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 >>

—

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.

A couple of weeks ago, I suggested Pilot Season 2023 as the ‘New Pod of the Week’ in our newsletter. But it’s not quite accurate to call it a ‘pod’ given that Pilot Season 2023 is launching 5 separate productions into the world. The new show by Unedited is showcasing five ‘pilot episodes’ of shows that cover a wide range of topics, from hidden statistics of curry houses, to Reading Festival, and sneakers.

I was so intrigued by the idea, that when Unedited got in touch to offer an interview with Bernard P. Achampong (Founder of Unedited and genius behind Pilot Season) I HAD to say yes, and find out how it was behind the scenes on this new style of format…

Pod Bible: It seems like there are more and more worthy podcast ideas vying for funding and attention. Was that part of the reasoning behind Pilot Season?

Bernard P. Achampong: Pilot Season was a response to the question of how do we, as a production company, stand out. The challenge with a lot of industries is that they’re quite rigid and there’s little flexibility across genres. So if you come in as a comedy producer, the tendency is you’re looked at as a comedy producer only throughout your career – unless you then make a breakout hit in True Crime, for instance, and then you become the True Crime, and maybe Comedy guys. For Unedited, we came in, after May 2020, when the agenda was strongly steered towards diversity and inclusion. What that doesn’t do is give us a clear editorial or genre identity. So we become the diversity guys, but not the immersive sound design guys or the social history guys.

With Pilot Season, we wanted to give a more distinctive voice to Unedited rather than just being the Black-owned company that does ‘black’ stuff. Unedited is a company that does great stuff and just happens to have a culturally diverse team.

PB: How important is it for podcasts to have this kind of development space?

Bernard: With so many content options, it’s becoming more and more important for audio companies to have their own unique voice. With the devices that we all have in front of us, like our mobile phones, smart TVs and other connected devices, the democracy around consuming content is a lot flatter. You can as easily watch a Netflix series as you can listen to a BBC Sounds show. So for production companies, that distinctiveness is becoming more and more important. It’s like a badge of authenticity. Back in the day, we would talk about NPR and listeners knew what NPR stood for in terms of its values. I think production companies like Gimlet, Somethin’ Else or Unedited, need to have that distinctiveness in order to be able to cut through to audiences on all platforms.

PB: How did these shows come to Unedited? Were they pitched to you or were these in- house ideas?

Bernard: All of these are ideas that have originated in-house. Most have been through the journey with different commissioners, a couple received some development funding – we backed ourselves with the others.

PB: I certainly want to hear more of these shows! What would be the process now to getting a series made? How soon might we hear them?

Bernard: The pilots are available for commissioning, licensing and fund partnerships. We are offering these to broadcasters or streaming platforms, or for funders to come directly to us to create them. We’re still limited by the amount of resources we have to create these series’ and that takes us back to speaking to the BBC, Apple, Spotify and Audible. However, what we have done is the proof of concept stage. Once you get to hear it, you go, “Okay, I know what I want to change” or “I know what I want to do and I know where it’s going to live”, rather than having to do that off a sheet of paper and work a bit in the dark.

PB: How can listeners support the podcasts?

Bernard: Listen and share. Share it with people that you know, comment and like on podcast platforms and give us feedback about the things that work for you. As we go into series production, God willing and fingers crossed, all of that feedback, we’ll have a lot of insights from listeners, which will help to shape the ideas.

PB: Anything else you’d like readers to know?

Bernard: I feel that Pilot Season should give the industry permission to be bolder. The audio industry, especially in the UK, has lived in the shadow of the behemoth of the BBC, which is not a bad thing. The BBC has been established for over 100 years in terms of industry standard, and sometimes above industry standard, for the craft of audio including scripting, writing and production performance. The BBC has created such a high bar, which is unnatural in most territories. It doesn’t exist in most territories. So other territories have had to be a lot more entrepreneurial. Now in the UK, we’ve got a space where other territories are opening up to us, and I still think that the UK is the best place to make audio in the world. For other production companies to exist, and attract business from other parts of the world, we have to become a lot more entrepreneurial. We have to embrace that spirit of selling and creating original ideas for not just broadcasters but also brands and other forms of funding. We’ve got to be really smart about how we attract people to our industry.

Listen to Pilot Season 2023 now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps >>

Connect with Bernard Achampong on LinkedIn. Thanks to Chris Mitchell for transcribing this interview.

The post Bernard P. Achampong: ‘Pilot Season’ is a more distinctive voice to Unedited appeared first on POD BIBLE.

