Signals From Mars - Episode 418 - Lifers

In this episode of Signals From Mars, I’m joined by Matt Hartnett and Tanner Poppitt—the creative duo behind the powerful new documentary Lifers.

🎥 Lifers is a raw, heartfelt deep-dive into the lives of musicians who never gave up—regardless of fame, money, or mainstream recognition. These are the road warriors, the underground legends, the unsung heroes of heavy rock who keep doing it for the love of the music. I caught the documentary a few weeks ago and immediately knew I had to speak with Matt and Tanner to hear the story behind the story.

We get into:

• How the idea for Lifers came about and what fueled the project.
• The production challenges and unexpected moments during filming.
• Why Lifers focuses on artists who never “made it big,” but never stopped playing.
• Why they chose a long-form format over a mini-series.
• The influence of the late Bob Nalbandian on Matt’s filmmaking journey.
• Their plans for Lifers II, currently in pre-production and focused on a new crop of working musicians.
• The value of physical media and how collectors can grab one of the limited DVD copies of Lifers.
• Tips for anyone looking to shoot their own independent music documentary.

🎬 As Matt and Tanner say, this isn’t just about nostalgia or documenting history—it’s about capturing the reality of what it means to be a lifer in today’s underground rock scene. If you’re a fan of music documentaries with grit, soul, and truth, this episode (and film) is for you.

📀 Where to Watch or Buy Lifers:

• Bandcamp (Limited Edition DVD): https://onepalmproductions.bandcamp.com
• Streaming: Coming soon to Filmsy.com and (eventually) Amazon Prime Video.

🎧 Soundtrack Playlist: Now available on Spotify — search Lifers: The Movie Playlist to hear music from the featured bands.

🔗 Follow Matt & Tanner:

• Instagram/Facebook: @LifersTheMovie
• Matt Hartnett’s Work: seismic-sounds.com, heavygalaxy.com
• Tanner Poppitt: Poppitt’s Corner (YouTube & Rumble)