Not only are podcasts great for binge-listening to gripping true-crime documentaries over the weekend and listening to your favourite celebrities guest star on chat series, they’re also great for catching up on big events like the Women’s World Cup from people with lived experience and getting to hear behind-the-scenes exclusives at the same time.
This week’s Earworms covers all that, as well as a range of new recommendations from experts all over the industry - whether that be podcast hosts or production company heads - as well as freshly dropped releases across true crime, coming-of-age fiction, and more.
What’s in the industry’s ears?
Dave Masterman - Head of content, Audio Always
The podcast I'm really enjoying at the minute is the new history podcast from Elis James, Oh What A Time. I'm not a history buff by any stretch of the imagination, but Elis - flanked by co-hosts Tom Craine and Chris Scull - brings an element of fun and accessibility to a number of historical topics. The hosts know just about enough to make it informative, whilst having lots of fun in the process.
Visha Kudhail - Host, Behind the Face of Success
I’m currently listening to Dr. Rangan Chatterjee's podcast. As I've started to become more fascinated with gut health, I've started listening to advice on intermittent fasting, and downloading that knowledge from podcasts like his. The internet can be overwhelming, so learning more about it in bitesize and easy-to-absorb ways has meant that I've been adopting it much faster in my lifestyle.
Andrew Spence - Co-founder, Unedited
I’ve been listening to The Rest Is Politics - I am so surprised I would be into this, but it just works for me, as the most unlikely pairing of Campbell and Stewart, and it’s not too long. I’m not going to lie though, after listening to an episode, I always come out thinking ‘Wow, this country is going to shit’ - but I will be listening next week!
Brontë Edmondson - Associate manager of publisher solutions for EMEA, Spotify
I’m straight back into the new season of Dua Lipa: At Your Service. I’m a big fan of her honest interviews with both people shaping culture, like Amelia Dimoldenburg and K-pop star Jennie, as well as spreading her joy of reading with in-depth, authentic book chat. Having intimate access to some of my favourite authors just unlocks a whole new level of understanding to the backstories and cultural issues surrounding these books.
Jennie Becker - Host, Sliding Doors
After going to the Happy Place Festival, I rediscovered Happy Place and really enjoyed listening to Spencer Matthew's episode from earlier this year- it's an incredible story and Fearne asks the right questions in the right way.
Freshly dropped
Drilled
True-crime climate change podcast Drilled launched the first episode of its three-part miniseries Herb on Tuesday this week, telling the story of Mobil Oil vice president Herb Schmertz and how fossil fuel companies quietly created the concept of ‘corporate free speech’. The series is hosted by award-winning climate podcaster Amy Westervelt and the next two episodes will be released weekly.
The RE—CAP Show
Two-times World Cup Champions and founders of lifestyle brand RE-INC, Christen Press and Tobin Heath are the hosts of The RE—CAP Show: World Cup Edition. Looking at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the show launched on Thursday this week, with the hosts sharing never-before-heard stories about their own personal journeys with guests like football manager and exec Jill Ellis in the first episode.
The Paul Ryder Tapes: Sex, Drugs, the Mondays and Me
Twelve days before Happy Mondays bassist Paul Ryder passed away in July 2022, he finished recording a podcast with his ex-wife Angela Smith in which he shared intimate details about his life with the people he was closest to. A year later, on the anniversary of Ryder’s death, the podcast titled The Paul Ryder Tapes: Sex, Drugs, the Mondays and Me was released.
Three Doors Down
Continuing to expand its investigative podcast portfolio, ‘slow news’ publication Tortoise Media launched five-part series Three Doors Down on Tuesday this week, telling the story of Sharon Henderson and her thirty-year campaign to get justice for her seven-year-old daughter’s killing.
Academy
Coming-of-age audio drama Academy is centred in Bishop Gray Academy and follows the story of Ava Richards, a scholarship student who transfers to the school and tries to find her place in this new high-pressure environment. The series launched on Thursday this week as a boxset and is co-produced between Wondery and At Will Media.
