A New Angle

This week’s guest is Sean Patrick Higgins, founder and CEO of Story House , a world-class film production facility located in Missoula, Montana. Sean and his colleagues at Story House are making the case that Montana should be considered a premiere location for all aspects of film production. In this conversation, Sean explains Story House’s goals of addressing housing affordability, economic deve...

This week Justin is talking with Megan Torgerson, creator and host of Reframing Rural, a podcast celebrating rural people and their stories. Megan and her team recently launched their fourth season, Succession Stories .In this conversation, Megan talks about growing up on her family’s ranch and how she came upon the idea of Reframing Rural. Megan talks about the difference between a “living” and a...

We're switching things up this week. Justin interviewed Megan Torgerson of the podcast Reframing Rural this week for Montana Public Radio. For our Substack feed, we're giving you an episode of Reframing Rural to sample. If you're interested in more, find Reframing Rural here . And, make sure to listen to Justin's conversation with Megan on MTPR on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. or here on Substack. This is...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.anewanglepodcast.com This week is the March edition of Incentives & Instincts, a recurring series in which Justin speaks with economist and friend Bryce Ward about some of the broader challenges facing our society. It’s also pledge week at Montana Public Radio and in that vein, Justin and Bryce figured they would explore the concept...

This week we bring you a live recording of Justin’s conversation with Whatnot Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Logan Head. Whatnot is the largest live stream shopping platform in the country and beyond. Logan visited the University of Montana to give the annual Gilkey Lecture at the College of Business. In this episode, Logan talks about his entrepreneurial background and how Whatnot came t...

This week is the first edition of The Ripple Effect, a quarterly series in which Justin speaks with grantees of the Headwaters Foundation . Today’s guest is Alice Boyer, executive director of Forward Montana , a nonprofit organization dedicated to building political power for young people. Alice has held a variety of leadership positions in her young career, all focused on getting more people enga...

This week’s guest is Bobby Hauck, who recently retired after his second long tenure as head football coach at the University of Montana. Justin was interested in Coach Hauck’s thoughts on the state of collegiate athletics and football in particular. After his retirement from UM, Coach Hauck was named defensive coordinator at the University of Illinois. In this episode, Coach Hauck talks about his...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.anewanglepodcast.com This week is the February edition of Incentives & Instincts, a recurring series in which Justin speaks with economist and friend Bryce Ward about some of the broader challenges facing our society. Justin has been asking guests a new closing question this year, “When was the last time you changed your mind?” Rese...

In the spirit of ANA’s new tagline: “How we’re doing and where we’re going,” this week Justin speaks with Cascade County Commissioner Joe Briggs and Missoula County Commissioner Josh Slotnick. Though these two come from different political parties, they came together to work on improving Montana’s tax system. This collaboration shows us that cooperation across party lines is not only possible, but...

It’s time once again to check in with A New Angle’s Chief Legal Correspondents Craig Cowie and Constance Van Kley, law professors at the University of Montana. 2026 is sure to bring many consequential legal developments, and Constance and Craig will help us try to make sense of what to expect. In this conversation Justin, Craig and Constance talk about the changing power of the executive and the r...

This week’s guests are Logan and Jordan Lefler. Together, these brothers are making “Journey to the Sun,” a documentary film about Glacier National Park’s Going To The Sun Road. This film not only tells the history, but peers into the future at the many challenges facing this iconic piece of Montana. In this conversation, the brothers talk about their early filmmaking, which included making clips...

This week is the January edition of Incentives & Instincts, a recurring series in which Justin speaks with economist and friend Bryce Ward about some of the broader challenges facing our society. A New Angle is excited to announce a new partnership with the Headwaters Foundation . To talk about this and other new stuff, Bryce and Justin are joined by Headwaters CEO, Carly Hare. In this conversatio...

This week’s guest is Trevor Brown, post-doctoral fellow at the Center for Economy and Society at Johns Hopkins University. Trevor is the co-author of an important new book, Rural Versus Urban: The Growing Divide That Threatens Democracy . Many of the dynamics reported in this book are unfolding here in Montana. In this conversation, Trevor talks about how rural and urban areas have become increasi...

