In this episode, Pepe Bandit talks with members of the band Ruen. They start with fire — how a century of replacing Portugal's natural forests with pine and eucalyptus monoculture has made wildfire season a recurring catastrophe across southern Europe — then dig into the punk, DIY, & squat subcultures of Portugal & the Netherlands. The rest of the episode is dedicated to their new concept album, The Tragedy of the Commons. You'll hear samples of songs as they explore land rights, enclosure &, resistance — including the present-day fight against lithium mining in Boticas — along with the influence of books like When the Wolves Howl & Re-Enchanting the World.


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

patreon.com/BackontheGrind



Connect with Ruen:

  • instagram.com/weare_ruen
  • weareruen.bandcamp.com/music




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)



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Pepe Bandit

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