In this episode, I sit down with Leah B. Levinson of Agriculture to trace a path that starts in the unlikely corners of Poway, California—where punk and hardcore weren’t just genres, but survival tools—and stretches into the band’s fully realized, ecstatic take on heavy music. Growing up around DIY spaces and tight-knit scenes, Leah carries that foundational ethos into everything they do, whether it’s the emotional directness of their lyrics or the communal energy embedded in Agriculture’s sound.

We get into the instrument that’s become central to their voice—the Jazz bass—and how its tone and feel shape the band’s sense of movement, melody, and release. There’s a real conversation here about joy, too—what it means to actively choose it within a genre that often leans toward darkness, and how that perspective connects back to punk’s original promise of belonging, expression, and building something honest with the people around you.

From Poway punks to expansive, life-affirming black metal, this conversation highlights an artist who’s less interested in fitting into a scene and more focused on expanding what those scenes can hold.

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Leah B. Levinson from Agriculture