The Emo Social Club Podcast

The Bouncing Souls on 37 Years of Punk Rock & New Single "Power"

Episode Summary

We hang at Riot Fest with Greg Attonito from The Bouncing Souls to explore three decades of punk rock authenticity and their brand new single "Power." Greg opens up about maintaining band chemistry for 37 years and how personal energy shapes the world around us.

Episode Notes

"We're still in my high school band, technically." After 37 years together, The Bouncing Souls prove that punk rock longevity is about more than just the music—it's about the chemistry.

In this episode recorded at Riot Fest 2025, we catch up with Greg from The Bouncing Souls to discuss their incredible journey from New Jersey punk kids to scene veterans. Fresh off the release of their new single "Power," Greg shares the songwriting process behind the track and its message about recognizing personal power in chaotic times.

We dive deep into what it takes to maintain a band for nearly four decades, the importance of supporting each other through life's challenges, and how The Bouncing Souls found themselves right in the pocket of the first wave emo movement alongside bands like Lifetime. Greg reflects on the evolution of the term "emo," the band's relationship to emotion in rock and roll, and what keeps them excited to perform night after night.

Key Topics & Timestamps:

• [00:00] Introduction with Greg from The Bouncing Souls
• [00:20] Most emo song right now: new single "Power"
• [00:50] The songwriting process behind "Power" and its message about personal energy
• [02:09] 37 years as a band and maintaining chemistry through every phase of life
• [03:30] The magic of still enjoying each other after decades together
• [04:50] What makes The Bouncing Souls emo? Genre evolution and emotional authenticity
• [06:10] Growing up in the first wave alongside Lifetime and the New Jersey scene
• [06:42] Current tour with Jer and upcoming East Coast dates

Episode Highlights:

• "We mixed it up in the blender. Essentially the core of the song is about personal power, and everyone has that personal power. Sometimes it's hard to recognize the impact that your energy has in the world."
• "I'm so grateful now and we're having a great time. It's actually an amazing accomplishment that we still like each other honestly and enjoy being together. I think that's sort of part of the magic dust of the Bouncing Souls."
• "Good rock and roll and good music has emotion. In the 90s, when the word emo first came out, it was attributed to almost a completely different sounding style. Ten years later, everyone's like, 'they're emo now.' The definition of it is very loose. If you feel emotion, rock and roll music, whatever it is with guitars or without guitars, you feel emotion."