SCENE!

Hi! My name is Nikki Lopez and I am one of the owners of “Nikki Lopez”, a bar and music venue located on South Street in Philadelphia. I first got into the music industry at 19 years old. Going to shows, building friendships with bands and promoters, and said friends taking me under their wings as they climbed the ladder in the business. I really did get lucky by being involved in the New Jersey/New York music scene during the 2000’s pop punk/emo explosion. Now I’m 40 and have a music venue to give back to the scene that gave so much to me.

What made you decide to open Nikki Lopez in Philadelphia, as to other cities?

I’ve always wanted to own a music venue first & bar secondary. The dream was to open a venue, sell it, and retire in some small town running a shitty little dive. But with Nikki Lopez (I call it NLP) both came at once. Opening in Philadelphia was my homie and business partner, Matthew, idea. It was Matt who found, fundraised, and did all the paperwork for NLP to open. I like to say Matt’s the brain of the operation, and I’m the muscle.

Out of so many amazing shows thrown at Nikki Lopez, to this day what are some of your favorites?

Punk & hardcore shows will always be #1 in my heart. I would have to say Fightback and Joystick Fury as my top choices. Then as I’m typing this I remember the country alt acts like The Vandoliers who blew me away and Nate Bergman who blends and jumps the genres of punk, country, and hardcore. I sadly missed Nate’s show but have to give him a huge shout out here.

Music is often an escape for a lot of us, whether it’s to get away from stress, take a breathe or just wanting to see your favorite band. With the current state of the US, how important do you feel music is in contribution to making our world a better place?

The state of the country right now is truly sad. We have government officials kidnapping and killing Americans without repercussions & a toddler in chief who sees himself more as a king.

Add the element of being desensitized by the images on our phones everyday. It’s a lot of weight to bear. & I’m speaking for myself as an adult here, now imagine a kid. But that kid finds a positive message of hope in the words of their new favorite band. And positive words guide and heal. Then they find equal minded individuals at a show and now that kid has a community. That’s the importance of music. That’s how the scene helped me too.

What has been one of the toughest things with operating your establishment?

A myriad of things, really, but we have a great team behind us that makes things a bit easier.

We have an entire old building consisting of 3 floors so there’s always something that requires fixing or attending to. & of course more money would always be great. But we’re building it organically and doing things this way makes me appreciate every brick. Which could also be used as a metaphor to the scene we are building here on South Street. Building something to truly appreciate when complete.

For all booking and information regarding Nikki Lopez, located on 304 South Street, how can we contact you?

Please email us at NikkiLopezBooking@gmail.com ! Part of the owners of NLP are Scenic Presents so they handle all of the in house bookings. Would also love to give a huge shout out to the homies Bob Wilson and the ladies and gents at Hostile City Oi! who also do punk & hardcore events here. I’d love to see your band play on our stage! Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you On the Scene for having me!

Thank you so much to Nikki for allowing me to interview him. Nikki Lopez is a pivotal venue/ musical resource in the Philadelphia community. Whether it’s for a show, a drink, a hello make sure to stop in. Link above is your best way to stay connect with all things Nikki Lopez. Thanks for the read and remember…. YOU ARE THE SCENE!

Could you start by introducing yourself and your part in the music industry?

My name is Jason Pettigrew, I was a fixture on the staff of Alternative Press for a few decades, witnessing zeitgeists, reporting on them and gradually getting into other genres/hybrids and cultures. These days I’m a freelance writer, participating in the gig economy and late-stage capitalism! I annotated a photo book on the early days of the punk scene in Pittsburgh (Had To Be There by Erik Bauer); contributed to Bloomsbury’s esteemed 331/3 series with my take on Ministry’s groundbreaking album, The Land of Rape and Honey; and am currently wrapping up Unbreakable Rhythm, the autobiography of master percussionist/drummer Frank Zummo who fired up Sum 41, powered all kinds of EDM acts and DJs, established wild percussion units under the name Street Drum Corps, and kept time for people like Gary Numan, Scott Weilland and George Harrison’s son Dhani and a host of others.

Who/ what band was your introduction to heavy and alternative music?

You know, that’s a really good question. When I was in school, I used to be a progressive-rock nerd: King Crimson; Emerson, Lake & Palmer; Yes; Genesis. By 1978, most of those bands made their most horrible records and I made a left-turn into punk and New Wave. So I’m going to say Devo and then The Sex Pistols, but I was much more interested in The Damned and The Clash. I think this makes me a complete dinosaur, but I am totally OK with that.

How did you know what album was meant for you to write for 33 1/3?

I have always been fascinated by Ministry’s third album because it truly is the point where the suffix “-rock” is successfully conjoined with the term “industrial.” I still go back to it on a weekly basis, because it is so inherently savage. The backstory is pretty great, the stories surrounding its creation border on insanity and that record has been so influential in launching a bunch of genres and careers, even if those particular participants are blissfully unaware of it.

