For today's episode, I'm joined by Ashrita Kumar from Pinkshift to discuss their wild career trajectory over the past four years, from studying medicine at Johns Hopkins University to touring all over the country opening for acts like Mannequin Pussy, PUP, and L.S. Dunes. Other topics of discussion include our shared obsession with No Doubt, finding solace in writing as a daily practice, and the politics of visibility in the punk scene. ✨ MORE ABOUT PINKSHIFT ✨ Pinkshift is a post-hardcore trio ...
Feb 02, 2024•37 min•Season 7Ep. 4
Content Warning: This episode contains detailed discussions of generational trauma and suicide. For today's episode, I'm joined by one of my current favorite modern essayists and cultural critics Matt Mitchell ( Paste, Pitchfork, MTV, Altpress ) to discuss how identity, pop culture, and personal grief are fundamental elements of their work. Additionally, we delve into the somber brutality of Neil Young's Tonight's The Night , our shared adoration of Freaks and Geeks, and why queer representation...
Jan 24, 2024•54 min•Season 7Ep. 3
For today's episode, I chat with alternative country artist Brennan Wedl. We delve into their latest single "2 Dollar Pistol," their pivotal role in co-founding the iconic viral cult queercore band Dazey and the Scouts, the valuable lessons they've drawn from living across various regions in the country, and bidding farewell to Nashville. ✨ MORE ABOUT BRENNAN WEDL ✨ Nashville-based alternative country artist Brennan Wedl redefines the genre with intention and resilience, infusing themes of gende...
Jan 21, 2024•35 min•Season 7Ep. 2
For today's episode, Blair Howerton from Why Bonnie joins me to dig deep into the writing process behind her debut album '90 in November,' her pensive nostalgia for her hometown in Texas, and the one Taylor Swift song she wishes she wrote. ✨ MORE ABOUT WHY BONNIE ✨ Why Bonnie is a five-piece indie rock outfit based in Brooklyn, New York whose wistful raw-edged indie sound put them on the map in 2022 with their debut album '90 in November.' They've since conquered SXSW with numerous critics singi...
Jan 11, 2024•37 min•Season 7Ep. 1
Today I sit down with Brandon MacDonald and Tilley Komorny from Home Is Where to discuss their monumentally acclaimed sophomore album the whaler , a brazenly cathartic reaction to the end of the world... and how it's taking forever. Digressions include our hypothetical cast for a Ken Burns emo documentary, the surprising amount of people who fall in love at their shows, and Emma Seligman's queer cinematic masterpiece Bottoms. ✨ MORE ABOUT HOME IS WHERE ✨ Home Is Where is a fifth-wave emo band fr...
Dec 14, 2023•39 min•Season 6Ep. 12
Today I sit down with Andrea Walker and Solange Igoa from Portland-based queer indie folk-rock band Glitterfox. We discuss their experience living in a van, how their lived experiences drive the creative direction of their art, Solane's love of puppets, and their dedication to representing the most authentic versions of themselves with their art, by any means necessary. ✨ MORE ABOUT GLITTERFOX ✨ Glitterfox is a queer indie pop/rock band from Portland, Oregon, fronted by married couple Solange Ig...
Dec 07, 2023•53 min•Season 6Ep. 11
Today's episode is a chat with the high-energy post-punk outfit Mary Shelley. They tell me all about their upcoming single "She's a Star," and wild tour stories involving some of the big-name indie bands they've become really close with – and also the ones they haven't. Digressions include LCD Soundsystem making us cry, songs that have no business being on our playlists, and BBLs. ✨ MORE ABOUT MARY SHELLEY ✨ Mary Shelley is a four-piece dancepunk band based in Brooklyn, New York imbuing post-pun...
Nov 30, 2023•43 min•Season 5Ep. 10
For today's episode, I sit down with singer-songwriter Andrea Silva from Loyal Lobos, Silva's bilingual indie reggaeton/pop project. We discuss her fascination with the myth of La Loba - the wolf woman -the liberation of getting in touch with the more primitive side of femininity, singing at funerals, and how her latest project LOBA: Vol I , marks a new chapter of stepping into her most authentic self. ✨ MORE ABOUT LOYAL LOBOS ✨ Loyal Lobos is a bilingual, genre-fluid singer-songwriter from LA a...
