Queer the Music with Jake Shears

Jake Shears sits down with Meshell Ndegeocello, an influential, critically acclaimed force in modern music, for an honest conversation about music, identity, joy and the power of community. Meshell reflects on her new duets album Synonym, making music that brings people together, and why queer liberation, Black liberation and feminist liberation are connected. She and Jake also talk about carving...

Jake Shears, David Austin and Chris Porter get inside the making of Faith: the happy accidents, the guitar that gave the song its sound, and the image George shaped on his own terms. They also explore the queer subtext, the cost of fame, and the legacy of a man whose music still speaks to everyone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jake Shears is joined by David Austin and Chris Porter to look back at George Michael’s Faith era and the friendship behind it. They share memories of George’s early love of Elton John and Queen, Wham!’s breakthrough on Top of the Pops, and the making and live performances of Faith. The conversation also touches on George’s evolving sound and image, his sexuality, and how their friendship changed...

Season 4 of Queer the Music continues with Horse Meat Disco co-founder Luke Howard. Joining Jake Shears, he reflects on the beginnings of the legendary London club night, its journey from a Sunday party at The Eagle in Vauxhall to a global queer institution, and more than two decades spent bringing people together on the dance floor. The pair also discuss Luke’s early experiences of queer nightlif...

Jake Shears is joined by journalist and author Ian Wade to discuss his book 1984: The Year Pop Went Queer and explore how one remarkable year became a turning point for queer visibility in pop. From the shock and sexuality of Frankie Goes to Hollywood and the radical visibility of Bronski Beat, to Madonna, Divine and the gay club culture breaking into the charts, they unpack a moment when queer mu...

Jake Shears is joined by artist, songwriter and performer Tom Rasmussen for a wide-ranging conversation on music, identity and finding freedom through creativity. Together, they look back on Tom’s journey from growing up in Lancashire to finding queer community through drag, as well as the artists who shaped them along the way, from Madonna and Celine Dion to Goldfrapp and Bronski Beat. The episod...

Season 4 of Queer The Music continues with Tony, Grammy and Emmy-winning actor and musician Ben Platt. In conversation with Jake Shears, Platt discusses the freedom of playing a queer character on stage in Midnight at the Never Get, his lifelong relationship with musical theatre and why performing live remains the place he feels most at home. He also reflects on bringing his sexuality openly...

In This episode of Queer The Music, Jake Shears is joined by author and cultural critic Barry Walters to explore the queer history of Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground. Together, they discuss Andy Warhol’s radical New York underground, the influence of David Bowie, and theidentities and subcultures that helped reshape rock ’n’ roll. From ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ to ‘Perfect Day’, Walters and Shea...

Season 4 of Queer The Music continues with Jehnny Beth. She and Jake Shears discuss her journey from discovering Bowie and Patti Smith to forming Savages , finding her voice as an artist and embracing her bisexuality. The episode explores sobriety, identity, depression and the challenges that followed Savages, alongside her solo career, collaborations and move into acting, including her role in An...

Season 4 of Queer The Music continues with Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme. In this special extended edition, he and Shears discuss everything from their shared love of The Cramps to vulnerability, masculinity and outlier status in rock music. Homme also reflects on growing up alongside his gay brother and how this shaped his rejection of homophobia and bigotry. The episode notably exp...

Season 4 of Queer The Music continues with acclaimed pop sensation Meek for a frank and riotous conversation with Jake Shears about finding your voice, trusting your instincts and refusing to write by anyone else’s rules. Meek opens up about the brutal realities of years spent songwriting for other artists, from international writing camps and major cuts to the frustration of seeing deeply persona...

Season 4 of Queer The Music continues with acclaimed writer Jeremy Atherton Lin. Joining Jake Shears, the author of Gay Bar: Why We Went Out and Deep House explores the history and evolution of LGBTQ+ nightlife, reflecting on the cultural importance of queer spaces, the changing nature of community, and how music has soundtracked identity, activism, desire, and belonging. Together, they discuss ev...

