Riff & Respawn is an independent UK digital publication exploring the intersection of heavy music, gaming and alternative culture.
Through original interviews, features, podcasts, reviews and cultural commentary, Riff & Respawn focuses on the artists, creators, games and communities shaping modern alternative culture.
Heavy Music. Gaming. Life In Between.
The Devil Wears Prada's Mike Hranica | Roses, Riffs & Real Talk
🌹 MIKE HRANICA | THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA | RIFF & RESPAWN
What happens when you sit down with the frontman of The Devil Wears Prada for your very first filmed interview? Apparently, you bring roses, make questionable jokes and hope for the best.
On 25 October 2026, Riff & Respawn caught up with Mike Hranica backstage at the O2 Institute in Birmingham for a conversation about music, creativity, life and everything in between.
From the serious stuff to the ridiculous, Mike was an absolute gent, making this an unforgettable first interview.
A massive thank you to Mike, The Devil Wears Prada, their team and everyone who helped make this happen.
🌹 READ THE FULL SHOW REVIEW:
https://www.riffandrespawn.com/p/roses-are-red-the-devil-wears-prada (https://www.riffandrespawn.com/p/roses-are-red-the-devil-wears-prada)
🤘 ABOUT RIFF & RESPAWN
Heavy music. Gaming. Life in between.
Riff & Respawn is an independent platform covering the music we love, the games we lose ourselves in and everything else that makes us who we are.
🎸 FIND US:
🌐 Website: https://www.riffandrespawn.com (https://www.riffandrespawn.com/)
📧 Contact: cari@riffandrespawn.com (mailto:cari@riffandrespawn.com)
Subscribe for more interviews, live reviews, gaming content and whatever else we get ourselves into.
#TheDevilWearsPrada #MikeHranica #RiffAndRespawn #Metalcore #BandInterview #HeavyMusic
20 Oct 2026
From Punk Goes Pop to TikTok Metal: Why We Never Stopped Making Pop Songs Heavy
Punk Goes Pop might be gone, but the idea never died. From crunk covers and Disney metal to Electric Callboy turning boyband cheese into deathcore, we’re still obsessed with making everything heavier.- Riff & Respawn
Caroline Murphy
www.riffandrespawn.com
16 Sept 2026
Before the Bell: How Wrestling Shaped My Music Taste
From Papa Roach to Motionless in White, how wrestling introduced me to new artists and brought my favourite bands into the ring.
Read the piece at www.riffandrespawn.com
16 Sept 2026
Songs That Make You Feel Like Absolute Shit - in the Best Possible Way
Some songs don't make you feel better. They make you feel absolutely fucking awful... and somehow that's exactly what you need!
In this episode I read my Riff & Respawn piece Songs That Make You Feel Like Absolute Shit - In The Best Possible Way: a look at the songs we turn to when we need to sit in the sadness, scream along, cry properly, or just let something out.
This isn't a playlist for cheering yourself up. It's for the moments when you need music to meet you exactly where you are.
Heavy, emotional, cathartic, and sometimes painfully comforting.
Read the original piece: www.riffandrespawn.com ( www.riffandrespawn.com)
15 Sept 2026
When Horror Isn’t Enough: Where Do We Go Next?
When you've watched enough horror, what happens when the scares stop working?
In this episode, I look at my relationship with horror, the endless chase for something darker, nastier or more unsettling, and the point where gore and jump scares just aren't enough anymore.
From slashers and extreme horror to psychological dread, uncomfortable storytelling and the films that actually stay with us. I'm asking, where does horror go next - and what are we really looking for when we keep pushing for more?
Based on my Riff & Respawn article When Horror Isn’t Enough: Where Do We Go Next?
9 Sept 2026
Beyond the Panels: A Conversation with Thomas E. Sniegoski
Go beyond the panels with comic book writer Thomas E. Sniegoski in this narrated edition of his Riff & Respawn interview.
From Buffy and my personal connection to Anthony Head to Atomic Frenchie-the comic that first brought Thomas and me together-we explore his work, creative influences and the stories behind the pages.
This episode features me reading our written interview, including Tom's answers.