Its first season of six episodes mixed international politics and Hollywood-levels of drama by bringing us the story of Big Spender – an infamous criminal mastermind from Hong Kong who took on billionaires and governments. With the background of Hong Kong reverting to Chinese rule, it’s no exaggeration to say that the story of Big Spender is worthy of a movie – in fact, more than one film has portrayed his misdeeds.

The choice of narrator for the Bad Money podcast is fittingly blockbuster worthy. Jason Wong has starred in Guy Ritchie’s The Gentleman, and he’ll soon be seen alongside Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez and Hugh Grant in the new Dungeons & Dragons blockbuster. His addition to this show is an example of pulling in talent from other media to redefine what a ‘crime podcast’ can be.

We asked Jason a few questions about his experience at the helm of a podcast for the first time…

Jason you’re known for both tv and big blockbusters, but I believe this is your first podcast – how do you like podcasting?

I absolutely adored the whole process. Bringing life to the narration and learning how to push the narrative forward to engage the listeners. It’s something I’ve always admired from radio plays and calm sleep apps. I get the ability to merge and blend both in the podcast world.

What was it that drew you to this project?

The story of Big Spender- he was just so outrageous with his antics and adventures. Big Spender, managed to get away with so much but also paid the ultimate price. The audacity of his actions was bold and no Hollywood film could come up with what he did. The story showed the darker side of humans, greed, money and power. I guess this is why we love watching Scorsese films or Andrew Lau films in Asia. We always want to champion an underdog.

The sound design on this show is really interesting, but as the narrator you must have been quite in the dark about it during recording – what was your reaction when you got to hear the final show?

It is definitely something I was new too- adding background sound really changes the energy of the podcast. I’m in the booth reading, trying to inject energy to what I’m saying. The soundscape breathes life into the story and helps it become a more immersive experience for the listener.

Are there any podcasts you listened to in preparation for this project?

I listened to a few like Blood Ties Podcast by Geoffrey Wansell and Molly Wansell. That’s the only true crime podcast I’ve listened too.

Lastly – now they’ve made it possible, do you feel ready to add ‘Podcaster’ to your IMDB?!

Absolutely. Podcasting is a great way to consume a story- and being dyslexic I’ve always found reading challenging. Anything audio based to consume I will!

Listen to Bad Money: Big Spender on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps >>

The post Jason Wong from Bad Money: “I absolutely adored the whole process” appeared first on POD BIBLE.

The format is simple. Each week a topic from culture, science, history or religion – the evolution of teeth, the Chinese philosophy of Daoism, Thucydides – is explained by three academics, wrangled by Bragg. No idea is too big, and no pocket of time too small.

At the centre of it all is Bragg, cutting through any over-ornate explanations with an ever so slightly terse tone and chivvying his charges along towards clarity and specificity. His tight handle on the tempo of proceedings is part of what makes In Our Time work so fluently.

With nearly 1000 episodes of Radio 4’s flagship intellectual roundtable broadcast since its debut in 1998 – a half-hour discussion of war in the 20th century – there’s a lot to rifle through. You could, in all honesty, pick one out at random and find yourself feeling immeasurably enlightened 45 minutes later. But here are three to get you going.

Zero

This is one of those In Our Time episodes which makes you stare into space for a couple of seconds in slack-jawed incomprehension even before you’ve started listening. Obviously, when you think about it, the idea of a graphical representation of nothing had to be invented at some point. But as with the best In Our Time episodes, this is probably the first time you’ve spent much time thinking about it. We go back to Ancient Egypt and Greece to hear about how the idea of nothingness was tussled over before Islamic mathematicians popularised the zero. Listen now >>

The Evolution of Teeth

Another one from the ‘wow, never even considered that’ stable, it turns out that half a billion years ago we were all just armoured fish, scuttling around in the seas and rivers, sucking up bits of food in our jawless, toothless mouths. Then at some point the scales started shifting around, and we could get to nibbling something more substantial. There are clues to the past in the fossil record of sharks, and sharks also point to a possible future where humans might manage to replace their own teeth. Madness. Listen now >>

The Gin Craze

Back in the late 17th century, as William of Orange took up the English throne, the country got a taste for a novel new Dutch import. A slightly mysterious new spirit flavoured with juniper became a national passion which curdled into a full-blown public health crisis, and was considered such a threat to the social fabric of the nation that Parliament legislated five times to bring its sale and consumption under control. The wild details about what life was like in a perma-sozzled England are great. Listen now >>

You can listen to In Our Time on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast players. Already a fan? Tell us your favourite episode over on Twitter!

The post Where to start with… In Our Time appeared first on POD BIBLE.

