We are thrilled to finally introduce Queer Joy, a new podcast series by Homoground featuring queer-identified artists sharing what queer joy means to them through storytelling and songs.
Queer Joy was created as a response to the lack of positive representation of the queer experience in popular media. Homoground asked artists to share their songs celebrating the things that bring them joy! We received beautiful, vulnerable, and thoughtful pieces from musicians all over the world.
In each episode, you’ll hear those songs along with anecdotes from the creators themselves.
Homoground is incredibly grateful to everyone who submitted. Your voices brought this Queer Joy series to life!
PART 1 – BE YOURSELF
We danced, we cried, and we’re honored to release Queer Joy Part One: Be Yourself.
Listen to anthems celebrating the process of being comfortable with who you are from Papa Molly, JayceJanae, Boy Bowser, and Kamerin. Stream the episode below or on whatever you listen to podcasts.
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This podcast is available for free, but it is not free to make.
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider contributing to our Patreon to support our work.
http://patreon.com/join/homoground
Our wonderful Patreon supporters will have access to extra tracks submitted by the artists along with some extended interviews.
CREDITS
This episode was produced by D Orxata.
Our executive producer is Lynn Casper.
Artwork for this series was created by Morgan Diep.
Our social media coordinators are Morgan Dean and Rowan Blackwood.
The segment on Focus/Time was produced by Cheer up Charlye of Breakfast and Beats.
Major thanks to our sponsors SPACES, Workfrom and our Patreon Supporters
PART 2 – LOVE CRUSH
This is part 2 of our Queer Joy series featuring songs and personal stories from LGBTQ musicians.
On this episode we’re celebrating Queer Joy with rose-colored lenses and songs about love and crushes from Giuliano from Worcester Massachusetts, Hana Katana from Austin Texas, Rascal Miles from Minneapolis Minnesota and Lucy Opazo from Brooklyn NY. ENJOY!
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Worcester, MA
website | Instagram: @musicbygiuliano
Songs: “Joshua” and “The D”
Cover Design: Joshua Croke, Photo: Erika Sidor
Austin, Texas
website
Instagram: @TheHanaKatana
Songs: “Friends Don’t Make You Cry”
Photo credit: Nicole Lemberg
Minneapolis, MN
website
Instagram: @rascalmiles
Song: “Baby Baby”
Photo credit: Sam Gehrke
Brooklyn, NY
Instagram: @lucyopazomusic
Song: “Isolation Station”
Photo Credit: Crisoula Lazaridis
This podcast is available for free, but it is not free to make.
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider contributing to our Patreon to support our work.
http://patreon.com/join/homoground
Our wonderful Patreon supporters will have access to extra tracks submitted by the artists along with some extended interviews.
CREDITS
This episode was produced, mixed and engineered by CheerUpCharlye, Breakfast & Beats.
Our executive producer is Lynn Casper.
Artwork for this series was created by Morgan Diep.
Our social media coordinators are Morgan Dean and Rowan Blackwood.
Major thanks to our sponsors SPACES, Workfrom and our Patreon Supporters.
PART 3 – THE FUTURE WAS ALWAYS QUEER
Four queer time travelers sent us records of queer joy from the past, the present, and several possible futures. If you’ve ever found yourself trapped inside of a moment, this episode is for you.
Part 3 of our Queer Joy series features songs and personal stories from Creatrx, Sara Renberg, Oxeye, and Carry The Branches.
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creatrx
Instagram: @creatrx
Songs: “Baptism” and “Sunday”
Photo credit: Danika Karolinski
Sara Renberg
Pittsburg, PA
sararenberg.com | Instagram: @sara.renberg
Songs: “It’s a Beautiful Day to be Gay”
Photo credit: Leah Brennan
Oxeye
Stockholm, Sweden
Facebook| Instagram: @oxeye.music
Songs: “Standing Proud”, “Det Här Är För Oss”, “The Only Good Thing”
Photo credit: Clara Veneziano Coen
Carry The Branches
Brooklyn, NY
Instagram: @carrythebranches
Songs: “Zombie Telegram”
This podcast is available for free, but it is not free to make.
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider contributing to our Patreon to support our work.
http://patreon.com/join/homoground
Our wonderful Patreon supporters will have access to extra tracks submitted by the artists along with some extended interviews.
CREDITS
This episode was produced by D Orxata.
Our executive producer is Lynn Casper.
Artwork for this series was created by Morgan Diep.
Our social media coordinator is Rowan Blackwood.
Major thanks to our sponsors SPACES, Workfrom and our Patreon Supporters.
SPONSORS
This episode of Homoground and this Queer Joy series is sponsored by SPACES, an app that lets LGBTQ+ people find and build the communities we wish to exist. Initially conceived as a response to the shortcomings of heteronormative social platforms SPACES is designed by queer people, for queer people. You can create your own space about whatever topic you want, or you can search to join the many SPACEs that others from around the world have already created. It’s a cool way to connect with others, in a safe and like-minded atmosphere. Personally, for me, joy is when I’m able to connect with people I can be my true authentic self around.
How do you experience joy?
Join us on the SPACES app and tell us your stories of queer joy! It’s easy! Download the app from the App Store, create an account and search for Queer Joy to join our space. Or visit homoground.com/queerspaces for more info.
Be Yourself. Find Your Space.
Focus/Time is a dedicated virtual space for LGBTQIA folks to work on their personal and/or work projects in an accepting environment. It’s the perfect place to work on projects you’ve been putting off or to start the projects that have been incubating in your mind. This is a space for you to focus on the things you want to do but struggle to do. Sign up to attend a guided session.
