What's The Reason For This Podcast

🎧 This week on What’s the Reason for This?, Kodi and Shay welcome Alabama-born bluegrass firestarters Mountain Grass Unit (MGU) into the dungeon for a long-overdue hang that dives deep into friendship, hustle, growing pains, and what it really looks like when a band is mid–rocket ship. 🚀🪕🔥
What starts with laughs about canceled Colorado shows, tooth pain from hell 🦷😖, and internet rumors quickly turns into a full origin story — from childhood friendships and rival middle-school friend groups 😅 to rock bands, borrowed upright basses, and getting voluntold to play bluegrass before fully knowing what bluegrass even was. 🎸➡️🪕
MGU opens up about: 👬 Growing up together in Alabama and building trust long before the band existed 🎶 Learning instruments the hard way through YouTube tutorials, borrowed gear, and first gigs days after touching an upright bass 🏫 Juggling college life across Berklee, ETSU, and Alabama while trying to keep a band alive from different states 📧 Cold-emailing venues, losing money on early tours, and why investing in yourself matters more than profit early on 🤝 Landing an agent and management and how that changed everything (without magically fixing everything) 🧠 The mental shift from “students who tour sometimes” to “this is the job now” 💿 Signing with Dualtone Records and heading into the studio with Vance Powell to record a new full-length album 🌍 What’s next: WinterWonderGrass, recording all of February, Australia dates, and a stacked 2026 touring calendar
The conversation also digs into MGU’s identity — how they balance traditional bluegrass roots with high-octane energy ⚡, crowd-moving covers, and a jam-friendly mindset that works just as well for seated traditionalists as it does for dancing Colorado crowds. 🕺🪑
Kodi presses on merch stories (yes, the infamous khaki shirts 😬👕), slap-koozies, DIY marketing, and the band’s hilarious social media videos — showing how personality, humor, and authenticity can pull new fans in just as fast as blistering musicianship. 🎥😂
At its core, this episode is about putting in the time and earning it on a long road from backyard jams to festival stages, the willingness to lose money to gain momentum, and the power of sticking together when things get uncomfortable, uncertain, or downright painful. 🌱🤝
🎧 Tap in wherever you listen to podcasts. This is a must-listen if you love bluegrass, band origin stories, or catching artists right as things start to really take off. 🪕🔥

🎧 This week on What’s the Reason for This?, Kodi sits down in the dungeon with viral artist and musician Justin Barona (Just Tat Em) for his first-ever podcast appearance — a necessary, difficult conversation that directly addresses a real controversy and the consequences that followed.
The episode centers on the backlash sparked by posts shared by Justin’s wife, which circulated widely and included harmful, inflammatory references tied to Adolf Hitler and antisemitic rhetoric. The response was swift and justified: public outrage, accusations of hate speech, canceled shows, and Justin ultimately taking his Instagram offline. This conversation does not frame the situation as a misunderstanding or a matter of nuance — it acknowledges that the content was wrong, damaging, and incompatible with the message Justin presents publicly. ⚠️🛑
Justin addresses the situation directly: 🚫 Making it clear the posts do not reflect his beliefs 🗣️ Acknowledging that silence and delayed response worsened the situation 📉 Accepting that accountability comes with having a platform — even when the words aren’t yours 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Talking honestly about how the fallout affected his family, career, and mental health 📴 Explaining why he stepped away from social media and what he learned from it
From there, Kodi intentionally widens the lens — not to excuse what happened, but to understand the person now navigating the consequences. Justin shares his life story in full: running away from an abusive home at 12, living on the streets, incarceration at a young age, and how music, drawing, and tattooing became tools for survival and connection. 🧒➡️🎨➡️🎶
The episode also explores the pressure of sudden virality 📱🔥, the grind of producing nonstop Cameos, the strain of balancing creativity with fatherhood, and how quickly a feel-good internet narrative can unravel when personal lives intersect with public platforms. Justin speaks candidly about missteps, ego, burnout, and the need to draw firmer lines between his values and the content associated with him.
At its core, this episode is about accountability without deflection. It doesn’t ask listeners to forget what happened — it asks them to understand how it happened, what was wrong about it, and what moving forward with clarity and responsibility actually looks like. 🔍⚖️
🎧 Listen now wherever you get podcasts. This is a heavy, honest conversation — and one that doesn’t shy away from the reality that words, associations, and silence all have consequences.

🎧 This week on What’s the Reason for This?, Kodi and Shay sit down with guitarist and songwriter Tom Hamilton Jr. to dive deep into his first-ever solo album under his own name, I’m Your Vampire 🩸🖤 — out January 23. This episode is all about the songs, the process, and the moment that pushed Tom to finally make this record. 🎸✨
After decades of collaboration across genre-defining projects, Tom opens up about why this album had to happen now. Written during a period of massive personal change — the end of Ghost Light, his father’s illness, and choosing not to outrun grief by staying on the road — I’m Your Vampire was created by sitting still, turning inward, and letting honesty lead the way. 🖤🧠
Tom breaks down: 📝 Writing songs as a way to process uncertainty, loss, and identity 🎧 Why this record needed to exist outside of any band name — no safety net, just truth 🎛️ Building the album with longtime collaborator Pete Tremont and locking in perspective with producer Alex Farrar (Asheville sessions = magic ✨) 💿 How 40+ songs became a tightly intentional tracklist 🎸 Balancing raw emotion with restraint, tone, and texture 🩸 Letting listeners bring their own meaning to the songs — without overexplaining the art
They also talk about how the album’s sound pulls from multiple worlds — hints of grunge, Americana, indie rock, and the melodic sensibility Tom is known for — while still standing firmly on songwriting first. Every choice, from sequencing to production, is rooted in intention and authenticity. 🔥🎶
This episode is a rare look at what it means to start over creatively, even after years of success — and why making the record you need to make matters more than comfort or momentum. 🌱⚡
🎧 Listen now wherever you get podcasts 📲 Pre-save I’m Your Vampire 🎟️ Catch Tom Hamilton Jr. on tour in 2026
#WhatsTheReasonForThis #TomHamiltonJr #ImYourVampire

