Mike fires up Your Dark Companion with a literal lightning strike, then welcomes Dallas lifers Ward Richmond and John Pedigo to talk about Ward’s new album, Big Addict Energy—a brutally honest, oddly hilarious chronicle of high-functioning drinking, rehab math, and rebuilding a life that actually fits. We bounce from Lakewood and Deep Ellum war stories to the therapist who called her shot (“alcoholic”), the Truck Yard-as-office era, and why Ward now tours with… a pedal that plays his whole band (karaoke, but make it auteur). Pedigo breaks down the “producer as translator” approach—less sprinkle, more spine—while the guys trade memories, cuss less (sometimes), and make a pretty airtight case for talking about addiction without the shame fog. Stick around for the closer: Ward’s earworm “Non-Alcoholic Beer Drinking Man.” It slaps, even if your drink is Topo. 00:00 – Cold open, lightning strike, live-at-5 banter 01:41 – Meet Ward & Pedigo; the new record is the story 03:05 – “Big Addict Energy”: single in Aug; album out Nov 21 04:31 – Three friends lost in Summer ’24; writing through grief 07:49 – High-functioning drinking in CRE culture 09:09 – Genetics, social anxiety, and why alcohol “worked” 10:15 – Lakewood roots → Deep Ellum bands (Boys Named Sue, Slick57) 12:32 – Ward + John origin story (choir class to clubs) 14:19 – “High-functioning” vs. “asshole”: the counselor’s wake-up 18:34 – The decision to quit; mapping rehab like a project 20:46 – Day one, therapy, psychiatrist, acceptance 22:36 – The call that changed it: AA, rehab choice, no rock bottom 25:21 – Lunch drinking, Truck Yard “office,” living in the open 30:42 – Turning the mess into music 31:33 – From early sobriety songs to darker honesty 34:24 – Calling Pedigo; the producer’s job: serve the story 36:11 – The “Party Police” and John’s producing origin 39:20 – Parallel divorces, Tulum writing trips, new studio 41:27 – Pedigo’s philosophy: make the song bigger, not busier 44:01 – Clean/explicit cuts, sequencing chaos, mastering 45:22 – Ward’s writing workflow (click, scratch, build) 46:06 – The players: Joshua Ray Walker, Charlie Wiles, Trey Pendergrass, Chad Stockslager & more 47:28 – Releasing with Idol Records; PR; the Beyond the Bar show 49:05 – The “pedal band” plan (full band, one pedal) 51:12 – Using the record to talk openly about addiction (+ book tease) 52:09 – Setup to the feature track 53:00 – Song: “Non-Alcoholic Beer Drinking Man” 56:38 – Wrap and sign-off Follow Your Dark Companion on Patreon for every episode: patreon.com/YourDarkCompanion IG: https://www.instagram.com/yourdarkcompanion/ X: https://x.com/YDC_Dfw TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yourdarkcompanion FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559876685445 The Old Grey Wolf: X: https://x.com/TheOldGreyWolf IG: https://www.instagram.com/theoldgreywolf16/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikerhyner579 To reach out email us at: Info@Stolenwatermedia.com

Mike Rhyner sits down with Rick and Ryan Holden — a father-son polygraph team whose client list ranges from federal agencies to murder suspects to people just trying to clear their names — to pull the curtain back on the world most of us hope we never have to visit.

They walk Mike through how a real polygraph actually works (and why “lie detector” is the wrong term), why the machine itself isn’t magic but the examiner better be, and why anxiety doesn’t automatically make you look guilty. Rick talks about 50+ years in the chair, from Texas death row to child abuse cases to capital murders, and Ryan breaks down how this work shows up in counterintelligence, national security, and courtrooms.

They also get into ethics: when you’re allowed to tell, when you’re not, and what it feels like to know the truth in cases that are dark, heartbreaking, and legally delicate. It’s intense, it’s honest, and it’s not reality TV.