Season 4 of Queer The Music continues with singer-songwriter David McAlmont. Joining Jake Shears, he reflects on breaking through with McAlmont & Butler’s iconic hit Yes, navigating Britpop as an openly queer Black artist, and the industry pressures to hide his identity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Queer the Music we have indie rock darling Baby Queen. Joining Jake Shears, she reflects on the creative and personal journey behind her deeply honest new album, I Hope You Don’t Remember Me. They get deep on topics such as ego, rejection, therapy, queer identity and the pressure of life in the music industry. She also talks about how stepping away from expectations helped her r...

On this episode of Queer the Music we’re featuring DJ, promoter and nightlife icon Jodie Harsh. Joining Jake, she traces her journey from sneaking into London’s legendary gay clubs as a teenager to building one of the capital’s biggest queer parties. Together they discuss drag, addiction, sobriety, the evolution of queer club culture, and why creating spaces for joy has never been more important....

Season 4 of Queer the Music continues with Swedish pop trailblazer Tove Lo. Joining Jake Shears, she reflects on the song that changed everything, Habits (Stay High), the freedom of becoming an independent artist, and her journey from Stockholm songwriter to one of pop’s most fearless voices. The pair also discuss bisexuality, body confidence, queer club culture and the power of radical honesty in...

Season 4 of Queer The Music launches today in discussion with Placebo’s iconic frontman Brian Molko. In this special, extended edition, he and Shears discuss everything from their mutual love of David Bowie to outlier-status in alternative music and media. The episode also notably marks the 30th anniversary of Placebo’s radical breakout hit, ‘Nancy Boy’. Originally written in reclaim of a slur, ‘N...

Jake Shears’ hit Queer The Music podcast returns for its fourth season. Kicking off with an episode featuring Placebo’s Brian Molko, this follows a double win for the number 1-charting podcast at the prestigious Webby Awards (including ‘Best Music Podcast’), with guests for Season 4 already set to include Swedish pop queen Tove Lo plus DJ, alt-pop artist Baby Queen and drag royalty, Jodie Harsh. E...

Christmas has come early as Jake selects some of his favourite bits from the last 3 seasons. Really just a reminder to go back and listen to the episodes you've missed - there have been some brilliant conversations - wishing everyone a Happy New Year and thank you for listening to Queer The Music in 2025! We'd love to hear from you - get in touch via instagram @queerthemusicpodcast See Privacy Pol...

For this special episode of Queer The Music Jake is joined by the brilliant Rebecca Lucy Taylor aka Self Esteem. With a critically acclaimed new album, a concert tour and book under her belt this year, the pair have plenty to catch up on. Listen as Jake and Rebecca discuss their highlights of the year in queer music, answer questions from listeners, reveal what 2026 has in store for them and tell...

It's our season finale and we're delighted to be joined by Roddy Bottum, best known as the keyboardist of Faith No More.  Back in 1990 Roddy found himself in the spotlight in the rock world as its first openly gay star. In this special episode Jake and Roddy celebrate Faith No More's breakthrough hit 'Epic' and they discuss what it was like to be the only out queer in rock, on tour with Guns...

This week on Queer The Music we celebrate  Grace Kelly  - the debut single from Multi-platinum, BRIT Award-winning, and Grammy nominated global pop visionary Mika.  Listen to Jake and Mika's fascinating conversation about Mika's childhood, the struggles he faced, how he found sanctuary through music, his creative process and how he created the hit single Grace Kelly which shot to th...

This week's episode celebrates the anthemic song 'Queen' by Perfume Genius.  Singer-songwriter Mike Hadreas aka Perfume Genius first emerged around 2010, his music has been described as ‘dreamy and melancholic’, ‘grandiose yet intimate’ and over the course of seven studio albums he continues to shapeshift while still sounding completely himself. He joins Jake to talk about the makin...

This week is a big one - we are celebrating the iconic The B52's. A band that paved the way for queer artists through their unapologetic on-stage identity and camp aesthetic. Their non-conformist attitude and unique sound has had a huge and lasting impact on rock and pop music - you can witness their influence on artists from Boy George to Chappell Roan. Jake credits them with the very existe...

Joining Jake Shears for this episode are Abigail and Georgia from one of the most talked-about bands of the moment…The Last Dinner Party.  2024 was a huge year for them; they landed a deal with Island Records, released their critically acclaimed debut album, 'Prelude to Ecstasy', supported The Rolling Stones, Lana Del Ray, Florence and the Machine and   The Arctic Monkeys, and toppe...