Common Thread - Episode 15 (Knifetwister Records - Raph Copeland)

About this episode

Rory and Greg interview Raph Copeland about his journey in founding Knifetwister Records and its impact on the punk music scene.

Rory and Greg interview Raph Copeland, who founded Knifetwister Records using the prize money he won in a pool tournament. Knifetwister is unique in that is works with bands from all across the hardcore, punk, and metal spectrum. In a fun throwback, Knifetwister is also a web-based fanzine with written interviews. Raph and Knifetwister Records operate just outside of New York City. We hear a little bit about how Raph came to find punk music in the late 1980s and 90s. We discuss Knifetwister's recent release, a compilation benefiting the homeless called "Not In Our City." "Not In Our City" features tacks from bands in NYC including Rebelmatic, and No Call No Show among others. Raph talks about how punk rock has influenced the trajectory of his life, his career working in the tech industry, his role as a parent, and his interest in lock picking. Mentioned in this episode: Mind of Magnus Check out Mind of Magnus at magnusapollo.com, and leave him factoids at 585-310-2473! https://mind-of-magnus.captivate.fm Lunchador Podcast Network Check out all the shows on the Lunchador Podcast Network at Lunchador.org ESL ROCHESTER FRINGE FESTIVAL - SEPTEMBER 9TH THROUGH 20TH THE ESL ROCHESTER…

People in this episode

Guest: Raph Copeland

Topics covered

• Knifetwister Records
• punk music
• hardcore
• metal
• interviews
• homelessness

Keywords

• pool tournament
• compilation
• Not In Our City
• lock picking

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Lunchador, Mind of Magnus, Lunchador Podcast Network

Books & works: Common Thread, Not In Our City, Mind of Magnus

Places: New York City, NYC, ROCHESTER, ITALY

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• Common Thread - Episode 16 (Chad Posick) · February 7, 2026 · 1h 27m
• Common Thread - Episode 14 (2025 In Review) · January 14, 2026 · 1h 13m
• Common Thread - Episode 13.2 (Greg Bennick) · December 17, 2025 · 33 min
• Common Thread - Episode 13.1 (Greg Bennick) · December 10, 2025 · 52 min
• Common Thread - Episode 12.2 (Will Cleveland) · October 29, 2025 · 52 min