Pepe Bandit sits down with fellow coffee roaster and DIY lifer John Cozz of Cozz Coffee for a wide-ranging conversation on running, magic, and lessons learned. They trace parallel paths through coffee roasting and DIY music — Pat the Bunny, Jeffrey Lewis — and the value of just knocking on doors or sending the email to make things happen. John talks about growing up with a magician father and how that shaped his creative instincts, while Pepe shares his own story of going for his first-ever run on the morning he was sentenced to prison. The back half gets into the real mechanics of building a small coffee roastery — cash flow, the 80/20 rule, moving too fast — then Pepe shares a high-stakes history in the marijuana trade that led to prison in the first place, including cartel members and a genuinely hair-raising run-in with a cop in the California mountains.

Support the podcast & get bonus episodes & goods (there’s even a FREE option)

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

Connect with Cozz coffee:

• instagram.com/cozzcoffee/
• cozzcoffeeroasting.com/
• patreon.com/BackontheGrind/posts/john-cozz-on-152903606?l=zh-CN (this is the full episode with John on Patreon)

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

• StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

• backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

• Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
• Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

• Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
• Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To honor Jesse's one year of sobriety today, I invited him on the pod for a quick bonus episode.

We talk about what this milestone means to him and some new comforts he gained as a result.

Jesse's also been writing new solo music — and he's teaming up with Back On The Grind Records to bring it to vinyl. We close the episode out with a track from the upcoming album.

Send some love to Jesse for making it this far. This community thrives the more we take care of each other ❤️

Support the podcast & get bonus episodes & goods (you can join for FREE)

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

• StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

• backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

• Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
• Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

• Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
• Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tape and Tears join Pepe Bandit to talk about their first DIY tour & everything that comes with learning it on the fly, from forgetting to count merch money until they were nearly out of gas, to the venues that never mentioned how or when they'd get paid. They dig into the community that carried them through it, from bands like Swamp Rats letting them crash on couches & jamming Mischief Brew songs in the living room, to the mentorship or generosity of Mike Wilson (from Harley Poe) & other people from the folk punk scene at large. The conversation opens into the origins of the band itself — Gilliana's mental health crisis while studying abroad in Berlin, the queer folk punk community there that pulled her back toward the music, & how "Tape and Tears" became both a band name & a way of holding pain & progress together. They close with practical tour wisdom (pack a cooler, eat before you're hangry) & a shared belief that showing up with heart matters more than sounding polished.

Support the podcast to get bonus episodes & goods (there’s a join for FREE option)

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

Connect with Tape And Tears:

• instagram.com/tapeandtears
• tapeandtears.bandcamp.com/music
• tapeandtears.com/

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you (roasted by Pepe)

• StayFreeCoffee.com

Back On The Grind Records - For DIY, Folk Punk, Rap & Merch:

• backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

Follow the podcast on Instagram

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Reach out...Send us questions, comments or topic suggestions to

• Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
• Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

***Word of mouth really matters for us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

• Share your favorite episode with a friend or two who might enjoy it.
• Leave a rating / review. This helps me get access to the guest you want to hear from & allows the show to reach & support more folks like you :)

Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.