Read the full feature:
https://www.riffandrespawn.com/p/beyond-the-panels-a-conversation
Riff & Respawn covers heavy music, gaming and accessibility, alongside conversations with people creating things worth discovering.
7 Sept 2026
You Wished For This: Obsession, Coercive Control and Domestic Violence
What happens when a horror film feels painfully familiar?
In this personal episode of Riff & Respawn, I read my piece on Obsession, exploring what I loved about the film and how its portrayal of control and fear connects with my own experiences of domestic abuse.
Alongside the film discussion, I share what it meant to live around unpredictable violence, to tread on eggshells and to feel that leaving didn't necessarily mean escaping.
Content note: Contains film spoilers, discussion of domestic abuse and coercive control, violence towards animals, and references to suicide. Please listen at your own pace and step away whenever you need to.
Read the full piece, including support information:
https://www.riffandrespawn.com/p/you-wished-for-this-obsession-coercive
Written and read by Cari, founder of Riff & Respawn - heavy music, gaming, horror and accessibility.
6 Sept 2026
Patient Sixty-Seven: When Heavy Music Meets Gaming - Part 2
Player 2 you're up!
Join me, Cari, for the second and final part of Riff & Respawn's feature interview with Tom and Lachlan from Patient Sixty-Seven.
I'm back reading their written answers and sharing my own reflections as we continue exploring the people behind the music and the games that bring us together.
Missed part one? Start there, then come back for the rest.
Explore the written features and more from Riff & Respawn:
www.riffandrespawn.com
Contains strong language.
5 Sept 2026
Patient Sixty-Seven: Co Op, Chaos & the Games That Made Us - Part One
Patient Sixty-Seven's Tom and Lachlan join Riff & Respawn for a conversation about gaming, nostalgia, music and the games that stuck with them!
In Part One, we get into everything from PlayStation and Pokémon to Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi, retro gaming, the games that completely took over their lives and how gaming fits alongside life in Patient Sixty-Seven.
The episode is adapted from my written interview with Tom and Lachlan, with their answers read in full alongside my own thoughts and commentary.
Part Two is coming soon, with more from the band, more gaming and some of the more personal sides of the conversation.
Read more from Riff & Respawn at riffandrespawn.com and follow the podcast so you don't miss Part Two.
3 Sept 2026
Hell Hath No Fury Like a Hellsinger
This episode of the Riff and Respawn Podcast dives into Metal:Hellsinger - a game that somehow manages to combine rhythm, demons, ridiculous weapons and a seriously good metal soundtrack without feeling like a gimmick.
I talk about the joy of fighting in time with the music, the absolute chaos of its arenas, Paz being the coolest talking skull around, some genuinely brilliant boss design and why playing as The Unknown feels more like performing a metal set than simply playing a rhythm game.
There are lady bosses, hellish realms, increasingly ridiculous weapons, a soundtrack packed with voices from the metal world and more than a few moments where I completely lost track of what was happening on screen.
Plus, I look at the accessibility of its visual design, the moments that frustrated me and why - despite occasionally getting absolutely battered - I kept wanting one more encore.
Heavy music. Gaming. Accessibility. Absolute chaos!
Read more from Riff & Respawn at riffandrespawn.com (riffandrespawn.com)
Contains strong language.
2 Sept 2026
Beartooth's Road to Damascus
Beartooth's Road to Damascus:
Finding yourself through Pure Ecstasy
In this episiode I read my latest Riff & Respawn feature on Beartooth's The Surface era, identity, repression, freedom and the journey behind the music.
A look at the weight carried in the lyrics, the influence of Jordan Fish and what happens when an artist finally stops hiding parts of themselves.
Read the original piece at riffandrespawn.com (www.riffandrespawn.com)
Contact: Cari@RiffandRespawn.com
1 Sept 2026
Welcome to Riff & Respawn
A quick introduction to Riff & Respawn - where heavy music meets gaming.
I'm Cari and this is the start of a podcast about musicians, creators, gaming, accessibility, alternative culture and the weirdly perfect overlap between all of them.
Expect interviews, accessible audio versions of written features, old game nostalgia, heavy music, questionable opinions and probably a few boss fights along the way.
Press start. Turn it up.
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4 ratings
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