Nov 23, 2023•41 min•Season 6Ep. 9
For today's episode, I am joined by Linying to discuss her upcoming project 'House Mouse,' first memories, meditating on longing, intense emotions, and how any place can be made into a home. ✨ MORE ABOUT LINYING ✨ Linying is an electronic dream pop artist from Singapore who first got her start in the biz as a topliner for artists like DJ Felix and Lost Frequencies. Her ephemeral sound represents joy and abandon, her breakout single "Sticky Leaves" amassing millions of streams and critical acclai...
Nov 16, 2023•46 min•Season 6Ep. 8
For today's episode, I am joined by Australian indie rock duo and wives, Hope and Rachel from This Empty City. We discuss their rich history in the 90s riot grrrl scene across the pond, their unspoken synchronicity in lyric and melody writing, and more. ✨ LISTEN TO THIS EMPTY CITY ✨ Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/6gWl0qfdZlbs9Q1rMgLymL?si=D_GnhD2xSfOoH04heh34kg Apple Music: music.apple.com/us/artist/this-empty-city/1706641265 ✨ CONNECT WITH IZZY ✨ YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCv6SBgiYCpYbx9...
Nov 09, 2023•37 min•Season 6Ep. 7
For today's episode I am joined by Kristen Ford to talk about signing to Ani DiFranco's label Righteous Babe Records, learning instruments from the Millington sisters during her childhood in Northampton Massachusetts, DIYing in a corporate world, and more! ✨ MORE ABOUT KRISTEN FORD ✨ Kristen Ford is a folk rock singer-songwriter and activist based in Nashville, who has spent the past fourteen years touring the Western Hemisphere and Europe, writing, revising, learning, driving, looping, crowdfun...
Oct 26, 2023•42 min•Season 6Ep. 6
Powerhouse drummer Rosie Slater (TORRES, Elvis Costello, Stevie Van Zandt) joins me to discuss growing up in a musical family, embracing confrontation and standing up for herself in tough situations, and how she ended up accidentally playing on Frank Ocean's Endless album. ✨ KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ROSIE SLATER ✨ Website: itsrosieslater.com/ Instagram: instagram.com/rosieslaterdrums/ TikTok: tiktok.com/@rosieslaterdrums YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/rosieslater ✨ CONNECT WITH IZZY ✨ YouTube: you...
Oct 12, 2023•57 min•Season 6Ep. 5
The title pretty much says it all?? Today I'm joined by Ellie Stokes of dark cabaret pop outfit Grooblen to talk about writing struggles, Fiona Apple, and everyone's favorite celebrity-endorsed product nobody knew existed, Korn Coffee! ✨ MORE ABOUT GROOBLEN ✨ Channeling psychedelic cabaret dreampunk into her performance alter-ego, Grooblen, Ellie Stokes’ healing work braids themes that are reflective, surreal, pensive, and whimsical. Her work is a tangled testament to overcoming the ripples of t...
Oct 05, 2023•50 min•Season 6Ep. 4
For today's episode, I welcome essayist, zine maker, and founder of Wendy House Press Miranda Reinert, to discuss the music that's defined the most pivotal moments of her life, the importance of physical media, and why she believes objectivity is killing art. ✨ MORE ABOUT MIRANDA REINERT ✨ Miranda Reinert is a writer, zine maker, podcast host, and blogger who has gained notoriety for her uniquely open-hearted and emotionally scattershot prose that defies the conventional forms of music writing. ...
Sep 21, 2023•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 3
For today's episode, I chatted with Brit Luna, lead singer of the critically-acclaimed Philly ska band Catbite. We discuss her background as a jazz singer, her Latin-American roots, the ska revival, and the duty to protect individuals in our local communities from harm. ✨ MORE ABOUT CATBITE ✨ Catbite are ska champions. Combining the jumping energy of UK two-tone with the high-power attack of third-wave ska, the Philly band has been rapidly expanding their fan base and serving as standard bearers...
