Some of our writers have recommended their favourite new shows – all of the released in the past four months. And of course, we catch-up on some of the shows we’ve been recommending weekly in our newsletter…

Self Help by Scottee
Recommended by Suchandrika Chakrabarti

Multi-hyphenate writer and performer Scottee has made a podcast about mental health, which feels like a series of deeply intimate voice notes from your mate who’s just had an epiphany they had to share. As Scottee strode through the rain, I trudged through the drizzle, and listened to him laying out the podcast’s mission statement: “What happens when I’m left alone with the voices in my head, something doctors are always trying to stop me from doing.” Spending time alone with Scottee’s voice in your head is alternately painful and uplifting, illuminating and righteous-anger-provoking. His words will stay with you. Listen now >>

Things Fell Apart – Series 2
Recommended by Tom Nicholson

Jon Ronson’s excellent culture wars pod returns for a second series picking away at the wrong presumptions and half-truths which spawned some of the most insidious wedge issues in British and American politics. This time the conspiracy theory which says 15-minute cities are a Big Government plot is traced back to a meeting at Chipping Norton Town Hall, the death of George Floyd is connected to a spurious mental health diagnosis in the eighties, and lockdown laws in Michigan get a young man mixed up in a terrible crime. Level-headed, humane and meticulous. Listen now >>

The Gatekeepers
Recommended by Zainab Amer

In this eight-part series, author and journalist Jamie Bartlett journeys into Big Tech’s dominance over information. The first episode transports us back to the Capitol riots in 2021 and Trump’s subsequent Twitter suspension. Marking a pivotal moment, Jamie traces social media’s roots back to the 1960s counterculture and a Bill passed by Clinton. Featuring compelling interviews with early tech pioneers, we are left pondering: where do we go from here? The Gatekeepers offers us a fly-on-the-wall experience for anyone interested in how a handful of companies have come to dictate not just what we see, but even what we think. Listen now >>

Never Post
Recommended by Katie Stokes

I love listening to commentary about the internet on the internet. It’s a uniquely meta experience, one I’ve thoroughly enjoyed on the newly released Never Post. The first few episodes are loaded with questions about life online – what is Posting Disease? Why does “influencer voice” exist? When did metrics replace community? And who better qualified to host than Mike Rugnetta, veteran internet dweller and creator who adds this to his array of podcast and video content. Mike shares recent news about the web and story segments with guests, with playful interludes throughout. If the first few episodes are indicative of what’s to come, we can expect curated and creative observations from unexpected pockets of the internet. Listen now >>

GASBAGS
Recommended by Francesca Turauskis

If you’re after a masterclass in how to do a buddy podcast to a professional standard, give GASBAGS a go. Given that the show is run by audio-producers, Anna Perrott and Sophie Little, it’s no surprise that this podcast sounds great, and part of the draw for me was the meta-audio concept. Anna and Sophie speak to us from their non-profit podcast studio SOUNDYARD, and offer much-needed transparency to the ups and downs of running a small business as women (with questionable maths skills). This show could have been dry… but the friendship chat is wholesome without being bloated, and the solid structure keeps episodes under half an hour. As a bonus for audio fans, every episode has podcast recommendations and a ‘found sound’ of the week to keep your ears attuned. I am slightly obsessed. Listen now >>

The Plug Podcast
Recommended by Takudzwa Mudiwa

The Plug Podcast connects content creators of colour to creative opportunities. Host Simone Pennant lets us into the conversations her community are having about TV (for example, the response to Jeremy Hunt’s comments comparing British TV to “Hollywood” even though it is facing a major economic downturn) and just four episodes in, there is already a never-ending list of names providing a mix of concrete advice and words of encouragement. This is a thoughtful podcast for creatives of colour and is very informative for anyone who is just interested in TV. The name ‘The Plug’ comes from the idea that someone provides you with valuable resources and information and that is exactly what this podcast does. Listen now >>

Recommendations from our newsletter:

Camlann – one for fiction fans, this podcast is inspired by Arthurian legends but set in a post-apocalyptic Wales. The music and voice acting are both very moving. Listen now >>

Weird Transfers – A series to add to your list of football podcasts, this well-thought-out mini series comes from Sumit Sharma of Breaking Atoms: The Hip Hop Podcasts. It looks into weird football transfers and ran during this season’s transfer window. Listen now >> 

Serial: Series Four – It needs a recommendation as Serial has once again made it to the top of the charts, but the new looks into the truth of Guantánamo in the way only Serial can. Listen now >>

The 3 Body Podcast – Obsessed with the Netflix new series? Did you know there is a companion podcast? There’s a lot to unpack in the 3 Body Problem, and the podcast goes deeper into aspects that are difficult to address in the sci-fi format. Listen now >>

Dead River – Dead River is the story of Brazil’s worst environmental disaster — the Mariana dam collapse — that claimed the lives of 19 people. This isn’t just a tale about the tragedy itself though, but rather a look at the relationship with nature, pursuit of happiness, the impact of greed, and the overnight disappearance of centuries-old traditions. Listen now >>

Oceans: Life Under Water – A collaboration between Crowd Network and Greenpeace UK, this podcast aims to connect people to the world we don’t often see under water. Each episode brings us a couple of interviews and some watery sound design as wildlife filmmaker and broadcaster Hannah Stitfall meets freedivers, whale experts, and much more. Listen now >>

Untold: The Retreat – A fascinating first story for the new investigative series from the Financial Times. Untold: The Retreat examines a group that promotes the intensive meditation known as Vipassana. Thousands of people go on Goenka retreats every year to practise Vispassana, but some participants feel a deep sense of terror, and even a break with reality after such deep meditation. Listen now >> 

Want weekly recommendations for new podcasts? Make sure you’re signed up to our newsletter to find out about our favourite new shows as they are released! Do you have a new podcast you want us to know about? Get in touch here.

The post The best new podcasts of SPRING 2024 appeared first on POD BIBLE.

That’s why we’ve once again asked some of our writers to recommend the shows they think you should check out, before sharing some of the shows we’ve recommended in our newsletter…

Why?
Recommended by Tom Nicholson

I have a soft spot for podcasts which get academics on to talk at length about their extremely specific niche, and another soft spot for podcasts which talk about big, wobbly ideas which make me feel a bit freaked out. In the middle of this Venn soft spot is Why?, which has asked a series of cosmically huge, reality-shaking questions in an accessible, approachable way. Is time real? Why do we remember things that never happened? What will humans look like in a million years? Why? has such an easy-going, brain-expanding feel to it that it’s hard not to be charmed. Listen now >>

No Worries If Not
Recommended by Katie Stokes

Feminist writer and cartoonist Lily O’Farrell (aka @VulgaDrawings) has a gift for on-the-nose commentary about internet culture and how it affects women. Luckily, she’s brought these observations to podcast form. If you’ve personally been the victim of an ‘almond mum’, worry about the effects of digital domesticity, or have been on the receiving end of an ‘alpha male’ monologue, you may find solace in this show. Relevancy on the internet is fickle, yet this podcast manages to live in the present – a show about right now, for right now. Give it a listen to stay up to date, but of course…no worries if not! Listen now >>

What Now? With Trevor Noah
Recommended by Mimi Jones

South African comedian and political commentator Trevor Noah has taken the dive into podcasts with “What Now? With Trevor Noah” and we’re loving it. It is a witty, pleasing on the ears show, following conversations with various celebrities exploring their views on anything and everything. The point isn’t to change your mind on them, or their subjects they discuss, but, in Trevor’s words, purely to walk away saying ‘Huh, that gave me something to think about’. The conversations are dynamic, deeply personal, political without being too heavy, and with Trevor’s classic comedic flair. Listen now >>

28 Dates Later
Recommended by Laviea Thomas

28 Dates Later is the *perfect* podcast to tune into if you’re a single woman in your early 20s. More specifically, if you’ve ever been, or currently are trapped in the hell hole that is dating apps. This podcast officially launched Monday 6th November and has been a hot topic for me every week since. It’s the perfect giggle and makes you feel better about your own dating life, whilst simultaneously giving you a sense of reassurance. It’s a confidence boost to remind yourself to not put all your worth in the hands of the people you date. Listen now >>

Stories from the Village of Nothing Much
Recommended by Takudzwa Mudiwa

iHeartPodcasts’ Stories from the Village of Nothing Much podcast is warm and present. Yoga and meditation teacher Kathryn Nicolai takes us through a fictional village where she points out the simple pleasures of life; twinkling of stars and snowflakes falling. She explains that the stories are from her previous podcast Nothing Much Happens: those bedtime stories intended for the listener to fall asleep have been altered in this new show for general relaxation. First episode we hear “Bustle in the City” – it is holiday themed and we are let into the protagonist’s personal traditions with friends and playful disputes with family. With atmospheric sound design; a quiet drum roll here and the opening of a local gift shop there paired with gentle narration this is perfect to wind down. I’m excited about what other stories they have. Listen now >>

The Rest Is Entertainment
Recommended by Jason Reed

Sometimes you get a combination of people who are startling close to your fantasy dinner party – we all have those, right?! For me journalist Marina Hyde, and all-round great TV bloke Richard Osman, could quite possibly be on my invite list. Individually they are sublime communicators, the type of people who make any conversation amusing and interesting, and together their chemistry makes you listen with a comfy ease. The podcast is ultimately a showbiz review column… which sounds like my personal idea of hell, but they make the concept work. Whether reviewing the latest documentaries, or giving a quasi obituary to Henry Kissinger, the show is about as eclectic as it gets. You either passively converse along with the presenters on the topics you’re familiar with, or you begin to seek out the ones that you’re not. It’s quite lovely! Listen now >>

Other recommendations:

Carrie Jade Does Not Exist

A six-part series hosted by Sue Perkins and journalist Katherine Denkinson, Carrie Jade Does Not Exist is the story of how one woman, who took on over six different identities, infiltrated the lives of vulnerable people, and lied her way into gaining their trust. Based on an expose article written by Denkinson in 2022, this show mostly takes the form of Denkinson telling the story – with a little help from actors reading quotes from the victims – whilst Sue Perkins asks questions and makes comments. This might fill the gap for listeners needing a catfish-controversy. Listen now >>

Unlawful Killing

Every year, hundreds of people die at the hands of the very institutions that are meant to keep us safe – police, prisons, and mental health services. Bereaved families are left fighting for answers, demanding justice, and campaigning for change. This podcast from the charity INQUEST is hosted by Lucy Brisbane and Lee Lawrence, and shines a light on state violence, death, grief and resistance. Listen now >>

Springleaf

Congratulations to one of our former cover stars (issue #015), James Acaster on the launch of his new podcast. Springleaf! is based on James Acaster’s undercover cop alter-ego Pat Springleaf. Well. Pat was under cover under recently, but now he’s sharing his wire recordings from the drug-smuggling operation he’s been trying to take down since 2013. Or, is Springleaf is a new comedy crime podcast written by and starring James Acaster? With jokes, sound effects and original music by (American-Nigerian multi-instrumentalist) NNAMDÏ, Springleaf is a true(ish) crime podcast, created with the support of crowdfunding, and the Wall of Thanks lists the names of all the backers. Listen now >>

Heirs of Enslavement

Heirs of Enslavement explores the Transatlantic slave trade, but at it’s core, it is telling the story of two individuals – Clive Lewis MP, a descendent of the enslaved, and Laura Trevelyan, a descendent of the enslaver. In the spirit of bringing different perspectives, we’ve shared two reviews on the podcast: One from a writer that can relate to Clive, and one from a writer that can relate to Laura… Listen now >>

Legacy

Legacy is a new history podcast, produced between Wondery and Goalhanger Podcasts. Afua Hirsch and Peter Frankopan tell the wild stories of some of the most extraordinary men and women ever to have lived – and ask whether they have the rep they deserve. Starting with the very topical Napoleon, they ask whether the man was a hero or a tyrant – or both? (And, while we’re at it, was he even short?) Listen now >>

Climate Decoded

With multiple hosts and a diverse array of guests Climate Decoded strives to make climate science and policy accessible and engaging for everyone. The first episode on the IPCC in particular gives a fascinating insight to the processes, limitations and biases behind reporting climate science. Listen now >>

The post The best new pods of WINTER 2023 appeared first on POD BIBLE.

Deciding what counts as a ‘best’ podcast is always tricky. A tried-and-tested format taking on a new subject will always be appealing; an in-depth investigation of a scandal will keep us glued to headphones; a favourite comedian talking about something that resonates is sure to entertain.

Once again, we’ve asked some of our writers to help us whittle down some new shows, and help us decide – what are the best new podcasts of Autumn 2023? Read on to see if you agree!

