Right now billions of people around the world are currently living under lockdown conditions because of coronavirus. As everyone’s adapting to a life inside, we’ve all been turning to entertainment to stop our brains turning to mush. Unsurprisingly, along with TV streaming and radio consumption, podcast listening has spiked.
From Phoebe Bridgers to The Big Moon, we put the call out to artists to recommend the shows they’ve been listening to recently and here’s what they had to say.
Dave Bayley, Glass Animals
99% Invisible
Dave: “This is the one podcast I keep returning to. I have the attention span of a chicken so that’s saying something. It’s quite nerdy, but it’s about the little stories behind the creation of things that you would never really think about. Like where karaoke came from? Where sound effects for cartoons came from? Barcodes? Revolving doors? Las Vegas? Bins? Also the guy’s voice [Roman Mars] is insanely sexy. It’s like being wrapped in a duvet with a hot chocolate sitting to a wood fire while it’s just beginning to snow outside.”
Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/show/2VRS1IJCTn2Nlkg33ZVfkM
Jules Jackson, The Big Moon
The Blindboy Podcast
Jules: “Blindboy is hard to describe, he’s like a brilliant storyteller, and a social commentator, with interesting opinions on anything from the Casio keyboard to global warming. He wears a plastic bag on his head to stay anonymous, but don’t let that put you off. He’s just an expert raconteur. And on top of it all he has this majestic lyrical Irish accent and soft voice which makes me feel safe and lovely. He wrote a book of short stories recently which I recommend too.”
Listen here: https://play.acast.com/s/blindboy
Dana Margolin, Porridge Radio
Song Exploder
Dana: “I love listening to Song Exploder, it’s one of my favourite ever podcasts. I love hearing artists talk about the ways they’ve written and produced their songs, and all the choices they’ve made along the way that make the song end up how it does. Sometimes it makes me cry because I love it so much! I even like the episodes about songs that I don’t really like, because hearing about the journey of a song always opens me up to it and helps me figure out how to listen to it. Loads of artists I really respect have taken the time to talk about their songs, but one of my favourite ever episodes is Fleetwood Mac – ‘Go Your Own Way’.”
Listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fleetwood-mac-go-your-own-way/id788236947?i=1000425197636
Charlie Steen, Shame
Desert Island Discs
Charlie: “Desert Island Discs has been a blessing over the British megahertz for many years. It started during WWII as one of the BBC’s broader efforts to make wartime life more bearable: a way to ensure not every second was spent worrying. For a nation now in isolation, it makes compelling listening and draws surreal parallels.
Much of my recent life has been sat, pressed against the stale, ceramic side of my communal bath as I wait for it to cool, letting my frustration slip away to the caressing voices of Kirsty Young or Lauren Laverne and their endless conversations. Another spiritual hour devoted to pop culture.
Yesterday I delved into the episode featuring George Michael, a triumph for any listener. Hearing his analysis of the Greek patriarchy, American stupidity and the wonders of Amy Winehouse, among many other things, is sure to keep one hooked. One of many amazing episodes to keep a person sane in such uncertain times.”
Listen here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnmr/episodes/player
Lucy Dacus
It’s a Beautiful Day In The Gulch
Lucy: “I recommend It’s A Beautiful Day In The Gulch if you want something low key, funny, and sweet. Just two buds sitting around talking, maybe sharing animal facts, or swapping takes on the culture at large. It’s very casual, unprepared, and not really edited, but also clever and engaging without being showy.”
Listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/its-a-beautiful-day-in-the-gulch/id1463711771
Jack Kaye, The Magic Gang
5 Live boxing with Costello & Bunce
Jack: “I’ve been a boxing fan since I was a child and this podcast is a staple of my week. It covers everything in boxing news whilst occasionally delving into defining moments in history (Ali vs Foreman in Zaire, Mike Tyson’s first upset defeat). It’s one of those podcasts I find myself listening to for the presenters as much as the subject matter. They are incredibly likeable and have a kind of yin and yang quality. It’s refreshing to hear two people talk in depth about something they truly love.”
Listen here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p04v5n4p
Orlando Weeks
The Ratline
Orlando: “The Ratline is a BBC podcast. It’s an 11 episode – with a bonus that’s hosted by Stephen Fry – serialised story produced and presented by Philippe Sands. I first listened to it when it came out in 2018 but have recently revisited it. It is the beautifully measured telling of a starkly conflicting story. A story of love and blind loyalty, a true whodunnit and an insight into the minds of terrible people, guilty of terrible things.
It was even more riveting the second time around. There’s a few others that have come out since. Tunnel 29 is well worth a listen not only for the beautiful credit music at the end of each episode by Tom Rosenthal. Neither of these are easy listens but in Tunnel 29 there are examples of extreme bravery and heroism which can’t help but lift the spirits.”
Listen here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0000phy
Phoebe Bridgers
My Favorite Murder
Phoebe: “I gravitate towards sad music because it makes me feel better. On the one hand I just love wallowing, and on the other I love the sense of camaraderie I get from listening to someone describe exactly what goes on in my brain all day. This is what listening to My Favorite Murder is like for me. If you tend to catastrophize, as I do, or you’re drawn to the worst things imaginable about humanity, as I am, you will love this podcast. Distract yourself from your fucked up life with a fucked up podcast. Also, somehow, it’s absurdly funny.”
Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/show/0U9S5J2ltMaKdxIfLuEjzE