Bert McCracken of The Used

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Bert McCracken of The Used. From the beginning, The Used have captured the outpouring of McCracken’s rawest emotions. “It’s more than my journal. It’s so intimate. It’s terrifying… I can’t help it. It’s a big part of what I believe music is about,” McCracken reveals. From 2002’s self-titled to 2024’s MEDZ, the band have navigated lineup changes, inner turmoil, and loss — and then channeled that pain into unrelenting songs that ripple with urgency and emotional intensity. In a conversation with Madden, The Used frontman opens up about being an outsider, putting tragedy into his music, and the band’s 25-year career Listen to their conversation on Artist Friendly wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also watch the episode over at Veeps.  ------- Host: Joel Madden, @joelmadden Executive Producers: Joel Madden, Benji Madden, Jillian King Producers: Josh Madden, Joey Simmrin, Janice Leary Visual Producer/Editor: Ryan Schaefer Audio Producer/Composer: Nick Gray Music/Theme Composer: Nick Gray Cover Art/Design: Ryan Schaefer Additional Contributors: Anna Zanes, Neville Hardman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices