Photo credits: Strangers On a Bench, Search Engine, From Now On, Panic World, Talk Easy and Bullseye
I keep hearing about the same interview podcasts. You know the ones I’m talking about – the ones that are currently at the top of the charts. I’m here to remind you that just because you hear about them the most doesn’t mean they are preferably. With all due respect, they are. They’re run by hosts who are curious and respectful of the people they interview, as well as lots of tricks up their sleeves to keep things interesting. Or maybe just a deck of cards. (Oh, I’ll spoil the first one!)
Check out my list of the best podcasts of 2024 Here and the best true crime podcasts Here. And let me know in the comments which interview podcasts you think should be on the list!
Wildcard
To WildcardRachel Martin uses a real deck of cards to guide her interviews with actors, artists and thinkers. It’s the guests who choose a card from the deck, and these little cards ask some pretty big questions – and they’re so fun that I’ve written them down and brought them to parties. (How did you get the feeling of independence as a child? What was the moment a stranger made you feel loved? What do people misunderstand about you? What feeling do you have more than others?) I’m up Parties fun! This is a podcast I will never miss. And you won’t want to miss the Nikki Giovanni episode. I’ve always loved it, but now that we lost Nikki not too long ago, I love it even more.
Tosh show
You may remember comedian Daniel Tosh for his stand-up specials and his long-running Comedy Central show Tosh.0, which featured satirical Internet video commentary. For his podcast Tosh showHe does the opposite of what almost every comedian does (interviewing celebrities and other comedians) and instead interviews the people in his everyday life, the most normal people he can find. His Airstream guy, his son’s music teacher, his wife’s gynecologist. The conversations are so fast, funny and fascinating, proof that Tosh is skilled enough to make anyone seem like the most fascinating person in the world, even for a few minutes. He also breaks the rules in other ways: he shares audio recordings of his son reading stories and sends a gift to all of his guests. (There is always something – used – from his home that he no longer wants.)
Search engine
PJ Vogt was half of Reply All, one of the most popular podcasts of all time. After leaving Reply All, he set out to get started on his own Search enginewhere he solves puzzles that are impossible to google – everything from “Who buys luggage in the luggage storage at the airport?” to “Why didn’t these two random guys come to Berghain?” (the exclusive dance club in Germany). The episodes are so good because they come from PJ’s genuine curiosity. They are funny and always give you something to think about.
From now on
From now on Hosted by Lisa Phillips, a former model and current talent scout who has immersed herself in the complexities of the entertainment industry. Most importantly, Lisa is also a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein. This podcast dives straight into stories of abuse and recovery, and Lisa, someone who understands abuse personally and deeply, particularly as it relates to power struggles in the workplace and industry, is the perfect host. Although it doesn’t look like a real crime or investigative podcast at first glance, it has a real impact on crime. That’s why several women who were attacked by the same man in the same way have come forward because of the show. Not all post-Me Too media has managed to do this, and my only guess as to why Lisa has managed to do so is because of her open, emotional way of bringing it into her space. It makes them feel safe enough to let things out. Sometimes when I listen to From Now On I can’t believe what I’m hearing.
Panic world
Ryan Brodericks Panic worldPublished in September as an offshoot of his newsletter Garbage Day, it offers an analysis of internet culture, examining bizarre trends, moral panics and viral phenomena that originate from obscure corners of the internet and how they evolve to affect us in real life. Talking about niche internet subcultures with guests like Michael Hobbes and Akilah Hughes, Ryan is able to effortlessly make sense of something strange that’s gone viral on the internet, with a touch of humor and insight from his years of covering tech news. Editorial staff at Buzzfeed. Think: TikTok challenges, conspiracy theories, and things like Silicon Valley’s anti-aging obsession.
Strangers on a bench
For his podcast Strangers on a benchSinger-songwriter Tom Rosenthal strolls through London parks with his recorder and walks up to strangers on benches to chat, and we can listen. Because the guests are often anonymous, they often get incredibly personal and say things you’ve probably never heard anyone say on a podcast before, and I don’t think most people would say it if Tom (who is obviously a warm, charming and hospitable host) ) should use a more traditional format. A woman talks about visiting her late husband and daughter in the cemetery. Another talks about her emotional connection to keeping things clean. Another about his inability to break the cycle of incarnation in his family. I love Strangers on a Bench because it teaches us a new way to get to know people and because it reminds us that everyone on those benches is thinking interesting thoughts. Also because I’m curious. Queue up the cheesy music: There are no strangers on these benches…
Death, sex and money
Anna Sale has begun Death, sex and money in 2017 after I realized that many interview podcasts would ask harder and more interesting questions about human nature. So she started a show about it. Episodes reveal our uncomfortable feelings and our very real relationships with death (“My father planned his death. I didn’t stop him”), sex (“Why You Don’t Have Sex”) and money (a “One of my favorite episodes is “Why I Steal.”) Anna is gentle, yet probing and direct. Some interviewers make it about themselves; Anna never does. She feels comfortable in the silence. And people are opening up to her. This is a podcast that’s part storytelling, part interviews, and part “don’t even think about bothering me right now, I’m hanging on to my every word.”
The worst podcast
The worst podcast is clearly intentionally underrated, it’s one of the best interview shows of 2024. Award-winning filmmaker Alan Zweig hosts, always angrily stepping up to the microphone and asking his guests (whom he never knows anything about) first. (Paul and Janie Tompkins) to tell them about the worst things in life. Alan has thrown the interview rules out the window. He argues with his guests and his producer and is extremely personal with us; Perhaps to personal. He’s not trying to be liked, and you’ll love him for that. The first episode with Paul and Janie is really, really good. And if you love Anna Sale (see above), there’s a great interview with her.
Bullseye with Jesse Thorn
There are many reasons why I will listen to every episode Bullseye with Jesse Thornwhether I know the guest or not. A lot of interview podcasts are born out of curiosity, and that’s great. Many of the shows on this list do that. Jesse approaches his guests with deep respect – his questions dig deep beneath the surface. He can go from serious to silly with people like Dan Aykroyd, Prodigy of Mobb Deep and Maria Bamford – people he carefully chose to interview because he genuinely wants to talk to them. (This got me thinking about how many interviews I listen to that leave me wondering if the host is truly even-tempered wants interview their guest. And since we listen to artists that Jesse really likes (a lot of indie comedians and hip-hop artists), they’re not necessarily people who make the rounds on all the podcasts. The conversations are punctuated by sections like “Wish I Made That” and “Canonball,” which take a closer look at albums that should be considered classics. This is the show I’m most likely to forward to a friend and say, “You won’t believe who interviewed Jesse Thorn on Bullseye.”
Just talk to Sam Fragoso
To Just speakSam Fragoso leads thoughtful, long conversations that don’t feel like interviews at all, but rather delve deep into the minds of his guests’ artists, activists, and politicians. (Sam sits with the first Gen Z congressman to discuss his fight for gun reform, then has tea with Chicken Shop Date’s Amelia Dimoldenberg.) Each conversation has a narrative arc and feels like a meditation. Sam is curious and sensitive, he researches and is interested not only in individual answers, but in the whole story. Even if you’ve heard someone speak on twelve other podcasts, Sam will give an interview that feels completely new.
