Best Re Shape Radio Podcasts (2025)

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Ep. 119: Alisa Xayalith on 'Slow Crush', the power of healthy love, & finding her own creative voice 38:02

18h ago38:02

38:02

On 'Slow Crush', her debut LP, Alisa Xayalith takes us through a scrapbook of love stories. Some are about infatuation, toxic relationships & heartbreak. Others are about the kind of love that makes you feel seen & wholeheartedly loved. And after yers of being in a band, Alisa finally gets to tell these stories herself. Find Alisa on Spotify: https…

1
Chatting with 2025 Grammy winner Ruthie Foster 53:49

1d ago53:49

53:49

After five nominations, Ruthie Foster has taken home the 2025 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album - affirming her status as an American music legend. In this intimate conversation, she shares what made her want to be a singer; the roles of her grandmother and mother in her life; why faith is so important to her and why she wants to sing …

1
Vladimir Putin’s Russia — with exiled journalist and author Mikhail Zygar 52:17

5d ago52:17

52:17

The exiled founder of Russia's only independent television news channel, Mikhail Zygar, takes us inside Vladimir Putin's Russia, with a firsthand account of how the President has successfully silenced the media, opposition and Kremlin critics, to cement his hold on power. The 2025 AN Smith Lecture: Journalism against autocracy: Putin, Trump and the…

1
Seeing Signs from Queens Memory Podcast (Encore) 29:16

6d ago29:16

29:16

For AAPI Heritage Month, we bring you an encore of our 2023 episode "Seeing Signs." With help from the Queens Memory Podcast, we'll learn about “Little Manila,” a Filipino neighborhood dating back to the 1970s that still struggles to find its political footing. We also hear from Filipino care workers about their experiences battling COVID 19. This …

1
Rituals, rats, and reeded vertebrae! The mysteries of Machu Picchu and Ancient Peru revealed 53:24

6d ago53:24

53:24

A story of continents crashing and cleaving apart, the making of a civilisation, the language of the dead, and ... a mummified rat makes a cameo too. The Incan empire was vast and sophisticated. It built the stunning citadel in the clouds of Machu Picchu in the Andes mountains. But within a century its people were catastrophically wiped out by the …

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Mental ill-health and the power of words 53:28

7d ago53:28

53:28

The language used to talk about mental ill-health can play a key role in reducing or enforcing stigma. And it's constantly evolving. But what terms should be used and when? And by whom? The wrong word can not only deeply hurt a person's feelings. It can end careers, destroy relationships, cut access to support systems. This special World Mental Hea…

1
Ep. 118: Motherhood - Five artists on the often-overlooked parts of pregnancy & motherhood, & putting those stories to music 37:29

8d ago37:29

37:29

Despite being an often-overlooked topic in music, motherhood has come up in several of my interviews, & has served as inspiration for several albums. Though I’m not a mother myself, these women’s diverse stories have been so inspiring to me - they challenge tropes of motherhood, & get honest about its high & lows. Artists featured: Yukimi, Wet, Nia…

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Worried about the future? A mosquito could help you to live in the present 54:05

8d ago54:05

54:05

What can a mosquito teach us about time? Noone likes a mosquito bite — but for a brief moment when it stings you, you know you are alive. Humans are temporal beings, but across cultures, our concepts of time are vastly different. This event explores what we can learn from science, philosophy and Indigenous perspectives that can alter experiences of…

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Australia votes— are our political parties on the nose? 54:05

12d ago54:05

54:05

This election has been described as a boring campaign, but with some fascinating contests. So just what is going on in the minds of voters as Australia heads to the polls this weekend? This event was recorded at the Sorrento Writers Festival on 27 May 2025. Speakers Frank BongiornoProfessor of History, Australian National UniversityPresident, Counc…

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The Healing Project: An Abolitionist Story (Encore) 29:18

13d ago29:18

29:18

Composer, pianist, and vocalist Samora Pinderhughes tells us about The Healing Project. The Healing Project, a fundamentally abolitionist project, explores the structures of systemic racism and the prison industrial complex. The Healing Project takes action towards abolition with forms such as musical songs, films, an exhibition, community gatherin…

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Has the world lost the plot? John Lyons, Greg Sheridan, Emma Shortis, Josh Taylor with Natasha Mitchell 56:11

13d ago56:11

56:11

Are we living through a key turning point in world history? How do we make sense of this present moment, and what's on the horizon?Trump's trade wars, long-held alliances dismantled, the deadly conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, the rise and rise of AI, the tech oligarch takeover, China's military build-up, NATO's demise, and much more. It's a confusin…

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The painting that changed Australia — the story of Blue Poles 56:03

14d ago56:03

56:03

It's been called a coming-of-age story for a nation. The Whitlam Government's purchase of Jackson Pollock's Blue Poles in 1973 helped to bring down the government. So how did this abstract expressionist masterpiece become the most famous, most controversial artwork in Australia? Then: how does political portraiture affect how we feel about politici…

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Are Donald Trump and US politics bringing global health to its knees? 54:04

15d ago54:04

54:04

Until recently, the USA provided about 30% of global health funding. It was dominant in supplying HIV/AIDS medication and funded a major part of medical research. Much of this has now stopped with Donald Trump restricting gender affirming care, withdrawing from the WHO and holding funds from USAID - and the list goes on. What are the impacts on pan…

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Sir Simon Schama — On antisemitism 49:51

19d ago49:51

49:51

Acclaimed British historian Sir Simon Schama reflects on the history of antisemitism, the Holocaust and contemporary culture. He says that for millennia Jewish people have been "the other of convenience. We are the dark mirror in which the wish fulfilment of other societies takes it out on people who are said to represent its opposite." Presented a…

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Radical Therapy from Re:Work 29:19

20d ago29:19

29:19

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we bring you a story at the intersection of therapy, healing and social justice. We'll hear about one therapist’s work to bring the lens of radical therapy and community care into her practice. This piece was produced by the podcast Re:Work from the UCLA Labor Center. Featuring: Claudia Morales, therapist …

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How do we make cancer treatment worth it, work better, and less harmful? 57:41

20d ago57:41

57:41

Cancer is common and chemo and radiotherapies can save or extend our lives. But sometimes they don't, or they stop working, or they come with disabling long-term side effects. In a state of desperation, some of us seek out unproven alternatives which might even put us at greater risk of cancer. Join Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell and guests to fin…

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Pankaj Mishra — the world after Gaza 53:35

21d ago53:35

53:35

For the past 18 months, Israel's war in Gaza has polarised the world. The Indian author and essayist Pankaj Mishra reckons with the conflict through the lens of colonialism, morality and history. This event was recorded at the University of NSW Centre for Ideas on 27 February 2025. Speakers Pankaj MishraAuthor, The World After Gaza, From the Ruins …

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RE-ISSUE: Julien Baker on ‘Little Oblivions’, relapse, sobriety, & not externalizing God 55:06

22d ago55:06

55:06

It’s been a busy spring for Julien Baker: she just released a collaborative album with Torres, ‘Send A Prayer My Way’ & announced her relationship with boygenius bandmate Lucy Dacus. Given all that, it seemed like a great time to re-issue my conversation with her from back in 2021. We talked about her last solo record, ‘Little Oblivions’, OCD, addi…

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Uncovering Pompeii — 300 years of archaeology 54:05

22d ago54:05

54:05

Two thousand years ago, life in Pompeii stood still when Mount Vesuvius erupted, preserving the town in volcanic ash for centuries. Today, this ancient Roman city captures the imagination like few others. This event was recorded at the National Museum of Australia on 14 December 2024. Speakers Dr Sophie HayRoman archaeologist, press and communicati…

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When women resist authoritarianism — what's happening in Iran, Afghanistan, Myanmar right now? 54:06

26d ago54:06

54:06

Authoritarian regimes are threatened by women who fight for their freedom — and are pushing back in even more extreme and deadly ways. The world watched wide-eyed as Iranians took to the streets and social media for the #WomenLifeFreedom movement. We watched Afghan women and children run towards American planes taking off from Kabul as the Taliban …

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A season of death — with Raimond Gaita and Michelle Lesh 44:16

26d ago44:16

44:16

The only certainty in life is that we will all some day die. Most of us don't know when that day will come. But others must face their mortality front on. Mark Rafael Baker was no stranger to death, losing three loved ones in seven years — and then he was confronted with his own. This event was recorded at Readings Bookshop Melbourne in October 202…

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The Promise and Peril of Geoengineering (Encore) 29:11

27d ago29:11

29:11

For Earth Day, we bring back a special environmental episode from our archives! As we head into an ever warming world, some experts and politicians are embracing a possible solution to climate change called geoengineering. Theoretically geoengineering could slow down climate change, stop it, and maybe even remove carbon from the air. It sounds like…

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Where is the soul in science? Natasha Mitchell and guests on a humanity defining battle (Archive) 54:03

27d ago54:03

54:03

Join Natasha Mitchell and guests to grapple with some gritty paradoxes about science and religion, and in this era of misinformation, conspiracy theories, and existential angst — are they serving the needs they used to? Science drives much of modern life, and yet fewer people are drawn to studying it at school putting scientific literacy at risk. T…

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When the Tech Bros come to town — with Kara Swisher and Marc Fennell 54:05

28d ago54:05

54:05

We know them as Zuckerberg, Musk, Bezos, Gates, Jobs. But to Kara Swisher, they're Mark, Elon, Jeff, Bill, and Steve. She was once a Silicon Valley insider, but now she's one of big tech's most vocal critics. This event was recorded at Adelaide Writers Week on Monday 3 March 2025. Speakers Kara SwisherAuthor, Burn Book: A Tech Love Story, aol.com: …

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Ep. 117 - Wet on ‘Two Lives’, anticipating motherhood, & singing from the subconscious 25:16