The Missing Madonna
Recommended by Tom Nicholson

A good art heist is always podcasting gold dust, and when Leonardo da Vinci’s Madonna of the Yarnwinder was snatched from Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries and Galloway in 2003, it looked like an exceptionally good art heist. Until, that is, details started to emerge: the thieves had dressed up as tourists and simply walked out with the painting, put in their VW Golf and made off with it. The police were on the trail quickly, and all sorts of capers ensue: ransom money, missed drop-offs, and a temperamental Jaguar. Host Olivia Graham’s dad was one of the cops involved, and adds layers of peppy personal detail. Listen now on your podcast app >>

If This Food Could Talk
Recommended by Zainab Amer

Claudia Hanna – lifestyle expert – serves up her debut podcast. Each episode uncovers a common food and why it remains popular today. Claudia and guests traverse histories and empires to discover why. The ice-cream episode is a must-listen, brimming with historical facts that go unrecognised. Learn how slavery innovated and brought famous dishes to the masses. Why did the US Navy ransom ice-cream in rescuing soldiers during WW2? The inaugural launch is packed with stories, recipes, and tips. Claudia is a natural. A refreshing and uplifting take on our most favoured foods. Listen now on your podcast app >>

Sara & Cariad’s Weirdos Book Club
Recommended by Catherine Renton

If you want to join a book club but don’t like wine, nibbles or other people, Sara Pascoe and Cariad Lloyd’s podcast is just what you need. The hosts bring their own brand of humour to the podcast, which features writers and comedians talking about zeitgeisty books like Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey and Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater. Pascoe, Lloyd and their guests have great insights into their book choices, often picking out themes or discussions you may not have thought of. The opening episode featuring Nish Kumar, who brings I’m a Fan by Sheena Patel, features great conversations about Instagram, ‘wet’ boyfriends and race issues. Listen now on your podcast app >>

Your Mama’s Kitchen
Recommended by Katie Stokes

Michele Norris presents a menu of celebrity guests across entertainment, sports and culinary arts, opening with none other than Michelle Obama. They welcome you into the kitchens across their lives and send you home with a recipe close to their hearts. The show traces the habits, lessons, and beliefs of some of the most successful people on the planet back to the heart of the home. Considering the conversations are centred around the power of maternal and community influence, at points, the interviews lacked the perspective and contribution of the people being discussed. Nevertheless, ‘Your Mama’s Kitchen’ delivers a sweet, hearty, and nourishing take on the places and people that shape us. Listen now on your podcast app >>

Eerie
Recommended by Francesca Turauskis

One that I found via our magazine, this is the perfect show for the spookiest month. Eerie is a series of original audio horror stories, and whilst it’s hosted and produced by Anna Bogutskaya – of The Final Girls – each episode is written by someone different. I love anthology shows like this, each providing a little something different. The acting and production of the second episode in particular hits enough realistic touch-points through the ‘found-footage’ (or ‘found-audio’?) to make me marginally terrified to listen to voicenotes from now on… Listen now on your podcast app >>

Other recommendations:

Hooked On Freddie

Podcasts based on scandals are commonplace, but Wondery have really found one with a unique hook – the true story of a dolphin sex scandal set in a sleepy English town in the late 1980s. It’s a ridiculous story that you wouldn’t imagine having lifetime consequences, but the ripple effects add a layer of tragedy. The episodes may have a heavy subject matter but feature real moments of genuine levity to break the tension. Read our full review here or listen now on your podcast app >>

The Rest Is Football

Goalhanger Podcasts – the company behind The Rest Is History, The Rest is Politics and the also new The Rest Is Money – have added another show to their winning-format. Gary Lineker (one of Goalhanger founders) is joined by Micah Richards and Alan Shearer to bring opinions and inside knowledge on the world of football, both past and present. We highlighted an episode in Issue #029 and like many listeners, we’re glad to hear Gary himself on one of the Goalhanger podcasts – and of course it was going to be a football one! Listen now on your podcast app >>

Noted

A new entry to the news podcast genre, Noted is aimed at a younger audience. Mary Mandefield helps listeners make sense of the biggest talking points, and meets the people who really know their stuff and the ones who have lived it too.. with a Whatsapp for listener questions and feedback, this should grow a community following quickly. Listen now on your podcast app >>

Wrestling Is Too Much Fun

A new fighter has entered the ring – this new show is all about the love of professional wrestling. Created by AJ Thee Visionary it is the first UK-based wrestling podcast created by Black women, so there is of course lots of unique perspectives, laugh-out-loud humour, pop culture references and random banter. Listen now on your podcast app >>

Uncharted with Hannah Fry

Behind every line on a graph, there lies an extraordinary human story. Mathematician Hannah Fry is here to tell us ten of them. The first episode explores the idea of the ‘returning soldier effect’ where more boys tend to be born after periods of war. The fact that the effect is real is interesting, and the reasons behind it are well worth a listen. Listen now on your podcast app >>

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Want more recommendations of the latest podcast? Sign up to our newsletter for our choice of the best classic, indie and new podcasts every week!

The post The best new pods of AUTUMN 2023 appeared first on POD BIBLE.

For this New Pods, we are bringing you some recommendations from some new writers. We’re looking forward to sharing some more from these writers on the Pod Bible website in the coming months. But for now, check out the new podcasts they think are worthy to grace your headphones…

Digging With Flo
Recommended by Isabella McDonnell, Xeno podcast

Digging with Flo is a new weekly podcast from NTS Radio hosted by the station’s Breakfast Show presenter, Flo Dill. Flo shares her love of gardening by interviewing guests as they do gardening tasks together on her allotment. Music artists, from rappers to post-punk musicians, get their hands dirty with mulch and compost, while listeners explore the roots of their creative lives. Being on Flo’s allotment transforms the interview environment. Metaphors powerfully emerge around ideas of creativity and cultivation, and listeners get deeper conversations that unveil the artists’ nurturing and surreptitious sides. Listen on your podcast app >>

Session Zero
Recommended by Joshua Watson, Freelance Video/Audio Editor

Session Zero is a role-playing podcast with a therapeutic twist. Hosted by Ben (an experienced game master) and Mike (a therapist and avid player) the show isn’t afraid to tackle topics like imposter syndrome or using role-playing as a form of therapy. That being said, it sometimes strays into the realm of a regular DnD podcast, focusing more on the game than therapy. With engaging hosts and a strong premise, I believe Session Zero just needs to more consistently focus on this unique idea to be a “natural twenty” of a podcast. Listen on your podcast app >>

Shiny Bob: The Devil’s Advocate
Recommended by Zainab Amer, Freelance Writer

Scotland during the late 1980s and early 90s was gripped with rumours of a conspiracy – that gay lawyers and judges were perverting the course of justice – and Shiny Bob had the “list” of their names. Award-winning journalist, Myles Bonnar, unravels a news story that threatened the Scottish legal system, and wiped out reputations along with it. His sensitive commentary provides a powerful listen, as well as insight into a time where homophobia and fear were used as cover-ups. It transpires that a master manipulator was using this fear as a diversion tactic from his own horrific crimes. Listen on your podcast app >>

Objeks & Tings
Recommended by Jelena Sofronijevic, EMPIRE LINES podcast and freelance journalist

With its first release on Windrush Day, Objeks & Tings is perfectly timed to celebrate 75 years of Caribbean people, culture, and their contributions in the UK. Each episode explores the story behind an object deeply cherished by an individual, from dutch pots to hot combs. But listeners also get to enjoy personal stories from Catherine and Lynda – the mother-daughter duo behind both the podcast and Museumand, The National Caribbean Heritage Museum. Their bickering over sound systems and who is doing the cooking gives the listener as much food for thought as their fascinating conversations about Black histories and contemporary experiences. Listen on your podcast app >>

The Louis Theroux Podcast
Recommended by Mimi Jones (they/them), Young City Laureate

When I tell you that I never expected to care so deeply about Shania Twain’s personal history, believe me. But after listening to Louis Theroux so gently exploring her past on his new podcast, I couldn’t help but get invested. Theroux is sitting down with some of the world’s most ‘fascinating figures’ and you can’t miss it. With all the same care and genuine interest from his documentaries, the podcast brings a mix of heart-wrenching, deep, and hilarious interviews. So far, seven celebs have taken the dive into their lives with Theroux and it looks like things will only get more interesting from here! Listen on Spotify >>

Perfect Pitch
Recommended by Sara Essa, Freelance Writer

Ever wondered what goes into creating the perfect advert you hear on the radio? If yes, then this could be the new release for you! Each episode, host Hunter March takes us through a fun game-show style programme. After hearing the brief from big brands such as Doritos, Indeed and Athletics Greens, two creatives battle it out by pitching their ideas for the perfect ad. Perfect Pitch is the perfect pod to learn from their ingenuity to perfect your next pitch. It’s the type of podcast I’d enjoy on a walk when I’m taking a midday break from work to re-energise, and I’m quickly adding it to my “need inspiration” playlist for those days I’m lacking creativity. Listen on your podcast app >>

Witch
Recommended by Katie Stokes, Freelance Producer

Following the hit 28ish Days Later, India Rakusen brings us another deeply feminist, investigative docuseries. Rakusen unravels what we think we know about witchcraft through lessons in history, science, self-discovery, and a gathering of witches – perfectly balancing the hard evidence against pure, unexplainable magic. The show captures the modern gravity and relevance of witch trials, taking us through Europe, Africa and the Americas (though disappointingly missing the prevalence of witchcraft around Asia). This is a personal, eye-opening, bewitching journey tempting the listener to question, could you be a witch? Listen on your podcast app >>

A Black History of Art Presents: A Shared Gaze
Recommended by J.A.Lovelock, Podcast Creator and Host

Want to know what’s happening in the world of Black artistry? Then tune in to A Shared Gaze. Hosted by Cambridge grad Alayo Akinkugbe this podcast is a conversation, between her and too often overlooked Black contemporary artists and creatives and their work. It introduces you to names and artwork that you have most likely never heard of but wish you did. This podcast is freshly minted and so brand new that only three episodes have so far been published. Listen in if only to savour Akinkugbe’s authoritative, dulcet tones. Listen on your podcast app >>

This Is Awkward
Recommended by Suze Cooper, Big Tent Media

In a world filled with pleasantries, This Is Awkward dives into the heart of difficult conversations. In the first episode, hosts Lyanne Nicholl and Kristy Macleod interview Cate Sevilla, author of How To Work Without Losing Your Mind. They explore giving and receiving feedback, and the balance between boundaries and authenticity at work. The series promises insights into those chats you would rather not have, from talking money with your partner to discussing embarrassing health issues. This is a fresh and empowering perspective on the impact of language and how our words shape our relationships.  Listen on your podcast app >>

History’s Secret Heroes
Recommended by Katherine Collins, Freelance Writer

History’s Secret Heroes is a brand new BBC podcast presented by the talented actress Helena Bonham Carter, and consists of ten 30 minute episodes. Each episode focuses on people throughout history who for whatever reason, have been overlooked. Examples of those include Bela Hazan who went undercover to fight the Nazis in WW2, as well as George Takei (Star Trek) who was a Japanese American imprisoned without trial during the same war. I have a lifelong love of history and am already learning so much from this podcast. Helena is a fantastic presenter. Listen on your podcast app >>

The Retrievals
Recommended by Oli Seymour, Producer 

The Retrievals takes us inside a fertility clinic at Yale, where a procedure is causing patients unbearable pain. We discover that this is due to a nurse stealing the facility’s fentanyl. Journalist Susan Burton takes us through the ensuing investigation and trial with sensitivity and tact,
examining how women are listened to when it comes to their pain – if they’re listened to at all. The Retrievals feels important to me. In the fast paced world of print media, this story might get lost, but the podcast takes the time to help victims’ voices be heard. Listen on your podcast app >>

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Want more recommendations of the latest podcast? Sign up to our newsletter for our choice of the best classic, indie and new podcasts every week!

The post The best new podcasts of SUMMER 2023 appeared first on POD BIBLE.

As much as I love sharing my weekly recommendations in the Pod Bible newsletter, I’ve missed the chance to share a more in-depth analysis of the podcasts I’ve been enjoying. So, like all the best franchises, I’m rebooting our ‘new podcasts’ feature. And like any superhero reboot, it’s going to look every-so-slightly different. Coming to a screen near you in time for Spring – my essential list of the best new podcasts to add to your queue…

The Last Soviet

I’ve noticed several podcasts have – consciously or not – been analysing the history of the Soviet Union recently. The Last Soviet does this through the story of Sergei Krikalev, the cosmonaut on the Mir space station at the time the Soviet Union collapsed. Krikalev is told he can come back to Earth, but doing so would risk Russia’s claim on Mir. So he’s asked if he could stay in space – alone – until further notice. This story would be thrilling in itself. But add to that NSYNC’s Lance Bass as a narrator telling his own story of becoming a trained cosmonaut… I’m obsessed. Don’t skip ‘The Lance Files’. Whilst not strictly part of the narrative, it had so many nuggets of amazement. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Synthetic Stories

Listening to the first episode of this show gave me a sense of things being not-quite-right. It might have something to do with the storyline (a young woman becomes obsessed with a new app called Horror World) but it’s probably more to do with the fact that This Is Distorted has made an entire podcast using AI. From the artwork, to the script, title and even the Press Release we were sent, Synthetic Stories is a podcast, about a podcast, made by… the podcast? The first episode works well as a horror genre, but the heart-warming tale of the second episode doesn’t quite land – perhaps because the writer doesn’t have a heart. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Pilot Season 2023

With more and more worthy podcast ideas vying for funding and attention, Pilot Season is a fantastic idea from award-winning production company Unedited. Described as ‘a mixtape of formats’, the feed showcases five new shows by letting people listen to ‘pilot episodes’ before the series is commissioned. The first episodes cover a wide range of topics, from hidden statistics of curry houses, to Reading Festival. In the first pilot, ‘Facts That Matter’, journalist, writer and broadcaster Gary Younge explains why the UK has more jobs in Indian restaurants than in industries like shipbuilding, steel, and coal – something I would never have thought about, but that is a symptom of underlying aspects of UK society. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Where’s Home Really?

