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Why Not Both

Why Not Both

By Pam Shaffer

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity. Presented by Under The Radar magazine, we interview a wide variety of creative guests who share how their various interests dovetail to create a vibrant life.
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Best of Why Not Both: David Duchovny x William Shatner x Jon Hopins

Why Not BothMay 24, 2023

00:00
40:34
Best of Why Not Both: David Duchovny x William Shatner x Jon Hopins

Best of Why Not Both: David Duchovny x William Shatner x Jon Hopins

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by ⁠musician⁠ and ⁠therapist⁠ Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and ⁠photographer⁠ Laura Studarus.  Over the years we have interviewed so many amazing guests that we are releasing a series of Best of Why Not Both episodes which feature clips from our favorite chats. Join us as we unravel the secrets of these iconic individuals who have fearlessly pursued various artistic avenues and discovered their true passion.

In this captivating interview, David Duchovny, renowned actor and musician, shares his journey of exploring both the silver screen and the music industry, showcasing how embracing diverse creative outlets can unlock hidden talents and bring immense satisfaction amidst moments of self doubt.

You can find our full interview here:

⁠David Duchovny

William Shatner, the legendary actor, writer, and director, takes us on an awe-inspiring adventure, revealing how his ventures in acting, writing, and even music have propelled him towards self-discovery and an unparalleled sense of fulfillment as we chat about the very nature of the universe.

You can find our full interview here:

⁠William Shatner

Electronica maestro Jon Hopkins mesmerizes us with his tale of intertwining passions in music production and visual art. Discover how his multidimensional approach to creativity has not only fueled his success but also enriched his personal growth thru psychedelic therapy.

You can find our full interview here:

⁠Jon Hopkins

Gain invaluable insights, learn practical tips, and be inspired to embrace your own multipassionate nature. Subscribe to the Why Not Both Podcast now and immerse yourself in the transformative power of pursuing multiple creative paths.

Subscribe and listen on ⁠Youtube⁠

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Keywords: David Duchovny, William Shatner, Jon Hopkins, creative paths, fulfillment, multiple passions, interviews, self-discovery, Why Not Both Podcast

May 24, 202340:34
Best of Why Not Both: Devon Gilfillian x Allison Russell

Best of Why Not Both: Devon Gilfillian x Allison Russell

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by ⁠musician⁠ and ⁠therapist⁠ Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and ⁠photographer⁠ Laura Studarus.  Over the years we have interviewed so many amazing guests that we are releasing a series of Best of Why Not Both episodes which feature clips from our favorite chats. This episode features Devon Gilfillian and Allison Russell, two brilliant artists and activists in Nashville, Tennessee.

You can find their full interviews here:

Devon Gilfillian

Allison Russell


Join our community on ⁠Patreon⁠

Subscribe and listen on ⁠Youtube⁠

Create chaos on ⁠TikTok⁠

Come chill on ⁠Insta⁠

Chat with us ⁠Twitter 

Apr 19, 202324:41
Best of Why Not Both: Aurora x Sudan Archives x HANA

Best of Why Not Both: Aurora x Sudan Archives x HANA

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  Over the years we have interviewed so many amazing guests that we are releasing a series of Best of Why Not Both episodes which feature clips from our favorite chats. This episode features the artists Aurora, Sudan Archives and HANA, all brilliant creators with their own takes on how collaboration and unexpected inspiration combine to craft creative alchemy.

You can find the full interviews here:

Aurora

Sudan Archives

HANA


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Feb 15, 202343:30
Bonus Ep 8: How Jeffrey Leiser made the ultimate Icelandic opera

Bonus Ep 8: How Jeffrey Leiser made the ultimate Icelandic opera

We got to chat with Jeffrey Leiser about why he decided that he absolutely had to make Freydís and Gudrid, an Icelandic opera film, the magic of sound design, and how he wants to set a positive example of a life well lived for his kids.

Did we catch your interest? You can also keep up with Jeffrey's work at Albino Fawn Productions and on Instagram.

This episode was first available to our community on Patreon

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Jan 15, 202301:01:51
Ep 131: Elias Rønnenfelt of Iceage on how death is the ultimate boss

Ep 131: Elias Rønnenfelt of Iceage on how death is the ultimate boss

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  We partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Between wild adventures on Russian trains and music fans with machetes, Elias Rønnenfelt of the band Iceage advocates for letting yourself get a little uncomfortable in order to access your creativity. As a touring musician, Elias told us about his wanderlust and how it gave him a new appreciation for some of the basics of domestic life in the rare moments that he is sitting still. Sometimes you have to get cozy in the chaos to find the best moments of inspiration.

Listen to Iceage newest release Shake The Feeling

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Nov 30, 202247:36
Ep 130: Harper Simon x Julia Holter on creativity, crime and medieval love affairs

Ep 130: Harper Simon x Julia Holter on creativity, crime and medieval love affairs

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  We partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

We chatted with Harper Simon and Julia Holter about medieval love affairs, polyphonic vocal arrangements and the joys of collaboration for this week's episode. The duo worked together on a track for Meditations on Crime, the multimedia project Harper spearheaded that explores the nature of transgression through music, art, and prose. We loved getting to hear them pick each other's brains about the writing process, melodic intentions and expression across artistic media. 

Listen to Meditations on Crime

Read Meditations on Crime

Listen to Julia Holter's album Aviary

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Nov 09, 202201:14:35
Ep 129: Tove Lo on creative joy and the magic of body acceptance

Ep 129: Tove Lo on creative joy and the magic of body acceptance

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  We partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Tove Lo spent a fair bit of time in her youth fighting with her body, but these days, she uses it as a vehicle for making art and creating space for healing. We loved getting to learn about her collaborators, particularly choreographer Teresa Toogie Barcelo, who worked with her on her latest music video "Grapefruit." Here's to embracing ourselves and our stories at all the phases of our lives so we can create connections and beautiful art.

Listen to Tove Lo's latest album Dirt Femme

Watch the video for "Grapefruit"

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Oct 26, 202249:12
Ep 128: S.G. Goodman on powerful songs and political activism

Ep 128: S.G. Goodman on powerful songs and political activism

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  We partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

In an increasingly divisive landscape, S.G. Goodman makes music that reminds us that we can choose community instead of choosing sides. She spoke with us about her political activism that started with her passion for student government and led to her voice to help elect governor Andy BeShear in her native state of Kentucky. Goodman reminds us that we can respect and foster the common humanity in one another once we delve into the darkness and light that have brought us to our current circumstances.

Listen to S.G. Goodman's latest record Teeth Marks

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Oct 19, 202239:15
Ep 127: Eerie Wanda and the art of near death experiences

Ep 127: Eerie Wanda and the art of near death experiences

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  We partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Near death experiences, unusual moments, and novel drum parts are all fair game when it comes to the creations of Marina Tadic, aka Eerie Wanda. We loved getting to chat with her about the creative process behind her new collection of songs and visuals and were inspired by her joy in the vulnerable and the absurd. When in doubt, embrace the darkness, the light, and everything in between.

Listen to Eerie Wanda's newest album Internal Radio

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Oct 05, 202201:11:21
Ep 126: Bryce Drew on collaboration and the importance of leading a colorful life

Ep 126: Bryce Drew on collaboration and the importance of leading a colorful life

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  We partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Bryce Drew has moved around to many colorful locations, from her childhood summers spent in Trinidad to growing up in Miami, studying songwriting in Nashville and now living in Los Angeles, Each place has given her a new visual and sonic palette which you can hear on her latest song Still Recovering. We loved chatting with her about the magic that each space and collaboration brings out in her work and how we can tune into the ourselves through the colors and sounds that surround us.

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Sep 28, 202255:43
Ep 125: John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats on creativity and absurdity

Ep 125: John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats on creativity and absurdity

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  We partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

John Darnielle lives purely in the creative moment, whether he is crafting songs for his band The Mountain Goats, writing novels like his newest work Devil House, or simply trying to figure out why his phone has duplicated all of his contacts. He describes his attention span as intense and yet diffuse, a quality that allows him to have sprawling conversations and entertain a broad range of ideas that all coalesce into his multiple artistic endeavors. Throughout our chat, his vibrant dark humor and quick mind served as a remind to stay present to the absurdity and joy right in front of us.  

Get John's latest novel Devil House 

Listen to The Mountain Goats new record Bleed Out 

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Sep 14, 202201:22:06
Ep 124: MØ on music and microcosms

Ep 124: MØ on music and microcosms

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  We partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

As a songwriter and artist, is not so secretly everywhere, with tons of amazing collaborations as well as her new solo album Motordrome. We loved getting to chat with her about how she took time off of touring to hop back into her life in Copenhagen and how spending time with her friends and family filled her creative cup. It's a wild idea but she just might be onto something when she suggested that we make some of our best work if we take little breaks every so often...

Listen to MØ's album Motordrome

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Aug 31, 202244:12
Ep 123: Dana Schwartz and Korama Danquah on vampires, historical accuracy, and being terminally online

Ep 123: Dana Schwartz and Korama Danquah on vampires, historical accuracy, and being terminally online

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  We partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Best selling author/podcast host/journalist Dana Schwartz and writer/actress/educator Korama Danquah have respectively worked on a truly impressive array of creative projects but few things compare to their collective encyclopedic knowledge of pop culture and history. If you ever wanted to hear hot takes on everything from race relations and religion in Twilight to why we use forks as an act of diplomacy, this episode is for you. 

Grab Dana's best-selling book Anatomy: A Love Story

Join the Noble Blood Patreon to hear exclusive episodes of Dana and Korama's podcast Reign On Me

Tune into Dana's podcast Noble Blood on your favorite podcast platform

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Aug 17, 202201:06:11
Ep 122: Pony Sweat on the tender magic of dance aerobics

Ep 122: Pony Sweat on the tender magic of dance aerobics

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  We partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Emilia Richeson is the magical musical mind behind Pony Sweat, the dance aerobics phenomenon you never knew you needed in your life until you get absolutely hooked. As she puts it on her website, "Pony Sweat is a practice in anti-perfectionism and radical self acceptance," a practice in joy and embodiment that focuses on using movement to cultivate care for ourselves. We loved chatting with her about how her love of music led her to embrace dance and ultimately how she fought back against the narrative of being good enough by simply doing her best. 

Take a Pony Sweat class online today

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Aug 03, 202201:06:27
Ep 121: Why Zola Jesus moved to the woods

Ep 121: Why Zola Jesus moved to the woods

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fifth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Sometimes you have to retrace your steps to discover parts of yourself that you may have lost along your journey. Zola Jesus took this literally and moved back to the woods of her childhood where she crafted her new album Arkon and spent time rediscovering who she was outside of the life she had constructed over the years in LA. We have nothing but respect for our feral queen and are truly inspired by her fierce creativity and her outspoken support for artists.

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Jun 29, 202201:13:49
Ep 120: Ellie Pritts on collaborating with AI, following your intuition and the importance of frogs

Ep 120: Ellie Pritts on collaborating with AI, following your intuition and the importance of frogs

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fifth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

You know that friend introduces you to brand new ideas and is always showing you something that becomes wildly popular months later? Ellie Pritts is that friend. From her collaborations with AI on her Frogeforms project to her striking images of Joshua Tree, Ellie consistently creates art that makes you see the world a bit differently as we are so lucky to spend time in her visions.

Check out her collection of Frogeforms

Get your own piece from her Reverse Zoology collection

Head over to her website to keep in touch

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Jun 22, 202259:05
Ep 119: Stoya on making art you love, valuing mental health, and dressing up as your favorite wrestler

Ep 119: Stoya on making art you love, valuing mental health, and dressing up as your favorite wrestler

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fifth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

As a sexual content creator, columnist, author and all round brilliant lady of the internet, Stoya has become a rare sort of artist, both venerated and simultaneously accessible. Her followers come to her not just with adoration but with the genuine desire for connection and advise. We chatted about where to draw the line between education and entertainment in the sexual spheres along with the importance of mental health advocacy and support for creators of all kinds all while discussing the finer points of glueing cat hair to your face to amuse your friends during the early days of quarantine. 

Join Stoya's OnlyFans

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Check out Stoya's column How To Do It

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Jun 15, 202201:38:14
Bonus Ep 7: Katie Thiroux

Bonus Ep 7: Katie Thiroux

Katie Thiroux brings a beautiful sense of calm strength to all she pursues, from jazz festivals to teaching at USC. We got to chat about how she cultivated a collection of music students around the world over the last few years during the pandemic and the importance of embracing the different seasons of life we find ourselves in. It's a gift getting to hear from an artist who is so dedicated to embracing the practice of her craft and reminding us that it's ok to say yes to all the adventures that it might bring.

This episode was first available to our community on Patreon

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Jun 10, 202256:41
Ep 118: Nabil Ayers on accidentally writing a book and running a record label

Ep 118: Nabil Ayers on accidentally writing a book and running a record label

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fifth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Nabil Ayers didn't set out to write a book about his family history but after his essay about being biracial went viral, he simply ran with the idea and My Life In The Sunshine was born. Taking a spark and running with it seems to be a common theme in Ayers life as his mutual love of music and business led him to his current role as US president of Beggars Group all while he drums in various bands and runs his own label The Control Group. It's dizzingly inspiring to chat with someone who is so open to new ideas and a welcome reminder to listen to that hint of inspiration as you never know where it might lead.

Get Nabil Ayers memoir My Life In The Sunshine.

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Jun 08, 202255:13
Ep 117: Mal Blum on life, death, and power tools

Ep 117: Mal Blum on life, death, and power tools

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fifth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Sometimes you have to hop into someone else's' story to better understand your own. Mal Blum learned this over the past year as they spent the majority of their time providing hospice care for their beloved next door neighbor, an elderly woman with a feisty disposition and fascinating life. Their time away from their usual routine as a touring musician inspired them to jump into new creative territories, co-writing songs with friends and trying out acting, crafting handmade benches and modeling. We are delighted to see what comes next (and not so secretly hope it's a podcast about their amazing neighbor).

Listen to Mal's latest e.p. Ain't It Nice.

Follow Mal on Insta and Twitter.

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Jun 01, 202201:29:42
Ep 116: Cadence Weapon

Ep 116: Cadence Weapon

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fifth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

How do you have a private life when the personal is both political and the source of your creative work? We chatted with Polaris Prize winning rapper Cadence Weapon about the intersections between community, activism and art on the eve of the release of his book Bedroom Rapper. It was fascinating to hear his takes on how to balance tending to one's community and tending to one's self as we create a more interdependent world through our art. 

Listen to Cadence Weapon

Read Bedroom Rapper out May 31 2022

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May 25, 202201:05:13
Ep 115: Simone Merli of Soundwalk Collective

Ep 115: Simone Merli of Soundwalk Collective

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fifth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Geography is often a vital collaborator for Simone Merli and Stephan Crasneanscki of Soundwalk Collective, which made their album Lovotic a fascinating experience of how to summon the influence of space in the digital realm. We spoke with Simone of the importance of transcending the self through the experience of different cultures and how valuable it is to lose yourself entirely in your own work. Ultimately some of our best creations come when we stretch ourselves past what we believed to be our limits.

Listen to Soundwalk Collective's latest album Lovotic

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May 04, 202201:01:13
Ep 114: Kae Tempest

Ep 114: Kae Tempest

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fifth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Kae Tempest has an obsession with words, the way they flow on the page, the way they tumble around on the tip of your tongue. Speaking to them just before they launched into a series of tour dates celebrating the release of their brilliant new album The Line Is A Curve, we were struck by just how passionately they loved stitching words together across media from poetry and plays to books and songs. It's beautiful to witness someone delve into the deepest parts of themselves to craft connections with others through their art but as Tempest puts it, they don't know how to lead life any other way.

Listen to Kae's latest album The Line Is A Curve

Read Kae's wonderful book On Connection

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Apr 27, 202201:04:58
Ep 113: BANKS

Ep 113: BANKS

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fifth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

What if our sensitivity is actually our greatest strength? Chatting with BANKS, we discovered that sometimes the best thing to do is tune out the other voices so that we can actually tune into our own. We loved getting to hear about her outlook on creativity and living life with beautifully attuned emotions.

Thanks again for listening! We appreciate your support and would love to hang out with you on the internet.

Listen to BANKS' new album Serpentina

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Apr 20, 202245:52
Bonus Ep 6: Gay Hollywood

Bonus Ep 6: Gay Hollywood

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus. For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Neurodivergence and music and mental health are all topics near and dear to our hearts so we loved getting to chat with Carmen Elle aka Gay Hollywood about all of the above. From their role as the front person of DIANA, to their own heartfelt musical project they've covered a lot of musical ground. After you hear the episode, be sure to say hi on Instagram and Twitter, or swing by TikTok to enjoy their clips on mental health, music, and laughing at life.

Thanks again for listening! We appreciate your support and would love to hang out with you on the internet.

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Apr 15, 202201:25:11
Ep 112: John Vanderslice

Ep 112: John Vanderslice

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fifth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

John Vanderslice is really onto something that we should focus on the important things in life, like being in love, petting our cats, and spending time with our friends. We chatted with the duality between creativity and ambition as well as personal versus societal responsibility when it comes to how we navigate our increasingly chaotic world. As he put it, "maybe we need to simplify and wise up as external notches aren't going to do it" when it comes to how we play the game of life. 

Thanks again for listening! We appreciate your support and would love to hang out with you on the internet.

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Apr 13, 202257:28
Ep 111: Yoni Wolf

Ep 111: Yoni Wolf

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fifth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Yoni Wolf found himself missing the connection to his audience that he usually gets from being on tour and recording his podcast so he decided to do the most vulnerable thing he could think of: document the creation of his songs in real time for his dedicated listeners. Our conversation took many turns, from the importance of cultural and historical context of religious texts to the particular mortification of isolation when swiping through dating app profiles. Wolf poignantly reminds us that it's our flaws and peculiarities that actually bring us together and overcome the fear that we are all drifting apart. 

Listen to Yoni Wolf's music

Check out his podcast The Wandering Wolf

Thanks again for listening! We appreciate your support and would love to hang out with you on the internet.

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Apr 06, 202201:09:53
Ep 110: Hrishikesh Hirway of "Song Exploder"

Ep 110: Hrishikesh Hirway of "Song Exploder"

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fifth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Our guest Hrishikesh Hirway embodies the ethos of Why Not Both: he just released his debut solo EP "Rooms I Used To Call My Own" after spending the better part of the last decade crafting the brilliant podcasts Song Exploder, The West Wing Weekly and Home Cooking while executive producing The Jump with Shirley Manson. What surprised us most was learning that he started his podcast and writing journey in reaction to his music becoming his main source of professional success. After chatting with countless creatives, Hirway found his way back to songwriting with a nudge from his friend Jenny Owen Youngs and a renewed sense of personal purpose, proving that exploration and expression are the most important ingredients after all.

Enjoy Hirway's new EP 

Check out Song Exploder

Tune into our episode with Hirway's tourmate and cowriter Jenny Owen Youngs

Listen to our episode with Shirley Manson, whose podcast The Jump he executive produces

Have fun listening to The Jump

Thanks again for listening! We appreciate your support and would love to hang out with you on the internet.

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Mar 30, 202258:50
Ep 109: Self Esteem

Ep 109: Self Esteem

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fifth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Rebecca of Self Esteem chatted with us about what happens when you stop having FOMO and start trusting yourself as an artist. After having to cancel her appearance at SXSW in 2020, she crafted her latest body of work while writing music for theater as well. In the process, she came to the conclusion that it's cool to care about what you are doing and give it the energy it deserves when all the other distractions are taken away. Two years later, she made it back to SXSW with a brand new album and we are more than delighted to be cheering her on. 

Thanks again for listening! We appreciate your support and would love to hang out with you on the internet.

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Mar 16, 202254:05
Ep 108: Jenny Hval

Ep 108: Jenny Hval

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fifth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Jenny Hval wasted no time hopping straight into a conversation about the dream like state we enter when performing and creating, musing that perhaps that dream feels more real than reality. After spending time studying dog barks and behavior to better understand her new furry pandemic companion, Jenny moved on to the work of crafting an album between walks and forest explorations. It's been a fascinating time for collaboration and creation and we are delighted that Jenny crafted a time capsule of her particular experience.

Thanks again for listening! We appreciate your support and would love to hang out with you on the internet.

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Mar 09, 202201:27:07
Ep 107: Dan Smith of Bastille

Ep 107: Dan Smith of Bastille

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fifth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Although he never set out to be a musician, avowed film nerd and English Lit scholar Dan Smith, of the band Bastille, has found himself singing his songs for millions of people over the past decade. His love for storytelling has certainly influenced his artistic trajectory, as he likes to smudge the lines between real life narratives and universal emotional experiences. Sometimes we understand ourselves best by hopping into someone else's shoes--so we are all for sparking empathy across all genres.

Thanks again for listening! We appreciate your support and would love to hang out with you on the internet.

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Mar 02, 202255:24
Ep 106: Jensen McRae

Ep 106: Jensen McRae

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fifth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

While chatting with Jensen McRae, we discovered that we were kindred spirits, two native LA artists who went to the same high school a generation apart, both in love with the magic of our city. It takes a special flavor of absurdity and determined ingenuity to channel the momentum of a viral clip into a whole album, yet it somehow makes perfect sense that Jensen's take on fellow Los Angeleno Phoebe Bridgers would spiral into her own brilliant song. Jensen is a brilliant model for giving yourself grace with a dose of introspection and humor so you can embrace all the plot twists that life may throw your way.

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Feb 23, 202201:40:51
Ep 105: Eno of Ibibio Sound Machine

Ep 105: Eno of Ibibio Sound Machine

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fifth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Music gives us hope and few people know this better than Eno of Ibibio Sound Machine. In our interview, she shared the magic behind her latest album with us from her multicultural influences to accidentally sparking a dance party at her first live gig back in the world after the lockdowns. 

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Feb 16, 202201:01:48
Ep 104: Amber Iman

Ep 104: Amber Iman

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fifth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Actress and activist Amber Iman made history as the first Black woman to return to the Broadway stage after the pandemic shutdown and we got to chat with her about the chaotic and traumatic journey that theater artists have faced during this tumultuous time. Most importantly, Iman spoke about the need for ways to keep artists safe and compensated for their valuable art, a constant battle even before the pandemic struck. Over the last few years, we certainly have seen the flaws in our previous systems but now we have a chance to revise them for the better, knowing that artists are the first people we turned to for comfort and should be recognized as such.

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Feb 09, 202258:44
Ep 103: Tasha

Ep 103: Tasha

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fifth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Musician Tasha describes the magic that comes when we value learning and growth over productivity and how exploring other people's art led her to her album Tell Me What You Miss The Most. We are often rushed and forced into preconceived notions of what we are capable of and Tasha wisely recommends that we question where those stories come from and where there might be alternative possibilities. She advocates taking a moment to pause, to listen to what comes up inside as we tune into the world within and around us, in order to get in touch with our creative muses. 

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Feb 02, 202201:01:32
Ep 102: Lauren Mayberry of CHVRCHES

Ep 102: Lauren Mayberry of CHVRCHES

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fifth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

When Lauren Mayberry of CHVRCHES sat down to write for the record Screen Violence, she found that her intention for the record was quite different from her previous work. The pandemic had accidentally placed her in a one woman writing camp far away from her bandmates which gave her a moment to step outside the of her own narrative and step into the world of horror movies, only to realize just how much they tied into her personal experience of navigating fear. It goes to show that sometimes when we step just outside our comfort zone, we sometimes discover a wealth of ideas that were waiting there all along for us to notice them. 

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Jan 26, 202201:11:25
Bonus Ep 5: Dr. Mike

Bonus Ep 5: Dr. Mike

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus. For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Psychologist Dr. Mike thought that he bombed his first band audition when he started screaming, frustrated at what he perceived at his own lack of talent. Little did he know that this would start him down the path of artistry that would in turn inform his psychology practice and later his podcast, Hardcore Humanism. We deeply appreciate his takes on how to live a purpose driven, multi-faceted life.

Jan 14, 202201:00:58
Bonus Ep 4: Cam Maclean

Bonus Ep 4: Cam Maclean

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Sometimes chaos and play are the best ingredients for creation and Cam Maclean embraces both in his work as a musician, therapist in training and teacher. Inspired by the play therapy he did with kids, Cam was able to reframe the objects and sounds that we encounter in our every day life to transform them into novel sonic landscapes all while teaching his students how to embrace their favorite tunes on guitar. We totally share his community oriented approach to doing all the things and loved hearing about how his multiple passions all fuel each other.

Dec 17, 202101:03:60
Ep 101: Yola

Ep 101: Yola

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

It was such a gift to spend time with Yola, a masterful songwriter and artist, whose album Stand for Myself embodies all that we love here on Why Not Both, namely the courage to find your own identity and story. Yola reminds us that there is so much power in our narratives as she spoke of her own journey to uncover her story through her creative process. It is vital to examine the cultural tales we have been told, particularly those about gender and race and class, as we have the power to challenge their authority and rewrite the story.

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Dec 15, 202101:21:58
Ep 100: Melissa Auf der Maur

Ep 100: Melissa Auf der Maur

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Melissa Auf der Maur leads a fairytale life, complete with a mystical man waving his hand over the lush Hudson landscape stating, "this is your oracle" as she stepped gracefully from her role playing bass in Hole to art curator and mother. For the last 10 years, she has put her energy into Basilica Hudson, transforming it from an old factory warehouse to a multi-disciplinary art space for climate action and social justice. We are excited to see what comes next in her journey as she follows her uncannily magic intuition through the world of music, photography, writing and art and take inspiration from her receptivity to all her multiple paths. 

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Dec 08, 202101:13:15
Ep 99: Jon Hopkins

Ep 99: Jon Hopkins

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Jon Hopkins jumped straight into our interview by asking me about my own therapy practice, which should not have come as a surprise given that his new album, Music For Psychedelic Therapy, is about precisely that. After experiencing the twin catalysts of pandemic lockdown and a break up, Hopkins found himself following the proverbial light dancing through an aural forest to craft his most personal and universal work yet. He remarked that he has found greater freedom in creativity and curiosity as he has moved through life and we hope you feel similarly inspired listening to his music.

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Dec 01, 202149:09
Ep 98: John Linnell of They Might Be Giants

Ep 98: John Linnell of They Might Be Giants

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Over the last several decades, They Might Be Giants have done everything from making award winning children's music to iconic Dunkin Donuts commercials to their latest record BOOK (which is also, coincidentally, a book). We got to talk to John Linnell about the importance of exploring new creative paths once you feel comfortable in your own artistic identity as he narrated how TMBG evolved from its origins as a high school collaboration. Ultimately it comes down to just making the stuff that you want to see in the world and knowing that there is very likely someone, or many someones, who are simply thrilled that you did.

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Nov 17, 202101:03:18
Ep 97: Thao Nguyen

Ep 97: Thao Nguyen

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Every musician goes through an identity crisis every so often but thankfully Thao Nguyen's latest was well timed. In the past, she would play fundraiser shows to help out her community, but this past year she found herself making soup to raise money for local racial justice organizations. Instead of relying on other engineers and producers to record her songs, she built out her own home studio where she now has her "office hours" and was able to realize her long standing goal of consistent production. May all of our identity crises be so graceful. 

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Thanks again for listening! We appreciate your support and would love to hang out with you on the internet.

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Nov 10, 202153:49
Ep 96: Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes

Ep 96: Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

For our first in person interview since early 2020, we invited Albert Hammond Jr. over only to find out that we grew up a few blocks away from each other and shared a taste for the same Japanese foods as kids. He told us all about how his favorite flavors from childhood inspired his new wine seltzer Jetway and how surreal it was to not only launch a new project but to become a dad while we were all in isolation. It's hard to know how to divide our time between multiple endeavors and people but Albert shows that it can be done with a bit of creativity along with a wealth of dad jokes.

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Nov 03, 202101:03:29
Ep 95: Tori Amos

Ep 95: Tori Amos

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

It's an impossible task to sum up Tori Amos in a few sentences, as our conversation covered the authenticity of artistic intention, the importance of keeping your feet on the ground to counteract the deleterious effects of fame, and the inspiration you gain when you accept your emotional landscapes. She pointed out that so many of the things we perceive as negative such as failure and anger can in fact be our wisest teachers when they are properly examined and utilized, as she has seen over the course of her brilliant career. We are so very lucky to have Tori here in all her forms as she has forged a path for countless artists to follow.

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Oct 27, 202101:00:09
Bonus Ep 3: Red Riot

Bonus Ep 3: Red Riot

This episode was first available to Patreon supporters. If you'd like to hear about more magical creators, please join us.

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Remaining on theme for our bonus episodes, we traveled virtually to Reykjavik to spend time with Red Riot, aka Hildur and Ragna. Though they each have their own amazing solo talents (which include songwriting, audio engineering, production work and rapping), they finally had the time to create the dance music we've all been dreaming about while we were stuck inside. We loved chatting with them about their incredible experiences in every facet of the music industry and hope you enjoy their stories too.

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Oct 22, 202150:45
Ep 94: Allison Russell

Ep 94: Allison Russell

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

The past year and a half has shown us all that our true vitality comes from our interwoven communities, as musician Allison Russell pointed out in many ways over the course of our chat. She had the chance to demonstrate this very point when her album Outside Child got signed to Fantasy Records and when she curated a stage at the Newport Folk Festival to highlight up and coming artists. Though her talent and presence is undeniable Russell makes sure to emphasize her supportive web of friends and colleagues uplifts her daily and that she in turn uses this to lift others up around her too. 

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Oct 20, 202153:42
Ep 93: Macy Rodman

Ep 93: Macy Rodman

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

In a culture that fetishizes both youth and productivity, it was so refreshing to hear Macy Rodman exclaim, "I have always been so excited about getting older!" as she told us all about her new approach to her creative work. The surreal circumstances of the past year gave Rodman a chance to hit the hard restart button and delve into song writing and stage production in ways that she found she loved, from spending hours hand knotting a wig to writing at lightning speed just for kicks only to edit later. We love her attitude of infinite adaptability as we all are inevitably tumbling through this life the best we can.

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Oct 13, 202101:01:21
Ep 92: Sigrid

Ep 92: Sigrid

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Whether she's writing songs in Copenhagen or traipsing through the snow in the silent wilderness, Sigrid likes to be present for the moment as much as possible. We chatted about how excited she is to be back playing shows (turns out she gets so excited that she has blacked out during performances) and how much she enjoys writing with her colleagues all over the world (turns out LA is her top spot for weird inspirational experiences). Life is all about collecting and creating good stories so we are thrilled we get a glimpse into her world. 

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Oct 06, 202158:37
Ep 91: Shirley Manson of Garbage

Ep 91: Shirley Manson of Garbage

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

We caught up with Shirley Manson, the absolute force of nature, frontwoman of Garbage and host of The Jump, as she is back on tour for the first time since all the chaos began. Turns out we both fall a bit in love with our podcast guests as each conversation is an opportunity to delve into a novel perspective and light our creative fires. We love her philosophy that it's vital to do something new and challenging every day in order to stay vibrant and we hope she inspires you to do the same with her brilliant new album and insightful interviews.

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Sep 22, 202135:24
Ep 90: William Shatner

Ep 90: William Shatner

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

How does one even begin to describe a Zoom session with William Shatner? Our sprawling conversation covered the nature of the universe, the new album he's releasing, his multiple shows, his love for his Dobermans, and the best veggie sandwiches in Los Angeles. When asked how he does so many things without getting overwhelmed, Shatner reminded us that it's best to just stay in the moment you're in, as you never know what may come next, which is quite the relevant lesson for 2021.

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Sep 15, 202101:04:21
Ep 89: The Weather Station

Ep 89: The Weather Station

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

The dramatic irony of releasing a record written for live performance during a time when we were all stuck indoors was not lost on Tamara Lindeman, the writer and leader of The Weather Station. If anything, it gave her more opportunity to communicate directly with her listeners about the amply evident effects of climate change on our society through her newsletter, where she chatted with fans and friends alike about the best ways to stay present and address the cataclysmic shifts of our time. This year was a sneak preview of what's to come and as Tamara illuminates, it's imperative that we turn towards a collective creative mindset.

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Sep 08, 202150:19
Ep 88: Mia Berrin of Pom Pom Squad

Ep 88: Mia Berrin of Pom Pom Squad

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Social media has taught us all to be chameleons of sorts, reflecting and refracting our various influences, but Maia Berrin of Pom Pom Squad reflects on how this can make us more introspective artists and human beings. It can be equally joyous to see ourselves reflected in others as it is painful to see ourselves erased from the media landscape, all of which Mia chats about in our interview and sings about on her new album Death Of A Cheerleader. Ultimately, we are all in charge of our own perceptions but it certainly helps to have guiding lights along the way.

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Aug 25, 202101:02:02
Ep 87: David Duchovny

Ep 87: David Duchovny

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

David Duchovny fears that he may be perceived as a dabbler in multiple creative spheres but we see him as an iconic artist who proves that you don't need to be limited to one mode of expression to get your ideas across. Between traveling to the desert to research his latest novel Truly Like Lightning to holing up in the studio pre-Covid era to record his album Gestureland, he shows that you can embody different facets of the universal human range of emotions any way you fancy. By focusing on expression over the traditional trappings of success, he's able to bring us inimitable characters in all the work he produces and we adore him for it.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.

Aug 18, 202135:58
Ep 86: Devon Gilfillian

Ep 86: Devon Gilfillian

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

After the magical experience of seeing Devon Gilfillian at Newport Folk Festival, we knew that we had to have him on the show. From learning to connect with fans without touring, to chilling with his cat Barry White, he’s had a busy year and a half. Along the way, Devon even recorded cover of Marvin Gaye’s iconic album What's Going On to bring awareness to voter suppression in Tennessee and beyond. The way he sees it, art is here to help you re-evaluate the systems we are all in. And if you have a voice, it’s time to use it.

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Aug 11, 202150:48
Ep 85: Devendra Banhart

Ep 85: Devendra Banhart

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Legend tells that Devendra Banhart and his collaborator Noah Georgeson wanted to collaborate on an album for 20 years but it took an earthquake in Japan and a global pandemic to really inspire them to craft their work Refuge. Devendra spoke to the ways in which we can step aside and allow our ideas to guide us, as we are often striving for the beautiful moments in which we can ultimately forget ourselves in music and art. It is inspiring to know that one of the best ways to accept change in the present is to delve both into our future and our past, as Devendra and Noah masterfully did in their work together, and as we did through this magical conversation.

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Aug 04, 202101:11:12
Ep 84: Laura Gómez

Ep 84: Laura Gómez

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

A long way from her role as Blanca Flores on Orange is the New Black, when writer/actress/general creative badass Laura Gómez left her old home of New York in early 2020, she thought she was going to spend a bit of time in LA working on her new screenplay then find a place to settle down for good. Little did she know that she would find herself in the Dominican Republic where she was born, spending time with her parents after they recovered from the literal plague while crafting a bilingual podcast Baraja Eso to keep her creative mind occupied. Of course, we love her artistic philosophy that personal stories help foster empathy.

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Jul 28, 202101:09:03
Ep 83: Jonas Bjerre of Mew

Ep 83: Jonas Bjerre of Mew

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

When he's not traveling the world with Mew, it turns out that Jonas Bjerre really likes scoring films and cashing in what he calls his "gift cards of time" by reading books and crafting happy sonic accidents on his modular synths. Getting stuck in one place for all of 2020 also helped him finally make music with his good friend Tobias for their new project Tachys along with several epic music videos. From discussing the finest salty Finnish licorice to deciphering the logic of a post truth world, Jonas leaves no topic unexplored.

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Jul 21, 202101:04:12
Ep 82: Anna of the North

Ep 82: Anna of the North

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Whether it's home renovations, one's own health, or her latest song idea, Anna of The North is obsessively dedicated to untangling life's riddles. We got to chat about how vital it is to fall in love with the art your making so that others can do so as well while still taking the time to care for yourself as a human being first. Sometimes the best thing you can do is just clear the cobwebs of anxiety away so you can make more space for the happy accidents to come along. 

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.

Jul 07, 202101:01:13
Ep 81: Laurie Penny

Ep 81: Laurie Penny

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

For writer Laurie Penny, the transition from feminist journalist to screenwriter was a bit of a happy accident, as she crash landed in LA shortly before everything shut down. She found herself in a quarantine pod with none other than our podcast host Pam and watched while the show she worked on, The Haunting of Bly Manor, became a hit as she continued to write her manuscript for her upcoming book as Sexual Revolution. As Penny put it, only took "three years, six cities, twelve house moves, a global pandemic, wildfires, riots, marriage, an unexpected excursion into an entirely new career, breakdown and repair, heartache and adventure, love and loss and lots and lots of late-night note-taking on the state of the species" to finish and we can't wait to read it.

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Jun 30, 202159:57
Ep 80: John Grant

Ep 80: John Grant

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

It's not every day that you get to see someone's beloved coffee mug collection, but we expected nothing less when we hopped on Zoom to chat with John Grant at his Reykjavik home. As an artist, he wrestles with the confines of masculinity and the American dream that caused him to relocate to Iceland in the first place while as a person, he enthusiastically delves into the charming and esoteric delights that inspire him. We couldn't be more fortunate as an audience to engage with his narratives as they weave their way through his songs and stories, helping us find compassion for our own victories and failures along the way.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.

Jun 23, 202101:01:56
Ep 79: Anjimile

Ep 79: Anjimile

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

It's a rare and beautiful gift to come across an artist like Anjimile, who centers their experience not just their own work but on uplifting the work and sense of identity for those around them as well. As a former English major turned music business student, they learned how to forge a path as an independent musician and now they share that knowledge with their peers in order to empower their fellow artists. Anjimile remarked that they didn't see black queer artists in the media growing up and so it is all the more important to them to create that space for their audience, a powerful sentiment we support in every way.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.


Jun 16, 202101:05:31
Ep 78: Rufus Wainwright

Ep 78: Rufus Wainwright

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Rufus Wainwright expanded into new territories from the comfort of his living room from collaborating on the new single Technopera with Ampersounds to performing online for new fans. For someone who previously eschewed technology in his art, Wainwright found that he actually liked delving into digital spaces though he admitted to be thrilled to be going back on tour and performing "Rufus Does Judy" at Capitol Studios. We loved hearing how his time watching old Hollywood movies with his daughter and enjoying the simplicity of domesticity has given him new perspectives as he ventures back out into the world.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.

Jun 09, 202129:07
Ep 77: Claud

Ep 77: Claud

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

We all got to take a year off of being perceived. And as musician Claud noted in our podcast interview, it also gave us the chance to more fully delve into who we are at our most vulnerable. They spent the time off of touring crafting a new album, complete with self-created art for each song, collaborating with internet friends on Zoom, and being moderately terrified at the accuracy of TikTok's "For You" page. As the world slowly spins up again, we are glad that we can take Claud's songs with us on the journey.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.