The Football Ramble was started in 2007 by Luke Moore, Marcus Speller, Pete Donaldson and Jim Campbell. Since then, the Ramble has grown enormously from releasing daily episodes to welcoming four new members to the Ramble team: Jules Breach (BT Sport, talkSPORT), Andy Brassell (BT Sport, BBC), Kate Mason (Sky Sports) and Vithushan Ehantharajah (The Independent). Equal parts informative and hilarious, the Ramble remains the football fan’s one-stop shop for all things football.

After being delayed a year due to the pandemic, this summer’s European Championships arrives with perhaps more excitement than ever before. It will be symbolic of a tentative return to normality for much of the UK – fans may well be allowed into stadiums, pub gardens will be full of revellers catching England games on the big screen and the country will be gripped by a football frenzy not seen since the World Cup in 2018. Games will come in thick and fast over the four weeks, so keeping up with everything the tournament throws at you might be a daunting prospect.

The Football Ramble is the only podcast you’ll need to accompany you through this summer’s festival of football. We’ll be releasing new episodes every single day throughout the tournament, full of the usual insight and laughs that set us apart as the world’s biggest independent football show. We’ll break down all the latest results, unpack the funniest stories the tournament throws up and keep you up to date with England’s chances – no matter how slim they may be!

Charlie Morgan, Senior Producer of the Football Ramble:

“The behind-the-scenes work has already begun – releasing episodes every day for the entire tournament means most of the preparation will need to be done in advance by the hosts, assistant producer Finn and myself. Whether it be creating factsheets on certain teams, sorting the hosts’ scheduling around travel plans or stocking cupboards with coffee pods, there’s a massive range of things to be sorting out. Thirty-odd consecutive shows is quite an undertaking, but what a privilege to be able to make a whole host of content around Europe’s biggest international football tournament. Bring it on!”

Vish Ehantharajah, Football Ramble Host:

“I genuinely can’t wait for the Euros to start, for a few reasons. Firstly, it’ll be the first time I’ve covered a football tournament since the 2012 Olympics. Then there’s the fact we might win the thing (we won’t). And to be a part of the Ramble team for it will be pretty incredible. The last year on the show has been a bit of a lucid dream, so to be on the ones-and-twos for an international football tournament is going to be something else! For me, the best part of summer football tournaments is joint experience with mates. Maybe it’s because everyone’s in a good mood when the sun is out, but it’s such a wholesome experience and I don’t think there’s anything quite like it. So to be having all that at what technically constitutes ‘work’ is crazy to me. And above all, I hope that comes across in what we produce.”

Daily shows will be released on the Football Ramble feed and over on Football Ramble Presents we’ll still be releasing episodes of four European football show, On The Continent. That’s the place for unrivalled analysis and insight from some of the biggest European football journalists in the world. We’re also planning a special run of ‘Ramble Meets…’ interview episodes, all with a Euros flavour. Find daily episodes of the Football Ramble on all major podcasting platforms, or listen via hyperurl.co/ramble.

—

This article was produced as part of a paid advertising package. To enquire about advertising with Pod Bible email info@podbiblemag.com

The post The Football Ramble // The ONLY podcast for Euro 2020 and beyond! appeared first on POD BIBLE.

In January 2015, long-time podcaster Helen Zaltzman – not quite yet a Podcast Champion but on her way to the honour – debuted her second audio project, The Allusionist. “I didn’t know what it would be until I really started it,” Zaltzman told The Guardian* later that year. She just began with the idea that: “There are hundreds of thousands of words in the English language and the combinations of those words and humans using them is almost infinite.”

That’s what each episode of The Allusionist is: a deep-dive into the history behind a word, phrase, dialect or other facet of the English Language (slang and swear words feature often), that has been forgotten now that the term has entered mainstream use.

After eight years of making Answer Me This! along with Olly Mann and Martin Austwick, Zaltzman launched The Allusionist as a solo podcast, with Austwick providing the music. At 131 episodes and counting (Zaltzman releases two or three episodes a month; the latest, Podlingual, came out on February 25th 2021), knowing where to start with the podcast can feel daunting.

The good news is, you can start anywhere! Each episode is self-contained, there are no narrative arcs, and any inter-episode references are clearly signposted. There’s even a Lexicon page on The Allusionist website, where you can choose a word, then find the episode that it appears in.

I’ve chosen these three episodes as the ones I think newbies should begin with – and, I asked Helen Zaltzman herself to comment on my choices. Here they are:

Episode 4 – Detonating the C-Bomb

You’ve got to love a podcast that devotes its fourth episode to the strongest swear word in the English language. But why is it the one that makes people recoil the most? Why is it so much more popular in the UK as opposed to the US, and why does it sound all the morse insulting if you hit the final ‘T’ hard? If, like me, you find yourself lost in these questions, then this episode is a great place for you to begin!