Sep 14, 2023•39 min•Season 6Ep. 1
Today I review the Amazon/Coda Collection documentary on the pioneering and irreverent rock and roll magazine CREEM. I share what I thought were the strongest points in the film, as well as the parts where I felt there was room for improvement. I also go in-depth into the origins, rise, collapse, and eventual return of CREEM magazine, and the tragic life of its late founder and head publisher Barry Kramer. ✨ MORE ABOUT THE CODA COLLECTION ✨ The Coda Collection is an Amazon Prime Video channel th...
Sep 07, 2023•34 min•Season 6Ep. 1
For today's episode, I chat with German electropop artist Luna Morgenstern about teaching herself how to produce, quitting her full-time job to pursue a career in music, and how nostalgia for her old CD collections inspired her latest EP 'Dance Dance (Don't Go).' ✨ MORE ABOUT LUNA MORGENSTERN ✨ Luna Morgenstern is a German DIY synthpop artist merging glossy Y2K aesthetics with EDM club beats, drawing inspiration from Charli XCX and the original class of PC Music artists like A.G. Cook. Pairing f...
Aug 24, 2023•34 min•Season 5Ep. 16
For today's episode, I am joined by San Francisco-based soul singer-songwriter Ela Ozturk to discuss the process behind her latest single "Healing," growing up in a Turkish-American household, her background in fashion, and the calculated genius of Lady Gaga. ✨ MORE ABOUT ELA OZTURK ✨ Ela Ozturk is a Turkish-American singer-songwriter whose powerful penchant for storytelling and unique blend of jazz, R&B, and pop has garnered praise and adoration from audiences and critics alike, including o...
Aug 10, 2023•32 min•Season 5Ep. 15
For today's episode, I am joined by Melissa "Melly" Denizard, a Brooklyn-based cultural worker and musician. Melly and I discuss her party protest movement Dirty Girl, speaking at colleges and universities across the country, the odd paradox of working in the music industry while also being a cultural worker, cleansing herself from social media, and why you can't separate a movement from an individual. ✨ MORE ABOUT MELISSA DENIZARD ✨ Melissa Denizard is a political thought leader, activist, and ...
Jul 27, 2023•52 min•Season 5Ep. 14
For today's episode, I am joined by self-proclaimed "neurodivergent pop star" CLAY (She/They), a singer-songwriter, mental health advocate, and proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community. CLAY and I discuss their latest album 'holy silence 'fore the spring,' celebrating pride, and why she enjoys performing at concerts over attending them. ✨ MORE ABOUT CLAY ✨ Born and raised in the flower-child city of San Francisco, CLAY's diverse and politically potent upbringing has guided her work as a multidisci...
Jul 21, 2023•30 min•Season 5Ep. 13
For today's episode, I am joined by Grammy-winning songwriter Delacey who is here to talk about her new album 'The Girl Has a Dream.' We discuss her experience escaping into the woods during the pandemic to write her latest album, the awkwardness of hosting songwriting sessions over Zoom, and our biggest childhood comfort records. ✨ MORE ABOUT DELACEY ✨ Delacey is a diamond-certified songwriter based in Los Angeles who has penned hits for the likes of Alicia Keys, Zara Larsson, and Halsey, among...
Jul 13, 2023•30 min•Season 5Ep. 12
For today's episode, I am joined by author and label CEO Tiffanie DeBartolo. DeBartolo is the founder of California-based independent label Bright Antenna Records, which has quarterbacked the careers of several successful bands like The Wombats, Wilderado, and In The Valley Below. Tiffanie joins me to discuss the inception of her record label, how the late Jeff Buckley inspired her novel God-Shaped Hole , and learning to survive in a post-Roe v. Wade world. ✨ MORE ABOUT TIFFANIE DEBARTOLO ✨ Tiff...
Jul 06, 2023•43 min•Season 5Ep. 11
For today's episode, I am joined by singer-songwriter Alicia Walter to discuss carving out a niche for herself in the Chicago and New York music scenes and traveling to a plethora of U.S. states to play with a variety of bands on her latest album 'Right Noise' (out June 23). We also discuss our mutual love of American Football and transcending genre labels. ✨ MORE ABOUT ALICIA WALTER ✨ Alicia Walter is a New York-based artist known for her “near-cosmic voice” (WIRED) and “stratosphere of songwri...
Jun 21, 2023•51 min•Season 5Ep. 10
For today's episode, I am joined by Chicago math rock duo OK Cool to discuss their latest project "fawn," our mutual love of Midwest emo, and their personal experiences in the DIY live music community in Chicago. ✨ MORE ABOUT OK COOL ✨ Chicago duo OK Cool delivers a mesmerizing blend of math rock and dream pop. Their latest EP, "fawn," showcases their evolving sound and DIY spirit. Bridget Stiebris and Haley Blomquist harmonize and play all instruments, creating a captivating musical bond with o...
Jun 15, 2023•41 min•Season 5Ep. 9
For today's inaugural Pride Month episode, I am joined by musicians and life partners Naomi Scott and Krystal Grow of the queer punk rock two-piece Basic Bitches. We get into the making of Basic Bitches' new album It Doesn't Matter of It's Cool and reminisce on each of our gateway favorite bands. We also discuss the effect working in the music industry has on our ability to enjoy music, and Naomi's love of Britpop! ✨ MORE ABOUT BASIC BITCHES ✨ Basic Bitches is a queer riot grrrl two-piece that w...
Jun 08, 2023•40 min•Season 5Ep. 8
For today's episode, I am joined by dream pop songstress and New York underground it-girl May Rio to talk about her upcoming debut album French Bath, emerging from pandemic-induced solitude, and feeling renewed and ready to turn a new leaf. We also discuss her unforgettable experience recording background vocals on The Dare's mega-hit "Girls" and the diversity in underground artistic communities throughout the city. ✨ MORE ABOUT MAY RIO ✨ May Rio is the latest project of pop writer/performer May...
May 31, 2023•36 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Listen to my appearance on GRRRL Music's podcast, "Bops and Bangers!" open.spotify.com/episode/3R1ZevmWNQTx0qkxi8FV3d For today's episode, I am joined by Kelsey Kahla and Ashley Durreegs, the founders of GRRRL Music. GRRRL Music is a blog and music-discovery community dedicated to boosting positive energy and brightening up everyday life via music. Kelsey and Ashley join me to share the songs that shaped them growing up and GRRRL Music's mission to empower young women and emerging artists. We al...
May 24, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 5Ep. 6
For today's episode, I chat with Laura B. Regan, the founder of The Footlight Underground, a live music community space owned and operated by queer women and genderfluid folks. Laura and I discuss the origins of Footlight and her mission to spotlight the best of New York underground music. We also discuss The Footlight's packed Pride programming this year, the lasting effects of pandemic woes, and how the general public can keep their local community-supported art spaces afloat in a post-2020 wo...
May 17, 2023•59 min•Season 5Ep. 5
For today's episode, I chat with internet guru and powerful pop star manager Helen Chatham Showalter about the fandom-to-artist manager pipeline, Supernatural fanfiction, crying to 'Amost Famous,' and the tireless work ethic that goes into creating culture on the internet. We also discuss Helen's grievances with problematic music industry politics, her muppet stan account on TikTok, and the beautiful web of camaraderie that girls, trans, and non-binary folks in the music industry are able to bui...
May 10, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Driely S. Carter is one of the art world's most original and highly sought-after photographers, boasting an impressive roster of clients like Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Pharrell, Neil Young, Jim Jarmusch, and Stella McCartney. But underneath her impressive portfolio and deep love and appreciation for art lies an unbreakable spirit that's helped her through years of intense isolation and backbreaking labor in the pursuit of her dreams. In this episode, Driely joins me to wax philosophical on the con...
May 02, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 3