When uttered by strangers it can have the effect of making people feel unwelcome, but in Where’s Home Really? journalist, restaurant critic, and Masterchef judge Jimi Famurewa flips the question to focus on the ‘home’ in the question. He asks his guests to reveal a person, a phrase, a place and a plate that best represent what home means to them. In the first episode, comedian Stephen K Amos gives us a suitably comedic take involving the News at 10 gong, whilst touching on some topics like racism – all in a refreshingly brisk 28 minutes. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Bitter/Sweet

This is another show that thinks about the relationship between food and our deepest memories. Like many food shows, it asks guests to share a profound moment in their lives involving an evocative meal. But unlike many food shows, the guests’ stories are interlaced with mini-memoirs from the creator Natasha Miller (founder of Miller Libertine, a taste branding consultancy that has won several Great Taste Awards.) Bitter/Sweet is the perfect name for these narrations – the first episode hits you in your gut as she talks about Sunday lunch and her mother. With short episodes the length the need to be, there’s no excuse not to listen to this one! Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Tony Robinson’s Cunningcast

Tony Robinson has been entertaining us for more than 50 years in various forms – and now he has a podcast talking about various different things. The launch episodes pulled us straight into Tony-territory with one episode focused on Blackadder (featuring the always enteratining Miriam Margolyes) followed by one on Stonehenge, Tony’s favourite ancient landmark. Whether you love him most as Baldric in Blackadder or himself on Time Team, this podcast is going to please you. And it quite clearly pleases Tony as well – he obviously enjoys speaking to the friends and experts he has on, and has lost none of the passion for his chosen subjects, even after 50 years of being connected to them. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

My Ramadan

An Australian podcast perfect for tuning into right now, My Ramadan features experiences of Ramadan and Eid through five specially themed episodes. Sarah Malik (investigative journalist, author and television presenter) chats with her guests about aspects like navigating work while fasting, slowing down and how Ramadan connects to spirituality and self. Some of the guests are famous, others and regular Australians, but what’s worth listening to hear is the affinity Sarah and her interviewees share. In ‘The hipsterfication of Ramadan’ despite the generational gap, you can hear the joint passion behind their favourite Iftar food traditions and the frustrations of micro (and macro) aggressions. The series will culminate in a special Eid episode (21st-22nd April). Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

High Strange

Can we have sensible conversations about the possibility of intelligent life beyond our planet? Perhaps more pertinently, could a podcast be the perfect place to do that? In High Strange, Payne Lindsey (creator of Ambie-winning podcast Up and Vanished) attempts to break the stigma surrounding the topic of UFOs. Each episode, a story of unidentified activity is interspaced with news clips, speeches from presidents and interviews with experts and skeptics. The variety of references makes the argument for intelligent life more compelling, but the dramatic score underneath does make this seem more like the storytelling than a ‘conversation’. If you want to believe, but are slightly concerned about the company you’d be keeping, I’m not convinced this will change your mind – yet. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Bear Brook

A man is serving life in prison for a murder he says he didn’t commit. A woman’s last moments are painted out in your ears. Chilling tapes from police interrogations. We’ve been here before with podcasts right? But something about Bear Brook has captured people. Claire Jones at Lemonada called it “gobsmacking”, Hannah Veridier at the Guardian says it’s a “thoughtful podcast”. I say – it’s worth a listen if you like crime podcasts, and especially if you want to think about why you like crime podcasts. Following in the footsteps of The Trojan Horse Affair, we get a meta podcast that explains itself as it goes. After a reveal that did get me gasping, host Jason Moon talks through the narrative devices he just used “I did it, and I’m telling you I did it as a demonstration”. This is about the power of storytelling, not just in podcasts but in the murder investigations themselves. Wherever that makes the show more ethical or thoughtful, I’m unsure. But it is certainly more interesting. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Buried

This ten part series has made it into my ‘most-recommend’ over the past few months, with a few friends thanking/blaming me for the things they now know from it. Husband and wife investigative journalists Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor dig into the illegal dumping of waste across the UK and beyond. From a deathbed confession, to Mafia connections and possible carcinogenic soil, Buried reminds us we don’t have to look to the US for stories of corruption to unearth. Made for BBC Radio 4, the episodes have a strict run-time of 15 mins or less, making this very easy to storm through, or fit in around other listening. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

The Rewild Podcast

Wildlife filmmaker James Shooter teams up with Rewilding Europe to create this podcast as he travels across the continent. He talks to the people and highlights the initiatives in various countries that are working to return landscapes to less human-managed forms. As shows like Wild Isles highlight rewilding to a wider audience, this podcast provides a good insight to the wider picture. Monthly episodes look at different countries – the episode on ‘Seawilding’ brings to the surface (ahem) an area that is often out of sight and out of mind, but close to my own Network’s heart. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Bust of Trust: A Kid’s Mystery Podcast

Small Wardour bring out a podcast for curious kids’ – and adults – who’d like to investigate some of the biggest world mysteries. Bust or Trust asks for help to uncover the truth behind Big Foot, the Lost City of Atlantis and more with their very own Mulder and Scully hosts, “Myth Truster” Tiernan Douieb and “Myth Buster” Athena Kugblenu. It’s great fun, but also a great way to start teaching critical thinking. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Other podcasts for your list:

From Gay to Ze – Lotte Jeffs and Stu Oakley broke new audio-ground with their first podcast, Some Families. From Gay to Ze continues the story by celebrating the messy reality of modern families and the intersection of queer culture. We caught up with Lotte and Stu recently to talk about the show. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Dwelling – As standard housing in the UK is becoming unobtainable, Marnie Woodmeade investigates alternative homes, from abandoned buildings to lost rivers. And as restrictions on alternative lifestyles tighten, she questions what the future will hold of the people choosing – or forced into – those lifestyles. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

This Little Light – Flea, founding member and bassist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, talks to other musicians about their music education and evolution. First guest are Rick Rubin and FINNEAS. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Made With Love – With an obligatory reference to his love of knitting, champion diver Tom Daley speaks to a much loved celebrity about doing what they love. Listen on your favourite podcast app >> 

Black Prose – Black writers talk amongst themselves in conversations that are revealing and so necessary. Journalist Yolanthe Fawehinmi speaks to writers of all regards – from journalists, and authors to songwriters and rappers — about their careers, top tips and writing rituals. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

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Francesca Turauskis is an award-winning podcast producer, Digital Editor for Pod Bible magazine and the Founder and Lead Producer of Tremula Network, a group of podcasts focused on unheard stories within adventure and outdoors. She has worked with Broccoli Productions, Stripped Media, and Ochenta. She’s been a judge for the International Women’s Podcast Awards, has spoken at the International Women’s Podcast Festival and runs workshops on How to Podcast for individuals and small businesses.

The post The best new podcasts of SPRING 2023 appeared first on POD BIBLE.

New Pods

Gay Pride & Prejudice

This Spotify Original is a modern interpretation of – you guessed it – Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Set in the United States, it’s 2015 and same-sex marriage is finally legal. Whilst his friends are excited to get married, Bennett is more exited about the future drama of gay divorces. But when the hottest pop star alive, Carlos Bingley arrives in Bennett’s small town, things are about to change. Starring Modern Family’s Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Rosie O’Donnell this is a lot of fun – my personal favourite moment so far is when the Adderall kicks in. Listen now >>

Burnout

Levels of burnout are reaching an all-time high and the pandemic has only made things worse. In this show from Mindful and Lemonada Media, YouTube star Connor Franta explores the story of burnout. As a show from a company that’s dedicated to ‘sharing the gifts of mindfulness’, I expected this to be a fairly standard offering. But Connor is an engaging host and brings his own story into the mix. The first episode goes deep and looks at the history of burnout, and an emotional case study recorded from the hospital. Listen now >>

The Spying Game

Broadcaster, satirist and impressionist Rory Bremner is hosting a brand new podcast, The Spying Game, packed with fictional Hollywood spy tales and real-life espionage. With guests from Hollywood, literary figures and even real-life espionage experts, this tries to separate the facts from the fiction. As a spy enthusiast and someone who makes a living pretending to be other people, Rory is a great choice of host. The podcast really utilises Rory’s impressionist talents. Don’t skip the teaser trailers for this one – you get something a little bit different! Listen now >>

Square Hole

Square Hole is a podcast about neurodiversity, employment and the creative industries, and aims to be an audio narrative of what it means to be neurodiverse in the industry. Through conversations with guests from various areas of the arts, it guides listeners through the whole journey of leaving university, finding out a diagnosis, getting creative work, and working out the creative process. All episodes dropped in one go and listeners can use them as a resource for their own journey. Listen now >>

Looking For Esther

One of the much-awaited podcasts to come out of Spotify’s 2019 Sound Up Programme, Looking for Esther is something of an investigative memoir. Esther Robertson, a Scottish woman of colour, had three different names before she was three years old. After a difficult couple of years that included a cancer diagnosis, Esther decided she wanted to know more about her parents and past. Through chats with her partner and talks with professionals, we get to see some of her journey unfold. You can hear the creators talk about making the show on the Pod Bible Podcast. Looking For Esther is a Spotify exclusive. Listen now >> 

The Superhero Complex

This podcast has been out since April, but it made me want to watch Kickass again so I thought it was worthy of highlighting. It documents the rise and fall of a real-life crime-fighting vigilante. Phoenix Jones was the leader of The Rain City Superhero Movement in Seattle. It began with helping to catch petty criminals and defusing public nuisances, but it led to a charge of selling MDMA to undercover cops. Host David Weinberg enters the unbelievable universe of real superheroes and costumed crusaders. The story takes him from Buenos Aires to Tokyo as he asks – was Phoenix a super villain all along? Listen now >>

Quite Unsuitable for Females

To mark this summer’s UEFA Women’s Championship, this five-part series from the UK’s National Football Museum tackles the myths and busts the stereotypes about women in football. Working with MIC Media, the podcast has been put together with a host of young community producers to bring to the surface some of the secrets of the women’s game. This is a great podcast for football fans and history fans. Listen now >>

Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff

The first episode of this show features Robert Evans from Behind The Bastards as a guest, and it sets the tone for the type of show you’re in for. But this is the opposite of Evans’ show. A Ronseal name, Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff looks at the people from history who made change, the ones we should be celebrating more. Listen now >> 

Other podcasts for your list:

Deliver Us From Ervil – Deliver Us From Ervil is a stylistic true crime show about a crime family at the centre of a religious safe haven for Mormon fundamentalists. At the centre of the story is Ervil LeBaron, the maniacal cult leader who instigated the infamous “4 O’Clock Murders” in the 1980s. Listen now >> 

Kermode & Mayo’s Take – They’re back, and it’s bigger, and better and larger-er and more-er. Film reviews, TV reviews, and all your conversation around movie and non-movie related stuff. It feels slightly redundant to recommend this given their profile, but for anyone dubious about their move from the BBC, this is worth a follow. Listen now >> 

Run, Bambi, Run – Another 1980s crime investigation, Run, Bambi, Run is an Apple TV podcast that looks into the story of Laurie Bembenek. There’s a lot to unpack in her story: a Playboy bunny-turned-Milwaukee police officer; arrested for the murder of her husband’s ex-wife; and escape from prison. It’s no wonder she became the subject of a Garbage song.  Listen now >>

Not Lost – This travel podcast was born out of heartbreak and a redundancy. Brendan Francis Newman finds solace in travel, and vows to get asked to a stranger’s dinner party in every destination he visits. Listen now >> 

Abuse of Power: State of North Carolina vs. Charles Ray Finch (Audible) – This six-part true crime series from Audible takes us back to 1976 North Carolina. A white country store owner is gunned down in a robbery, and the police jump to arrest Charles Ray Finch, a Black American who protests his innocence. Listen now >> 

Spectre – A swashbuckling space opera, Spectre follows Rho as she escapes from a facility that has been holding her hostage, only to land in the hands of space pirates. Created by Stef Howerton, who also voices the main character, this indy podcast has big production values. Listen now >> 

’93 Women – Another big Audible production looking into a powerful story, ‘93 Women investigates how US law enforcement failed to stop the country’s most dangerous serial killer, Samuel Little, who confessed to murdering 93 women. Listen now >>

The Co-Founder – Valerie and Juliet are best friends and business partners with a video game startup on the verge of failure. They’re being treated like dirt during their fundraising meetings with big-deal finance bros, so they ask a random white guy (Toby Johnson, local barista) to pretend to be a co-founder to clinch the investment cash. Listen now >> 

New Seasons:

Code Switch presents ‘School Colors’

NPR’s flagship show, Code Switch, is one of my go-to shows on race and identity in America. Whilst it usually tackles one topic an episode, this month it’s dropping episodes in collaboration with Brooklyn Deep to cover one story in greater depth. School Colours looks at how race, class, and power shape American cities and schools. In 2019, there was a controversy when a “diversity plan” for a school district in New York was met with anger from local parents. Hosts Mark Winston Griffith and Max Freedman investigate – why would a school district in the middle of Queens – described as the most racially diverse demographics in America –  need a diversity plan? And why would that potential plan be met with such intense opposition? Listen now >> 

Coupledom

Coupledom 2 brings back Idris and Sabrina Elba for another 6 episodes to explore the partnerships of iconic duos from the worlds of sport, film, music, and beyond. With a line-up including Olympic gold medallist Tom Daley and his husband, Rita Ora and her sister/manager Elena Ora and author George R.R. Martin with House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal, this is an insight into the cogs of well-oiled couples. Listen now >> 

Soul Music

After a break of a few months, the show asking people to bare their soul through a single song is back. If you haven’t listened to the show before, now is the time to dive in – why not check out our Where To Start? article to help you attack the immense back catalogue.
Listen now >> 

The Skewer – Series 6

Described by host Jon Holmes as a “satirical river of sound”, this season of The Skewer sees Jon incorporate the impassioned voices, sketches and ideas (however big or small) of NHS frontline staff, primary school teachers, railway workers, and even a Track & Trace worker – all who have experienced first-hand the rollercoaster of despair, optimism, and frustration from these turbulent times. Listen now >> 

We Can Be Heroes

Glyn Fussell – King of the London night scene and an LGBTQ+ icon – speaks to other extraordinary misfits who have harnessed the power of being different. Series one snagged interviews with the likes of Beverly Knight and lead singer of Skunk Anasie, Skin. Series Two’s future guests will include Paloma Faith, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and lot’s more! Listen now >> 

The post 21 New podcasts to add to your queue this June appeared first on POD BIBLE.

