Aural Fixation

Andy here – as I'm putting the finishing touches on Tracks of Our Queers' second season, I thought I'd share some previews from my favourite episodes so far. Here's the first 10 minutes of my conversation with Bonzai Bonner, a DJ, nightlife promoter and activist based in Glasgow. You can find and subscribe to Tracks of Our Queers wherever you get your podcasts.

Andy here – as I'm putting the finishing touches on Tracks of Our Queers' second season, I thought I'd share some previews from my favourite episodes so far. Here's the first 15 minutes of my conversation with Jonny Seymour, a producer, activist, and community elder based in Sydney. You can find and subscribe to Tracks of Our Queers wherever you getyour podcasts.

Andy here – as I'm putting the finishing touches on Tracks of Our Queers' second season, I thought I'd share some previews from my favourite episodes so far. Here's the first 15 minutes of my debut episode, with Abdi Nazemian, an Iranian-American author, screenwriter and producer based in Los Angeles. You can find and subscribe to Tracks of Our Queers wherever you get your podcasts.

A note from Andy... Hello! Tracks of Our Queers is my new podcast, in which I interview a fascinating person on the music that has soundtracked their queer journey through one song, one album, and one artist. Tracks of Our Queers is available to listen to right now, wherever you find your podcasts. Head on over to subscribe – I cannot wait for you to hear the tales my guests have lived to tell.

The boys are back from their UK adventures and ready for Mardi Gras weekend in Sydney, shooting the shit on Shrove Tuesday, corporate queers and biodegradable glitter. We also aboard a round-the-world Pride tour from Cardiff and Manchester to Quito and Orlando, soundtracked by Andy and Drew’s favourite Mardi Gras musical classics. Visit our online home at auralfixationpodcast.com, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or go old school and email us at auralfixationpodcast@gmail.com. You can follow Andy on @andrewdoyouthinkyouare and Drew on @with.all.drew.respect. And don't forget to check out this episode's playlist. Finally, we would like to acknowledge both the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the land this podcast episode was recorded on, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

We're coming up so you better get this party started! Aural Fixation's eighth cycle wraps up with a good old fashioned Drew and Andy romp, and this time, it's Missundaztood by the one and only P!nk. Some of the queer topics we cover around and amongst Alecia Moore's iconic sophomore outing include Shirley Bassey's Marks & Spencer adverts, "Get the Party Started" being about completely nothing, and rifling through Billy B's phone book. We also muse on Liv Tyler's paternal parentage, shout out to our gaymers, and raise our fists (not glasses) to Max Martin's sloppy seconds sharing. But what is it about P!nk and Australia? Visit our online home at auralfixationpodcast.com, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or go old school and email us at auralfixationpodcast@gmail.com. You can follow Andy on @andrewdoyouthinkyouare and Drew on @with.all.drew.respect. And don't forget to check out this episode's playlist. Our big gay thanks to Anthony Garvin and the team at Forbes Street Studios in Sydney. Finally, we would like to acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the land this podcast episode was recorded on, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

It's New Queer's Eve and we're wrapping up an oddity of a year by delving into the magic and mayhem of Pete Burns, frontman of Dead or Alive and bonafide pio-queer. No one knows Pete better than our old friend and host of various incredible podcasts (The Record Doctor, This Is Disco and the brand new You Can't Mistake Their Anthology to name three), Adem Eve. Adem takes us through possibly the most chaotic album we've covered yet on Aural Fixation, iconically a global flop everywhere apart from Japan... Dead or Alive's Nukleopatra. We also sidestep into figuring out what exactly Discogs is, pay our respects to the spectacular Sarah Harding, and pick Adem’s brains on his recent interview with Dannii Minogue (!). You can find all things Adem and more at his Instagram and Twitter. Visit our online home at auralfixationpodcast.com, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or go old school and email us at auralfixationpodcast@gmail.com. You can follow Andy on @andrewdoyouthinkyouare and Drew on @with.all.drew.respect. And don't forget to check out this episode's playlist. Our big gay thanks to Anthony Garvin and the team at Forbes Street Studios in Sydney. Finally, we would like to acknowledge both the Gadigal of the Eora Nation and the Ngarigo, the traditional custodians of the lands this podcast episode was recorded on, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