HZ: At this point, I was still learning what the Allusionist was, and how to make it. I hadn’t yet adjusted to having an audience that was not predominantly British but American, as there’s a different attitude to the C-word in the USA that I hadn’t really understood. It’s a lot of listeners’ favourite episode of the show – swearing is always a crowd-pleaser, I have since learned. Listen now >>

Episode 93 – Gossip

Gossip is an absolutely classic Allusionist episode: taking a term that has been unfairly gendered as female – and maligned as a result – then looking at why this has happened. Zaltzman uncovers the history of sexism and behind the term. Men gossip just as much as women, because it’s essential to building social bonds and finding out news in the workplace, but they don’t get the flak for it. Want to know why? Dive into this episode!

HZ: Gossip was an episode that came about because on a whim I looked up the word’s etymology, and found it to be very different to what I expected – I love it when that happens, Step Away is another episode like that, and the pieces about ‘bulldozer’, ‘lemur’ and ‘copper’. Although the history of the word is what piqued my interest, the main narrative of the episode is more about how the word has been twisted to dismiss something as trivial and feminine, even though gossip is actually really important, socially and culturally. Listen now >>

Episode 99 – Polari

This is an unexpectedly emotional episode, as Zaltzman digs down into a culture and a dialect that emerged in the late 1800s, in response to strict laws against homosexuality, but fell out of use once those laws were neutralised by the Sexual Offences Act 1967. It’s a reminder that our language not only carries history in its syllables, but also the creativity of those who refused to be silenced. The Polari words mentioned so familiar – they’re very much in mainstream use today.

HZ: Some of the most interesting and complex topics on the show are about LGBTQ+ words, and language of oppressed people. Polari covered both. Quite a few Polari words have entered popular vernacular but I wonder if people even know they’re saying words from a secret language that gay men used to communicate with each other before homosexuality was legal. Listen now >>

Listen to The Allusionist on ACAST, SPOTIFY and all other podcast apps.

*That 2015 Guardian piece suggests starting with these three episodes, confirming the legendary status of the Detonating the C-Bomb episode: PortmanNO, C-Bomb, Bosom Holder.

The post Where to start with The Allusionist appeared first on POD BIBLE.

Dr Halima Begum (left) talks to Susan Cole (right) in Episode 1.

Tell us about your show! Who are you and what’s your elevator pitch?

Tell Me About It is the podcast from NAM aidsmap which challenges HIV myths and smashes stigma. There are big gaps between what people think about HIV, and what it actually feels like and means to live with it today. So each episode is an honest conversation between people sharing their experiences of living with HIV, or opening up about their assumptions and what they’d love to know more about.

Why podcasting? What is it about the format that appeals to you?

Podcasting is absolutely the most engaging way to fit into people’s day-to-day lives. A friend in your ear, making you laugh, teaching you something new…

I’ve already learnt a lot about HIV from listening to the first episode of the podcast. If there was one thing listeners took away from your podcast, what would you like them to learn about HIV?

There’s no one way to live with HIV – people living with HIV all have very different experiences, and all those experiences deserve to be heard.

Who’s your dream guest for the podcast?

Gill Scott-Heron in conversation with Nelson Mandela, Freddie Mercury talking to Princess Diana…

And I think in this instance it is also poignant to ask: do you have a dream listener? Who do you think needs to hear these stories?

Somebody who has seen all the headlines about HIV over the years but has never spoken to anyone living with it…someone who’s seen It’s A Sin but doesn’t yet know how much things have changed in treatment and prevention… anyone whose memories of HIV are from the 80s/90s and anyone who thinks HIV isn’t something they need to worry about or could be affected by.

Is there a particular interview or episode that has really stuck with you or means the most to you?

They all mean a lot, and our guests have been so generous in sharing their experiences and stories…and each one tells a different tale so we can’t choose!

Which podcasts inspire you most?

Talking Stigma with Gareth Thomas was great, a brilliant deep dive into such a memorable moment in the fight against HIV stigma. Outside of health, the relationship podcast Where Should We Begin? With Esther Perel is a model we aspire to – completely addictive, mind-blowingly honest and personal stories that genuinely have the potential to open minds and change behaviour.

Where can the Pod Bible readers find out more about you?

