NicheCast #2: A podcast playlist for when you want to be anywhere but here

Five episodes to help you escape.

Hi!

Welcome to issue #3 of Shreya’s Audio Affairs. Today, I’m sharing a niche podcast playlist for when you need a little audio-fueled escape from your life.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

➡️ Psst…new here?

NicheCast #2: A podcast playlist for when you want to be anywhere but here

In a past life, I worked for an Ultimate Frisbee company. They had a running joke there: every time I jumped on a call they would sing “where in the world is Shreya” but to the Carmen Sandiego tune. Why? Because I’m always on the go. Why am I always on the go? Because I’m an escapist and I’m adult enough to accept it. So, it’s only fitting that I seek escape in the podcasts I listen to.

Here are some stories, real and fictional, that I occasionally use be anywhere but here. I hope they add wings to your day.

Listen on: Spotify | Podchaser

Midnight Burger: Chapter 1 - The Transdimensional Haboob

I would be remiss not to mention that this podcast inspired this playlist. This audio drama details the adventures of a crew onboard a space and time-traversing diner. What better escape is there? Besides, here’s how every episode ends: And if time and tide roil you too harshly or diurnal courses leave you with no safe havens, just remember we're out there somewhere. Listen here to let your heart strings be played with like mine are.

Average episode length: 40 minutes

This podcast is: hilarious, surprisingly well-researched, and the best audio companion you can ask for in times of escape.

Normal Gossip: Poledancing, book clubs, and gay men’s chorus - your niche gossip

You know that feeling when the buzzing in your head calms down when you overhear a conversation at an adjoining table? That’s this, and basically every, episode of Normal Gossip. Listen here to tune out the noise in your head with banal gossip. And rest assured, no animals were harmed in the making of the show (iykyk).

Episode length: 51 minutes 40 seconds

This episode is: wholesome, fulfilling, and like spilling the tea with your friends back home.

Where The Stars Fell: Episode 1 - The Olive Branch

The story of Lucille Kensington and Dr. Ed Tucker, a guardian angel and the Antichrist, in the mysterious lands of Jerusalem. You might find yourself leaving behind your worries and anxieties as they tackle their mysteries, worries, and anxieties. Listen here.

Average episode length: 30 minutes

This podcast is: fast-paced, quirky, and liable to make you snort with laughter.

Poetry Unbound: M. Soledad Caballero - Someday I will visit Hawk Mountain

As the visual for this playlist suggest, I deeply associate flying with escaping. I think so does M. Soledad Caballero. Her words, accompanied by Pádraig Ó Tuama’s meditation on them, make me feel like I can fly. In hopes that you feel the same, I ask you to listen here.

Episode length: 15 minutes

This episode is: a warm hug, best suited with a walk, and for the dreamers.

Welcome to Night Vale: Faceless Old Woman

The creator of the supernatural comfort podcast genre – and, yes there absolutely is one. In Cecil’s calming voice, Welcome to Night Vale whisks you away to the town of Night Vale where mystery and curiosities lurk behind every corner. If you’re new to the Night Vale universe, start with my favourite episode: 26 - Faceless Old Woman.

Average episode length: 25 minutes

This podcast is: one of the OGs, a millennial goth’s best friend, and an audio home listeners can always return to.

Listen on: Spotify | Podchaser

I am listening to:

I always thought that sharing what I’m listening to might be a little narcissistic but people in my community tell me that readers might enjoy this. So, here’s what I am listening to -

🎧 Dante’s Divine Comedy: a podcast about, well, Dante’s Divine Comedy. Mark Vernon does a brilliant retelling of each canto, from Inferno to Paradiso. He explains the poetry in context to Dante’s life and Florence’s circumstances at the time the Divine Comedy was being written. I am in love.

Credits

First off, thank you Erik Jones for the cover art of this playlist! This art has my heart so I think it deserves another look.

This issue of the NicheCast is brought to you by:

• The onset of escapist tendencies caused by one Joseph Campbell.

• My dad who introduced me to Star Trek and made me want to boldly go where no man one has gone before.

• Ziggy for always being my one and only Starman.

• The many lilies that have brightened my week. Here’s a few for you -

With insurmountable joy,

Shreya

Next time on Shreya’s Audio Affairs: Audiogazing #1 - podcast recommendations for the Aries season.