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What Ministry fact did you learn while doing your research?

You know how movie studio bigwigs determine a project’s success once they get the first weekend’s box office reports? The chief suitsat Sire Records (a division of Warner Bros) were planning on dropping the band from their roster less than 90 days after the day it was released. There was a memo from Sire president Seymour Stein, asking his executive-suite staffers if Ministry should be kicked off the label. Of course, cooler heads prevailed and Ministry would make four more records for the label before getting axed.

If you could write about any other album what would it be?

That’s a good question. Got any suggestions? On the harder end, The Dillinger Escape Plan’s Calculating Infinity is majestic. Brian Eno’s Here Come The Warm Jets is fascinating, but a lot of the characters are no longer with us so that might be difficult to convey properly. Public Image Limited’s Flowers Of Romance is filled with weird stuff like rhythm tracks created by Martin Atkins’ Mickey Mouse wristwatch and Keith Levene beating on a banjo with a ballpoint pen. But you’d need John Lydon to make the book work and nobody on Earth should use up precious serotonin to deal with him. I’m going to say Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral, because everybody in my world thought it was going to be a commercial disaster and now it’s considered a milestone across electronic-rock communities. And it’s something like, what 5X Platinum. That’s a feat you’ll never see in a world of streaming...

Thank you so much to Jason for allowing time to answer these questions. 33 1/3 Ministry’s The Land of Rape and Honey is a fantastic deep dive into a coveted industrial rock album! Link above to direct point of purchase direct from the publisher. Thanks for the read and remember…. YOU ARE THE SCENE!

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Hi, I’m Nancy Barile, and I’m the author of I’m Not Holding Your Coat–My Bruises and All Memoir of Punk Rock Rebellion, and How Much Art Can You Take? a photo essay book about the band Society System Decontrol (or SS Decontrol or SSD). My third book Adventures of a Punk Rock Teacher, will be out in 2026. (I haven’t written any novels. Well, none that were published LOL.)

Who or what was your introduction to the hardcore & punk scene? How did this first look make you feel?

I was introduced to punk when I saw bands like Iggy Pop, Blondie, the Ramones, and Patti Smith in the 1970s. I knew immediately I had found something special that spoke to me on both a physical and cerebral level. I think when I saw Black Flag for the first time in 1981, when Dez was singing, I recognized that there was a distinct sub-genre of punk emerging, and that genre was hardcore. I loved the early days of hardcore. I loved the energy, the physicality, and the chaos of it all. It was the time in my life when I felt the most present, and while it was often dangerous and scary, it was also fun and exciting, and it brought me in contact with some of the best people in the world.

What is one band that you originally listened to in the early days of your time in the scene that you still play to this day?

Okay, I can’t name just one! I still listen to the Bad Brains (ROIR cassette and Rock for Light) and Minor Threat and SSD just about every day. They help me get shit done, and they soothe my soul.

Do you feel that you were treated differently since being a female in (at that time) in a predominantly male movement?

No. I’m not sure if that’s because I came up in the time period I did or in the places I did (Philly, New York, and Boston), but at that time and in those places, there were a lot of women in the scene. Men were respectful, protective, and fun. I felt completely empowered and able to go out of my comfort zone to do some pretty cool things like manage bands, promote shows, write for fanzines. It was an incredible time to be alive.

What is your opinion on keeping politics and hardcore together? Is hardcore just a music scene or is it a movement?

Punk and hardcore for me were always political. I learned about politics through punk and hardcore, through bands like the Dead Kennedys, the Avengers, MDC, Crass—to name a few. Back then, almost all the hardcore and punk bands had a political voice. That was important to me, and it made me a lifelong activist. I’ve always seen hardcore as a movement, but I also realize hardcore means different things to different people, so I don’t make myself the arbiter of what hardcore should or shouldn’t be. I do think now more than ever it’s important for bands to speak out against fascism and leaders like Trump, who want to destroy so much.

At the end of reading your memoir, “I’m Not Holding you Coat”, what is one takeaway you’d like the reader to grasp?

I wrote my book for a few reasons: first to document the history and the time period. I also wanted people who read the book—no matter what their musical experience was—to be able to relate to the feeling you get when you listen and see live music. I also wrote the book because I was concerned that women’s voices in punk and hardcore were being silenced, mostly by men born in the 90s, who weren’t even there. So I wanted to set the record straight. If my book does any of these things, I’m happy.

Thank you so much to Nancy for allowing me to interview her. Im Not Holding Your Coat is an instant classic that all hardcore book worms should enjoy! Link above to direct point of purchase or message her on social media to enjoy a signed copy. Thanks for the read and remember…. YOU ARE THE SCENE!

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