THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO… Utopia World Problems

Utopia World Problems is a half interview / half dice game podcast where  guests create a UTOPIA for 1,000,000 people before they set out trying to destroy it with earthquakes, outbreaks, 500ft monsters and maybe even a bus that can’t slow down.  We asked host Luke to chat all things pod…..

If you could go back to just before you recorded the first episode of your podcast and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

Don’t record it in your flat next to a main road which doubles as a thoroughfare for ambulances to Bristol Royal Infirmary… unless you like editing sirens out of the audio. Although, we do still record in the flat so I guess I would’ve ignored myself.

What makes a great podcast guest?

Somebody with a good sense of self, good imagination and who doesn’t take themselves too seriously.

What makes a great podcast host?

I feel this is a bit of a trap for my ego, haha, but being able to make your guests comfortable enough that they forget there is a mic in the room so they are free to be themselves.

What’s been your worst podcast moment?

In episode 3, our guest (black & grey tattoo artist Matthew James) tried to break the game element of our pod on purpose to annoy me (it’s all good, we’re friends) and pretty much succeeded. But if anything it made us rethink the format a bit and made the pod stronger going forward.

What is it about podcasts that appeals to you?

As a listener, being exposed to so many new ideas and perspectives that highlight venn diagrams of your interests you didn’t even know existed. As a host, it sounds corny but trying to make people laugh to get through a boring commute or a long day at work.

What is your podcast / podcaster pet peeve?

Just the sheer volume of them makes it hard to find the diamond needle in the rough haystack. So we thought we’d add to that problem by making another one.

Is there anything you found annoying as a podcast listener… but then understood when you started making your own?

When a pod is struggling to remember or answer to something you know but you can only scream it inside your head as they fumble for an answer! Since doing ours, I now receive multiple corrections and explanations from friends each week about everything from tsunami formations to now defunct vending machine sweets.

Which one podcast episode of your own means the most to you?

A boring answer but it has to be the first one as it went so well that it was proof our concept worked and had legs. It also reached more people than I was anticipating for an episode 1 and we were getting really nice messages from friends we haven’t been in touch with for years which was an unexpected but awesome outcome.

Which one podcast episode not of your own means the most to you?

Mystery Show episode 3 – ‘Belt Buckle’. 51 minutes and 33 seconds of perfect writing, presenting, storytelling and production. This is my go-to recommendation whenever someone asks me about getting into podcasts.

LINKS:

iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/utopia-world-problems/id1451295504

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1q0sa9AsMcnuSuuP1IYWev

Acast https://play.acast.com/s/utopiaworldproblems

Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/utopia-world-problems

Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/user-493979229

Web browser player http://www.buzzsprout.com/252280

… or just search ‘UTOPIA WORLD PROBLEMS’ on your favourite podcast platform!