We’re heading into a long weekend, and should you be in need of soundtracking your journeys, cooking time or awkward silences, we have some new podcasts for you. With lots of big-production fiction shows, as well as interesting indys and influencer pods, there’s something here for everyone…

New Pods

Stories of the Stalked

This Audible series comes with a content warning for distressing themes (stalking and mental health) and it covers the personal, true story of the host. Filmmaker, performer, producer and choreographer Lily Baldwin gives us an insight to the experience of being stalked over a staggering 13-year period. The sound design that couples deep droning and realistic folly gives an unnerving base to Lily’s story of legal challenges, survival techniques and physical and mental health issues when a stranger fixates on her after seeing her at a gig. Well worth a listen if you have the emotional capacity. Listen now >>

American Hostage

Jon Hamm’s podcast drama debut is a scripted psychological thriller based on a true story. It’s 1977, local radio reporter Fred Heckman is looking for a big story – but as the opening narration tells us, Fred accidentally becomes the story. A hostage-taker, Tony Kiritsis, demands to be interviewed on Fred’s popular radio news program, and by the end of the first episode we know that Kiritsis has his hostage attached to a ‘dead man trigger’ leaving Fred no choice but to arrange an interview…  Listen now >>

Who Killed Avril Lavigne?

This sci-fi comedy podcast will take you straight back to the noughties. Set in the not too distant future, it follows the story of typical “angsty teen” Derek Walker. Walker is sent back in time to rescue Avril Lavigne from an “abduction and replacement” but begins realizing his own pop-punk destiny… It also has a full pop-punk album to accompany it, and the title music will get stuck in your head! Listen now >>

Let’s Make a Sci-fi

After listening to Who killed Avril Lavigne, you could take a listen to this one to think about how it may have come to be… In this show, three comedians are trying to make an actual sci-fi show from scratch. From the initial bad ideas to the final production, we can eavesdrop on the process. Along the way, they consult experts who worked on Star Trek, Star Wars, Firefly, and other names in science fiction, such as actor (and podcaster) Rainn Wilson and writer (and podcaster) Emily VanDerWerff. Listen now >>

Goodniks

We all want to do good in the world, but Goodniks are the people that make their lives about doing good. This podcast actually describes itself as an ‘audio project’ and has a really interesting format. Each episode is less than 20 minutes long, and merges several ‘Goodniks’ answers into a collage over music. Episode one explores how Goodnik’s weaknesses, personality quirks, or neuroses serve the work they do. I think this show will be a good short injection of inspiration for many people trying to change the world for the better. Listen now >>

Accidental Activist

This is actually another show asking people how they are doing the good work. Journalist Isha Sesay never envisioned becoming an activist herself, but in Accidental Activist, she sits down with others who have found themselves unexpectedly inhabiting a role as “activist.” Her conversations with cultural icons like actress Alyssa Milano and author Baratunde Thurston are supported with sound effects, which is an interesting idea. Listen now >>

Is it my ADHD?

Writer Grace Timothy explores what it’s really like to live with ADHD. Diagnosed with ADHD when she was 37, and Grace is still getting her head around what it means for her, in terms of her past, present and future. This podcast is a great way for those unfamiliar with ADHD to comprehend the condition. It’s really interesting to listen in to the conversations where Grace and her guest can find solidarity in their experiences. Listen now >>

SOLAR

Another one to keep sci-fi fans entertained, but in a more intense way. A disaster on board a spacecraft leaves crew members isolated from each other and fighting for survival. Those back on Earth try to fathom what’s happened, whilst spinning the press a story that won’t cause panic. With massive stars voicing the parts (Alan Cumming, Stephanie Beatriz, Jonathan Bangs and Helen Hunt), this is compelling listening – and I very much appreciate how the adverts have been linked to the story.  Listen now >> 

Other pods for your list:

Jazmyn Gives Bad Advice – TikToker, HR expert, and comedian Jazmyn W. is your new agony aunt. These short episodes start with a sketch before Jazmyn interprets a listener question and gives her best (she only says it’s her worst so you can’t blame her if it doesn’t work!) Listen now >> 

Founder Stories – A business podcast with a twist, Founder Stories turns an interview with a successful business starter into a monologue about their journey. With basic sound design behind the monologue, this is an appealing way to learn about entrepreneurs. Listen now >> 

Call Me Curious – In Wondery’s latest podcast, actress Nikki Boyer gets curious about things we’ve heard about “but don’t really know about.” The first episode asks, “can aphrodisiacs really turn you on?” Listen now >> 

#Matter – This fiction podcast from the US is presented like an investigative documentary, and tells the story of a father, Gerald Hayes, who ended up barricaded in a restaurant with a police officer after his son’s brutal beating by the police. Listen now >> 

No Harm in Asking – A new podcast about podcasts, but this one isn’t about recommendations. Instead, it aims to help people podcast well by reviewing the shows that everyone’s listening to and asking what people like about it. Listen now >> 

ZOE Science & Nutrition – ZOE is a healthcare science company helping people understand their body’s responses to food (and they also run the world’s largest covid study). This podcast unpacks some preconceptions on nutrition. Listen now >> 

Downton Abbey: The Official Podcast – There’s a brand-new weekly Downton re-watch podcast released to coincide with the release of the second Downton film, which comes out at the end of the month. Interestingly, this is the first official podcast from the series. Listen now >> 

Fast Enough: Ramadan Running – This weekly podcast drops 30 minutes before sunset and is set to 120bpm. Hosted by Olympian Lutalo Muhammad, it features other famous faces from Britain’s Muslim community, each episode gives expert advice to optimise training during Ramadan.  Listen now >> 

A Hit Dog Will Holler – A very meta new audio drama from Radiotopia, this follows a podcaster called Gina, who is having trouble recording episodes because of the noise from the monster outside. But is the beast really there? Or is it 400 years’ worth of racism, oppression, and trauma threatening to come in? This is actually adapted from a play by Craig-Galván . Listen now >> 

New Seasons:

A Podcast of Unnecessary Detail – Season 2

A Podcast of Unnecessary Detail proves that you can dive very deeply into science and still be entertaining. From Festival of the Spoken Nerd (aka. Matt Parker, Steve Mould and Helen Arney) A Podcast of Unnecessary Detail takes things that you wouldn’t believe could be interesting, and makes them fascinating by drilling down to the nitty and / or gritty details. We caught up with the three Spoken Nerds to ask them for the nitty-gritty on their podcast. Listen now >>

Dead and Gone – Season 2

This podcast explores one of the elements of darkness surrounding the Grateful Dead. Over the past five degades, there have been many mysterious cases of murdered and missing “Deadheads”. Season 2 takes a closer look at some of these forgotten cases. Hosts Payne Lindsey and Jake Brennan return with a focus on three tragedies that took place from the 1980s – 2004. Listen now >>

The Line Up – Season 3

A Pod Bible regular, Shaun Keaveny is back with the third season of  The Line Up.  The show gives its music-loving guests the chance to curate their very own dream festival from start to finish, showcasing each guests’ true passions and musical spirit. The season kicked off with Kiefer Sutherland, and later episodes are due to feature the likes of Ed O’Brien, Kae Tempest, Johnny Marr, Paddy Considine and Self Esteem. Listen now >>

The Breakup Monologues

Working on the premise that ‘tragedy plus time equals comedy’, Rosie Wilby speaks to esteemed guests and asks about their tales of breakup and recovery. The podcast stems from a trilogy of solo comedy shows, and Rosie has heard monologues from celebrities including Richard Herring, Dolly Alderton, Katy Brand and Ayesha Hazarika. The new series starts with a number of live shows recorded at Poplar Union. Listen now >>

Untold Killing

The first series of this award-winning podcast looked at the Bosnian genocide at the start of the Bosnian War in 1992, in which more than 8,000 Bosniak-Muslims were murdered in Srebrenica, a small town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Season 2 expands on this and explores the story of Prijedor – one Bosnian municipality’s descent from a peaceful, multi-ethnic society into a collection of burning towns and torture-filled concentration camps. It highlights how these things do not happen in isolation. Listen now >>

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If you listen to these podcasts, please tell us what you think! Tag us on social media @PodBible. Read more of our New This Month editorials for the newest podcasts to listen to.

Do you have a show for our new podcast list? Email  info@podbiblemag.com with the show description, release date and artwork. We will share as many launches as we can.

The post 22 New podcasts you must listen to this April appeared first on POD BIBLE.

We may be halfway through the month, but I couldn’t let March slide without introducing you to some new podcasts! I’ve kept you waiting long enough, so let’s dive right in…

New Pods

Where’s My Jetpack?

Production company Stak have been prolific with their releases recently, but Where’s My Jetpack? is the one that has captivated me the most. Space journalist Sarah Cruddas and broadcaster – and Stak COO – Luke Moore explore the past, present and future of inventions, using cultural touch-points like Back To The Future and 2001: A Space Odyssey. As someone who grew up pretending my skateboard was a hoverboard, the mix of sci-fi and sci-fact is really fun. Listen now >>

Dua Lipa: At Your Service

Singer, songwriter and model, Dua Lipa is also the latest celebrity to add podcaster to her list of credentials. But this podcast stands apart from just being another celebrity interview show. Not just because it’s been highlighted in a number of newsletters and reviews, but because of the people she is speaking to. The first episode sets the tone, with a fascinating chat to the creative director of Balmain, Olivier Rousteing, about everything from his work to his adoption and learning about his birth parents’. Listen now >>

Shamima Begum: The Blame Game

Considering how long she has been a very public figure in the news, it’s difficult to believe Shamima Begum is only 22 years old. This podcast from ITV charts her journey over the past seven years, starting at her old school, and the moment she left London to join Isis in Syria. With archive audio and exclusive interviews, this aims to tell the whole story with journalistic rigor. Listen now >>

The Making of a Swindler

If you’ve watched The Tindler Swindler, this special three-part podcast companion expands on it in a satisfying way. Whilst the show focuses on the women that were conned through dating apps to part with huge sums of money, this three-parter looks at Simon, the swindler to blame. The hosts insist you go and watch the show before listening, but I ignored that. It stands alone quite nicely, and can be found on Netflix’s You Can’t Make This Up podcast feed. Listen now >>

Nicholas Craig: I, an Actor, a Podcast

Comedy legend Nigel Planer (The Young Ones, Comic Strip Presents…) reprises his spoof actor character. After appearing in film, radio, theatre and TV, it’s little wonder we now have Nicholas Craig: I, an Actor, a Podcast. Episodes are short, sweet, silly and with sleuthy music from Planer himself. Listen now >>

The Secret History of: Flight 149

Crowd Network’s investigative podcast is uncovering the truth behind a hostage crisis during Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Hours after the invasion was known, a British Airways Flight 149 chose to land in Kuwait, where the passengers and crew were captured and detained by Iraqi soldiers – some for weeks, and others for months. Journalist Stephen Davies has been looking into the crisis and subsequent government cover-up for 30 years. Listen now >>

Bone. Marry. Bury.