🎧 This episode of What’s the Reason for This? Kodi and Shay drop back into the dungeon with Tonewood String Band for a no-holds-barred, laugh-heavy, deeply honest conversation about what it really takes to make a debut full-length album — from crowdfunding stress 😅💸 to studio self-doubt 🧠😵‍💫 to finally holding the finished record in your hands 💿🙌.
Fresh off the release of Heart of the Pretender, the band reflects on a nearly two-year journey 🗓️🔥 that began with a Kickstarter, rolled through 60 hours in the studio ⏱️🎛️, and ended with a record they’re genuinely proud of — scars, growth, and all 💛🌱. The conversation pulls the curtain back on the realities of modern bluegrass bands trying to level up without losing themselves in the process. 🪕⚡
The band digs into: 🎶 Why they chose to crowdfund — and how much work actually goes into a Kickstarter 💪💵 🎛️ Recording at Swingfingers Studio with Aaron Youngberg — and why working with someone who speaks bluegrass makes all the difference 🎻🎚️ ⏱️ Tracking live in isolation with click tracks, layered takes, and producer Tyler Grant steering the ship 🚦🎧 🧠 The mental battle of studio perfectionism — self-doubt, breakthroughs, and learning when to trust the take 😤➡️😌 💿 How songs evolved in unexpected ways once recorded — including tracks that nearly didn’t make the album 😳✨ 📈 Why pre-saves, singles, playlists, and algorithms matter more than fans realize 🤖📲 — and how the “waterfall release” strategy actually works 🎤 The wild contrast between sold-out theaters 🎟️🔥 and nearly empty bar gigs 🍺😅 — and how the band stays grounded through both
The episode also shines a spotlight on the unsung hero behind Tonewood’s visual world 🌈🖌️: Silver — the band’s manager, merch wizard, and resident artist. She shares how the album artwork was inspired by the title track, Bob Dylan’s “Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts” ♠️❤️, and grew into a full playing-card theme across singles, posters, and merch — all screen-printed by hand 🖐️👕.
They also revisit the band’s Kickstarter cover-song rewards 🎁🎶, where fans funded the record by commissioning custom bluegrass versions of everything from Gordon Lightfoot 🌄 to Sly & The Family Stone 🕺💃 — essentially creating a second album while finishing the first. Absolute chaos. Absolute magic. ✨🪕
At its core, this episode is about commitment, community, and creative honesty 🌾🤝 — learning when to push harder 🚀, when to let go 🕊️, and how much independent music depends on fans showing up, buying merch 🛍️, pre-saving records 💾, and spreading the word 📢❤️.
🎧 Tune in for the laughs 😂, stay for the real talk 🎙️, and remember: support the bands in the trenches — that’s where the magic lives. ✨🪕

🎧 This episode of What’s the Reason for This? is a little different — and a whole lot festive. Kodi and Shay coming to you from the dungeon to discuss a recent session from the newly christened Dungeon West to break down everything you need to know about the 4th Annual Jingle Jam, one of Colorado’s most beloved end-of-year bluegrass traditions. 🎄🪕✨
After some legendary technical difficulties (including a lost-but-not-forgotten all-time-great interview), the hosts regroup to make sure the mission stays front and center: raising money, celebrating community, and getting everyone to this show before it sells out. 🎟️🔥
The episode dives into what makes Jingle Jam so special — a scene-wide Christmas party packed with 40–50 musicians, zero repeat sets, deep-cut holiday songs, and nonstop collaborations. Taking place Saturday, December 20th at Roots Music Project in Boulder, the event brings together members of bands like Stillhouse Junkies, Deer Creek Sharpshooters, Mighty Holler, Jake Legg, Tonewood, Liver Down the River, and many more, with special guest appearances from Pete Wernick (Hot Rize) and other scene favorites. 🎶🤝
Most importantly, 100% of ticket sales benefit Sister Carmen, a Boulder County nonprofit providing food, resources, and dignity to families and individuals in need. Last year alone, Jingle Jam raised over $8,000, and this year aims to do even more. 💛💪
Kodi and Shay also highlight the fun chaos that defines the night — from audience-thrown “snowballs” (yes, pom-poms) ❄️😂 to outrageous holiday outfits, surprise sit-ins, and the reminder to support the venue by buying drinks and tipping bartenders. The episode closes by encouraging listeners to not only attend this year, but to get involved next year through volunteering, donating, or helping expand the event’s impact. 🌈🙌
🎧 Stick around to the end of the episode for a Jingle Jam Session featuring three holiday songs that will absolutely put you in the spirit. This one is about music, generosity, and showing up for your community — exactly what the season is supposed to be about. 🎄💛