Listen & learn

As someone who spends a lot of time travelling to and from the studio, I am always keen to use the time in the car as well as possible. Although adding up the time spent behind the wheel can be a sobering exercise, I actually really enjoy the opportunity to get away from the distractions of studio and family life to catch up on my latest podcast subscriptions, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to share my top picks.

Song Exploder

Host: Hrishikesh Hirway

Music choices can be pretty divisive at Salad, especially when it comes to OMF (Old Music Friday), so I had originally planned to avoid this thorny issue, but eventually I decided to make an exception here. Song Exploder is a great insight into the artist’s creative process, breaking down the individual elements of a chosen track with the featured artist to reveal some of their creative decisions. Understanding the story behind the track brings a new depth to the song and uncovers parts that would otherwise go unnoticed. The selection is very diverse, so it is also a great opportunity to discover new artists.

Recommended episode – Episode 38: Tune-Yards

A great song with plenty of musical and lyrical layers, not to mention a few laser beams thrown in for good measure! (Don’t let that put you off).

The Entrepreneurs

Host: Daniel Giacopelli

As part of Monocle 24 Radio, the weekly podcast curates a fascinating selection of inspiring people with a risk-taking spirit. Guests range from small technology start-ups disrupting old industry standards to established heritage brands reinventing how they operate and engage their audience. Listening to the show each week is a good way to foster new ideas and start thinking about what your next game-changing brainwave will be.

Recommended episode – Eureka #7: Jimmy Cregan

This one is not officially from The Entrepreneurs, but a new offshoot feature from the same team. Each week they profile one entrepreneur and their path to success. In this episode, local Dorset hero, Jimmy Cregan of Jimmy’s Iced Coffee, talks through his early inspiration and the struggles that helped him to build his iced coffee empire.

WTF

Host: Marc Maron

One of the great advantages of the podcast format is the flexibility it offers. Without the time restrictions imposed by traditional radio, the long format interview has enjoyed a resurgence, which is particularly welcome among the bite-sized information we now digest via social media. Reaching more than six million downloads each month, comedian Marc Maron attracts a diverse selection of guests and always manages to get have raw and honest conversation.

Recommended episode – Episode 613: President Barack Obama

The President gives a rare insight into the challenges of holding office, and a unique glimpse at the level of security involved in arranging a visit to your garage from the Leader of the Free World.

The Adam Buxton Podcast

Host: Adam Buxton

I always look forward to a new episode from Adam Buxton arriving, and it certainly helps to speed up the journey. A good mix of comedy ramblings, interesting guests and entertaining jingles keeps me subscribing.

Recommended episode – Episode 15: Kathy Burke

Worth a listen for those who only know Kathy Burke for her role with Harry Enfield as Kevin & Perry to discover a completely different side to her career.

Untold

Host: Peter Jukes

This is one I have only recently started, which follows a similar format to the popular ‘Serial’ podcast and ‘Making a Murderer’ series on Netflix. The podcast examines the most investigated murder in British history, which reveals a worrying level of corruption in the Police, Parliament and the media. The dramatisation of investigative journalism definitely seems to be the flavour of the month, and ‘Untold’ is a slow burner, but if you can keep up with all the characters and plot developments it will reel you in.

Recommended episode

Due to the narrative of the story, Untold is chronological so you can’t jump ahead, but they have released a trailer to give you a taster.

Hopefully there is something above for everyone, whether you have a 30-minute commute or spend the day with your headphones plugged in. Podcasts are a good way to take a break from that same old Spotify playlist, and a chance to learn something new.