Jun 02, 202155:12
Ep 76: Vanessa Vakharia of The Math Guru and Goodnight Sunrise

Ep 76: Vanessa Vakharia of The Math Guru and Goodnight Sunrise

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Between the music with her band Goodnight, Sunrise, and teaching math at The Math Guru, and the magic, Vanessa Vakharia is a wonderfully busy woman. Over the past year, she took advantage of the extra time at home to write a new album and learn that maybe she was more of a morning lark (despite her love of playing late night shows) all while running her own math tutoring studio. Basically, we just love that she is unapologetically a brilliant badass in multiple spheres.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.

May 26, 202150:26
Ep 75: O Future

Ep 75: O Future

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

It's hard to describe how wonderful it is entering the world of O Future, a kaleidoscopic adventure comprised of a dizzying array of cultural influences. Given their backgrounds growing up in South Africa and Denmark respectively, Katherine and Jens had a lot to say about how different experiences and places can shape you as a person and an artist, particularly in an era where we are capable of crafting our own identities. In a time when we get to redefine ourselves, it's valuable to reflect on how we can act as mirrors for each other as we move through new territory.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.

May 19, 202101:22:05
Ep 74: Twin Shadow

Ep 74: Twin Shadow

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

After spending 2020 in lockdown mode with his literal twin, Twin Shadow is out and about getting his motorcycle repaired in obscure corners of LA and sharing his self-titled new album with the world. We spoke of how songs become an energetic exchange between the writer and the listener and his unconventional path from playing the saxophone as a kid to producing his own work. Here at Why Not Both, we are big fans of duality, so we appreciate his sounds of levity in the midst of tumultuous times.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.

May 12, 202156:04
Bonus Ep 2: Árni Ingólffson

Bonus Ep 2: Árni Ingólffson

This episode was first available to Patreon supporters. If you'd like to hear about more magical creators, please join us.

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

For the second bonus episode of Why Not Both, we were reminiscing about the time we got to hang out in Harpa Concert Hall with Árni Heimir Ingólfsson. As Iceland's premiere musicologist, he not only publishes books on classical Icelandic music but also teaches around the world and helps organize the programming for concerts at Harpa. As if that weren't enough, he is an accomplished pianist who produces albums of both contemporary and medieval Icelandic music in his abundant free time.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter.

May 08, 202146:15
Ep 73: Jenny Owen Youngs

Ep 73: Jenny Owen Youngs

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

After the last fire season in LA, Jenny Owen Youngs saw the ashes on her car and decided that she had enough. After moving to Maine, she realized that the magic of her songwriting collaborations and her brilliant podcast Buffering The Vampire Slayer only grew stronger despite the distance as she was far more at ease. As a fellow lover of surprise moves and encounters, we loved her philosophy that life and art is all about intersections, where we happily collide with each other and leave one another forever changed as a result. 

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.

May 05, 202101:03:26
Ep 72: girl in red

Ep 72: girl in red

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

On this week's episode, girl in red (aka Marie Ulven) discovers the secret to podcasting and creative life in general: no one really knows what they are doing. After spending the year re-reading her favorite books, spending time with her dog, and shooting photos, girl in red casually crafted a brilliant album. As we all stumble through the unknown, it's comforting to have her stories and songs to keep us company along the way.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.

Apr 28, 202101:12:05
Ep 71: KCRW's Anne Litt

Ep 71: KCRW's Anne Litt

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

KCRW's Anne Litt is used to being the interviewer and not the interviewee, which made this weeks episode of Why Not Both particularly delightful. As the station's newly appointed music director, Litt found herself broadcasting from home and managing her team from afar as the events of the last year unfolded. For someone who likes to everything all at once, Litt remarked that it's been vital to learn that it's ok to prioritize what you truly value and that slowing down to enjoy things might not be so bad after all.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.

Apr 21, 202101:12:10
Bonus Ep 1: Freyja Eilíf

Bonus Ep 1: Freyja Eilíf

This episode was first available to Patreon supporters. If you'd like to hear about more magical creators, please join us.

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

For our first bonus episode of Why Not Both, we traveled back in time and space to chat with our good friend Freyja Eilif, a magical artist and creator in Reykjavik, Iceland. We spent the afternoon together in The Museum of Perceptive Art, a space that Freyja created to host curators and artists alike and assist them on not only their creative journeys but to facilitate their existential healing as well. Freyja remarked that the best way to explore the future is to experiment with the physical world through the lessons of the ancient past and we can't possibly think of a more profound way to express our own journey as we rush to meet ourselves.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. 

Apr 14, 202101:04:45
Ep 70: Julien Baker

Ep 70: Julien Baker

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Any conversation that starts with microphone inquires and ends with jokes about praxis is bound to be fascinating, so it is not surprising to hear that we loved our multi-faceted chat with Julien Baker. As a songwriter, Baker muses on the idea that personal narratives are important not only to understand ourselves but to have empathy for others, which is especially important when sorting out a queer identity in a culture dominated by heteronormativity. While our culture keeps moving faster than we could ever process, Baker is making peace with the idea that each time we think we have it all figured out, another question arises, and that's part of the joy of being an artist and a human being after all.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.


Apr 07, 202159:45
Ep 69: Nadya Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot

Ep 69: Nadya Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

As one of the founding members of Pussy Riot, Nadya Tolokonnikova has used her art as activism over the course of the last decade. From bringing about prison reform in Russia to helping people escape the toxic dynamics of abusive relationships, Nadya is not shy about using her voice to address the problems she sees around her. Throughout her work, she embodies the ethos that collaboration is more powerful than individual creative genius and we are all the more grateful for her artistic adventures.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.

Mar 31, 202101:08:38
Ep 68: Baby FuzZ

Ep 68: Baby FuzZ

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Just like birds migrate for warmer climates, musician and producer Baby FuzZ continually uproots himself to find novel creative landscapes. Usually artists like to establish their own identity but BabyFuzZ has found that it's almost easier to inhabit the many stories and narratives that he has found along the way to create his own kaleidoscopic debut album Welcome To The Future. In a chaotic timeline, it's nice to know that he is out there collecting characters to share in his songs. 

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.

Mar 24, 202101:22:49
Ep 67: Alex Somers

Ep 67: Alex Somers

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Musician Alex Somers decided to change his life in one swoop, leaving behind the insular inspiring community of Reykjavik for the sunshine and sprawl of Los Angeles, Before he left, he drafted a sonic love letter to his time spent in Iceland in the form of his new double album Siblings +Siblings 2. We loved chatting with him about the duality in crafting his own narratives versus scoring films and how sometimes, we have to destroy something we made in order to create it in the first place. 

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.

Mar 17, 202151:07
Ep. 66: The Anchoress

Ep. 66: The Anchoress

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Catherine Davies aka The Anchoress worked at the BBC for exactly one day before quitting and accepting funding for her masters and PhD in literature and queer theory. It was a bold choice and one that paid off, as her academic pursuits paved the way for her brilliant albums and production work with fellow artists, as well as her role as a touring member of Simple Minds. As an artist and a scholar, Davies champions the idea of "magpie-ing" which she defines as taking the shiniest bits from the world around you and shaping them into your own craft. Given the gorgeous constellation of work she has produced, it seems as though she may be onto something...

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.

Mar 10, 202101:13:43
Ep 65: Buzzy Lee

Ep 65: Buzzy Lee

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

During our interview, musician and writer Sasha Spielberg aka Buzzy Lee posed the question "would you rather be doing well and no one knows or appear to be thriving to everyone else but know that you're actually not doing well?" It's certainly a valuable quandary not only for artists but for everyone navigating this curious time where we are our own most captive audience. We appreciate that at least in Buzzy's world, elaborate baked goods, beautiful songs, and the art of being a cozy girl can live alongside the occasional existential ennui. 

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.