Chapters: 00:00:00 - Welcome to Your Dark Companion 00:01:24 - Meet Rick & Ryan Holden, Human Lie Detectors (Sort Of) 00:03:53 - 52 Years in the Chair: How Rick Got Here 00:06:39 - “Lie Detector” Is a Bad Name (Here’s Why) 00:08:33 - Has the Polygraph Game Changed? Uh, Yeah 00:10:39 - Courts, Admissibility, and That 1923 Problem 00:12:12 - Is It 100% Right? (Short Answer: No) 00:13:20 - When Examiners Get It Wrong 00:15:06 - Trusting the Human, Not Just the Machine 00:16:17 - Panic in the Chair: Does Nerve = Guilt? 00:18:28 - Why They Actually Want You a Little Nervous 00:20:33 - “Do I HAVE to Take This?” Voluntary vs Forced Tests 00:22:29 - No, You’re Not Walking In Off the Street for a Cheater Test 00:24:38 - Reality TV Polygraphs Are Garbage 00:26:38 - Rick’s Still Obsessed With This Work (In a Good Way) 00:27:40 - Clearing People vs Catching People 00:28:31 - Polygraph 101: How a Real Exam Actually Works 00:33:12 - Reading Physiology, Reading Behavior, Reading You 00:35:24 - When They Confess Before the Test Even Starts 00:36:15 - Midshow Read: House of Healing 00:39:01 - The Case That Still Haunts the Room 00:43:52 - How Child Abuse Allegations Actually Move Through the System 00:47:00 - The Confession, Attorney-Client Privilege, and Outrage 00:51:32 - Are You There to Find the Truth or Deliver Justice? 00:53:41 - How Do You Hear This Stuff and Sleep at Night? 00:56:06 - “Everybody Has Something at Stake” 00:56:32 - Why People Come to Them Quietly 00:57:27 - Everyone Has a Right to Defend Themselves

Follow Your Dark Companion on Patreon for every episode: patreon.com/YourDarkCompanion

IG: https://www.instagram.com/yourdarkcompanion/ X: https://x.com/YDC_Dfw TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yourdarkcompanion FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559876685445

The Old Grey Wolf: X: https://x.com/TheOldGreyWolf IG: https://www.instagram.com/theoldgreywolf16/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikerhyner579

To reach out email us at: Info@Stolenwatermedia.com

Mike Rhyner and gang unveil a new wing of the the Sunset Lounge: The Sunset Soccer Club with Tyler Kern—a show built to make the world’s game make sense before the 2026 World Cup steamrolls America like a well-timed counterattack. Rob Ervin tags in to talk fandom, promotion/relegation, and why Bundesliga is the most fun word to say out loud.

From Dallas hosting more Cup action than anyone, to how MLS grew up without face-planting, to why the U.S. men might finally be good on paper (our favorite American surface), this one’s a crash course wrapped in a hangout. Rhyner plays curious convert, Tyler speaks fluent footy, and Rob swings the supporter’s hammer. Come for the Rush detour and transfer-fee nerdery; stay for the plan to turn soccer snobs into soccer sherpas.

Chapters

00:00 – Rhyner Kicks Off: “Podcasts live forever—kind of like my Rush regret.” 01:34 – Meet Tyler Kern: Ticket alum, WBAP survivor, soccer lifer. 06:55 – Sunset Soccer Club 101: The show that preps America for 2026 without gatekeeping. 07:21 – World Cup on Home Soil: Why Dallas is basically Tournament HQ. 09:50 – How We Won the Bid: FIFA votes, super-bids, and not-so-subtle course corrections. 11:14 – From ’94 to MLS: The league that learned to grow up slow (on purpose). 12:37 – U.S. Sports Appetite: WNBA proof, Messi mania, and “yes, there’s room for one more sport.” 13:44 – No Snobs Allowed: Making the game accessible (and keeping the weirdos fun). 19:56 – Pick a Team, Coward: Tyler chooses Borussia Dortmund and explains tifos like a proud dad. 23:57 – Rhyner’s Conversion Arc: Hockey hooked him; soccer’s next. 25:35 – Is MLS Here to Stay? Why slow and steady beat NASL’s rocket-sled. 27:08 – Academies vs. Hope & Dreams: FC Dallas as a talent factory. 31:32 – Lamar Hunt Appreciation Minute: The man who named the Super Bowl and propped up soccer. 33:42 – What the New Show Will Do: News, guests, evergreen explainers—no EU passport required. 38:24 – USMNT Lens: Why “on paper” is our favorite American tactic. 46:24 – 48-Team World Cup: New nations, new chaos, same beautiful game. 49:09 – Who’s Best Right Now? Haaland the hammer, Mbappé the jet, Messi the myth. 51:36 – Transfers, Fees & Loans: Soccer’s trade system, but weirder (and richer). 54:11 – Sunderland ’Til It Hurts: Relegation’s civic hangover—required viewing. 58:53 – Launch Time: Sunset Soccer Club records Tuesdays, drops Wednesdays—send your love (and hate) to sunsetsoccerclub@stolenwatermedia.com .

Follow Your Dark Companion on Patreon for every episode: patreon.com/YourDarkCompanion

IG: https://www.instagram.com/yourdarkcompanion/ X: https://x.com/YDC_Dfw TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yourdarkcompanion FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559876685445

The Old Grey Wolf: X: https://x.com/TheOldGreyWolf IG: https://www.instagram.com/theoldgreywolf16/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikerhyner579

To reach out email us at: Info@Stolenwatermedia.com