29d ago25:16

25:16

The writing process of ‘Two Lives’ began right as Kelly Zutrau, aka Wet, discovered that she was pregnant. As she processed the news, she let her subconscious to the talking, not filtering or polishing the words she found herself singing. Because of this, ‘Two Lives’ is an incredibly cerebral, raw record that demands to be felt, not just heard. Fin…

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The biggest threat to the planet is a story — an eye-opening insider account of Australian environmentalism 54:05

29d ago54:05

54:05

Jobs vs the environment. Profits vs environmental protection. One pitted against the other. That dominant story has defined environmental regulation in Australia, drowning out the stories scientists or environmental campaigners want to tell. Scientist, environmentalist, and government insider, Peter Cosier, has worn all the hats and he wants to cha…

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The Calling 29:16

1M ago29:16

29:16

For Black Maternal Health Week, we celebrate the important work that Black midwives do in their communities. In this week's show, we'll hear a conversation about how one woman followed her calling to midwifery in a story brought to us by the podcast Re:Work from the UCLA Labor Center. Featuring Kimberly Durdin, licensed midwife and co-founder of Ki…

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Ep. 116 - SYML on 'Nobody Lives Here', life's transient nature & loving yourself through it 39:26

1M ago39:26

39:26

On 'Nobody Lives Here', SYML sings about the transience of life with solemn acceptance. Things end, and we have to pick up and begin again. But the album also reminds us: even through endings, we can learn to love ourselves again. Be sure to listen to 'Nobody Lives Here' wherever you stream or buy your music! Find SYML on Spotify: https://open.spot…

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Supporting teenagers to thrive online 54:14

1M ago54:14

54:14

Teenagers 'live' online and on social media. How can they reap the many benefits that social media can offer? There are plenty of them: an endless pool of knowledge and curiosity. But parents need to help them navigate the risk and threats online — of which there're also plenty. On Big Ideas, we have a panel of experts with a plethora of valuable i…

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The Trauma of Caste: A Dalit Feminist Meditation on Survivorship, Healing, and Abolition (Encore) 29:17

1M ago29:17

29:17

What is caste? According to author Thenmozhi Soundararajan, “caste is suffering. That one’s worth and fate are determined at the moment of birth. Forced to exist in a caste apartheid of segregated ghettos." On this week's episode, we talk to Thenmozhi Soundararajan the author of The Trauma of Caste: A Dalit Feminist Meditation on Survivorship, Heal…

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Can storytellers change the world? Tim Winton and Rachel Perkins join Natasha Mitchell 53:31

1M ago53:31

53:31

Two of Australia’s most influential and legendary storytellers, author Tim Winton and filmmaker Rachel Perkins, join Natasha Mitchell at WOMADelaide’s Planet Talks to discuss the power of stories and the role of artists to create change in the world. SpeakersRachel PerkinsMulti-award-winning filmmaker, and founder of Blackfella filmsDirector, prese…

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Populist rage in America — history, causes and impacts 54:07

1M ago54:07

54:07

Populism is part of American political history. It has been and still is the dominant vocabulary of dissent. But the current resurrection of authoritarian politics in the US is different. While the two parties could absorb populist movements in the past, this time populism has absorbed the party. Presented at the American Academy in Berlin Speaker …

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Ep. 115 - Yukimi on 'For You', feeling your feelings, & imagining better futures as a first step towards change 44:54

1M ago44:54

44:54

Yukimi Nagano, long known as the frontperson of Little Dragon, came on the podcast to discuss her debut solo album 'For You'. The album is a beacon of both hope and acceptance, reminding us to hold onto our inner light, but that needing a good cry is okay too. Be sure to listen to 'For You' wherever you stream or buy your music! Find Yukimi on Spot…

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Good conversations — with writer and poet Ian WIlliams (CBC Massey Lecture 5) 58:22

1M ago58:22

58:22

What makes a good conversation? And do good conversations have anything in common? Ian Williams studies his daily conversations and explores how our age has left many people in what he calls a "drought of loving voices." In searching for conversations that feel transcendent, not transactional, he argues that in great conversations, the content is l…

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Who can speak for whom to whom about what? — with writer and poet Ian Williams (CBC Massey Lecture 4) 53:00

2M ago53:00

53:00

We're in an era where many people feel an ownership over certain words, and how a community expresses itself. The term "appropriation" has come to create guardrails around what can be said and by whom. Award-winning Canadian writer Ian Williams considers the role of speech and silence in reallocating power, and what it means to truly listen. The CB…

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Karinda Dobbins: Black and Blue (Encore) 30:16

2M ago30:16

30:16

On this week's episode, we speak with Bay Area based comedian Karinda Dobbins about the release of her debut comedy album, Black & Blue. In Black & Blue, Karinda shares personal stories - finding humor in the most ordinary moments of her daily life - including her girlfriend’s arbitrary policy on household pests, the changes hipsters have brought t…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Re Shape Radio Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen