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Born and raised in North County, Poli van Dam is now raising her own family and rocking the music scene with her punk rock band, The Bombpops!

We recently had the opportunity to interview Poli on MomsTown365, The Daily Podcast for Mom Creators (Episode #86). She inspired us with her talent, personality and sheer authenticity. So, without further adieu, here’s more of our interview with the leader of the band:

QTELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

My name is Poli van Dam. I’m married to a rad dude named Mike and we have an awesome 8-year-old kid named Adler. My husband and I met when our bands played together in Los Angeles 11 years ago and the rest, as they say, is history. I play guitar and sing in a pop punk band called The Bombpops that I started circa 2008 in North County San Diego. We have recorded albums and toured the US and Europe tons of times. With me being a touring musician, a Type 1 Diabetic, and doing a brief stint at rehab, my family has been through a lot, but we always have the best time together and genuinely live life to the fullest. It may sound cheesy or cliche, but it’s ever so true.

QHOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PLAYING MUSIC & WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO START A MUSIC CAREER?

I have been playing music more or less my whole life! I started taking piano lessons when I was 5, then played clarinet in middle school, and bought my first guitar when I was 13. It was all so natural and perfect - I remember the first time playing in a rehearsal studio with real amps, super loud for the first time, and I knew it was what I wanted to do forever. I was motivated by the rush of adrenaline that I felt, I can remember it to this day. I came home and was like “Mom, I’m doing this.” Q WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST JOY IN PLAYING MUSIC?

:My greatest joy in playing music is seeing how my band has inspired people. Hearing that our songs got someone through a tough time or inspiring a young lady to pick up the guitar and start learning. When we are up on stage and the feeling you get when you can hear the crowd singing your lyrics louder than you can hear yourself, when that happens, that’s pure joy for me.

QWHAT HAS BEEN THE GREATEST OBSTACLE/HARDSHIP YOU’VE HAD TO OVERCOME IN YOUR MUSIC CAREER?

We’ve been through a lot as a band. My best friend Jen and I started it together in 2008, and went through our fair share of drummers and bass players over the years. It felt like starting over every time but Jen and I stuck through it all and as of now we’ve maintained the same drummer and bass player for 10 years. Touring is also hard, that’s an obstacle for sure. It’s not easy living with 4/5 other people for a month on the road, missing home, and feeling exhausted. I am also Type 1 Diabetic as I said, so traveling makes it harder to manage my sugars.