Mar 03, 202101:05:27
Ep 64: Joshua Henry

Ep 64: Joshua Henry

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Joshua Henry may be best known for his Tony nominated roles on Broadway but this year, he had the opportunity to finally slow down and create his own original music. After the initial shock of not being on stage every night wore off, Henry found himself getting involved with DoSomething, a youth led organization dedicated to bettering the world through small every day actions, and delved into the joy of being a stay at home dad. We love his take on being a modern day Renaissance man that embraces empathy and exploration in all his creative endeavors.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.

Feb 24, 202156:07
Ep 63: Shamir

Ep 63: Shamir

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

This year, we've all had to embrace the idea of doing less with more and being creative with what we have at hand. Few people managed to do it better than Shamir with the release of his self titled album and the growing collection of titles on his label Accidental Pop Star. In a year of magical thinking, Shamir certainly made the best of a closet full of fabulous clothes and an open heart to the many forms creativity may take. 

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.

Feb 17, 202153:18
Ep 62: Parson James

Ep 62: Parson James

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Our guest Parson James knew something was up when his 2020 vision board kept falling off the wall in the middle of the night. We got to catch up on this transformative time as he pulled off signing a record deal, going through intensive trauma therapy, and navigating a proper pandemic situationship. When he's not writing hit songs, Parson is an outspoken mental health and LGBTQ+ advocate through his work with the LoveLoud Foundation and we love that he spreads the message of love and self-acceptance in a time when we all need it most. 

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.

Feb 10, 202157:44
Ep 61: Reggie Watts

Ep 61: Reggie Watts

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Reggie Watts is famous for his improvisational skills so it was no surprise that we had a delightful time talking about literally everything that popped in our heads. From his brilliant project WattsApp to his collaboration with fellow genius Marc Rebillet and his work on the Late Late Show, Watts is always striving to create community and connection with his art. He says that creation is a cooperative dance with chaos and we couldn’t agree more.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon.

Feb 03, 202159:37
Ep 60: Chris Baio of Vampire Weekend

Ep 60: Chris Baio of Vampire Weekend

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

For our season opener, we spent time with Chris Baio exploring what it means to release his new solo album during a year of tumultuous events. Baio is used to being on tour non stop with Vampire Weekend and was looking forward to making good on his New Years resolution to produce other artists in his new studio but instead found himself accidentally exploring life as a kayaking bearded outdoorsman in Oregon. We all got a little weird in 2020 but we are glad that it resulted in some new songs and only a few questionable hair choices.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon

Jan 27, 202154:36
Ep 59: Tegan and Sara

Ep 59: Tegan and Sara

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

In our last episode of 2020, we spent some virtual time in Vancouver with Tegan and Sara, who managed to accidentally get stuck in the same city just in time to work on a million lockdown projects together. Between writing a graphic novel and crafting a new album just after the release of their memoir, they also managed to raise $100k through their non profit foundation in order to help the vulnerable communities that have been most affected by COVID. In a time of chaos, it’s comforting to know that Tegan and Sara have been busy cooking up new projects, even while they are obsessively watching TikTok just like the rest of us.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter.

Dec 09, 202001:18:44
Ep 58: Tawny Newsome and Bethany Thomas

Ep 58: Tawny Newsome and Bethany Thomas

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

We caught up with Tawny Newsome and Bethany Thomas to chat about their brilliant album Material Flats and how life was treating these two talented multi-hyphenates. While they were lucky and got to record the album together earlier this year, these two have spent the better part of 2020 having virtual television show premieres, navigating online theater, and learning when to take a moment to pause. From learning to engineer their own record to putting out podcasts, we are glad that they are taking a cue from the indoor kids on how to create during these strange times.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter.

Dec 02, 202058:04
Ep 57: Harvey Guillén of What We Do In The Shadows

Ep 57: Harvey Guillén of What We Do In The Shadows

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

We caught up with Harvey Guillén, aka everyone’s favorite familiar Guillermo from the brilliant series What We Do In The Shadows. Between safely filming on set in Canada and delving into the world of voice acting, Harvey has been staying busy, keeping himself (and the rest of us) entertained as the time soup of 2020 drags on. From the importance of representation in the media to the joys of binge watching, Harvey’s take on this year is both hilarious and insightful, which is our personal favorite combination.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter.

Nov 18, 202058:29
Ep 56: Ólafur Arnalds

Ep 56: Ólafur Arnalds

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Before the world shut down, Ólafur Arnalds started crafting his brilliant new album Some Kind Of Peace. Little did he know that it would be anthemic for a time when we are all tuning into our inner world for better or worse. We loved getting to hear about how he’s been rediscovering his own inner and outer landscapes writing in Reykjavik and learning from his example that to really create our best work, we sometimes have to get a little bit obsessed.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter.

Nov 11, 202056:24
Ep 55: Greg Saunier of Deerhoof

Ep 55: Greg Saunier of Deerhoof

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

This week, we got to ride a rollercoaster of emotions with Greg Saunier of Deerhoof. From learning that his music has inspired both romances and break ups to navigating life in an ever transforming band, Greg spent the last few decades collaborating with everyone from his bandmates to musicians around the world to Justin Theroux on his journey to create inspiringly delightful soundscapes. As we approach a critical election in the United States, Greg urges us all to lean into the power of transformation and social engagement as we are all navigating the wondrously strange world of 2020.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter.


Oct 28, 202001:14:46
Ep 54: Icona Pop

Ep 54: Icona Pop

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

What happens when your plans to tour get canceled and you end up in Stockholm? If you happen to be Icona Pop aka Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo, you decide to make the best of things and throw a virtual rave spa for all your friends and fans. Caroline and Aino opened up about what it’s like to be creating a new album while staying put, as their songs are so often informed by their international travels, and the joys of relearning the pleasures of domesticity (spoiler: it involves teaching yourself how to cook all over again). We love their attitude of taking this time to become more forgiving of yourself and tuning into your own sense of purpose and community.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter.


Oct 21, 202045:02
Ep 53: Perfume Genius

Ep 53: Perfume Genius

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

We’ve all been having a bit of an out of body experience during quarantine but at least we got to chat with Perfume Genius aka Mike Hadreas about how dancing helped him connect with his body in a novel way before we all got stuck inside. As a writer and singer, he has explored some gorgeous emotional landscapes, but in dance, he found a way to express those feelings that just can’t be translated into words. Whether it’s performing on livestream to an empty theater, or channeling his inner chihuahua energy, Hadreas never fails to enthrall us.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter.

Oct 14, 202001:14:25
Ep 52: William Cashion of Future Islands

Ep 52: William Cashion of Future Islands

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

We had the pleasure of chatting with William Cashion of Future Islands all about his new solo ambient project Postcard Music and the ways that transcendental meditation have informed his work. From collaborations with his bandmates to paintings with his wife, William creates with a calm sense of curiosity that comes from quiet introspection. We are excited to get a chance to hear his latest work with Future Islands, which was all mixed remotely during quarantine, and see where his creative journeys take him next.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter.

Oct 07, 202001:01:18
Ep 51: Aluna

Ep 51: Aluna

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

While the world hit pause, Aluna has been busy Zooming up a storm to make the dance music world a more inclusive space for artists and audiences alike. We got to chat about the nature of ongoing social change and how she manages her activism with her creative musical life. Aluna reminded us that it’s vital to create a space where others can share their voice and to stay curious about their experiences in order to gain empathy and create better art. She asks that you check out Black Women’s Blueprint while listening to her interview.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter.

Sep 30, 202054:23
Ep 50: Thirst Aid Kit

Ep 50: Thirst Aid Kit

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

We caught up with Nichole Perkins and Bim Adewunmi of Thirst Aid Kit right at the end of their epic run as the best podcast about female desire and cultural narratives came to a close. As producers, writers, and storytellers, both women had so much to share about the vulnerability of sharing ourselves creatively with others and the magic of a good friendship cry. We can’t wait to see what they come up with next and in the meantime, we highly recommend you laugh along with our interview then head straight over to binge every episode of theirs.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter.

