It seems like there’s a podcast for everything these days—which is great, as they are the perfect way to stay entertained, learn new things, or even fill the void of not having cable at the end of a long day. As a music nerd, I’m drawn to podcasts of the musical variety in all its forms. Here are a few of my favorites I’ve found.
Song Exploder
Have you ever wondered how your favorite songs came into existence? Song Exploder host Hrishikesh Hirway invites a different musician each episode to take apart a song and tell the full story of how it was created. Guests have included U2, Metallica, the Dropkick Murphys, Weezer, and the Gorillaz, among a wide variety of others. The show goes beyond popular music and talks to creators of television theme songs as well, such as Game of Thrones, Bob’s Burgers, and Bojack Horseman.
Average episode length: 20 min.
Lead Singer Syndrome
On Lead Singer Syndrome, host Shane Told, frontman of Silverstein, asks the important question: “What’s it like to be the lead singer of a band?” In each episode, he talks with another frontman about life as the lead singer. Is it all it’s cracked up to be? Guests have included Pierre Bouvier (Simple Plan), Adam Lazzara (Taking Back Sunday), Fat Mike (NOFX), and Justin Pierre (Motion City Soundtrack). Plus the show’s intro song is Rise Against’s “State of the Union,” which is a total jam.
Average episode length: 1 hour
Switched on Pop
Musicologist Nate Sloan and songwriter Charlie Harding host Switched on Pop, a podcast exploring what makes a song a hit. I didn’t know what a musicologist was either, but the dictionary definition is “an expert in music as an academic subject, as opposed to someone trained in performance or composition.” So essentially, the hosts come from both sides of the study of music to bring a more comprehensive view of the making and meaning behind popular music. Guests are seldom on this podcast, but rather it’s filled with discussions ranging from artists such as Harry Styles and Beyonce, to questions like, “Why do so many artists scream ‘Hey’?”
Average episode length: 30 min.
Ride or Cry
From the creators of the saddest party, Emo Nite LA, comes a podcast perfect for the early 2000’s emo kid refusing to grow up: Ride or Cry. If you’ve ever been to an ENLA event, you’ll be familiar with the lovely hosts Babs Szabo, Morgan Freed, and TJ Petracca. Guests on the podcasts have included 3OH!3, Neck Deep, and Tyson Ritter from the All-American Rejects.
Average episode length: 1 hour
3 Gigs
Dominic Davi, bassist of punk band Tsunami Bomb, hosts 3 Gigs, a podcast about the three most important gigs in a musician’s career: the first show, best show, and worst show. He talks with a different artist every episode to hear their stories. Some of the featured artists have included Stacey Dee (Bad Cop/Bad Cop), Jesse Luscious (Blatz), and Ray “Rocket” Carlisle (Teenage Bottlerocket).
Average episode length: 30 min.
Photo Credit: Mark Solarski