Pepe Bandit Gets Interviewed: Folk Punk, Community, DIY Bandits, Prison, Spirituality & Future Plans #64

Things get flipped in this conversation & Pepe gets interviewed. He explores the journey of the DIY Bandits, a record label that emerged from personal struggles & a desire to create community through music. The discussion covers Pepe's unique work of blending folk punk & hip hop, & the challenges he faced, including being poor while raising a family, rejection from some of the folk punk community & his eventual incarceration. Pepe reflects on the importance of taking responsibility for one's actions & the role of music & spirituality as an outlet during difficult times. Hear about upcoming music & book releases & the conversation closes on the evolution of the folk punk community, its current state & its potential going forward.

**This interview was conducted by Jarda (Smažená pikantní škeble)for the online Czech magazine Alarm. We play a song of their's at the end. There's links below to the print version if you want to read it or see some pictures of me since I don't post myself online much :)

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HIGHLIGHTS:

• DIY Bandits started as a response to personal struggles
• Bridging genres was a key focus from the beginning
• Community engagement was essential to the label's mission
• The label was rooted in working-class experiences
• Incarceration led to significant personal reflections
• The importance of taking responsibility for one's actions
• Support from family & community was crucial during confinement
• Spirituality deepened through Pepe's solitary experiences
• The journey of writing a book was initially daunting
• The folk punk community is evolving & becoming more inclusive
• The importance of giving back to the community is emphasized
• Pepe feels a sense of responsibility to share his journey
• Song "Going Postal" by Smažená pikantní škeble

Support Jarda (Smažená pikantní škeble) who arranged & conducted this interview:

• smazenapikantniskeble.bandcamp.com/music
• Read the interview (english) medium.com/@michljarda/what-supports-you-when-theres-no-one-left-to-support-you-bab448d386d8
• Read the interview (czech) denikalarm.cz/2025/10/folk-punk-pro-me-vzdycky-znamenal-neco-vic-nez-jen-hudbu-rika-pepe-bandit/

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• StayFreeCoffee.com

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

• backonthegrindrecords.bandcamp.com/music

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Stay Free,

Pepe Bandit

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