Our website – www.aidsmap.com – has all the most recent and scientifically accurate information on HIV prevention and treatment, from all over the world. We have some great videos, including a fortnightly broadcast on HIV and COVID called #aidsmapCHAT, available on Twitter and Facebook  And we’d love to hear thoughts on the podcast – you can email us on info@nam.org.uk.

LISTEN ON ACAST

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY

LISTEN ELSEWHERE

—

To pontificate about podcasts, enquire about advertising or ask us any questions, fill out the form on our contact page, get in touch via social media. or email info@podbiblemag.com.

The post Susan Cole from Tell Me About It – a podcast about HIV appeared first on POD BIBLE.

Hi Rosie! Your podcast evolved from your work in different mediums – first your book Is Monogamy Dead? and then solo stage show The Conscious Uncoupling. What made you decide to make The Breakup Monologues as a podcast?

The creative lineage dates back even further than that! The Conscious Uncoupling was the final part of a trilogy of solo comedy shows that began with The Science of Sex. I toured that around the U.K. in 2009 and 2010 but have revived it for subsequent performances in New York, Sydney and at Edinburgh Fringe. That was a silly lecture all about the psychology of attraction, the kind of subversive sex ed. lesson we all wish we’d had at school. But behind my grubby lab coat, makeshift props, spoofy ancient love poems and graphs was a serious intent to get to the bottom of how relationships worked… and sometimes didn’t!

So there’s been this more serious line of psychological enquiry underpinning my creative work about love for over a decade. I think it stems from growing up gay and feeling different. There are many things about love and attraction that are universal but some that are different for queer partnerships. Did you know that lesbians divorce at a much higher rate than anyone else? That surprised me. But also made me feel better about my very serially monogamous past. It’s not atypical for a queer woman.

Did you take inspiration from any podcasts in particular before you started?

I guested on The Guilty Feminist to talk about my book Is Monogamy Dead? (which had stemmed from the middle part of the aforementioned trilogy) just before starting The Breakup Monologues. So that definitely inspired me to record the second and third seasons live at Kings Place. Although I’m changing format and feel for the new season [which started on 12th February]. That’ll have more of a magazine feel with separate interviews linked by me. That was also a format familiar to me because I’ve presented a show on Resonance FM for many years. So, if anything, my original inspiration came from radio… and the sort of mix of intelligence and humour of some of Radio 4’s artsy and cultural output, Woman’s Hour, Loose Ends and so on.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned as a podcast producer since the start of The Breakup Monologues?

To be adaptable. Lockdown threw a big spanner in the works for me. I’m a live performer. It’s in my blood. So it took me a while to adjust to the fact that live shows weren’t going to be happening again for a while. I also had to figure out how to replace the lost ticket sales income. Fortunately a couple of superfans came to the rescue and put some money into the new season.

Also, to think about your USP. When I began talking about breakups onstage and in the podcast, audiences said it was so needed. Breakups weren’t talked about. Now there are more podcasters and authors discussing them. Which is what I was trying to achieve in a way. But now I also think I have to work harder to make The Breakup Monologues distinctive. And I think the cerebral/science angle about the parallels between addiction and heartbreak, or the sociological aspects of how polyamory changes the conversation about breakups and the way we bring those ideas in alongside the more personal anecdotes, is the kind of thing I have always enjoyed doing. Some of my favourite reviews of my book were the ones that acknowledged that there was clearly a huge amount of research that had been done but that research came across in such a light, accessible way. Also, I think inclusivity is a big thing for me. Not just in terms of sexuality. One of my favourite guests was Lynn Ruth Miller, who talked about dating and sex for the over eighties!

Earlier this year, you were awarded funding from the British Podcast Awards and Wellcome Trust to make a miniseries, My Chemical Romance. Where did the idea for these bonus episodes come from?

I had been aware for a few years of the work of neuroethicist Brian D. Earp into the idea of ‘love drugs’ and ‘anti-love drugs’ that could either help us to stay in a relationship or reduce the trauma of leaving one. Could the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind actually become a reality? So when the Pulse Award scheme from BPA and Wellcome was announced, it seemed like the perfect idea to explore in a double bill.

Did you have to produce this series in a different way to your regular episodes?

Yes. Although that hadn’t been the plan. I wanted to record these as a live double bill at Kings Place with a diverse and intelligent panel including Brian. However, the event was scheduled for late March, just at the start of lockdown. So instead I recorded a socially distant conversation with Brian and then did something completely new. I put an open call out online for listeners to submit their stories about how drugs we already take such as SSRIs, birth control pills etc had affected their romantic lives (and had perhaps had side effects of acting like an anti love drug). This was really interesting to put together.

