--- title: Austin Relyea Raps on Ohio Grown Hip Hop and Building Fiend City description: Discover how Young Fiend transformed his love for music and community into Fiend City, showcasing Ohio's vibrant artist culture at music festivals. image: https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/hubfs/Young%20Fiend.jpeg --- [Skip to the main content.](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/austin-relyea-raps-on-ohio-grown-hip-hop-and-building-fiend-city#main-content) [![MFP Logo - Stage 2 Flat Black Orange-1](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/hs-fs/hubfs/MFP%20Logo%20-%20Stage%202%20Flat%20Black%20Orange-1.jpg?width=1600&height=1600&name=MFP%20Logo%20-%20Stage%202%20Flat%20Black%20Orange-1.jpg "MFP Logo - Stage 2 Flat Black Orange-1")](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com) [![MFP Logo - Stage 2 Flat Black Orange-1](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/hs-fs/hubfs/MFP%20Logo%20-%20Stage%202%20Flat%20Black%20Orange-1.jpg?width=1600&height=1600&name=MFP%20Logo%20-%20Stage%202%20Flat%20Black%20Orange-1.jpg "MFP Logo - Stage 2 Flat Black Orange-1")](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com) - [Home](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com) - [Podcast](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/podcast) - [Campfire Blog](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog) - [Festival Documentaries](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/music-festival-documentary-films) - [Band Interviews](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/band-interviews) - [Get in Touch](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/contact) Search Toggle Menu Search Toggle Menu - [Home](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com) - [Podcast](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/podcast) - [Campfire Blog](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog) - [Festival Documentaries](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/music-festival-documentary-films) - [Band Interviews](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/band-interviews) - [Get in Touch](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/contact) - Example Link - Example Link - Example Link 2 min read # Austin Relyea Raps on Ohio Grown Hip Hop and Building Fiend City [![Picture of Neighbor N8](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/hubfs/Neighbor%20N8%20-%20MFP%20Headshot.png) Neighbor N8](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/author/neighbor-n8) : Jun 10, 2026 1:24:40 PM [festival venue preview](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/tag/festival-venue-preview) [music festival news](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/tag/music-festival-news) [MFP Brand Partner](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/tag/mfp-brand-partner) ![Austin Relyea Raps on Ohio Grown Hip Hop and Building Fiend City](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/hubfs/Young%20Fiend.jpeg) One of the things I love most about traveling from festival to festival is discovering the people who help make these communities what they are. Sometimes that's a headlining musician, sometimes it's a festival founder, and sometimes it's somebody working the merch tent all weekend who ends up having one of the most interesting stories on the property. That's where this week's conversation begins. In this episode of [Music Festivals Podcast](https://www.youtube.com/@musicfestivalspodcast), I sat down with [Austin Relyea](https://www.instagram.com/youngfiendofficial/) — better known as [Young Fiend](https://www.instagram.com/youngfiendofficial/) — to talk about music, community, [Hookahville](https://ekoostik.com/event/hookahville/), and the journey that led him to create Fiend City, a growing platform dedicated to showcasing artists and stories from Ohio's unique music culture.       ### From Fan to Family If you've spent any time around the jam-band world, you've probably heard people say that festivals feel like family reunions. Most of us nod our heads and move on, but for Austin, that idea became reality.![Austin & GF](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Austin%20%26%20GF.jpeg?width=507&height=338&name=Austin%20%26%20GF.jpeg) His connection to the [Ekoostik Hookah](https://ekoostik.com/) community started the same way it starts for many of us: showing up, meeting people, and returning year after year. Over time, familiar faces became friendships, friendships became opportunities, and before long he found himself working behind the scenes, helping with merchandise operations and becoming part of the larger Hookahville family. That's one of the beautiful things about this scene. The line between attendee and contributor is often thinner than people realize. Show up enough, lend a hand, care about the community, and eventually you become part of the story. ### Hip-Hop in a Jam-Band World ![Young Fiend 2](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Young%20Fiend%202.jpeg?width=168&height=299&name=Young%20Fiend%202.jpeg)What makes Austin's story especially interesting is that he's not a jam-band musician—he's a hip-hop artist. At first glance, those worlds might seem completely different, but spend enough time in campground circles and you'll realize they share more DNA than people think. Both communities value authenticity, celebrate independent artists, and are built around live experiences that create genuine connections between performers and audiences. [Young Fiend](https://www.instagram.com/youngfiendofficial/)has found a way to bridge those worlds, bringing hip-hop into spaces traditionally dominated by improvisational rock, bluegrass, and psychedelic jams. Rather than forcing himself to fit a mold, he's embraced what makes him different and used it as a way to contribute something unique to the culture. ### Building Fiend City One of the most exciting parts of our conversation centered around Fiend City. What started as a personal creative outlet has evolved into something much larger—a platform designed to amplify artists, creators, and stories emerging from Ohio's music community. If you've followed Music Festivals Podcast for any length of time, you know this mission resonates with me. The biggest stories in live music aren't always happening on the largest stages. More often, they're found in local venues, campground jams, vendor villages, and late-night conversations around a fire. They're happening in communities that mainstream music media often overlooks. Fiend City is helping shine a light on those stories, and frankly, we need more of that. ### Looking Ahead ![Young Fiend](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Young%20Fiend.jpeg?width=266&height=320&name=Young%20Fiend.jpeg)As Fiend City continues to grow and [Young Fiend](https://music.apple.com/us/song/fiend-city-hoedown-feat-tobyraps/1782221561) continues developing as an artist, it feels like we're watching the early chapters of a much larger story unfold. The Ohio festival scene has always had a way of producing passionate people who care deeply about music and community, and Austin is carrying that tradition forward in his own way. That's what makes conversations like this worth having. Because at the end of the day, music festivals aren't just about the music—they're about the people, the friendships, the communities, and the stories that connect us all. And every once in a while, you meet somebody whose journey captures all of those things at once.   ### Festival Performance of the Week: Dandy Lush Live Performance -  Sunshine Hootennany Tiny Fest Concert [Dandy Lush](https://www.dandylush.com/) (Dunedin, FL) fuses together each players' influence & experience to create a unique sound aimed at tantalizing the senses. This special acoustic performance was captured during the [Sunshine Hootennany Music & Arts Festival](https://www.facebook.com/SunshineMusicandArtFestivals/) in 2025.     Video Credit: [@musicfestivalspodcast](https://www.youtube.com/@musicfestivalspodcast)—  Dandy Lush Live Performance | Sunshine Hootennany Tiny Fest Concert     - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![HangCon 2026 Recap: Beginners Guide to Hammock Camping](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/hubfs/Bananna%20Hammock%20Hang.jpg)](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/hangcon-2026-recap-beginners-guide-to-hammock-camping) #### [HangCon 2026 Recap: Beginners Guide to Hammock Camping](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/hangcon-2026-recap-beginners-guide-to-hammock-camping) ![Picture of Neighbor N8](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Neighbor%20N8%20-%20MFP%20Headshot.png?width=30&name=Neighbor%20N8%20-%20MFP%20Headshot.png) [Neighbor N8](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/author/neighbor-n8) : Feb 11, 2026 12:00:00 PM In Episode 68 of the Music Festivals Podcast, I recap HangCon 2026 at Florida Sand Music Ranch while celebrating the Will McLean Foundation’s... [festival venue preview](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/tag/festival-venue-preview) [music festival news](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/tag/music-festival-news) [MFP Brand Partner](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/tag/mfp-brand-partner) [Read More](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/hangcon-2026-recap-beginners-guide-to-hammock-camping) [![The Science Behind Your Brain at Music Festivals with Dr. Paul J. Zak](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/hubfs/Main%20Image%20for%20Post%20-%20Love.jpeg)](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/the-science-behind-your-brain-at-music-festivals-with-dr.-paul-j.-zak) #### [The Science Behind Your Brain at Music Festivals with Dr. Paul J. Zak](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/the-science-behind-your-brain-at-music-festivals-with-dr.-paul-j.-zak) ![Picture of Neighbor N8](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Neighbor%20N8%20-%20MFP%20Headshot.png?width=30&name=Neighbor%20N8%20-%20MFP%20Headshot.png) [Neighbor N8](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/author/neighbor-n8) : Jun 10, 2026 1:25:21 PM If you've spent any time at a music festival, you've probably felt it. That moment when you're singing along with thousands of strangers and somehow... [festival venue preview](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/tag/festival-venue-preview) [music festival news](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/tag/music-festival-news) [MFP Brand Partner](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/tag/mfp-brand-partner) [Read More](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/the-science-behind-your-brain-at-music-festivals-with-dr.-paul-j.-zak) [![Walnut Valley Festival Preview — National Flat Picking Championships](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/hubfs/Screen%20Shot%202026-07-13%20at%204.14.37%20PM.png)](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/walnut-valley-festival-preview) #### [Walnut Valley Festival Preview — National Flat Picking Championships](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/walnut-valley-festival-preview) ![Picture of Neighbor N8](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Neighbor%20N8%20-%20MFP%20Headshot.png?width=30&name=Neighbor%20N8%20-%20MFP%20Headshot.png) [Neighbor N8](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/author/neighbor-n8) : Jul 14, 2026 6:15:54 PM In this episode of Music Festivals Podcast, I sat down with Executive Director Bart Redford to explore what has made Walnut Valley one of America's... [festival venue preview](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/tag/festival-venue-preview) [music festival news](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/tag/music-festival-news) [MFP Brand Partner](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/tag/mfp-brand-partner) [Read More](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/walnut-valley-festival-preview) ##### About Music Festivals Podcast About Music Festivals Podcast ![NeighborN8 No Background](https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/hs-fs/hubfs/NeighborN8%20No%20Background.png?width=323&height=242&name=NeighborN8%20No%20Background.png) I'm your host [@neighborN8fests](https://www.instagram.com/neighborn8fests/) (follow me on Instagram) and I am stoked to be your neighbor in this little festival adventure we're on.  Join me every Friday as we dive into the music festival scene with onsite footage, interviews, performances and even festival camping hacks so that you can know before you go... Music Festivals Podcast is a weekly podcast with new episodes every Friday everywhere you get your podcasts. Find daily videos of live festival performances and more on the [YouTube Channel.](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClgQs3tJlctNKPDLJ0_Fgyg) Want to get in touch? [Email Neighbor Nate.](mailto:neighborn8@musicfestivalspodcast.com) ##### Featured Festival Highlights Featured Festival Highlights   - Privacy Policy - Become a Guest - Sponsor a Season © 2026 Music Festivals Podcast is a production of NRMedia Group, LLC | All Rights Reserved ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Neighbor N8", "url" : "https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/author/neighbor-n8" }, "dateModified" : "2026-06-10T17:24:40.310Z", "datePublished" : "2026-06-10T17:24:40.000Z", "headline" : "Austin Relyea Raps on Ohio Grown Hip Hop and Building Fiend City", "image" : [ "https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/hubfs/Young%20Fiend.jpeg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/blog/austin-relyea-raps-on-ohio-grown-hip-hop-and-building-fiend-city", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://musicfestivalspodcast.com/hubfs/MFP%20Logo%20-%20Stage%202%20Flat%20Black%20Orange-2.jpg" } } } ```