#WorldMusicDay: 5 genre-bending podcasts that deserve a spot on your playlist

We live in a time where there are podcasts for everything under the sun—food, fashion, history, and even crime. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise that there would be a string of podcasts dedicated to music, given how it relies on the audio medium. These podcasts cover myriad topics related to music, from taking a deep dive into albums to breaking down the process of creating them. 

While we curated this list especially on the occasion of World Music Day, these podcasts on the subject are worth tuning into all-year-round, whether you have a passing interest in the art or are a full-on music geek. 

Maed in India

Touted to be India’s first indie podcast, 'Maed in India' is hosted by Mumbai-based journalist and former RJ Mae Thomas, who interviews burgeoning independent artists accompanied by exclusive acoustic renditions of their original music. The weekly episodes cover a wide variety of genres—from hip hop, punk, and folk, to soul and blues. Some of the artists that have appeared on the show include New Delhi-based singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad and composer OAFF aka Kabeer Kathpalia, among others. 

Horns Up

If you’re a heavy metal fan, this podcast is worth tuning into. Started by Mumbai-based heavy metal fans Peter Kotikalapudi and Animesh Das, 'Horns Up' was born out of a discussion on Twitter, where the duo realised their love for Indian rock and metal, and the dearth of Indian podcasts on the topic. Under their pseudonyms, Trend Crusher and Asmo, Kotikalapudi and Das discuss and review heavy metal albums and the genre at large within the Indian context, and bring local and international artists on board for engaging interviews. 

Song Exploder

Musician Hrishikesh Hirway, who’s also behind the popular food podcast 'Home Cooking' with celebrity chef Samin Nosrat, is the brainchild behind this show. He breaks down songs and the idea behind it along with the artist. Most of the episodes of the fortnightly podcast are under the half-hour mark, meaning, you can get a thorough picture of the songs without having to invest multiple hours on one episode. We love how there’s a balance between present-day soundtracks and classics, so you can discover new songs but also revisit your childhood favourites. 

Bandsplain 

If your ideal podcast is one that really goes in-depth, then this one, which has episodes that run anywhere between two to four hour-mark, will be right up your alley. In every episode, host Yasi Salek sits down with a guest artist, and the duo discusses the band or the artist’s songs, all set against a carefully curated playlist. From dissecting Metallica’s journey as a band to deep diving into Paramore’s popularity, the episodes span different genres; so there’s something for everyone. 

Dissect

Another podcast that is known for its deep dives, 'Dissect' was initially started by host Cole Cuchna before Spotify brought it under its podcast network. Compared to other music podcasts, it has entire seasons (instead of just an episode) discussing one album. The emphasis is on modern hip hop, so you’ll find everything from Kendrick Lamar’s masterpiece, To Pimp a Butterfly to Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy being discussed.