And did you learn different things from doing the My Chemical Romance miniseries?

I suppose I felt more confident that you can still make great content without necessarily needing celebrity names. Obviously The Breakup Monologues has had some big names and will continue to do so. It does help with getting the word out and getting media or social media attention. But a great story or a new, intriguing idea is still worth a lot too.

What is something as a podcast producer you haven’t tried yet but would like to?

Over lockdown, I’ve been listening to a lot of the classic long form investigative or storytelling shows like Serial, S-Town, The Missing Cryptoqueen and Passenger List. I am desperate to make something like this, where you start off with a question but then maybe go off on other fascinating tangents. I have an idea I love for a series like this. But I might need some production support and finance to really do it justice. So we will see.

In the meantime, I’m also adding a slightly more themed and narrative approach to the latest season of The Breakup Monologues. There will be one particular episode where I’ll be unravelling the mystery of why one tiny breakup, after only a couple of casual dates, ripped right to the heart of all my vulnerabilities and kind of defied the ‘normal’ breakup rules of how much something is supposed to hurt if it hasn’t lasted very long. It’s a very nuanced change in atmosphere but the listening experience might feel a bit more like chapters of a book.

How do you experience other podcasts as a listener? Can you turn off your editing ear and just enjoy shows, or do you always tune in to the things you would have done differently yourself?

I tend to enjoy podcasts in different genres to mine. Although recently I have been listening a lot to the clever use of music in other podcasts. I always just had a fun little theme that came in and out at the start and end. But now we’ve got another piece by the same composer which fades in and out throughout the show as well. It’s a very simple change but one that points to the slightly different direction I’m taking things.

Do you have a dream guest?

I mentioned the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind above. It’s one of my all time favourites. I’d love to interview Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet about how they’d feel if the memory erasure process depicted in the film became a reality. They’ve had a few divorces between them. I wonder if they’d erase their ex-partners!

And now it’s coming full circle and you’ve been commissioned to write a book based on the podcast! Can you tell us about that?

The Breakup Monologues book will be published by Bloomsbury at the end of May. It tells my own story of trying to learn from my breakups, and from all the experts and friends that I’ve interviewed, and figuring out how to actually try and stay in a relationship at last. I think my breakups have proved to be such learning experiences, and ultimately really positive, that I’ve become a bit of a breakup addict. Is it possible to do that much active learning and growth while actually staying in a relationship? We will see!

Where can Pod Bible readers find out more about you and the show?

The Breakup Monologues is on Instagram @breakupmonologues where I post fun backstage images from the live shows, exclusive extracts, bonus content and ideas from the show and book. I’m also on Twitter @rosiewilby. It would be great to hear from people there. Otherwise there’s my website www.rosiewilby.com, the show is available on all good podcast platforms, my first book is available from all great bookshops as a paperback, ebook and audiobook and the new book is available now to pre-order. 

The post Rosie Wilby: Podcast producer for The Breakup Monologues appeared first on POD BIBLE.

Tell us about your show! What’s your elevator pitch??

First of all I would never pitch anything in an elevator. We’re way above that now. I’d probably get the Best Podcast award that we won out of my bag and just hold it out in front of me and then when the other people in the lift ask “why have you got that award?” I’d explain; We do an award winning podcast called The Kurupt FM Podkast where we talk about different topics and help you to understand them. The best way to describe it is probably it’s like injecting pure knowledge directly into your brain using headphones.

Why podcasting? What is it about the format that appeals to you?

We’d been running our pirate radio station for years, blazing out the finest UK garage across the land of Brentford. After we stopped doing Kurupt FM everyone was understandably heartbroken and wanted to hear our voices again. Then our manager, Chabuddy G, told us about these things Audible do called podcasts, which are basically like pirate radio shows, but much, much more boring. I decided that it was time for us to make podcasts credible and at the same time bring our voices to a nation of desperate fans. Also Chabzy said it was a good way for him to advertise shit to gullible people. So everyone wins, really. One thing that’s good about podcasts is that the reach is a little bit wider than pirate radio. Our reach used to be a two mile radius from the block where our aerial was but with the Podkast you can get wherever which is pretty mad.

What’s the secret to being a good podcast host?

Be yourself. Unless you’re boring. Some podcast hosts are proper boring, which is probably why the whole podcast thing hasn’t really taken off until now. The secret to being a good podcast host is to provide wisdom and have natural lyrical talent. That’s why Audible approached me. Good looks aren’t essential cos it’s just audio but there’s nothing I can do about that. They get that for free.

What do you think makes a great podcast guest?

