For the past six months, I’ve been in a podcast rut. Constantly stuck between wanting to know what’s going on in the world and absolutely not wanting to know what’s going on in the world, my podcast app has become a veritable cesspit of boring content.
Half of my subscriptions have gone unlistened to (to the point that I’m deleting them en masse in my settings app when my phone storage fills up) or half-listened to, only to remain on the list and mock me for weeks. It’s been fun.
That’s why I’ve decided to download a new app — which is a big deal for me since I’m a folder kind of girl and strictly have one single page of apps. Welcome to my life, LiSTNR. It’s an Aussie app, so it’s a great place to hit up if I’m in the mood for local news, humour or straight up escapism. Here are a few of my top picks if you’re in dire need of mixing things up, like me.
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Brooke & Linda’s Dream Club
When Brooke Boney and Linda Marigliano announced they were launching a weekly podcast, I couldn’t have smashed the subscribe button faster. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. Brooke & Linda’s Dream Club is now one of the only podcasts I not only look forward to listening to every week but actually gobble up from start to finish. They describe the pod as a “book club for film, TV, fashion, politics, society and culture, food, literature, gaming, travel, relationships and mental health” and truly, it’s like catching up with your mates over dinner.
Lady Brains
If you’re a sucker for hearing female founder stories or just need a little bit more inspiration in your life, well, Lady Brains ticks both of those boxes. In this podcast, Caitlin Judd and Anna Mackenzie interview other female founders to find out exactly how much grit goes into kicking such huge career goals. The list of founders is more than a little impressive, but we particularly loved the chats with artist CJ Hendry and Lil Ahenkan (aka Flex Mami).
The Briefing
If you can’t face an hour of news every night but still want to be on top of what’s going on around Australia, this bite-sized daily podcast might be ideal for you. The Briefing is hosted by Tom Tilley (former presenter of Triple J’s Hack) and a rotating roster of co-hosts like Jan Fran (from ABC’s Pineapple Project, The Project and SBS’s The Feed), journalist Annika Smethurst, and author, presenter and political commentator, Jamila Rizvi.
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ListenABLE
Dylan Alcott and Angus O’Loughlin have joined forces for ListenABLE, a pod that takes you inside the lives of people who live with a disability. Every topic is on the table with this one, where people share their stories openly and honestly. ListenABLE is a heart-centred storytelling podcast that’s designed to open your mind about what people are really capable of. And for hearing-impaired people, all episodes are uploaded to their YouTube channel with captions, too.
Alternative Truth
If you like your wellness content with a heavy dose of facts, Alternative Truth by Dr Mei Ling Doery is worth a listen. Dr Doery is “a lifestyle-curious medical doctor, public health expert and strategist”, so you can expect loads of expert interviews exploring topics like what skincare actually works and whether vegetarian diets are really better for you.
Just The Gist
Rosie Waterland returns to your life with Jacob Stanley with a recap podcast called Just The Gist, where she’ll recap just about anything. This is basically your daily news updates, but for less serious things (my favourite type of thing), where you want to know enough to join a conversation about the latest celeb scandal/true crime doc/politics but not enough to actually read up on the topic.
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Wild with Sarah Wilson
You might know Sarah Wilson as the woman who pioneered the quitting sugar trend in Australia. But in recent years, she’s turned her attention to mental health through two bestselling novels — and all the while, she’s been living a nomadic life, hiking around the world. In Wild, Wilson takes one big idea from someone like Seth Godin and explores how it expands the way we view the world. She describes it as something that makes you think “this is it! This is how we’re supposed to live”. Then, she brings that big, smart mind to the podcast and dives deep with them to give us actionable tips for incorporating it into our lives.
Good Humans with Cooper Chapman
As the name suggests, Good Humans is a podcast hosted by pro-surfer Cooper Chapman. Each episode is an interview with a different surfer, athlete or social media star and explores topics like failure, body image and grief. But it’s not all doom and gloom. A key part of this show is breaking down exactly how they pulled themselves out of a tough time, too.
The Spin with Linda Marigliano
If you’re looking to keep up with the very best in new tunes, Linda Marigliano has got you covered. The Spin sees Linda curate her favourite new tracks of the week, presenting them in an easy to digest little package – which is kind of like a ‘new music dumpling’ when you think about it.