This week’s guests are Marcus Welnel and Parker Fleming. Marcus played football for the Griz and now serves as chief revenue officer for Grizzly Athletics. Parker has a PhD in economics and works with the universities on how to set player salaries. In this conversation, the three talk about the changing landscape of collegiate athletics, particularly the impact of name, image and likeness on the a...

This week’s guest is Dr. Alex Metcalf, associate professor at the University of Montana’s Franke College of Forestry and Conservation. Alex is a social scientist who studies how people make decisions in a wide variety of conservation domains. Alex and Justin collaborate on a variety of projects, including a just released study on the interaction between politics and our attitudes towards wolves. I...

This week we're bringing you a recording of a live discussion hosted by Climate Smart Missoula called Not the Dark Ages: Climate Science Continues Despite the Attacks. Justin hosts a conversation between Amy Martin, a journalist and creator of the award-winning podcast Threshold , and Dr. Christopher Preston, a philosophy professor at the University of Montana and author of several books, includin...

This week’s guests are Andy Kemmis and Chris Bacon. Together, these two made a beautiful new book about skateboarding in Montana titled Grit to Grind . The book is an amazing visual and narrative history of how skateboarding shaped Montana communities in ways that might surprise you. In this episode, Andy and Chris talk about their skateboarding origins and how they came to be the writers of this...

This week’s guest is Caroline Joan Peixoto, co-founder and director of River Arts and Books in Roscoe, Montana. This little spot along East Rosebud Creek is all about building community. Founded in 2023, River Arts and Books has already produced a series of amazing events and created a space for folks to gather. In this conversation, Caroline gives the origin story of her project and how she wante...

In this special episode we pay tribute to Jeff Meese, master of all things sound at A New Angle, who is retiring after 26 years of service to the University of Montana College of Business. Thanks Jeff…you were the first to say, “how can I help” and you made us better in myriad ways. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visi...

This week’s guest is Stoney Samsoe, executive director and co-founder of Open AIR . Founded in 2019, Open AIR is dedicated to bringing creativity to diverse communities across Montana. Open AIR is perhaps best known for its amazing artist-in-residence program. In this episode, Stoney describes Open AIR’s purpose as focused on making artists keystone species in communities. And to continue the meta...

This week’s guest is Spencer Williams, founder and CEO of West Paw , a company that makes dog toys and treats. West Paw has built an entirely U.S.-based supply chain and does all of its manufacturing right here in Montana. West Paw is also the first B Corporation in Montana and is a great example of business as a force for good. In this conversation, Spencer talks about West Paw’s inception and wh...

This week’s guest is Richard Reeves, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and president of the American Institute for Boys and Men. In 2022, Richard published Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What To Do About It . The insights from that book have sparked an important national dialogue, and Richard came to the University of Montana in November to discuss...

This week’s guests are Dave Hage and Josephine Marcotty, authors of Sea of Grass: The Conquest, Ruin, and Redemption of Nature on the American Prairie . Josephine and Dave trace the legacy of industrialized agriculture and showcase various models for restoration. In this conversation, Dave and Josephine discuss the ecological value of the American prairie ecosystem, and go through some of the conf...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.anewanglepodcast.com This week, subscribers have access to a longer, unfiltered conversation between Nick and Justin. Check it out. This week’s guest is Nick Triolo, author of The Way Around , a field guide to going nowhere. Nick’s writing has appeared in Orion , Outside , and Trail Runner . He’s also a documentary filmmaker and lon...

This week on A New Angle, Justin and Bryce are going live for October’s Incentives & Instincts in celebration of Montana Public Radio’s Pledge Week. This one-hour conversation will pull the curtain back on I&I and A New Angle. How does Bryce know so much about so many things? What’s his day job? What is Justin up to with A New Angle? Why does it exist? This is a public episode. If you'd like to di...