Vigorously with Val Kleinhans

Val chats with Björn Strid of Soilwork and The Night Flight Orchestra and his corgi Ana about everything pets, mental health, and metal. 

When Björn's musical partner in The Night Flight Orchestra, David Andersson, passed away in 2022, the band wasn't sure where life would take them next. Now in 2025, we have the new album Give Us The Moon to answer that question. 

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Assuming you're keeping up with the latest buzzmakers in rock, there is a good chance this isn't your first time hearing about Nathan James. He's on a mission to keep everyone accountable, and he's doing that in his own nu nu metal way.

Val and James chat music and mental health in this episode.

Hollywood Mortician is out in July. New single “Los Angeles” coming soon.

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In this episode, Val and content creator Lizzie In Lace dive into an invigorating conversation about style, confidence, and the power of embracing individuality. Val shares her personal struggles with confidence, while Lizzie brings her unique perspective on fashion and lifestyle, blending both worlds to inspire listeners to live boldly and authentically. Whether you're looking to boost your self-confidence, find new ways to e...

Liz of The Midsize Optimize is your hype girl you've been looking for - especially if you fall in the midsize size range. Val and Liz discuss whether there is a world for midsize baddies, and if so, how can we take it over? Or, at least feel confident enough to.

Val and Liz comiserate over life on social media - diving into how much work and effort content creation really takes. They also explore how they got to where they curr...

Powerful, heavy and undeniably potent Nine Layers Deep are bringing thoughtful and simply crushing doom metal to the masses and forcing you to choke on their wonderfully bitter sonic pill.

Val and Alaysa chat about alt girlie things (see the conversation on 90s and 00s fashion), and metal culture as a whole. 

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Nine Layers Deep (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/nine...

Metal vocalist Narcissa shares what really happened behind the scenes while joining AfterTime as their new vocalist.  She also discusses Powerglove, metal culture, mom life, nurturing your mental health, and wedding fashion with serious honesty. You're going to relate to this one!

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Get more Narcissa here: https://www.instagram.com/narcissavox/

AfterTime: https://o...

TW: This episode will discuss domestic violence.

Barbara Blackthorne is making a name in metal by taking on some seriously cool projects! You know her as the front woman for Empress, and now Glyph.

In this episode, Barbara chats her musical journey and her experience with domestic violence. She also shares what we all can do to help. We learn how to identify these serious situations and how best to navigate a loved one going through ...

15 years of experience in the technology industry and a passion for metal turned Jasper De Man into a YouTube content creator ("Belgian Jasper") well known in metal four years ago. The COVID-19 pandemic expedited that mission. Now he's interviewing your favorite metal bands. This is how he did it.

Val and Jasper share and analyze their experiences in media and the music industry.

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In 1997, the world came to know the concept of "girl power" thanks to the Spice Girls. Now, we celebrate the movement every March. It's so important for women to band together, stick together, and help each other in a world that constantly rejects their credentials, opinions and expertise...still...in 2025. 

In this episode, Val wants to bring "girl power" back. She cites Lzzy Hale as a modern example we can...

Interviewer extraordinaire, fellow MySpace millennial and live music enthusiast Stef from Stefs Rock Show has created a platform for everything music and pop culture since those nostalgic moments in the early 00s - controversial moments with Joe Francis and "Tiger King" Joe Exotic included. 

Val and Stef have a lot in common and a lot to chat about when it comes to being women in broadcast and music. In this episode, they ...

There's no better way to kick off March, a month dedicated to women, than by chatting women in music with vocalist Gina Bilardi. In this episode, Val and Gina share their experience as females in the music industry and chat motorcycles and camping. 

Strap in for the ride!

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Get more Gina: https://www.instagram.com/ginab_here/?hl=en

Gina's Women Of Rock Show: https://www.i...

Angela Gentile is a podcaster, content creator, educator and motivational speaker who explains she's, "your elder millennial here to guide you through life's challenging crossroads with resources, support and a whole lotta hype woman energy." Especially if you're a female childless millennial.  

Val and Angela take the opportunity to critique society on the topic, and bemoan millennial life while sharing the...

Chris Johnson is a podcaster (Passion Pod), muralist, influencer, radio host, and entrepreneur based in Wisconsin. He's made his dreams a reality multiple times in his life, and wasn't afraid to pivot when they didn't work out either. He began running his own business at 23, and that taught him a lot. 

Now, Chris is ready to share his journey with Val and the Vigorously fam. Bring your notebook for this one. There&apo...