This week on The Austin Young Show, I sit down with Jennifer “Zooki” Sturges of Ex Regrets for an episode packed with passion, purpose, and new beginnings. We talk about the roots of Ex Regrets and how Zooki’s riot grrrl influences along with her work with queer, trans, and femme communities in North Texas have shaped the band’s sound and message.

What’s coming up: Riot Girl Fest 2025
Zooki announces that Riot Girl Fest 2025 will be Saturday, October 4, 2025 at Growl Records in Arlington, Texas. The fest continues its mission of femme and queer empowerment, supporting several nonprofits and giving space to artists who demand to be heard.

A world exclusive: The new zine Riot Girl Manifesto
We get the first look at Zooki’s next big project, a brand new twelve page zine called Riot Girl Manifesto. It will debut in September in both print and online, with the intention of becoming a quarterly. She also reads the manifesto live in the episode, unpacking what it means, who it is for, and why it matters.

Austin’s new segment: Lyrics as Shakespeare Monologue
Austin debuts a brand new recurring segment where he reads band lyrics as though they were a dramatic Shakespearean monologue. Expect poetic pauses, iambic rhythm, and extra gravitas you did not know you needed. The first pick is an Ex Regrets track Burqini Kill that lands somewhere between howl and whisper.

Make sure to like and subscribe to The Austin Young Show, and follow the Official Playlist to hear all the tracks we highlight and the bands we feature on Amazon and Apple Music.

Theme song by The Fullstops

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