Homoground’s Virtual Cafe is powered by a platform called Workfrom that lets us customize the space so we have an inspirational mural as our background along with a killer playlist and some ASMR options like rain sounds. It’s a cool online space that we use to bring the Homoground and Focus/Time community together. Folks pop in and out and we share updates about our lives and what we’re working on in the chat box. It’s a great place to socialize while working from home while also getting some chores and work tasks done.
Anyone can create their own virtual coworking space using Workfrom and you can control the privacy and customizations.To try out your own space visit homoground.com/workfrom.
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Emily Wells – New York, NY [Episode #240]
Episode #240 is up featuring a conversation between Emily Wells and Homoground host Maia Macdonald. Emily gives us tons of insight behind her latest album “This World is too ______ for you” and the process behind orchestrating her live performance.
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider contributing to our Patreon to support this free podcast.
http://patreon.com/join/homogroundTranscription of Emily’s story:
” I guess you kind of have to compartmentalize the processes. So when I was writing the record, for instance, and when I’ve written any records, I find that my process hones over the years. I go into a different kind of self-hood, I would say, and I allow myself to go into that, and I really limit any performances, which is a bit of a luxury. You kind of have to get really scrappy and frugal. Just tour your ass off and then try to make room for yourself to be a maker and not a minstrel. I engage a lot with literature during this period and poetry, and I’m really interested in the mind and how the mind works. All of these things are all connected. And all of that can, if you’re open, become part of the songs as well. So I just try to be that “self” and try to write songs. Almost simply, especially this record, I forced myself that they had to pass the Casio Test. I don’t have a proper piano in my studio, so if I could play it on this old Casio keyboard and sing along with it, and it still was emotional and still was a “good song”, then it passed. Otherwise, it was out. That helps me not get too caught in the… You have some nights where you’re working on things and you start to dabble into the production side of it, which is really fun and can be a great release. But I still had to step away at the end of each song. Then you move into recording mode, then you move into editor mode, then you move into insane person mode, actually making the final decisions, and then you move into like an intern at your label trying to like make it work, you know.”
You can read the full transcript of Emily’s interview on our patreon.
CREDITS
This episode was recorded and produced by Maia Macdonald.
Executive Producer: Lynn Casper
Intro Jingle by data.data.data
Interview transcription by D Orxata
Transcription was made possible by Queer Public Podcast who let us use their transcription software.
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Southern Queeries Interview with Rigel Gemini [Episode #265]
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In this episode the Southern Queeries podcast talks with Rigel Gemini, all around creative, tech. professional, creative artist, and queer influencer. They discuss his journey to the south, what keeps him motivated, and the next steps in his journey.
To keep up with him you can find his music on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and other music platforms. For social media, just search for Rigel Gemini on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. His music videos are available on YouTube, including the lyric video for his latest single, Snapped. Some of his other visually stunning videos include Gorgeois, I Can’t, and Day & Night.
If you liked this episode, follow the Southern Queeries podcast and check out their other episodes! You can also keep up with them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by searching Southern Queeries. To keep up with India, go to indiabastien.com, and to keep up with Aubree go to aubreecalvin.com
EPISODE SPONSOR
This episode is sponsored by Adam Male, your most trusted source for sex toys, products and information. Whether you’re looking for something to share with someone special, or you’re wanting to spice up your “me” time, from dildos to dongs, they’re putting the power of pleasure in your hands. Get 50% off plus free shipping with the code: GROUND
CREDITS
The interview segment in this episode was produced by India Bastien and Aubree Calvin of Southern Queeries.
Executive production by Casper
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Ahli – Nashville, TN [Episode #257]
Episode 257 features the words and music of Ahli, a pop singer/songwriter from Nashville, TN. In this episode, Ahli talks about what it was like growing up in a conservative town while discovering their identity plus advice for those who are currently living in more conservative areas.
The songs featured in this episode: “Ghost” and “Past Life”
Follow Ahli online at ahlismusic.com
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider contributing to our Patreon to support this free podcast.
http://patreon.com/join/homogroundFull transcription of Ahli’s story:
Same ground, different sound. You’re on Homoground. This is Ali from Stockton, New Jersey. I identify as a pansexual gender-neutral. I grew up in Stockton, New Jersey. It’s a really small rural town on the Delaware River. It’s biggest claim to fame is that we’re pretty close to where Washington crossed. I grew up in a more divided area. People would go to Pride in Pennsylvania, but there would also be people who fly the Confederate flag where I went to high school.. In high school, it wasn’t the best place to come out for a lot of reasons. One of them was there weren’t a lot of people who were out. I probably knew like definitely finger counting the amount of people who were LGBT and all of them were in the closet and not really outspoken about it. I think everybody was kind of in that zone like it’s kind of a toss up. We’re not really sure what to do. And it just kind of spread to me. I was like, OK, like, I definitely like girls, but I’m gonna hold off on that.
I waited till my senior year when I had transferred out and gone to boarding school. I was 200 miles away from my parents before I told them. I was like, hey, I am pansexual.
You can read the full transcript of Ahli’s story on our patreon.
CREDITS
This episode was produced and hosted by Lynn Casper.
Intro Jingle by data.data.data
Transcription was made possible by Queer Public Podcast who let us use their transcription software.
Our affiliate sponsor for this episode is Pride Counseling. Homoground listeners receive a 1 week free trial when they sign up through this link. We also receive commission from each sign up that becomes a paid member. These funds helps us produce episodes like this 🙂