Make sure you recognise and respect the podcast host and above all know your place. Stepping into someone’s podcast is like coming into their home. Take your shoes off on your way in, have some respect, wipe the seat if you use the toilet. That’s a metaphor, Steve’s toilet doesn’t actually work. If you need a piss you have to walk around the corner to the leisure centre or McDonalds.

If you could go back to before you started out and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

We actually discuss time travel as part of the episode about the future. I can say from experience that the idea of going back and talking to yourself is not something I would recommend. It’s better to not interfere in that stuff cos you don’t know what sort of madness you might end up doing. Look at Back To The Future. One minute it seems like a great idea, the next minute you’re like Marty McFly and you’re accidentally about to have sex with your own mum. No thanks.

What’s been your worst podcast moment so far?

Last series we did a Ouija board and accidentally opened the door into the spirit world. That was quite long. I don’t believe in all that stuff obviously but when you blaze loads of weed it’s hard not to sometimes get paro… Steve still burns sage in his flat once a week just in case there’s still spirits knocking about.

Which episode of episodes of your podcast mean the most to you?

The episode where I finally reveal the script for the film I’ve been writing about my life. MC Grindah: The Movie. We acted out some of the scenes and it was really emotional for me to see it come to life. Idris Elba, if you’re seeing this, and I’m sure you are – the part of MC Grindah is still up for grabs. Everyone says we’re basically twins so it’s the role of a lifetime for you, I’m not sure why you’ve been ignoring our messages. Maybe you’re in the gym bulking up, trying to get my shoulders.

Which podcasts of podcast hosts inspire you most?

I don’t listen to podcasts to be honest, they’re mainly for brears who drink coffee and have folding bikes and suits with running trainers that want something to listen to on the tube. So I’d probably have to say myself. And I inspire those around me as well so in a way I’m inspired by them because they’re inspired by me.

Finally, what are your current favourite podcasts?

Hmm. Tough one. I think I’d have to say The Kurupt FM Podkast. And if it’s not your favourite then you’re wrong cos we literally have an award to prove that it’s the best one. It’s mad actually cos I never was a fan of podcasts before but I have single-handedly converted myself into a podcast fan.

The post THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO… MC Grindah from The Kurupt FM Podkast appeared first on POD BIBLE.

Podcasts have become a hub for entertainment and amusement, or indeed a place of learning, but they’ve also taken on a role of outreach. There are certain challenges that we collectively face in today’s world, but podcasts are putting conversations on a global stage. We now have a whole sector with a social conscience in the podcast world. Pod Bible aims to shine a spotlight on these causes.

Learning To Adult Slowly is a podcast hosted by rap artist Professor Green and its aim is to address the many aspects faced by men today, such as body image, mental health, grief, and resilience. Produced by The Book of Man, a website that aims to open up the dialogue around mental health – and for which Professor Green is a columnist – the Learning to Adult Slowly podcast is a natural spin-off. So how did it all come about?

Martin Robinson, founder and editor of The Book of Man explains why he initially took such an interest in our collective mental health.

“I had the idea for it after losing my previous magazine job and finding myself at home, discovering the joys of being a stay at home Dad, but also quite isolated and bewildered and emotionally bruised. It occurred to me that there was nothing out there to really support men internally as well as externally – nothing genuinely dealing with the ‘masculinity crisis’, which wasn’t just a pop culture joke but a genuine result of a digital age shifting in social roles at home and work, exacerbated by recession and resulting in terrifying figures for male suicide, mental health issues, addiction, violence, sexual dysfunction, and eating disorders.”

The figures speak for themselves. The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is a support network for mental health and according to their website suicide is the single biggest killer of men aged under 45 in the UK. In 2015, 75% of all UK suicides were male. During a live recording of Learning to Adult Slowly, with guests consisting of Scroobius Pip, comedian Kelly Convey, and CALM CEO Simon Gunning, the panel were keen to point out that males under the age of 45 are statistically more likely to be at risk from dying due to self-harm than any other way, including road traffic deaths. What can we do to keep the conversation going?

Martin Robinson says:

“Having Professor Green as our columnist on Book of Man and also the host of the Learning to Adult Slowly podcast has been wonderful in exemplifying the kind of issues we want to deal with – the issues that aren’t better left unsaid. His writing about grief, meds, violence, fear, vulnerability, is remarkable and much needed. But bringing that into the podcast arena has given it another dimension, as well as a bigger repeat audience. Real conversations with people on these areas really makes them hit home. And you realise everyone has in some way been affected by such matters. The mere fact that you can listen to people talking about the most difficult moments in their life is remarkable. The reaction we had was immediate and positive”

The post THE GOOD SAMARITAN // Learning To Adult Slowly appeared first on POD BIBLE.

