Inspired by creator and host Carmel Holt’s own 25 year career in radio, and lifetime devoted to music, SHEROES is a podcast that amplifies the voices of women and gender expansive folx in song and conversation. Hear a wide range of guests spanning genres and generations sharing their experiences in the male-dominated field of music, exploring perspectives of new voices and womxn who paved the way. SHEROES podcast is a companion to the weekly syndicated public radio show SHEROES Radio which includes interviews from the radio show, live tapings, roundtables and more.
This week our featured guest is Allison Russell, who just released her third solo album, In The Hour of Chaos, earlier this month and returns to SHEROES to tell us all about this next installment of her discography, as well as the myriad projects she has been involved with including her Broadway debut, writing a memoir, and touring with Sarah McLachlan. Listen to the songs featured in this week's episode, and experience Allison's new album with the highest quality streaming on Qobuz. We have a 30-day free trial for you, too! Here's the link: qob.uz/sheroes
Kelsey Lu
The cellist, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, Kelsey Lu, returns to SHEROES this week to discuss their first album in seven years, So Help Me God, and reflects on the journey from their live recorded debut EP Church (marking its 10th anniversary this year), to their 2019 critically hailed full length debut Blood, to this newest collection, and the companion short film and visuals. Recorded in front of a live audience at Bang & Olufsen, NYC, on June 18th, 2026, as part of New York Music Month, and was made possible by WNYE, the NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, co-sign, and our friends at Qobuz. Check out our SHEROES playlists on Qobuz, and sign up for a free 30-day trial with this link: qob.uz/sheroes
Bedouine
The Syrian-American artist Azniv Korkejian, who records and performs as Bedouine, returns to SHEROES this week to talk with Carmel about her fourth album, Neon Summer Skin , why sharing our origin stories is so important, and what was revealed through sharing hers in this new collection of songs. _________________________________________ Support for SHEROES comes from Qobuz . Start your free 30-day trial using this link: qob.uz/sheroes
Francisca Valenzuela
Chilean-American, 4x Latin Grammy nominee Francisca Valenzuela joins Carmel Holt this week to discuss her upcoming seventh album MALDITA, the story behind her feminist Latin music festival and platform, Ruidosa Fest, which she founded in 2016 . As Ruidosa Fest celebrates its 10th anniversary the U.S. iteration returns to Lincoln Center in New York City for the third year in a row on July 12th.
aja monet
The day between her Carnegie Hall debut, and releasing her critically hailed second album, the color of rain, the poet, lyricist, and activist, aja monet sat down with Carmel Holt to discuss her journey from growing up in New York, becoming a Slam Poet Champion as a teenager, to becoming an award-winning published poet, and Grammy-nominated recording artist.
Yaya Bey
On the heels of releasing her seventh full length album, Fidelity, the prolific Queens-born songwriter, singer, poet, artist, producer, curator, educator, and activist Yaya Bey joins Carmel Holt this week for a not-to-miss conversation that takes an honest look at the trickle down effect that white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism has on every aspect of the music industry, media, and touring. And ultimately Yaya reminds us that just because these issues are important to talk about, they do not wholly define her, or her work, which offers plenty of moments to dance and laugh through the pain.
Linda Perry
This week we welcome five-time Grammy nominated, Golden Globe nominated, Songwriters Hall of Famer, producer, and musician, Linda Perry to SHEROES. Linda's storied three decade career launched in 1992 with her band 4 Non Blondes, followed by two solo albums, and two-plus decades of writing and producing some of the biggest names in music including Dolly Parton, Gwen Stefani, P!nk, Adele, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, and many more. A new documentary film by Don Hardy called Let It Die Here was captured over a recent turbulent four year period, and inspired the songs that became Linda's first solo album in 27 years - also titled, Let It Die Here. In this in depth conversation, Linda tells us about the film, the album, parenthood, and her organization, EqualizeHer.
Tori Amos (encore episode)
The iconic Tori Amos is back with her 18th studio album, and an upcoming tour. In honor of her return, this week we dip into the SHEROES archives and reboot this amazing 2022 episode from our Webby-nominated sister series SHEROES: Mixtape Memoir. Tori traces her musical journey from childhood to Little Earthquakes, the women who inspired her, and the songs that soundtracked those chapters.
Arlo Parks
Twice Grammy-nominated, Mercury Prize and BRIT Award-winning artist, Arlo Parks returns to SHEROES this week to discuss her recently released third album, Ambiguous Desire, which was born of time spent diving into the club scene and learning to DJ, creating space to get out of her head and connect with her body, and the rich histories of club spaces that became sanctuaries for so many.