A reverse whodunnit where we know the hot-mess murderess! After a disastrous 2021, Allie goes to a New Years Eve party with plans for a fabulous 2022. But her best friend – and the podcast’s narrator – Gabe tells us what Allie’s future really holds – crossed paths with three of the party-goers who, one month from now, Allie will have had sex with, married, or killed! But which three, and why? Listen now >>

Ukrainecast

Possibly the most poignant new podcast on this list, Ukrainecast is a spinoff from the BBC’s Newscast. Victoria Derbyshire and Gabriel Gatehouse reflect on the news from Putin’s invasion of Ukraine every day. An important and accessible way to understand the evolving situation. Listen now >> 

Run, Rose, Run

Described as “perfect, soapy escapism from Dolly Parton” by The Guardian podcasts newsletter, this Spotify show is truly unique. So unique in fact, it’s not even calling itself a podcast. Run, Rose, Run has Dolly Parton and James Patterson collaborating on what Spotify calls a “bookcast audio experience”. And whilst such buzz-words are usually poor explainers, this is probably a fair description. The show is basically an extend advert for a new book by James Patterson and Dolly Parton, combining excerpts with some of the music from a brand new album from Dolly. It’s a nice idea, immersing you fully in the story. You can listen the bookcast here, you can hear the whole book here, or listen to the music album everywhere. Listen now >>

Other pods for your list:

Simple Politics Podcast – As its name says, a show about reflecting on political news in the “simplest way possible.” The podcast was borne out of a U.K.-based Instagram account of the same name, which has ~800,000 followers. Listen now >>

Why I Run – In the lead up to the global charity event ‘Wings for Life World Run’ in May 2022, TikTok sensation Erin Azar and world record-breaking swimmer Ayo Akinwolere are speaking to guests who share their passion for plodding and what drives them to run. Listen now >> 

Damages – A courtroom drama that follows the 200+ climate lawsuits currently active across the world. Host Amy Westervelt (from the true-crime style climate change podcast Drilled) starts this season by focusing on “rights of nature” cases. Listen now >> 

The Catch: The Real Freshwater Five Story – Produced by Message Heard, presented by Raphael Rowe, a journalist who himself spent twelve years locked up for a crime he didn’t commit, this seven part Audible Original series delves into a drug-smuggling case where the five fisherman convicted maintain their innocence years after being sentenced to decades in prison. Listen now >>

I Am with Jonny Wilkinson – After a career covering three decades and four World Cups, Jonny Wilkinson is sharing how he is finally at peace with himself and inviting other guests to share their own vulnerability. Listen now >>

New Seasons:

Dan Snow’s History Hit – ENDURANCE22: A Story of Antarctic Survival

More a mini-series, but in the feed of Dan Snow’s History Hit. Endurance22 was a series of separate episodes talking about history, whilst history was being made. The Endurance22 expedition set off this year to commemorate the centenary of Shackleton’s death by uncovering the wreck of his ship, Endurance, which sank in 1915 after it was trapped in the ice. Dan Snow’s History Hit had full access to the live expedition, and was the first podcast on the ground when the ship was actually found… Listen now >>

The Art of Longevity – Season 3

This podcast explores the long game in the music industry. Each episode speaks to a musical icon whose career has spanned decades and how to remain relevant. This season, host Keith Jobling, a music strategy professional with more than 25 years experience in the industry, has in-depth conversations with artists including Spoon, Tears For Fears, Sea Power, The Wombats and Steve Mason. Listen now >>

Out To Lunch – Season 7

World famous food critic Jay Rayner returns with more big name guests in a restaurant of his choosing – This series there are more incredible conversations with household names including Stephen Fry, Rose Matafeo, Bill Bailey, Lolly Adefope & Rob Brydon. Expect crackling anecdotes and blistering chat, lubricated by killer cooking. Listen now >>

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If you listen to these podcasts, please tell us what you think! Tag us on social media @PodBible. Read more of our New This Month editorials for the newest podcasts to listen to.

Do you have a show for our new podcast list? Email  info@podbiblemag.com with the show description, release date and artwork. We will share as many launches as we can.

The post 17 New podcasts you must listen to this March appeared first on POD BIBLE.

Welcome to 2022 podcast disciples and welcome to the first New This Month article of the year. This is the longest list I’ve done so far – I was betting on January being a slow month for podcast releases, but I was very wrong. The last two months have brought us BBC projects galore, the latest narrative podcast from QCODE, and several new true crime shows – including the newest project from one of the most popular podcasts of all time…

Enjoy!

New Pods

Shattering Gleam

Lots of the best music podcasts take a close look at songs and albums from different viewpoints – whether that is the personal preference of a celebrity, (Soul Music) or the specific nuts and bolts of putting a song together (Song Exploder). Shattering Gleam is slightly different, and perhaps is best described as a culture podcast. Host and music critic Sasha Geffen explores how pop stars have re-shaped gender through music: from Prince’s falsetto to Beyoncé and Britney’s robotic tuning. I like the idea of a playlist of the songs spoken about, but it’s a shame it’s on US-only app Pandora. Listen now >>

The Trojan Horse Affair

This is a big one: this 8-part investigative podcast series jokingly describes itself as an “elaborate student podcast”, but it’s actually the latest project from the team that brought us Serial and S-Town. One night in Birmingham, Brian Reed (the host of S-Town) was approached by ex-doctor and journalism student, Hamza Syed, who wanted help with a story for his Masters degree. He wanted to uncover the truth about the ‘Trojan Horse letter’ that caused the UK government to launch investigations into the supposed ‘radical Islamisation’ of schools in Birmingham in 2014. Despite the fact that this letter was unsigned, undated, incomplete, throughout all the official inquiries and heated speeches in Parliament, no one has ever bothered to answer the basic questions: Where did the letter come from? Who wrote the letter? And why? Brian and Hamza team up to investigate. As might be expected from this production team, this is a gripping and fascinating listen. Listen now >> 

Last Known Position

The latest fiction podcast from production company QCODE  follows a privately funded team of experts as they try to find a flight that suddenly vanished over the Pacific Ocean. Last Known Position stars Gina Rodriguez (Jane The Virgin) as submersible pilot Mikaela Soto and James Purefoy (A Discovery of Witches, Rome) as a grieving billionaire. It describes itself as “the next revolution of suspense and terror” and from the trailer voice to the music score, it really feels like a Hollywood production. The sound design is uncannily realistic and this is definitely worth listening to on headphones for the full effect. As somebody that can get jumpy over sounds I’m not expecting, I did appreciate the content warning that “it may seem like sounds are coming from the sides or behind you” – and it still made me jump! Listen now >>

Fake Psychic

Another new investigative podcast, this time from the BBC. Vicky Baker looks at the ‘stranger-than-fiction’ story of Lamar Keene, a renowned psychic in America during the 1960s who became known as the Prince of Spiritualists. Then one day, he turned his back on spiritualism, and wrote a memoir where he confessed to being part of an underground network he called the “psychic mafia”. He wanted to blow the whistle on the whole industry. But how much can we trust the revelations of a self-confessed conman? Similar to other recent BBC shows, this mixes documentary with drama – although the drama plays quite like the radio classic The Archers in style.  Listen now >> 

Learning From Genocide

Learning From Genocide is a podcast from the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust that comes with a content warning of ‘upsetting stories of genocide and violence’. We hear a number of first-hand accounts from people directly affected by recent genocides. The show starts by looking at the Holocaust and Nazi persecution, and moves onto the more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur. All seven episodes of the show were released in January to coincide with Holocaust Memorial Day, but I would recommend spreading out your listening so you can fully appreciate each story. Listen now >> 

Fairy Meadow

Another new investigation from the BBC, this one looks at a personal tragedy and the repercussions. In 1970, three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer disappeared from Fairy Meadow beach in New South Wales, Australia. This is mostly the story of her older brother, Ricki, who was the one looking after her when she went missing. We hear Ricki talking through his decades-long search for answers, and the emotional impact it had on him. BBC News Correspondent Jon Kay has been investigating the case since 2016, and over eight episodes we get a really exclusive and in-depth podcast. Listen now >> 

The Stitch Up, Lonel(i)ness, and In Touch with Ruby Rare…

This is like three podcasts for the price of one! As part of Broccoli Productions’ Documentaries stream, they’ve released some one-off episodes and a new show, each looking at different topics: In The Stitch Up, Bea Duncan looks at the fashion industry and how it prioritises profits over people and planet; Lonel(i)ness has Jaja Muhammad ask what we mean by loneliness, what causes it, and how we can at least tackle the stigma of ‘lonely’ if we’ll never fully be rid of it; and In Touch with Ruby Rare is a new short series drawing on sex educator Ruby’s own personal and professional experience. Listen now >> 

Wild Things: Siegfried & Roy

This has been showing up in many newsletters, and is perhaps already as popular as its subjects. Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration, but Wild Things is one of the new podcast offerings from Apple TV, and is making a splash. It looks at the lives and hidden truths of the illusionists Seigfried & Roy, who performed 30,000 shows for 50 million people and generated well over $1 billion in ticket sales with their animal magic shows, until Roy was attacked on stage by a tiger in 2003. Listen now >>

Other new podcasts for your list:

The Way They Were – Gráinne Maguire and Chantal Feduchin-Pate love discussing their own odd ex’s, but they love remembering weird celebrity couples even more. Each week, they’re joined by a celebrity guest to discuss the celebrity romance they never got over, from Brangelina, to Bennifer, and Mick and Marianne. Listen now >> 

Reclaimed & Rewritten – Produced by award-winning publication gal-dem,  this six-part podcast seeks to unearth the mysteries and the stories behind the devastating Tulsa Massacre of 1921. February is Black History Month in the USA, and this is a great way to learn about the state-sponsored massacre, and what actually happened to the community of Deep Greenwood. Listen now >> 

Getting My Dad to Say I Love You – Chris Martin (not Coldplay Chris Martin, by comedian Chris Martin) has been inspired by his own relationship with his father to interview guests, including Romesh Ranganathan and Roisin Conaty, to find out what type of relationship they have with their parents. Perhaps it might help Chris to convince his dad to say those three words, “I Love You” too! Listen now >> 

Go Love Yourself – Star of the Great British Bake Off Laura Adlington has launched a show that aims to empower people to feel good about themselves and their bodies. Laura and best friend Lauren Smith talk about body image, confidence, and growing up in the age of low-rise jeans, diet culture and Bridget Jones. As well as exploring their own journeys to self-acceptance, the pair give practical advice on caring a lot less about what other people think. Listen now >> 

Room 5 – Another BBC production: One afternoon changed everything for Helena Merriman as she was given a shock diagnosis. Now she’s speaking to other people who were changed by a diagnosis. This is an intimate series that uses immersive sound design to help shines a light on misunderstood conditions, and asks how we cope when our bodies and our minds no longer behave as we want them to. Listen now >> 

This Is Dating – “Come for the cringe, stay for the connection.” This show from PRX lets you listen in on first dates. What saves this from being really awkward – even exploitative – is the input from a behavioural scientist pre and post-date. Listen now >>

Ghosthoney’s Dream Machine – Social media trailblazer Ghosthoney, aka Tyler Gaca, has made a podcast with a difference. These short narratives describe the magical worlds that occupy Tyler’s dreams. Tyler is also taking listener’s suggestions for stories! Listen now >> 

New Seasons:

CHAMELEON – Season 3

CHAMELEON: Hollywood Con Queen took us through the story of one of the weirdest and wildest scams in history – a supposed major film project, in Indonesia that never existed. Season two, High Rollers, looked at an FBI agent and a group of businesspeople in Las Vegas who all pretended to be money launderers. Now, the con-themed podcast is looking at a story from 2003, when two half-starved young men turned up in a small Canadian town, saying they’d be living in the woods. Listen now >> 

Deep Cover – Season 2

Deep Cover is a podcast from Puskin Industries that has a simple premise – it focuses on people who lead double lives. Season two, Mob Land, is back with a brand new podcast cover. It’s 1986, and a high-rolling lawyer named Bob Cooley walks into a federal prosecutor’s office and says that he has information that could bring down the mob… Listen now >> 

Human Resources – Season 2

If you’ve heard me on the Pod Bible Podcast,  you’ll know that Human Resources is one of my favourite podcasts. It explores the British involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and how it permeates our society and culture today. Season 2 starts off with a focus on the most British thing imaginable – the Royal Family – and the profits they made from enslaved people. Listen now >> 

Asylum Speakers – Season 6

The podcast that used to be called The Worldwide Tribe is back with a new name for the sixth season. In Asylum Speakers, Jaz O’Hara speaks to people with lived experience of displacement, as well as the people working on the front line supporting them. In the first episode of this series we hear from Hassan Akkad, a BAFTA award winning filmmaker, activist and writer from Syria, who chose to work as an NHS hospital cleaner during the worst days of COVID. The two chat after a family meal and the conversation is a really nice insight into his life. I also love the theme music of this podcast! Listen now >> 

Out There – ‘Things I Thought I Knew’

Another of my often recommended podcasts, Out There shares stories that explore big ideas through our relationship with the outdoors. Up until now, the podcast has worked on a rolling basis, but they’ve done something of a re-launch with this themed series. ‘Things I Thought I Knew’ looks at harnessing the power of nature to uncover truths about our humanity and our world. In the first episode, Sarah Dealy tells us about her time in ‘wilderness therapy’. Listen now >> 

Other new seasons for your list:

Conflicted – Season 3

This podcast from Message Heard has an ex-Al Qaeda jihadi turned MI6 spy (Aimen Dean) and a former monk turned filmmaker (Thomas Small) looking in depth at some of the most nuanced and complicated aspects of war in the Middle East. The long-awaited third season starts with the continuation of their bonus episode on Afghanistan. Listen now >> 

Marvel’s Wastelanders – Season 3

A fictional ‘audio epic’, Wastelanders is the official tie-in podcast that builds on the Marvel universe through audio stories. Season 3 focuses on Black Widow, and is set in New York “almost thirty years after The Day the Villains Won (aka V-Day)”.  Listen now >> 

dot com – Season 2

Dot com is the podcast documentary series about the people of the web. After looking at Wikipedia in the first season, dot com: Redditland takes a close look at the social media website that has been called the front page of the internet. Listen now >> 

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If you listen to these podcasts, please tell us what you think! Tag us on social media @PodBible. Read more of our New This Month editorials for the newest podcasts to listen to.

Do you have a show for our new podcast list? Email  info@podbiblemag.com with the show description, release date and artwork. We will share as many launches as we can.

The post 23 New podcasts you must listen to this February appeared first on POD BIBLE.

It’s the last new podcasts round-up of the year and we have an epic list to take you over the holiday season. This list sees celebrity podcasts levelling up and going beyond interviews. There’s also a number of creative uses of audio, and more audio-play podcasts coming out. So if you’re driving home from Christmas, or hopping on a train for the holidays, line up some of the best new podcasts to listen to right now!