With the latest series starting today, we asked Off Menu superfan and meme supremo  @nocontxtoffmenu, to tell us where they think new listeners should start… 

Like a genie waiter bursting out of a lamp, Off Menu exploded onto the podcast scene in late 2018 and since the first episode has consistently brought listeners a delectable mix of humour and food chat through a hugely diverse selection of brilliant guests. Each week, comedians Ed Gamble and James Acaster invite a guest into the “Dream Restaurant” where they choose their dream meal consisting of a Starter, Main Course, Side Dish, Dessert and Drink. It’s a simple premise that never fails to deliver some very big laughs from all the cuisine quizzing.

I’ve been a huge fan since the beginning and one rainy day, whilst listening on my commute home, I had an idea to set up a “No Context” Twitter account – where I could post out-of-context quotes from the podcast that were laden with double-entendre, bizarrely confusing or just outright hilarious. In two years, the account has grown to almost 30,000 followers, occasionally gets mentioned on the podcast and even has its own official merch made in collaboration with the Off Menu boys themselves! With the fifth series set to kick off on Wednesday 27 January, the good people at Pod Bible got in touch to ask which episodes I would recommend that best showcase the podcast. There are just so many to choose from, but here are my picks of what to delve into if you’re new to Off Menu…

Episode 15 – Sindhu Vee

Filled to the brim with huge laughs and incredible food choices that will surely have your tummy rumbling, Sindhu Vee’s visit to the Dream Restaurant stands out as one of the finest episodes simply because it strikes the perfect balance of side-splitting humour and good, honest food chat. Vee is a wildly entertaining and funny storyteller who deftly holds court as she dispenses tale after tale from her fascinating life. With stories of stolen wedding ceviche and eating four slices of pizza a day for 42 days to impress a guy, it’s a perfectly rounded episode with everyone on their top form and is a testament to how well the format of Off Menu worked from its early days.

“To the hungry person, even the doorway looks like crisps”– Sindhu Vee

Find out the context and listen to Sindhu Vee on Off Menu episode 15

Episode 50 – Joe Thomas

In this fan favourite episode, Joe Thomas (forever to be known as Simon from The Inbetweeners) visits the Dream Restaurant and gives us the most frantic, scatter-brained menu yet! There are more tangents here than a geometry textbook, as he skips and stutters back and forth through what is frankly an indecipherable and maddening collection of inexplicably hilarious yarns. His anecdotes (“Whatever happened to the Spaghetti Bolognese Boys?”) and his general thoughts (“Why is the 90’s four decades ago?”) are so bewildering that James “The Genie” Acaster has to take a back seat and play the straight man for once. “Never met you before, Joe… You are an absolute mess”, Acaster comments as the chat twists and turns and takes you to the most unexpected of places, climaxing with the infamous, epic tale of a lamb being buried in a garden. Truly an emotional rollercoaster that gets paid off beautifully in a follow-up surprise episode that dropped on Christmas Day 2020.

“Did it smell? Yes. What did it smell of? Blood.” – Joe Thomas

Find out the context and listen to Joe Thomas on Off Menu Episode 50

Episode 82 – Thomasina Miers

One of the joys of Off Menu is how rich the guest list can be and being a food podcast, it opens up the opportunities to have some brilliant chefs on board who really know their stuff. Famous chefs such as Tom Kerridge and Marcus Samuelson have made very memorable appearances in the past but recently ‘Masterchef’ winner and Wahaca co-founder, Thomasina Miers, was an absolute delight. There’s some excellent culinary conversation in here, even a whole recipe for some delicious Crushed Potatoes intricately and beautifully described by Miers. But it’s not all gabble about grub; there’s a whole lot of silliness in there too: a highlight being an extended conversation about things you can put up your butt that leaves the guest incapacitated with laughter.

“Butt plug” – Thomasina Miers

Find out the context and listen to Thomasina Miers on Off Menu Episode 82

This article was written by the mysterious entity known as No Context Off Menu. Follow @nocontxtoffmenu on Twitter or Instagram for more fan favourites and no context Off Menu fun.

You can listen to Off Menu on Acast, Spotify and all other podcast apps.  You can also hear Ed and James discuss the show on Episode #012 of the Pod Bible Podcast before hearing Ed Gamble recommend one of his favourite shows on Episode #018 of the Pod Bible podcast, and James Acaster giving his recommendation on Episode #022 of the Pod Bible podcast.

The post Where to start with Off Menu appeared first on POD BIBLE.