On May 31 1998, Geri Halliwell shook the globe by announcing that she was leaving the Spice Girls, effective immediately. Caught in the tumult of one of the biggest scandals in pop history, Geri she did what any gay icon would – she packed a bag and headed straight for George Michael's gaff. It was there that she decided what the hell she was going to do next. The result was Schizophonic. Lauded as a parallel universe third Spice Girls album, Geri's debut is a cacophony of frenetic but catchy bops, boasting three UK number ones. But on re-listen over two decades later, does it still lift us up? Or were we just in a bubble? This episode the boys are joined by reformed groupie Malcolm McLean, author of Freak Like Me, a hilarious, nostalgic jaunt through teenage angst and 90s pop. Join us as we take you back to our sweet la vida and ask – where the fuck is Mi Chico Latino? Want more from the boys? Visit our online home at auralfixationpodcast.com, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or go old school and email us at auralfixationpodcast@gmail.com. You can follow Andy on @andrewdoyouthinkyouare and Drew on @with.all.drew.respect. And don't forget to check out this episode's playlist. You can find out more about Freak Like Me on @freaklikemebook and order a copy at any good bookstore. Our big gay thanks to Anthony Garvin and the team at Forbes Street Studios in Sydney. Finally, we would like to acknowledge both the Gadigal of the Eora Nation and the Ngarigo, the traditional custodians of the lands this podcast episode was recorded on, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

How are you? What's your take on Cassavettes? Who took the bomp from the bomp-a-lomp-a-lomp? And who the HELL took the ram from the rama-lama-ding-dong? All these questions and more are answered in this ep dedicated to dancepunk trio Le Tigre. We tackle the band's debut self-titled album, the brainchild of Kathleen Hanna, Johanna Fateman and Sadie Benning, which sits at the precipice of '60s surfer bops, 80's new wave and 90's queercore New York... with a healthy splash of third-wave feminism. So grab yr metrocard and take the train direct to Friendship Station because this topic is hot. Want more from the boys? Visit our online home at auralfixationpodcast.com, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or go old school and email us at auralfixationpodcast@gmail.com. You can follow Andy on @andrewdoyouthinkyouare and Drew on @with.all.drew.respect. Don't forget to check out this episode's playlist. Check out this deep dive into Le Tigre's Deceptacon on the Red Bull Music Academy site, too. Our big gay thanks to Anthony Garvin and the team at Forbes Street Studios in Sydney. Finally, we would like to acknowledge both the Gadigal of the Eora Nation and the Ngarigo, the traditional custodians of the lands this podcast episode was recorded on, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

Judy Garland's concert appearance at New York's Carnegie Hall is often described as the greatest night in show business history. After ongoing battles with a variety of substances for most of the 1950s, many had come to judge Judy. Her 1961 return to the stage, however, was a roaring success devoured by a crowd made up almost entirely of screaming queens. Discussion on the original gay icon must be taken seriously, and Andy and Drew recruited Judy super-stan Alexander Andrews for a conversation that covers the legendary performance. Want more from the boys? Visit our online home at auralfixationpodcast.com, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or go old school and email us at auralfixationpodcast@gmail.com. You can follow Andy on @andrewdoyouthinkyouare and Drew on @with.all.drew.respect. Don't forget to check out this episode's playlist. Finally, we would like to acknowledge both the Gadigal of the Eora Nation and the Ngarigo, the traditional custodians of the lands this podcast episode was recorded on, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

What do the forces of Nicki Minaj, Ronan Keating, and those who imprint queerness on successful figures in pop culture all have in common? They all want a piece of Tracy Chapman, ladies, and count us in. One of the best-selling albums of all time by anyone, anywhere, 1988's Tracy Chapman took the singer-songwriter traditions of the 70s and brought them into a new musical landscape and sparking another decade of heartfelt guitar confessionals – but there's so much more than meets the eye in the Tracy Chapman House (TCH). Press play to find out. Want more from the boys? Visit our online home at auralfixationpodcast.com, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or go old school and email us at auralfixationpodcast@gmail.com. You can follow Andy on @andrewdoyouthinkyouare and Drew on @with.all.drew.respect. For fast cars, and revolutions, don't forget to check out this episode's playlist. Our big gay thanks to Anthony Garvin and the team at Forbes Street Studios in Sydney. Finally, we would like to acknowledge both the Gadigal of the Eora Nation and the Ngarigo, the traditional custodians of the lands this podcast episode was recorded on, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

The boys are joined by artist, photographer, DJ, and Andy's mate from uni, Matthew Arthur Williams, to discuss the legendary Joni Mitchell and her 1975 album, The Hissing of Summer Lawns. An unrivalled figure in pop culture, Joni loves the queers and the queers love Joni but her icon status isn't as obvious or surface level as most of our usual Aural Fixation subjects. Matthew takes us on a memory lane trip back to the mid-00s, when Joni was the soundtrack of his blossoming queerhood. You can find Matthew on Instagram here, and follow his DJing here. Visit our online home at auralfixationpodcast.com, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or go old school and email us at auralfixationpodcast@gmail.com. You can follow Andy on @andrewdoyouthinkyouare and Drew on @with.all.drew.respect. And don't forget to check out this episode's playlist . Finally, we would like to acknowledge both the Gadigal of the Eora Nation and the Ngarigo, the traditional custodians of the lands this podcast episode was recorded on, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

