🔩 🧌 🫃🏻 🔊 🫵

A TASTE OF TASTE WITH...

PROVOKER

The Los Angeles-based band stops by to tell us what they've been into.

July 7, 2025

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Provoker is a Los Angeles–based band composed of vocalist Christian Crow Petty, guitarist Jonathon Lopez, and bassist Wil Palacios. I first came across them through their 2023 single “Debt Collector” (still bumping it), and was immediately drawn in by their darkwavey, post-punk sound. Since signing to the cult Swedish label YEAR0001, Provoker has released three records. Their latest project, Mausoleum, dropped this May – check it out here. The band just wrapped up a U.S. tour and recently announced their UK/EU leg, so be sure to snag your tickets. Lucky for us, Provoker’s here to tell us what they’ve been into.

WHAT Provoker IS INTO...

🔩

Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989) - OST by Chu Ishikawa

Brutal, claustrophobic, alien, dehumanizing. Important soundtrack for industrial music and experimental film soundtracks. One of my all time favorites. -Jonathon

🧌

Lou Miami - Ghosts

-Jonathon

🫃🏻

Eating 2 (or more) dinners back to back.

Or just ordering multiple entrees for yourself. -Jonathon

🔊

Guitar riff from CKY’s 96 quite bitter beings

Loop it for eternity. The riff’s been giving me chills for years. -Jonathon

🫵😂

Point emoji + laugh cry emoji

It’s playful on the surface but actually evil. -Jonathon

🌑

Joe Dirt’s epiphany

“Suddenly, while staring up at the moon l had this strange feeling that exact moment Brandy was staring at that same moon. And we were together. All at once, I understood everything. I had a home all along with a friend who really cared about me.” -Jonathon

🍗

Rotisserie Chicken

I’ve made it my mission to find the best rotisserie chicken in Los Angeles, documenting each one with detailed notes on seasoning, texture, and how the juices settle in the tray. It’s more than just food—it’s a focused, grounding obsession that gives structure to my week and a quiet sense of joy. -Wil

🛁

Morning cold plunge

Every morning at 7:45 sharp, I step into the cold plunge—the routine, the intensity, the predictability—it all holds me together. The pressure of the water, the sting on my skin, the tight rhythm of my breath pulls everything into focus, stripping away the noise until I feel real again. -Wil

🥤

Cleveland Brown drink

I don’t drink water anymore. I can think clearly now. -Wil

🪄

Magic

When I was a teenager I was obsessed with magic. I would spend countless hours learning mostly close-up tricks. When I grew up I stopped dedicating as much time into it but I still practice and can do most of the ones I did as a kid. I’m trying to figure out ways to translate the art of illusion to our live shows. I’ve done tricks on stage before but I’d like to make a proper magic segment. Probably when I learn how to saw someone in half or disappear into a puff of smoke. -Christian

🧪

Perfumery

I’ve had this idea of making my own perfume for a while. It’s a pretty grueling process to actually make a perfume and get the measurements correct; I have no idea what I’m doing. In a way it feels like writing a song, telling a story with the different notes and then throwing a title on it. -Christian

🇸🇪

Snus

When I say snus I don’t mean the real kind. I mean the ones that tastes like cola or bubblegum. I love it. Since our label is Swedish we get to go out there a lot every time I go into any convenience store I see a new flavor that I have to try. I could build an entire home with all the cans I’ve bought -Christian

🪲

Bugs

Theres something meditative about observing how they interact with the world. It briefly pulls me out of being self centered and reminds me to slow down. -Christian

🫂

Jiu Jitsu

It’s something you can learn forever. It feels like every time I train I’m trying something new, sometimes it works and a lot of times it doesn’t. Its intense but peaceful at the same time, like learning how to relax when someone is trying to kill you. -Christian

🐶

Paranoia Agent

My favorite anime, the story, the soundtrack. I love the way it blends fantasy with reality. I rewatch it once a year and it inspires me in many ways. -Christian

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PROVOKER

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