Even if he rarely shows his face in press photos, nothing,nowhere. has been unmasking himself a great deal lately.

The 26-year old Vermont-based artist born Joe Mulherin has released two albums of visceral, emotionally-desperate music over the past nine months, exploring heartbreak, loneliness and his own vulnerability. Singing and rapping, he matches trap beats to the textures and aesthetics of second- and third-wave emo music: hazy, delicate beds of guitar and yearning, full-throated vocals.

"I like to consider what I do experimental,” he says in this week’s #AlternativeFacts podcast. "This type of music isn't for everyone, and I don't expect it to be for everyone.”

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Still, the cult keeps growing. Dashboard Confessional frontman Chris Carrabba sings a memorable verse on last October's Reaper, nothing,nowhere.’s first release for Pete Wentz’s DCD2 Records. He's been performing more frequently now, with stops at Lollapalooza and Billboard’s Hot 100 Fest planned this summer. He also promises what he calls “secret mad scientist” music arriving in the coming months.

Three or four new projects during the time it takes most alternative artists to release one album? nothing,nowhere. and his primary producer Jay Vee met on SoundCloud, and they carry its ethos; their release pace provides an intriguing path for guitar-oriented music to keep pace with hip-hop’s flood-the-market release model.

nothing,nowhere. and Jay Vee are fascinating figures, and we’re excited to present this in-depth chat. The duo describes how a love of the hardcore band Title Fight brought them together on SoundCloud, how a an out-of-left-field Hot 100 pop crooner reached out to express his fandom, a terrifying bear encounter in the Vermont wilderness, and much more.

#AlternativeFacts is a weekly Billboard podcast devoted to all things alternative music. Click here to subscribe to the #AlternativeFacts Podcast on iTunes. Let us know what you think on Twitter (@cpayneonaplane) and by rating the podcast on iTunes.