Christina Aguilera's masterpiece Stripped has been cited as inspiration by countless pop sensations including Rihanna, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande. From self love, to feminism, to sex positivity, the music gave gals, gays and theys permission to roar when it hit the shelves in 2002. Nearly two decades later, Stripped still gets our temperatures up. What better way to kick off our eighth cycle than with a full strip-search of the album that made us fighters and taught us to trust the voice within. So here it is – no hype, no glass, no pretence. Just Andy and Drew. And a lawsuit with the Sugababes. Want more from the boys? Visit our online home at auralfixationpodcast.com, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or go old school and email us at auralfixationpodcast@gmail.com. You can follow Andy on @andrewdoyouthinkyouare and Drew on @with.all.drew.respect. And don't forget to check out this episode's playlist which will NOT bring you down today. Our big gay thanks to Anthony Garvin and the team at Forbes Street Studios in Sydney. Finally, we would like to acknowledge both the Gadigal of the Eora Nation and the Ngarigo, the traditional custodians of the lands this podcast episode was recorded on, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

After over seventy episodes and several many bottles of chilled Semillon (send me home), we've reached our Cycle 7 finale! As is tradition (of which there are many!) this ep sees us tackling a subject that's a little... left of the usual format. Second only to Madonna (welcome to her fempire), RuPaul's Drag Race is the cultural touchstone of Aural Fixation. We're hard-pressed to find an episode of the podcast that doesn't in some way reference the show (Tamar, have you ever watched the show?) or its contestants. Beyond the pod, we'd go so far as to say that Drag Race is THE defining piece of queer iconography of the last decade, and there ain't no signs of it stopping any time soon. As such, we felt it important – nay necessawry – to dedicate our Cycle 7 finale to the show that launched a thousand wig lines. But we couldn't do it alone! We've enlisted Entertainment Weekly reporter and Drag Race herstorian Joey Nolfi to weigh in on his experience of the show's impact and spill the tea on where the franchise might be heading. You ready, girl? This episode will Curl. Your. Hair. Want more from the boys? Visit our online home at auralfixationpodcast.com, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or go old school and email us at auralfixationpodcast@gmail.com. You can follow Andy on @andrewdoyouthinkyouare and Drew on @with.all.drew.respect. And don't forget to check out this episode's playlist! Our big gay thanks to Anthony Garvin and the team at Forbes Street Studios in Sydney. Finally, we would like to acknowledge both the Gadigal of the Eora Nation and the Ngarigo, the traditional custodians of the lands this podcast episode was recorded on, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

We're in for a treat this fortnight with our first of two very special Drag Race episodes. First up, superstar of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under, Maxi Shield, regales us with her long and very personal history with... Madonna. Yes, we know, every Aural Fixation episode is essentially about Madonna, but this topic was Maxi's choice and for good reason. Our album of focus is the incomparable Immaculate Collection, but it was her brush with a diamanté banana on the Rebel Heart Tour that will prick up your ears. Want more from the boys? Visit our online home at auralfixationpodcast.com, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or go old school and email us at auralfixationpodcast@gmail.com. You can follow Andy on @andrewdoyouthinkyouare and Drew on @with.all.drew.respect. And don't forget to check out this episode's playlist! Our big gay thanks to Anthony Garvin and the team at Forbes Street Studios in Sydney. Finally, we would like to acknowledge both the Gadigal of the Eora Nation and the Ngarigo, the traditional custodians of the lands this podcast episode was recorded on, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

April 2020 was a rough time to release new music, but that didn't stop Rina Sawayama from having one of the strongest pop albums of last year. The eponymous Sawayama was an eclectic mash-up of Y2K nostalgia, paying homage to early 2000's manufactured pop, nu-metal and R&B. The album went on to feature on several best of lists, and Sawayama herself made history after criticising major British music awards such as the Mercury Prize and the BRITs who deemed her illegible to be nominated as a British artist, despite having lived in the UK since she was five. Join Andy and Drew for a good old fashioned kiki on all things Rina, from her take on chosen family to her relationship with deep pop godfather of the pod, Elton John. Like the boys? Visit our online home at auralfixationpodcast.com, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or go old school and email us at auralfixationpodcast@gmail.com. You can follow Andy on @andrewdoyouthinkyouare and Drew on @with.all.drew.respect. And don't forget to check out this episode's playlist! Our big gay thanks to Anthony Garvin and the team at Forbes Street Studios in Sydney. Finally, we would like to acknowledge both the Gadigal of the Eora Nation and the Ngarigo, the traditional custodians of the lands this podcast episode was recorded on, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

