Royal Hearts’ Ryan Camuto: “Just Go to the Show” | Scars, AI Slop & Fake Streams

Ryan Camuto of Fort Lauderdale’s Royal Hearts joins She Shreds with Rasan to talk about the band’s 2026 run: I Am the Effigy, Consumed (featuring Spencer Timmons of Saltwound), and their latest single, Scars Won’t Fade. Ryan spent nine years as an English teacher before fronting the band, and he gets into how he writes lyrics, why every Royal Hearts song comes back to personal growth, and what “just do the thing” means in Consumed. We also get into what it’s like being a band when every mistake is caught in HD. Ryan shares why real beats perfect in the age of AI slop, why paying for playlists is “payola all over again,” and why fake streams from halfway around the world won’t build a fan base. Plus: Warped Tour memories, honest feedback vs. “vanilla pudding,” middle-child energy, the one city Ryan will never go back to, and why you should always just go to the show. 🎟️ Catch Royal Hearts live: October 25: The Albatross, downtown Jacksonville, FL, with Tallah, Fight From Within, and more December 18: Raleigh, NC, with Evergreen Terrace and Fight From Within Support your local musicians: go to the shows, buy the merch, and tell your friends. 🤘 Keep it loud. Chapters 00:00 Intro: Royal Hearts out of Fort Lauderdale 00:45 Who are Royal Hearts? 01:22 Who writes what, and Ryan’s writing process 03:46 Growing up on Warped Tour–era post-hardcore 05:11 Mosh pits, walls of death, and a kick to the face 07:16 How the band formed (a Craigslist ad in 2018) 08:01 The 2026 releases: I Am the Effigy, Consumed, Scars Won’t Fade 09:27 Bringing in Spencer Timmons of Saltwound 11:19 The meaning behind Consumed: “Just do the thing” 13:34 Every mistake caught in HD 15:53 Running social media for a band 19:25 AI slop and why people crave real 20:34 Spam pitches, fake magazines, and AI’s one good use 28:48 Paying for playlists: “Payola all over again” 32:15 Why bands should build their own playlists 33:15 Mikey, Fight From Within, and Core Collective 35:27 Vocal coach shout-outs: Saving Vice and Not Enough Space 36:13 Play to two people like it’s a full crowd 37:25 The story behind the name Royal Hearts 38:51 Honest feedback and why neutral is the worst 42:38 Middle child energy 43:24 Upcoming shows: Jacksonville and Raleigh 46:51 2027 plans, and will Royal Hearts make it to Ohio? 48:52 Pre-Ink, Inkcarceration, and the wildfire smoke 50:09 Missing My Chemical Romance at Warped Tour 51:14 Ozzfest coming to the US 52:23 “Just go to the show” 54:41 The one place Ryan will never go back to 55:31 Support local musicians and buy the merch 57:54 Helping kids get their first instrument 59:39 Wrap-up: keep it loud 🔗 Follow Royal Hearts: All links: https://linktr.ee/Royalheartsfl Website: https://royalhearts.net #RoyalHearts #SheShredsWithRasan #Metalcore #PostHardcore #MetalPodcast #ScarsWontFade #Consumed #Saltwound #FloridaMetal #FortLauderdale #JacksonvilleMusic#Tallah #FightFromWithin #SupportLocalMusic #HardRockPodcast