New Podcasts

The Last Days of Maradona

When football legend Diego Maradona died at the age of 60 in 2020, there were many questions about the medical treatment he received. The Last Days of Maradona is a new podcast from Spotify that is part forensic investigation, part homage to Maradona. Another football legend, Thierry Henry, is the narrator, and I find him interesting to listen too. There’s no doubt his delivery is a little unnatural, but the personal influence of Maradona on Henry is a great connection to explore. The series is also available in French (also narrated by Henry), Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. Listen now on Spotify >>

The Always Sunny Podcast

The Always Sunny Podcast is already a chart-topping show, having knocked Joe Rogan off the top of the Spotify charts for a brief moment. It’s an unofficial re-watch podcast for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – with the extra punch that it’s hosted by those involved in the show. Glenn, Charlie, and Rob are going over every season with a deep dive into their memories of creating the show. Listen now >>

We Were Always Here

Another Broccoli production (and the first released under the new ‘Documentaries’ strand of the company) We Were Always Here seeks to bring the untold perspectives of the UK HIV epidemic to the fore. It’s been 40 years since the first cases of HIV – or as it was known then ‘Gay-Related Immune Deficiency’ – were identified. In this series, Activist Marc Thompson weaves fact, history and personal experience, along with the experiences from those that rallied together during the worst parts of the epidemic. I think that Marc’s commentary has some really lovely, lyrical wording, which also seems impressively unscripted. And the music is really emotive and unique. Listen now >>

Storytime with Seth Rogan

This podcast has been getting rave reviews, and as the description says, this is “not a typical comedian-hosted chat show!”. Episodes are short and sweet, and we hear a guest’s story interspersed with Seth’s monologues, conversations with people who know the storyteller and music breaks from all genres. The first episode, Glorious Basterds, has Seth talking to a Jehovah’s witness-turned-comic about her journey to comedy, which involves a Quentin Tarentino film and Paul Rudd. But does Paul Rudd remember..?! Listen now >>

Psycho Schizo Espresso

Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson teams up with best-selling author Dr. Kevin Dutton for “an Indiana Jones-style adventure” in this interesting take on a celebrity podcast. Bruce and Kevin delve into the psyches of rock icons, sporting superstars, and special forces soldiers. Along the way they speak to some of the most respected thought leaders and brain scientists on the planet. The first episode looks at ‘the number of the beast’ and speaks to Professor Steve Friesen about why 666 is associated with the Devil.  Listen now >>

dot com: The Wikipedia Story

I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting from this podcast about Wikipedia – but it definitely wasn’t a guest unexpectedly singing an American folk song. The singer in question is Steven Pruitt, one of the top editors on Wikipedia, and therefore one of the 25 most influential people on the internet. We meet him, along with other eclectic wiki authors, in the first episode. This is an interesting peek behind the pixels of the Internet’s biggest encyclopaedia. Listen now >>

Whistle Through The Shamrocks

It’s another celebrity making a podcast! And this is especially amusing considering this tweet from one of the creators last year. But Nicola Coughlan (Derry Girls) and Camilla Whitehill are really levelling up the celebrity-doing-a-podcast genre, and bringing a heap of tongue-in-cheek as well. The sleepy Irish village of Ballysnavougherenn is the scene for an epic audio drama about foul winds, potato farming, and evil English lords. But in the framing of the drama, we hear Coughlan and Whitehill directing the play. We’re also treated to a host of celebrities that have been duped into recording this play for ‘The National Theatre’. A must listen – if only because this one is hard to explain! Listen now >>

Other new podcasts for your list:

• Trusty Hogs – Catherine Bohart from the You’ll Do podcast and Helen Bauer of Daddy Look At Me team up after winning hundreds of regular fans with their award-winning online comedy show Gigless over lockdown. Now they’re putting the world to rights, solving listener problems, and welcoming fantastic comedy friends to join in with the high-energy hilarity. Listen now >>
• Power: Hugh Hefner – The second subject in the Power series is the silk-robe clad Hugh Hefner. We hear from the models, Playboy Bunnies, and other women in the Playboy founder’s inner circle, and it explores the power he had for progress, and for abuse. Listen now >>
• Jackie The Ripper – What if the genders were turned on the infamous Ripper story? Stak’s audio drama is a comedic re-telling of the true story that still holds onto the social importance. The 5-part series premiered for Halloween, but would make a great alternative to the Christmas ghost story. Listen now >>
• Life Sentence – This semi-fictional podcast brings a fresh perspective to the climate crisis by drawing on music, spoken word and evocative sound design to tell stories of some of our planet’s prime inhabitants. Features Jordan Stephens, Charlotte Ritchie, Will Mellor, Evanna Lynch, Jade Anouka, Sindhu Vee and Cel Spellman. Listen now >>
• Not Another Love Song – Matt Edmonson wanted to make an album, but he can’t sing or play instruments. So he enlists the  help of some of his favourite artists to create songs about some less likely subjects like hayfever, dishwashers, potatoes. This might remind me at times of doing joint music projects at school, but there’s some comedy and the end songs are fairly impressive.  Listen now >>
• Media Storm – Media Storm is a news podcast that starts with the people who are usually asked last. “Migrants”, “criminals” and “sex workers” are some of the biggest stars in the headlines, yet we rarely actually hear from them. The first episode ‘Why do refugees ‘love’ the UK?’ couldn’t be more timely. Listen now >>

New Podcast Seasons

The Log Books – Season 3

The podcast telling untold stories from Britain’s queer history is getting closer to the present day. This series looks at the day-to-day impact on LGBTQI+ people made by shifts in technology and attitudes from 1992 to 2003. I’m sad to say this is the final season of a Pod Bible favourite, but the physical log books from Switchboard became digital in 2003, so it’s a fitting place to end. Listen now >>

Armchair Adventures – Season 2

The award-winning podcast is back for a second season and looks set to continue is its mission for creativity and connection. We recently spoke to creators, theatre company Made By Mortals, about the series and their inspirations. Listen now >>

Unobscured – Season 4

Unobscured is one of the non-fiction offerings from Aaron Mankhe’s Grim & Mild, and looks at parts of history we think we know. Previous seasons have covered the Salem witch trials, the Spiritualist Movement, and Jack the Ripper. This one is looking at the Romanovs and their relationship with Rasputin. (If you can listen to this season without getting Boney M. in your head, you’re a better person than me!) Listen now >>

Stuff The British Stole – Season 2

This history podcast from Australia has a simple premise – each episode looks at one item that was taken from its country by the British Empire. There is… a lot. From Maori ancestors (as in literally their heads) to the Parthenon Marbles, there is a true crime style to this series. This has been one of my favourite podcasts of the past year, so I’m half hoping there’s enough stuff to keep this going for many years. But I’m mostly worried how big the can of worms is… Listen now >>

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If you listen to these podcasts, please tell us what you think! Tag us on social media @PodBible. Read more of our New This Month editorials for the newest podcasts to listen to.

Do you have a show for our new podcast list? Email  info@podbiblemag.com with the show description, release date and artwork. We will share as many launches as we can.

The post 17 new podcasts to listen to in December 2021 appeared first on POD BIBLE.

This month’s list has a big focus on aspects of modern society that are confusing, frustrating and complicated. From sexism, to cancel culture, and environmental issues told through the mouths of birds… Here are the best new podcasts to listen to right now!

New Podcasts

Women Vs Hollywood

This new film podcast is hosted by Empire journalist Helen O’Hara and discusses the challenges that women face in the film industry. Based on her critically-acclaimed non-fiction book Women Vs Hollywood: The Fall And Rise Of Women In Film. O’Hara and guests (including film critic Pamela Hutchinson and the hosts of the Best Pick podcast, Jessica Regan and Tom Salinksy) examine how far sexism in Hollywood goes – and asks how we can change the picture. The episode about the Silent Era, in particular, was a real surprise, and now I really want to watch The Hazards of Helen. Listen now on Spotify >>

Cancelled

The latest show from Broccoli Content has been getting high praise. It takes a shot at ‘cancel culture’ with some tongue-in-cheek monologues about the biggest cancellations in recent years. What is brilliant about Cancelled is that it’s looking at all aspects of culture, and across the left/right spectrum. Piers Morgan, Jameela Jamil and Nike are just some of the subjects so far. As it says in the description, the monologues hold no judgement as such – or least the words don’t but the delivery from host Cameron Bernard Jones is hilarious.  Listen now on Spotify >>

I’m Sorry

There’s apparently a public need to hear about public people’s missteps, because Lemonada’s latest podcast also looks at famous controversies. I’m Sorry is not dissimilar to Cancelled in subject, but uses a panel chat rather than a crafted monologue. It’s a weekly comedy podcast where Kiki Monique, Mohanad Elshieky, and Hoja Lopez talk about apologies and how they play out in the court of public opinion. If you’re anything like me, you’ll skip straight to ‘The Worst Apologies of All Time’.  Listen now on Spotify>>

The Way We Are with Munroe Bergdof

Spotify launched another massive celebrity podcast last month. It hardly feels like a Munroe Bergdof podcast needs promotion. But the premise of this one goes a bit beyond the regular celebrity podcast. Rather than a general ‘life story’ interview, this asks interviewees to focus on how events have shaped them into the person they are. From the dramatic and traumatic, to the smaller moments. After listening to how Jameela Jamil was ‘cancelled’, perhaps you can listen to her talk about the difference between ‘cancel culture’ and ‘accountability culture’ with Munroe. Listen now on Spotify >>

The Flock

The Flock is a new an unique audio drama funded by Arts Council England. This podcast is an environmental fable and epic adventure about the end of the world – told from the point of view of the birds. We hear from lead characters Parrot and Budgie, and political analogies abound, including ‘city versus country’ and rousing leaders speeches. With plenty of bird themed soundscapes and original songs (with perhaps a hint of Flight Of The Concords or The Mighty Boosh era TV comedy) each episode is short and sweet. Listen now on Spotify >>

First Time For Everything

Everyone remembers their first time… and there really is a first time for everything. This podcast invites guests and listeners to share a litany of first times. Whilst Scrobious Pip talks about the origins of his stage name, comedian Rich Wilson talks about what a surprise he had the first time he went on a plane. You might recognise the voices in this one – it’s the new podcast from our Editor Adam Richardson and our previous Digital Editor Jordan Rizzieri! So give it a try. After all, there’s a first time for everything… Listen now on Acast >>

Coiled

Coiled is a great example of what I love about podcasts: start with a very specific topic, and dive deep into it until it has wide appeal. Producers Leanne Ali and Sylvie Carlos explore black afro hair in society and history, framed with a personal journey as Leanne transitions back to her natural hair.  Listen now on Spotify >>

Other new podcasts for your list:

• Tingbao– This podcast comes from Dreamsailors, an international performance and design collective. Tingbao is a series of eight short episodes (less than 15 minutes each) that weaves the story of one boy’s search for a song lost in time with a musical soundscape by Richard Navarro and Paul Cheneour. The first episodes launched yesterday. Listen now >> 
• But Is It Funny? – Comedy critics in conversation about comedy. Each week, the Guardain’s Brian Logan and one of our contributors, Suchandrika Chakrabarti, talk about what’s happening in stand-up, just why exactly we find things funny. Listen now >>
• Heal With It – From barbershops in Little Rock to park benches in Zimbabwe, this podcast searches for mental health and healing in its many, and sometimes unexpected forms. I’ve listened to the first episode and I love that it’s looking at mental health globally (and the artwork is amazing!). Listen now >>
• American Vigilante – Crowd Network’s latest podcast let’s us hear from KC, an anonymous but real vigilante from America. Former BBC Journalist Sam Walker spoke to KC for months and recorded everything. “You’ll need to listen to make your own mind up, but you might never be the same again.” Listen now >>

New Podcast Seasons

Bottoming – Season 3

The LGBTQ+ mental health podcast is back for its third season, kicking off with an interview with Grammy nominated singer-songwriter and producer, MNEK. The episode touches on starting out in the music industry at an early age, how he’s learned to love his body, and his particular way of processing stress and emotion. Listen now on Acast >>

Small Town Dicks – Season 9

Small Town Dicks is back for a 9th season, and they have signed on with Acast. The show follows real-life, big-time crime happening in ‘Small Town, USA’ — the podcast name being a reference to the slang term for detectives. Rebecca Steinberg, Director of Development at Acast, gives the show big praise: “I’ve been listening since 2017 and it’s the show that prompted my career shift into podcasting,” said  Listen now on Acast>>

Wild For Scotland – Season 2

Lastly, a little bit of shameless uplifting for a small podcast I do some work on! Wild For Scotland is an immersive storytelling podcast by award-winning Scotland travel blogger Kathi Kamleitner. This is a pod born out of lockdown, when Kathi couldn’t travel around the country she loves, and she started writing and recording stories about past journeys. It was recently nominated for an International Women’s Podcast award. This series is about roadtrips! Listen on Acast now >>

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If you listen to these podcasts, please tell us what you think! Tag us on social media @PodBible. Read more of our New This Month editorials for the newest podcasts to listen to.

Do you have a show for our new podcast list? Email  info@podbiblemag.com with the show description, release date and artwork. We will share as many launches as we can.

The post 14 new podcasts to listen to in October 2021 appeared first on POD BIBLE.

This month’s list of new podcasts is tiny compared to previous lists – but it packs a punch! With some classics returning, a timely bonus episode about Afghanistan, and a podcast made purely from 1960s radio archive material all part of the mix, you’re sure to want to add some of these to your new favourites. Here are the best new podcasts to listen to this month!

