Podcast of the Week: Paperchain Podcast

The Paperchain Podcast features interviews with authors, poets and other artists about their work, and the way they approach their writing..

We’re big fans of podcasts here at We Are Cult, and we’re always looking for more shows to subscribe to. So if you’re looking for ear candy, we’re here to help!

This week: Host Daniel Carpenter tells us all about Paperchain Podcast, a podcast that tells the stories behind the world’s most recognisable & interesting sounds.

 What’s your podcast about?

The Paperchain Podcast is a monthly show in which I interview writers of all kinds (poets, novelists, short story writers, playwrights, and a few songwriters too) about their work. At the end of each episode they perform a brand-new piece that they’ve written just for the show, which is inspired by a prompt set by the previous episode’s guest. Simple.

If you had to describe your show in 10 words or less, what would you say?

New writers, new writing, occasional Jeff Goldblum references.

Which episode would you recommend for a first-time listener? Do you have a favourite episode?

Verity Holloway wrote one of my favourite stories for the show in season 2 episode 3 (our Halloween episode last year), but for first time listeners there’s no better way to start than right at the beginning.

What inspired you to create this podcast?

I used to run live literature nights in Manchester, and there’s no better feeling than seeing new audiences engage with writers they’ve never heard of before. When I moved down to London I realised that trying to run a literature night would be harder, and began looking for other avenues to showcase new writing.

Which guests have you had on your podcast so far?

A whole bunch of them from across the country. In season one we had landscape punk Gary Budden, playwright Abi Hynes, RPG and pop culture writer Alasdair Stuart and so many more. So far in season two we’ve had electro-punk weirdos Rocketship Forest, crime author and poet Claire Askew, Jeff Goldblum enthusiast Helen McClory amongst others.

Who would be your dream guest?

Can I have dead people? Shirley Jackson strikes me as one of the most interesting people in 20th Century literature. People wrote her hate mail for The Lottery, and it’s only been recently that she’s been reconsidered as part of the American literary canon. She’s one of my favourite writers, and I have a bunch of questions she’ll never be able to answer.

If they’ve got to be living then it has to be Nicola Barker. The greatest British novelist ever.

Which equipment do you use for your podcast set-up?

I use a Zoom H1 to record interviews, often in busy pubs and it seems to be doing the trick for me right now. I edit on Garageband, and have zero understanding of any technical aspects of any of this. If I do phone interviews I use a site called Cleanfeed to get the recording, which has been amazing.

What would you say is the best length of time for a podcast episode?

It depends on the podcast itself. I’ve happily sat through two hour plus episodes of shows before, but they only work when there’s multiple guests or hosts. For The Paperchain Podcast, it’s under an hour. That’s about my limit when listening to podcasts in which only one or two people are chatting. If you’re on your own and your show is over half an hour – you’re doing it wrong.

Which podcasts (other than yours) would you recommend we listen to?

British lit podcasting is the best out there. Go listen to End of all Things, Backlisted, Why Why Why Books Podcast, The Brit Lit Podcast, Mostly Lit, Papertrail Podcast, Literary Friction, What Page, and The Riff Raff.

Where is your podcast available to listen to?

iTunes, Soundcloud, whatever app you use to listen to stuff.

What is the future of podcasting as a creative medium?

Podcasts have mutated a bit since they came about, and people are finding new ways to experiment with the medium. I love staple shows like Comedy Bang Bang, 99% Invisible and others, but the most interesting shows are the ones that push the idea of what a podcast can be. I was fascinated by how Serial approached storytelling, taking the new mode of watching TV shows and applying it to audio. I loved the bonkers structure of Archive 81, which presented a story within a story, within a story and did it seamlessly, using the podcast format as part of its storytelling. Hello From the Magic Tavern does that with comedy too. Podcasts have moved now from being “internet radio shows” to an artform unto themselves, and that’s really exciting.

Follow Paperchain Podcast on Twitter

Download past episodes or subscribe to future episodes of Paperchain Podcast for free: https://itunes.apple.com/al/podcast/the-paperchain-podcast/id1105562134?mt=2


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