The final long weekend of 2017 is almost upon us and we’ve got the perfect podcast playlist to keep you company, wherever you might be. Keep reading!
Broken Record
Fans of Revisionist History or, more appropriately, its host Malcolm Gladwell have a new reason to rejoice. The English-born Canadian journalist and author has teamed up with music producer Rick Rubin for a brand new music podcast, Broken Record. Described as “liner notes for the digital age” in the show’s bio, Broken Record will feature free-wheeling interviews with musicians and various people in the music industry, but the focus will be on one, specific song — similar to one of our favourite podcasts, Hrishikesh Hirway’s Song Exploder. The first episode, Walk on Water, is a tightly-produced, 15-minute conversation with Eminem, about the eponymous song, which also features Beyonce. It’s delightfully surprising just how much they manage to pack into such a small episode, and the sheer energy and chemistry between the hosts and the guest is enough to keep you coming back for more. Unfortunately, an episode two is not yet out and there has been no word about when it might drop.
Millennial
A first-person account of the life of 20-something Megan Tan, Radiotopia’s Millennial is for anyone who’s looking to feel a little less lonely in this confusing time. Tan’s diaristic coverage of her life talks about everything from her struggles of finding a full-time job to relationships and money issues. And while season one followed her life exclusively, seasons two and three expanded to tell the stories of other 20-somethings and their own, unique struggles. The show shut shop officially this August, but for those looking for a good binge-listen, this show holds good.
How I Built This
For those looking for more serious fare, head straight to NPR’s top-rated How I Built This — a podcast about innovators, entrepreneurs, and idealists, and the stories behind the movements they built. “Each episode is a narrative journey marked by triumphs, failures, serendipity and insight — told by the founders of some of the world’s best known companies and brands,” reads the podcast bio. If you’re dreaming about starting out on your own or already have, How I Built This is a great source for motivation and success stories. Previous guests include Kevin Systrom & Mike Krieger of Instagram, Whitney Wolfe of Bumble, Sara Blakely of Spanx, and Jonah Peretti of BuzzFeed.
Adulting
Guardian’s making its first foray into the world of fiction audio drama series, and Adulting looks exciting just on the strength of its line-up, which features the likes of Doctor Who’s Pearl Mackie, Misfits’ Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Game of Thrones/Skins stars Joe Dempsie and Hannah Murray, and Frontier actress Kathryn Wilder. Written by Eddie Robson, the multi-part audio drama follows a group of old friends who are reunited at a wedding after a dark event in their past previously forced them apart. Six episodes are currently available to listen on the Guardian website.