New Podcasts

Let’s Talk To Lucy

Well this is a strange one, and I’m really not sure if I can include this in a ‘New Podcast’ line-up, because it’s not new. But it is new to podcast form. Let’s Talk To Lucy is actually an archive radio show with Lucille Ball, the famous American icon from I Love Lucy. And, it turns out, she was also ‘one of America’s first podcasters’ – according to the description anyway. But Let’s Talk To Lucy really does work as a podcast. This interview show from 1964 has Lucy interview some of the biggest names in Hollywood – the double interview with Dean Martin & Jeanne Martin could have been the inspiration for Coupledom. Listen now on Spotify >>

X-Ray Vision

For some people reading this, I think that ‘new Jason Concepcion podcast’ will be all you need to know. For people that are saying ‘should I know this guy?’ (I hold my hands up, please don’t @ me!) there is plenty to interest you in this podcast. This is an epic pop-culture podcast, with the first episode covering Star Wars: Visions, the new Spiderman: No Way Home trailer, WandaVision, Loki, and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and much more over 104mins of chat. Many spoilers are involved! Listen now on Spotify >>

The Elements

In 1997, Stuart Diver was the only survivor of a disastrous mountain slide in New South Wales, Australia, that killed 18 people, including his wife. Now, Diver is taking a close look at other natural disasters to ask: what does it take to survive? The first four episodes look events to do with water (a yacht caught in a storm), fire (the bushfires of 2019/20), earth (an earthquake in 1989 in New South Wales) and air (1974’s cyclone Tracey). It also has a truly epic website design. Listen now on Acast >>

Kitchens

Whilst there are quite a few podcasts about food, there are far less – if any – podcasts about the place it all happens: the kitchen. But Lucy Dearlove’s food podcast Lecker has now made a miniseries about the heart of the house. So how did it come about? As Lucy explained to us in this interview, “Kitchens is a self-contained series… Each episode focuses on a different aspect of kitchen design, but they’re all interlinked and themes come up throughout the series that relate to other episodes.”     Listen now on Acast >>

Hello, Nature

This nature podcast from REI is a bit different. Host Misha Euceph didn’t grow up ‘outdoorsy’ and didn’t visit any National Parks until she was in her mid-twenties. Now, she’s asking –  if the national parks in the US are public, why doesn’t everyone use? On a road trip around America’s parks, she starts to dissect some of the history and reasons why not everyone feels comfortable spending time in the National Parks.   Listen now on Spotify >>

New Podcast Seasons

CONFLICTED

This podcast from Message Heard has an ex-Al Qaeda jihadi turned MI6 spy (Aimen Dean) and a former monk turned filmmaker (Thomas Small) looking in depth at some of the most nuanced and complicated aspects of war in the Middle East. The first-hand accounts of the two, and the true friendship that they have makes the show compelling. Ahead of a third season, they’ve released a timely, bonus episode on ‘Afghanistan and the Taliban’ which starts with the caveat “there are no good guys in this”.  Listen now on Acast >>

The Offensive

The football podcast that The Guardian described as “The Thick of It meets FIFA career mode” is back ahead of the new season.  The Offensive has had over 1.6 million listens since it began in 2018, and there will be many who never miss an episode, but if you want a reason to listen this season why not check out the interview with co-creators Joel Emery and Adam Jarrell? Listen now on Acast>>

Blood On The Tracks: The John Lennon Story

A podcast that is difficult to pin down, Blood On The Tracks tells hidden stories behind the cult musicians we think we know. The podcast is described as “part true crime, part historical fiction, part spoken word lo-fi beat noir” –  a description that confused me at first, but having listened to an episode encapsulates it… pretty well!  This second season looks into the post-Beatle years and death of John Lennon, and features the fictionalized voices of people who knew him – including a terrifying distorted version of Yoko Ono. Listen on Acast now >>

You’re Dead To Me

The history podcast for everybody is back! For months, new episodes have popped up on my app, only to disappoint me with the ‘Radio Edit’ versions of episodes I’ve already listened to. But Greg Jenner and his team are finally dropping new episodes. Series 4 has started with a very ‘horrible history’ as we head to 16th Century Russia and learn about Ivan The Terrible. And… yeah, listener discretion is advised!  Listen on Acast now >>

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If you listen to these podcasts, please tell us what you think! Tag us on social media @PodBible. Read more of our New This Month editorials for the newest podcasts to listen to.

Do you have a show for our new podcast list? Email  info@podbiblemag.com with the show description, release date and artwork. We will share as many launches as we can.

The post 9 new podcasts to listen to in September 2021 appeared first on POD BIBLE.

Things have slowed down somewhat this month and we have a slightly shorter list of new pods (hopefully many podcasters are taking a much needed break over Summer after such a busy year for our industry!) But don’t worry – we still have a good bunch of shows to keep you entertained on your own holidays. Whether you want to be an audio tourist, listen to a podcast about the Olympics, or delve deep into subjects like terrorism, there is something for everyone in this month’s list of new podcasts to listen to in August…

New Podcasts

Tipsy Tourism

Take a genre – find a friend – add a drink – make a podcast! It’s a format that has worked for true Crime (Drunk Women Solving Crime) folklore (Spirits) general interviews (White Wine Questions Time) and more. Now, Tipsy Tourism is looking at staycations through beer goggles. Holiday expert Chelsea and radio presenter James take a walk around London with a surreptitious tipple to entertain them and listeners. The ‘tipsy’ format could be chaos, but they keep us engaged with facts, and a well-structured show.  Listen now on Acast >>

Taking Apart Terror

This podcast comes from the Global Coalition Against Daesh, and brings focus to an important topic that, like many, has been side-lined in the news since the start of the pandemic. Preventing acts of terror is still a major priority for governments across the globe, and hasn’t stopped over the past 18 months. This podcast asks how much do we really know about terrorism? And what is being done to stop it? Across 10 episodes, former British soldier Adnan Sarwar explores every aspect of how terrorist organisations operate, from how they’re funded, to the role of women in such organisations. Listen now on Spotify >>

Blind Landing

An Olympics podcast with a True Crime twist. The Sydney Summer Olympics in 2000 has been dubbed one of the most controversial Olympics in history, with the gymnastics leading the way in a number of controversies. (One gymnast was disqualified for being too young, several for doping.) But this podcast focuses on a mistake by the people running the gymnastics – and the how it was catastrophic for many of the competitors. Definitely an Olympics podcast for everyone.  Listen on Acast now >>

Windfall from Outside/In

I was torn as to whether to put this as a new podcast or a new season, because this comes on the same feed as one of my favourite podcasts. Outside/In takes a look at the natural world and how we use it. Their new miniseries, however, is slightly different. Windfall looks very deeply at wind turbines in the USA – the politics, history, economics and more – and why it has taken just so long to start constructing them there. It is fascinating and I did not think I would come out of episodes with the opinions I did. Listen now on Acast >>

On The Outside

Would I be a true podcast writer if I didn’t sneak in my own podcast? On The Outside is a panel-show style podcast that share diverse views on outdoors news in the UK. Each episode, a different panel will bring the stories that matter to them to ask the others what they think. The first episode was recorded on Wednesday 28th of July with myself hosting, and Eden Elgeti (a.k.a. The Transgender Swimmer), Oge Ejizu (London Leader for Black Girls Hike) and Neil Russell (handcyclist and outdoor educator) on the inaugural panel. We talked about how the Olympics permeates the outdoors, staying safe in the water and a new fleet of beach wheelchairs in Pembrokeshire.     Listen now on Acast >>

Other new podcasts for your list:

• Bridgewater – A new podcast from Aaron Manke and Grim & Mild (who brought us Lore) Bridgewater is a fiction podcast about folklore and the mysteries of the past. The trailer is already chilling. Listen now on Acast >>
• Puffin Podcast: Mission Imagination – The brand new series of the Puffin Podcast has two young Puffineers going on a new adventure for each week of the summer holidays, written by famous children’s authors. Read our interview with host Babatunde Aléshé to find out more. Listen now on Acast >>
• Deathbed Confessions – a new Spotify Original, this podcast unveils some of the incredible things that people have kept to themselves until the very end – affairs, murder, robbery – starting with a famous Hollywood murder.  Listen now on Spotify >>
• Blind Date with a Book – a simple concept that does what it says, this aims to match guests up with the book of their dreams, by using dating app questions to find the one that they want. Listen now on Spotify >>
• Firebug – I find it incredible that this story hasn’t been investigated before now. I am not at all surprised to hear this will be followed by a Netflix series.  When police were having trouble finding an arsonist terrorising Southern California, they found an unexpected lead – in an unpublished manuscript for a novel. Listen now on Acast >>

New Podcast Seasons

The Town That Knew Too Much

Another podcast that is new-but-not-new, and perhaps best described as a second instalment on the same feed. Nick Hilton took us through the bizarre history of East Grinstead in The Town That Didn’t Stare. Now, he focuses on Cheltenham, The Town That Knew Too Much, as we find out about the home of British spying, and the deception that goes throughout the seemingly perfect town. The first series was one of my favourite podcasts to come out of lockdown last year, and this new one has started well.  Listen now on Acast>>

Prince: The Official Podcast

Previous seasons have taken a close look at some of Prince’s most famous albums and stories behind them, but the official podcast from The Prince Estate has stepped it up a gear for season 4. This season focuses on a brand new album, Welcome 2 American, a ‘prescient and political album’ the artist was working on in 2010-11. But it was never released before his death in 2016. This podcast is the premiere. Listen on Spotify now >>

Overheard A National Geographic

This podcast lets you listen in on what could possibly be the most interesting office chat in the world. National Geographic magazine covers topics from across the Anthropocene, and season 7  will cover subjects including the superpowers of sharks, remapping the solar system and illegal cheetah trafficking – all the types of things overheard at National Geographic headquarters. Season 7 starts August 3rd. Listen on Acast now >>

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If you listen to these podcasts, please tell us what you think! Tag us on social media @PodBible. Read more of our New This Month editorials for the newest podcasts to listen to.

Do you have a show for our new podcast list? Email  info@podbiblemag.com with the show description, release date and artwork. We will share as many launches as we can.

The post 13 new podcasts to listen to in August 2021 appeared first on POD BIBLE.

The new podcasts this month are a real mix of intense investigation, and just a bit of fun. We have new true crime podcasts, a new Britney Spears podcast and journalism that looks deep into white supremacy. But we also comfort food podcasts, and questions about baby pigeons!

With no further ado, here is our round-up of the best new podcasts to listen to this July…

New Podcasts

Bernie: Who killed the Prince of Soho?

Production company Stak have taken their first steps into True Crime podcasts. Bernie: Who Killed The Prince of Soho? explores the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death Bernie Katz. Bernie was a flamboyant institution in Soho’s club scene for over 30 years. The series describes the sudden unravelling of Bernie’s life, from the abrupt end to his career at the Groucho, to the disappearance of his money from his private art collection, and the confusing connection to Albanian gangsters. With interviews from the people who knew him (including Stephen Fry and Richard Bacon) and sound design that captures both the joy Bernie could bring and the sadness of his death, you should definitely fit this 3-part series into your podcast listening schedule. Listen now on Acast >>

THAT Podcast

THAT Podcast is an immense project: A magazine-style podcast that features more than 100 collaborators, with 23 commissions, performances from some of the UK’s most exciting names, and testimonies from the public. The whole six-part series is out now, and each ‘part’ runs across 2 episodes (this is a good decision – each episode is still an hour or more, and I usually avoid podcast episodes that are more than 60 minutes). I listened to ‘THAT PODCAST with SOPHIE DUKER… where Keanu Reeves saves us all using the power of dreams’ parts one and two. The name intrigued me and the eclectic mix kept me engaged. I learnt about lucid dreaming, listened to a ChowChow (voiced by Derry Girls actress Kathy Kiera Clarke) dream and heard night terrors described. And the thing about Keanu Reeves? You’ll have to listen to find that out yourself!   Listen now on Acast >>

Pieces Of Britney

After Britney’s court testimony, #FreeBritney has quickly changed from a fan hashtag to a conversation about human rights. This new podcast about Britney Spears from BBC Radio 4 looks likely to be an interesting part of that conversation. Pandora Sykes takes us through Britney’s life using a mix of documentary, archive and interviews, but Pieces of Britney also uses dramatic interpretation (written by playwright Katie Hims) to bring Britney and her extraordinary world to life. Pieces Of Britney is available now as a box set on BBC Sounds. 

Comfort Eating with Grace Dent

The Guardian and Ocado have partnered up for the latest food podcast. Comfort Eating with Grace Dent is a weekly podcast that celebrates the joys of comfort food. The Guardian’s restaurant critic might not have been eating out as much, and when left to herself at home she can “often be found with a plate of oven chips, gravy and mint sauce”. Grace will be speaking to a host of famous faces, including Russell T Davies, Deborah Meaden and Nish Kumar, about their comfort foods. Listen to the podcast now on Acast >>

Our Darkest Day

On March 15th 2019, 51 people were killed and 40 more injured as they attended Friday prayers in a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand. The Christchurch Terror Attacks were named as “one of our darkest days” by New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Arden. This six-part investigative podcast explores that day, and the aftermath, through interviews with the victims and their families. They want the world to remember the people who lost their lives, rather than the man who took them. As well as focussing on themes of racism, radicalisation and islamophobia, the podcast also explores aspects such as the unseen repercussions of immigration and the role of faith in coping with such events. When reports suggest that COVID-19 lockdowns have led to an increase in the volume of online extremism and hatred, this podcast seems even more important.  Listen on Acast now >>

Where Are All The Baby Pigeons?