Abbey Carbonneau of Book More Women
This week we welcome back Abbey Carbonneau, the founder, creator, and now executive director of Book More Women - who you may know as the Instagram account and site that uses festival posters as a powerful visual aid to show the lack of gender diversity at music festivals, as well as the researched data to go with it. Abbey has been doing this work for eight years now as a passion project, and in the last year evolved the concept into a proper org, now with a board of directors, and on its way to becoming a full-fledged nonprofit.
Judy Collins
Today (May 1st), Judy Collins is 87 years old, and after over six decades on the road, and 55 albums, she has just embarked on her final tour. We celebrate this legendary singer, songwriter, and author, with a career-spanning conversation set to her own handpicked soundtrack. (original air date 2022)
Encore episode: Flock of Dimes
We celebrate a milestone birthday for one of our SHEROES, Jenn Wasner aka Flock of Dimes, by sharing an encore episode of her recent interview about her beautiful new album The Life You Save, and invite one of her dearest friends, Amelia Meath of Sylvan Esso, to join the party with a birthday message and song pick.
SHEROES Live with Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore
Ambient composer, vocalist, and producer, Julianna Barwick and experimental harpist and composer Mary Lattimore, have been friends for over a decade, have toured together, and even guested on each other's albums, but their duo album Tragic Magic is their first full length collaboration and was brought about by a remarkable set of circumstances and an opportunity to record at the Museum of Musical Instruments in Paris. Julianna and Mary join Carmel Holt at Mophonics Studios in New York for a very special conversation recorded in front of a live audience.
Courtney Barnett
Courtney Barnett returns to SHEROES this week to chat with Carmel about her newest album Creature of Habit, entering a new chapter of her life that includes moving to the U.S., shuttering her longtime label Milk Records, and fulfilling a lifelong wish to learn how to surf, while also entering a phase of learning new ways to ride the waves of life.
Gail Ann Dorsey
In this super special edition of SHEROES, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and bass legend, Gail Ann Dorsey sits down with Carmel Holt for a career-spanning conversation featuring the music that shaped her, and spotlighting some fellow SHEROES of the bass who Gail encountered along the way. For those unfamiliar with Gail Ann Dorsey’s resume, not only has she put out albums of her own starting with 1988’s The Corporate World, she also became a sought after session player, collaborator, and touring bassist, and became known as one of the world’s greatest bass players. Gail has worked with everyone from Tears for Fears, Gang of Four, Bryan Ferry, Gwen Stefani, Indigo Girls, and Lenny Kravitz. And perhaps most notably, she spent over a decade playing bass and singing in David Bowie’s touring band, and contributed to several of his studio albums. Currently Gail is readying her first solo work in 21 years, and the follow up to her 2004 album I Used To Be… and prepping for a 2026 solo tour.
Encore episode: Hurray For The Riff Raff
On March 20th, Hurray For The Riff Raff will release Live Forever: a new live record on the exact two-year anniversary of their last studio effort, The Past Is Still Alive. To celebrate the new live album as well as the announcement of an upcoming tour in June followed by a limited run of dates with Rhiannon Giddens, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Mavis Staples - not to mention lighting some belated birthday candles for Alynda’s 40th on February 26th, we are revisiting this 2024 conversation with Alynda which details some of the stories that they share as memoir-style songs on The Past Is Still Alive and how the songs and recording of the album suddenly took on a whole new meaning following the unexpected passing of their father.
Margo Price
Margo Price returns to SHEROES to talk with Carmel Holt about her newest album, the Grammy-nominated Hard Headed Woman, which sees Margo reconnecting to her musical roots. This month also marks the 10th anniversary of her debut Midwest Farmer's Daughter, and Margo reflects on the "wild ride" of the last decade, aging as a woman in music, and the importance of being a hard headed woman in times like these.
Peaches
The musician, producer, director, and performance artist Peaches is widely hailed as a queer and feminist icon, a trailblazer, and an unapologetically body positive, sex positive, boundary pushing writer and performer, and symbol of empowerment. Peaches recently returned with her sixth album and first in 10+ years called No Lube, So Rude, and joins Carmel Holt for a conversation about growing more and more into her work, how it feels to be called a legend and "Mother", and despite the grim realities of today's world, still finding signs of hope.
Sarah McLachlan
This week the iconic singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan joins us to talk in depth about her first new album of original material in eleven years, Better Broken, the new documentary about Lilith Fair, the 30th anniversary of Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, and finding herself more fiercely committed than ever to using her platform to speak out.
Ratboys
Julia Steiner joins Carmel Holt this week on SHEROES to discuss the recently released sixth Ratboys album, Singin' To An Empty Chair, growing up a tomboy, and the sixteen year journey from hushed dorm room performances to a headlining international touring band, and critically hailed indie rock darlings.