A mere 18 years old and mother of a three week old baby when her debut album, The Lion and the Cobra, was released, Sinéad O’Connor shot to stratospheric success off of her haunting vocals, powerful songwriting and give-no-fucks visuals. In this episode, we use Sinéad's blistering debut as a starting point for an exploration of her distilled queerness, her massive appeal to queer listeners, and exactly why is she so... very... O'Conic? We also touch on the Prince Thing, the Pope Thing, and the Madonna Thing (spoiler alert, we're Team Sinéad on all). Visit our online home at auralfixationpodcast.com, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or go old school and email us at auralfixationpodcast@gmail.com. You can follow Andy on @andrewdoyouthinkyouare and Drew on @with.all.drew.respect. Don't forget to check out this episode's playlist. Our big gay thanks to Anthony Garvin and the team at Forbes Street Studios in Sydney. Finally, we would like to acknowledge both the Gadigal of the Eora Nation and the Ngarigo, the traditional custodians of the lands this podcast episode was recorded on, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

When it comes to sweeping romance, earnest lyrics and – let's face it, songs that last six minutes MINIMUM – there really is no topping Ms. Céline Marie Claudette Dion. From humble beginnings in Charlemagne, Quebec (which is queer) to becoming the best-selling Canadian recording artist in history, Queen Céline has dominated the music industry for over three decades. In 1996, her star was in full ascendence when she unleashed Falling Into You on the unsuspecting masses. Playing host to career-defining tracks such as "Because You Loved Me", "All By Myself" and, importantly, the first single Drew ever bought ("It's All Coming Back to Me Now"), the album went on to become one of the best-selling albums of all time, with sales of over 32 million copies worldwide. We did not have to think twice when recruiting our guest for this episode. The enigmatic and addictive Gwynne is not only a pop historian (and soon to be doctor in his field!) but a Céline stan of titanic proportions. Are you ready to learn of the power of Falling Into You? Well you're in luck – because a new day has come. Get ready for an episode that is all beauty, no beast, and guaranteed to make you feel... alive. Visit our online home at auralfixationpodcast.com, follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or go old school and email us at auralfixationpodcast@gmail.com. You can follow Andy on @andrewdoyouthinkyouare, Drew on @with.all.drew.respect, and Gwynne... nowhere! He's off-grid. Ooh, and don't forget to check out this episode's playlist, which slaps all night. As always, our big gay thanks to Anthony Garvin and the team at Forbes Street Studios in Sydney. Finally, we would like to acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the land this podcast episode was recorded on, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

This fortnight, we're joined by Jared Richards, a cultural critic living on Gadigal land, and writer for NME, The Guardian, The Big Issue, Sissy Screens and more. Last year, Jared wrote a beautiful article on the evolution of Sufjan Stevens that caught our queer eye, so we welcomed him into the studio (pre-second Sydney lockdown) to unpack the mystery and intrigue surrounding a long-awaited Aural Fixation topic. We talk grief and catharsis (or lack there of), Lady Gaga's aunt, and the romance wank of Call Me By Your Name. It's all queer. Visit our online home at auralfixationpodcast.com, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or go old school and email us at auralfixationpodcast@gmail.com. You can follow Andy on @andrewdoyouthinkyouare, Drew on @with.all.drew.respect, and Jared on @jrdjms. And don't forget to check out this episode's playlist. Our big gay thanks to Anthony Garvin and the team at Forbes Street Studios in Sydney. Finally, we would like to acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the land this podcast episode was recorded on, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

It's a Bad Queers double dip as we welcome on Kris Chesson, the podcasting partner of Shana Sumers from our Beyonce episode, to explore why her queer icon is... Drake. Just hold on, we're going homo. In this episode we use Drake's 2011 album Take Care to centre a discussion on the dos and don'ts of 'dirty macking', what it means to be a stud, and why his disdain for toxic masculinity is just one of the things that make Drake queer. We also close off Pride Month with a deep dive into the minefield that is corporate endorsements of queerness. Visit our online home at auralfixationpodcast.com, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or go old school and email us at auralfixationpodcast@gmail.com. You can follow Andy on @andrewdoyouthinkyouare, Drew on @with.all.drew.respect, and Kris on @kris.chess. And don't forget to check out this episode's playlist. Our big gay thanks to Anthony Garvin and the team at Forbes Street Studios in Sydney. Finally, we would like to acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the land this podcast episode was recorded on, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.