I did promise baby pigeons, but technically I can’t deliver on that promise… Where Are All The Baby Pigeons? is a podcast that investigates life’s everyday mysteries. Hosted by Australian comedian Froomes, it aims to answer some of those random questions that just pop into your head sometimes. Episodes so far have included ‘Do periods sync up?’ and ‘Is your phone listening to you?’ but so far I still haven’t got the answer to the baby pigeon question… Listen now on Spotify >>

Cultureverse

A message from your cultural past, Cultureverse is an immersive audio drama where myths and legends from around the world are brought to life, and into the real world. Technically this is a kid’s show, and the protagonist is a kid, but the production is top quality, the artwork beautiful and the myths are definitely interesting enough to keep adults like me entertained! Cultureverse is a collaboration between US-based TRAX from PRX and the multi-lingual Studio Ochenta The editorial team included people from every culture represented to help keep the stories authentic and celebratory. Listen now  >>

Show and Tell with Christopher Biggins

Beloved British icon Christopher Biggins is a podcast host for the first time. Show and Tell has a guest bring along three items that tell a story from their own lives. In game-show style, Biggins will be tasked with working out what the prized possession is before they explore the story behind it. Not only is this the second podcast on this list about objects, it is also the fourth new ‘object’ podcast in two months, and the second time we’ve written about a celebrity podcast that gets sentimental over them (check out last month’s, Alan Cumming’s Shelves for a similar concept). I’m starting to wonder if having to stay at home over the past year has made us all overthink our ‘things’…   Listen now on Acast >>

Other new podcasts for your list:

• Red Bull’s Save Your Game– Launched last week, Red Bull’s Save Your Game offers insights into the careers and minds of gaming icons, by asking them to pick the three most important games from their life, why they mattered so much and how they’ve impacted them since. We spoke to host, esports host Frankie Ward, last week. Listen now >> 
• Found: Objects With Meaning – this podcast is a collaboration between Wallpaper* Magazine and Vodafone Smart Tech. The 6-part series explores the creative and emotional force of the objects we have – as well as the ones that we’ve lost.⁠⁠ We also had a interview with this podcast’s host!  Listen now on Acast >>
• Out Of The Woods – An audio drama podcast part funded by Arts Council England, Out Of The Woods bring fresh, funny and provocative pieces from a new generation of Balkan writers. Series One is inspired by Kosovo – the newest state in Europe. Whether you want to hear compelling new drama or find out more about this exciting and emerging part of Eastern Europe, you’ll find a story to immerse yourself in. Listen now on Spotify >>
• Please, Go On – An interesting concept from Washington Post where opinion columnist James Hohmann interviews the author of one of the week’s “buzziest, most compelling or most unexpected guest columns from Post Opinions”. Listen now >>
• Who Was Prince? – After a teaser trailer back in April, this 8-part series is out! Who Was Prince? is the ultimate look at the greatest and most mysterious musician of the modern era. How did he create so much music, what was he like as a person, what was his childhood like?  Find out in interviews with people who were close to him. Listen now >>
• The Teamsheet – A Spotify Original that launched just in time for the Euros, The Teamsheet lets famous football fanatics build their very own fantasy five-a-side team. Across a week of episodes, the celebrity curators will pick one goalkeeper (Monday), one defender (Tuesday), one midfielder (Wednesday), one striker (Thursday), one wildcard (Friday), one manager (Saturday) and will finish by designing their perfect kit (Sunday). Listen now >>

New Podcast Seasons

The 2 Johnnies

Johnny McMahon (aka. Johnny Smacks) and Johnny O’Brien (Johnny B for short), have made the move to Spotify for their newest season of the chart-topping Irish podcast The 2 Johnnies Podcast. It has been exclusive to Spotify since the middle of June, and continues in it’s mixture of comedy, current affairs and sport, – as well as an array of guests – hosted in their very own studio in the heart of Co. Tipperary. Check out our interview with them to see how the move to Spotify went! Listen on Spotify now >>

How Did We Get Here?

Claudia Winkleman and Professor Tanya Byron’s number 1 podcast returns for third season. With over two million listens and a British Podcast Award nomination, it’s hardly surprising! How Did We Get Here? is a conversation with a real person who is feeling stuck in an area of their life. In a one-time, unscripted session, Claudia listens in to the conversation to discover how Tanya unlocks the story behind each issue and asks questions about how she guides contributors forward to a place of clarity. The 12-part series began on Friday 25th June, with new episodes weekly.

Listen on Acast now >>

The Tennis Podcast

The Tennis Podcast release regular episodes throughout but when a tournament is in full flow, you can expect daily updates with everything you need to know. With the Wimbledon Championships running until 11th July, they will be covering all the dramas on court. Want to know more about what happened to Serena Williams? Listen to their episode The Sadness of Serena Williams for more insight. Read our interview with host David Law for some behind-the-scenes.   Listen on Acast now>>

Bestsellers

The podcast that hates any kind of book snobbery has started its second season. In Booksellers, hosts Phil Williams and Natalie Jamieson chat to an author they admire, the authors read a passage from their latest book, and at the end send listeners away with some recommendations as well. “This is all about the joy of reading” says Natalie “and celebrating popular fiction / non-fiction (incl cookbooks!) from a wide range of authors and book styles, and hopefully this will inspire people to pick up a book they may not have fully considered just yet”. Listen now on Acast >>

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If you listen to these podcasts, please tell us what you think! Tag us on social media @PodBible. Read more of our New This Month editorials for the newest podcasts to listen to.

Do you have a show for our new podcast list? Email  info@podbiblemag.com with the show description, release date and artwork. We will share as many launches as we can.

The post 19 new podcasts to listen to in July 2021 appeared first on POD BIBLE.

This month has seen a stream of new podcasts in time for Summer, and this is our longest list so far. But these are some really stand-out pods worthy of listening to. Here is our round-up of the best new podcasts to listen to this June…

New Podcast Shows

Human Resources

With so many new podcasts launching it is easy to get overwhelmed with choice, but this is a podcast you MUST listen to. The newest podcast from Broccoli Productions explores the British involvement in the transatlantic slave trade, and explores how the trade has influenced every part of modern Britain – from the footballers you support to the chocolate you eat. Now three episodes in, each one has blown my mind. Read our interview with the host, Moya Lothian-McLean, to find out how the podcast was made. Listen now on Spotify >>

The System

The System is a dark and unsettling thriller from Radio 4. A group of young radicals are hunting for their leader, Jake, who disappeared after signing up to a personal training programme to “turn the meekest man-boy into an alpha male”. Two years later, his sister Maya sets out to uncover the truth. With a cast including BAFTA nominee Siena Kelly (Adult Material), Jack Rowan (Noughts + Crosses) and Iain de Caestecker (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), this adventure story tackles the darker fringes of masculinity. The System is the first show as part of Limelight, a new strand of audio drama from Radio 4 aiming to push ambitions for audio drama, and grow new talents.  Listen on BBC Sounds now >>

The RetroSpectors

Anyone who has every been involved in a podcast will know how much work it takes – and will probably baulk at the idea of doing one daily. But that’s exactly what new history podcast The RetroSpectors is doing. Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina and Arion McNicoll talk about the curious moments from ‘this day in history’ each weekday. But it’s not the grandiose topics you might imagine – episodes so far have included “When ‘Twister’ went viral” and “The Accidental Vibrator” and “Super Mario Bros – The First Videogame Movie”. Listen now on Acast >>

Michael Spicer’s It Happened To Me

It Happened To Me tells made-up stories of real-life events, through interviews where every character is played by Michael Spicer (most known for this comedy skits The Room Next Door). It Happened to Me riffs on the first-person stories you find in real-life magazines, with episodes including “I joined a cult and accidentally killed its leader”, “I run a soft play centre for adults only”, “I performed magic to the man who burgled my house”. We spoke to Michael and his partner in crime Matt Tiller about making the podcast.  Listen to the podcast now on Acast >>

The Ballad of Anne & Mary

This epic show from Long Cat Media has been a year in the making. Based on the historical (almost legendary) pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read, the Ballad of Anne and Mary is like a stage-show in audio form. With a massive cast and a big budget (made possible by Arts Council England, the UEA Entrepreneurial fund, and the subscriptions and donations from listeners). The makers of this show have promised “epic, escapist adventure” and it really feels like a joyful swashbuckling musical. (Incidentally, this is the second epic podcast about the female pirates to come out in the last year – if you liked Audible Original’s Hell Cats. check this out).  Listen on Acast now >>

Sneakernomics

This new podcast from BBC Sounds and 4Extra is all about the cultural and sporting history of trainers (or “kicks, creps, sneakers, whatever you want to call them!”) told through the lives of the people who made them. Presented by Nicholas Smith (author of Kicks: The Great American Story Of Sneakers) and 1Xtra presenter Ace, it goes into how the likes of Puma, Adidas, Vans, Nike, Reebok and battled it out on the world stage to become more than sportswear. With the fictionalised exchanges of key events (for example, when Nike co-founder using a waffle iron to make the soles of their famous shoes…) this is a must listen for those who like Wondery’s Business Wars. Listen now on BBC Sounds >>

Very Necessary from WaterAid

Very Necessary is the new podcast from charity WaterAid and features well-known guests discussing the everyday object that is most essential to their lives. But the simple concept dives a bit deeper than the regular desert-island format. Presenter Melissa Hemsley also provides quiz-worthy facts about the guests’ items (from headphones to tea) to reveal their astonishing history. The podcast will also talks about the items’ surprising connection to WaterAid’s projects. The initial series will run for five episodes.  Listen now on Acast >>

Finding Natasha

Finding Natasha is the newest podcast from Message Heard. Arguably, every family’s myths are worthy of a podcast. But when you throw in Soviet Russia, the world-renowned Mariinsky Ballet school and a daring escape from a locked hospital, you have the makings of great investigative podcast. Read our full review of this 5-part series or listen now >>

Other new podcasts for your list:

• Rewirement – Angellica Bell is doing the podcast rounds, with the second new podcast featuring her in as many months! hare tips, inspiration and stories from amazing people living colourful retirements, brought to you by Legal & General. Guests talk about topics such as planning for travel, keeping a healthy body and mind, changing career later in life and retiring as an LGBTQ person. Listen now >> 
• ChillDaBeats – ChillDaBeats is the new show from BBC Radio 1 presenter Phil Taggart. Part radio show, part podcast, Phil brings you a soft focus selection of alternative chill sounds along with the big guests. It’s a vital space for alternative chill, offering support, escape, mindfulness, meditation and community. Listen now >>
• The Lazarus Heist – It hardly feels like we need to mention this podcast considering how well it is doing in the charts! But just in case you haven’t heard about the latest BBC Worldwide Service podcast: The Lazarus heist was described as the “Almost a perfect crime.” It involves a hacking ring, an attempt to steal a billion dollars, North Korea, and it’s all connected to Hollywood… Listen now on Spotify >>
• Alan Cumming’s Shelves – Alan’s been co-hosting Homo Sapiens since May last year, but it seems he’s got the taste for podcasting. In his new podcast, Alan chooses one item from the shelves in his house and tells the story behind it. Read our Q&A with Alan to find out more about the show. Listen on Acast now >>
• Absolutely Mental – A somewhat controversial figure at times, there is still no doubt that Ricky Gervais is firmly engrained in podcast culture. He now has a new podcast where he phones a smart friend (the neuroscientist and philosopher Sam Harris) to ask questions – both big and small.  Listen on Acast now >>
• The Friendship Onion – a Lord of the Rings podcast/celebrity podcast with two of the actual hobbits. Billy Boyd and Dom Monaghan catch up on microphone, share some secrets of their friendship, the secrets of the Lord of the Rings films and quiz super-fans on the series. I’ve written about why I’m quite excited about this one (and you can get Monaghan’s podcast suggestions) or  Listen now on Acast >>
• The Players Lounge – A great podcast for cricket fans. Join (Indian sports journalist) Mayanti Langer Binny and (former England cricketer) Graeme Swann in The Players Lounge for hidden access to some of cricket’s biggest and best loved characters..  Listen on Acast now >>

New Podcast Seasons

Russell Kane’s Man Baggage

Russell Kane’s Man Baggage is a safe space where Russell gets a group of man together to talk about the things that they really should talk about more. I’m going to be honest, I was slightly confused as to whether this was a new season or a new show (is it just me, or are there a lot of re-brands happening?!) But there is a little line in the first episode of the season to say this was “formally Boys Don’t Cry”. This panel-show really talks about if (and why) there are differences between men’s approach to mental health and emotions and women’s approach. New episodes include “Are women more mature than men?” and “Are men better at being rejected than women?”.

Listen on Acast now >>

Passenger List

Passenger List returns! The first series of this fiction podcast investigated the Atlantic Flight 702, which disappeared mid-flight between London and New York. Voice actors included the likes of Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars), and Rob Benedict (Supernatural).  Slight spoiler for the first season – in the second season, the remains of the flight have been found. But with 256 passengers on board, are they all accounted for? And will family members be allowed closure on the tragedy? The first seasons was a smash hit, and there was speculation about the second season.

Listen on Acast now >>

My Wardrobe Malfunction

The seventh season of My Wardrobe Malfunction started in May with a literary hero. Dame Jacqueline Wilson talks about the clothes that mean the most to her – and particularly bangles! If you have read any of Jacqueline Wilson’s 100s of children’s books, you know that clothing and looks can often feature in them. It’s interesting to hear her talk about her own relationship to clothes.  Listen on Acast now>>

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If you listen to these podcasts, please tell us what you think! Tag us on social media @PodBible. Read more of our New This Month editorials for the newest podcasts to listen to.

Do you have a show for our new podcast list? Email  info@podbiblemag.com with the show description, release date and artwork. We will share as many launches as we can.

The post 18 new podcasts to listen to in June 2021 appeared first on POD BIBLE.