The question keeps showing up everywhere — on Substack, in comment sections, in podcasts: where is modern protest music? Recorded live at Podfort during Treefort Music Festival, Emily and Trevor are joined by Rob Lanterman — musician, music writer, and label owner— to answer it.

Turns out protest music never left. We're just stuck in our filter bubbles (again).

We trace how growing up evangelical-adjacent shaped our relationship to political music (System of a Down taught Trevor about the Armenian Genocide; Emily felt subversive listening to Relient K; Rob felt guilty writing a Bush diss on his acoustic guitar), why mainstream artists are increasingly afraid to say anything, and what's happening in the corners of the music world where the resistance is loud and explicit. We also talk about why authoritarians make terrible art — and why that matters right now.

Segments & Timestamps:

0:00 - Welcome & Introducing Rob Lanterman

5:45 - Our Evangelical Backgrounds & Protest Music

19:08 - What We're Listening to Now

25:25 - Where Is Modern Protest Music?

34:03 - Why Art & Resistance Matter

36:46 - Artists Making Protest Music Today

43:21 - Closing & Credits

Mentioned:

DIY as a Positive Force for Good: Rob Lanterman for bandNada

THE NUANCE HOUR’S NON-COMPREHENSIVE PLAYLIST OF PROTEST MUSIC FROM THE YEARS by Rob Lanterman

Connect With Us:

Produced and Engineered by ⁠Ken Wilson⁠ | Original Music by ⁠Robert Lanterman⁠

Website: ⁠thenuancehour.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠@thenuancehour⁠

Email: thenuancehour@gmail.com