Sep 23, 202001:01:43
Ep 49: Joe Wong

Ep 49: Joe Wong

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Balancing his work as a tv composer, drummer, and podcaster is no easy feat but Joe Wong masters it with grace. We loved getting to chat with him about how his creative process thrives within the framework of films and in the studio, where he created his first solo project with the production help of his good friend Mary Timony. Joe reminded us that though we can learn by listening to others, comparison is the thief of joy so we should all embrace our singular creative visions. His new album Nite Creatures is out on Sept 18th and you can catch him every week on his podcast, The Trap Set. While you are listening, Joe kindly requests you support the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter.

Sep 16, 202001:13:05
Ep 48: Sad13 and Lustra

Ep 48: Sad13 and Lustra

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

For this special double episode, we got to chat with Sad13 aka Sadie Dupuis and Lustra, aka Helena Marzec-Gołąb, about the magic of language and how it transforms our perception. When she’s not making music, Sadie spends her time crafting poetry and writing artist bios, both of which play with the power of words to shape our identity and emotions. Meanwhile, Helena studies the nuances of translating songs from English to Polish and back again, all while examining the ways our native languages affect the images and metaphors we use. Both women are passionate about helping others and request that you check out the Ef Kropka Foundation which helps support Polish mental health services.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter.

Sep 09, 202001:46:22
Ep 47: Nite Jewel

Ep 47: Nite Jewel

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

At the beginning of Los Angeles lockdown, we virtually sat down for a chat with Nite Jewel, aka Ramona Gonzalez, to talk about all things musical, educational, societal, and revolutionary. As a musician and music production instructor pursuing her Phd in ethnomusicology, Ramona commented on how our desire for the mythology of artists is crumbling in the face of the reality of our multifaceted and often oppressive experiences within Western culture. More than ever, artists need support and stability as well as acknowledgement of their vibrant humanity to keep creating the works we love. While listening to this episode, Ramona requests that you support the Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights.

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Sep 02, 202001:03:49
Ep 46: Lido Pimienta

Ep 46: Lido Pimienta

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

When she’s not fundraising for families in Columbia or crafting visual art, Lido Pimienta is creating songs that transcend all cultural and linguistic barriers. Living a “hyphenated existence” as she puts it has given Lido a unique and beautiful perspective, one that shines through her kaleidoscopic songs and videos. We loved getting to chat with her about how she’s staying busy in her space during the lockdown and how we can all tap into our own star energy and communities to create time traveling art. While you are listening to her episode, Lido kindly requests you support the Solidarity Fund For Vulnerable Families: Columbia. 

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Aug 26, 202057:20
Ep 45: Andre Henry

Ep 45: Andre Henry

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

From creating collaborating projects to advocating for democratizing activism, podcaster, writer and musician Andre Henry embodies the multi-faceted life we love here on Why Not Both. Throughout our chat, Andre explained how listening deeply to people’s experience and valuing people’s voices has led to his best creative work and most meaningful participation in social movements. Andre encourages us all to be able to drop our defenses so we can be as open as possible to new perspectives and ideas. While you are listening to his episode, Andre requests that you take action with Movement For Black Lives.

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Aug 19, 202001:01:43
Ep 44: Ioanna Gika

Ep 44: Ioanna Gika

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

We loved getting metaphysical with Ioanna Gika. From sharing how the nature of loss and grief informed her work to discussing the finer points of how to meow a violin line, Ioanna let us catch a glimpse of her particular form of sonic sorcery. Ultimately, it’s all about staying in the present moment to let the beauty of chaos reveal itself. Ioanna has a generous humanitarian side as well, sharing that all of the proceeds of Devendra Banhart’s cover of her track “Swan” go to the Downtown Women’s Shelter in Los Angeles.

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Aug 12, 202001:05:60
Ep 43: AURORA

Ep 43: AURORA

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

It’s no surprise that Aurora is spending her time in lockdown creating magical works of art such as her video Exist For Love, where she managed to find the perfect amount of pearls to craft her own headdress when quarantined alone with a pile of old vintage handbags. She is also using her own influence to host online festivals for emerging musicians to gain new fans and spoke about how collaboration can lead to the creation of art beyond our individual imaginations. At a time when so much is shifting, Aurora spoke to the importance of supporting the vision of having greater equality and sustainability in our world and we can’t agree more.

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Aug 05, 202052:33
Ep 42: Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill

Ep 42: Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

What happens when you trap punk icon Kathleen Hanna at home during a pandemic? It turns out you get a mix of activism, arts and crafts, and virtual dog walks via her best friend. We chatted about how she and activist Tina Kampor started Tees 4 Togo, where for the cost of a t-shirt you can fund an entire year of education for girls in West Africa, as well as her secret past as an interior design student wanting to create a better world after encountering countless disgusting bathrooms on tour. While you listen to the interview, Kathleen requests that you investigate Tees4Togo, where 100% of the profits go to Peace Sisters, which  allows girls in Dapaong, Togo to attend school.

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Jul 29, 202001:08:21
Ep 41: Shalita Grant of "Search Party"

Ep 41: Shalita Grant of "Search Party"

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Shalita Grant is a force to be reckoned with in the absolute best way possible. While most people know her for her roles on NCIS and Search Party, Shalita is also the brilliant and compassionate mind behind Four Naturals Hair, a haircare treatment designed especially for type 4 hair. Shalita shared her life philosophy of approaching problems with ease and play, how pole dancing helped her through her own struggles with vulnerability, and how the best way to change the world is to change our own perceptions of ourselves. To say we are fans would be an understatement.

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Jul 22, 202001:22:42
Ep 40: Jarvis Cocker

Ep 40: Jarvis Cocker

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

From Icelandic folktales to quarantine discos, Jarvis Cocker can likely tackle any subject with a dry wit and deep sense of sincerity. He shared that his latest batch of songs were created in collaboration not only with his band but with the fans from his last shows before lockdown, capturing the unique exchange between artists and their audience. Given our current situation, we appreciate Jarvis’ example of taking your time when creating your work, even when you wish things would move along a little faster. While you are enjoying this episode, Jarvis requests that you support Extinction Rebellion.

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Jul 15, 202001:12:13
Ep 39: Soko

Ep 39: Soko

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

It’s impossible to not get swept away by the quiet intensity of Soko’s passion for life and creativity. During our time together, we talked about the intertwining threads of motherhood, music, and movie making. Life is a balancing act and Soko spoke to the ways in which we all do our best to channel our energies into the people and projects that we love.

Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter.

Jul 08, 202053:37
Ep 38: Big Black Delta

Ep 38: Big Black Delta

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

In the before times, we got to spend a delightful afternoon with Jonathan Bates of Big Black Delta. We delved into the finer points of the importance of mental health care, the power of sobriety, and what it means to make art in service of others. It can take a lifetime to discover what you truly love, but Jonathan inspires us to stay curious. While you’re enjoying the episode, Bates requests that you consider donating to GoFundMe for Elijah McClain’s mother in honor of his memory and to seek justice for his family. 

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Jul 01, 202001:04:21
Ep 37: Mxmtoon

Ep 37: Mxmtoon

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

We dare you to find an artist more charming than Mxmtoon. She chatted with us about breaking it to her parents that she was secretly a viral Internet star with millions of streams on her songs and why she is outspoken about mental health in her music. As a biracial and openly bisexual artist, Maia proves the point that the best way to make changes is to be the hero you want to see in the world.

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Jun 24, 202048:34
Ep 36: Tolliver

Ep 36: Tolliver

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

In honor of Juneteenth, we talked with Los Angeles artist Tolliver about “I Yield My Time (F*ck You), ” his musical take on Jeremy Frisch’s now famous call into the LAPD community meeting. Turns out Tolliver has been reporting on black owned businesses in the city, crafting songs for multiple projects, and editing videos all at the same time. In true Why Not Both fashion, his work employs satire as well as pathos to embody our current times, and we couldn’t think of a better artist to celebrate today.

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Jun 19, 202001:02:25
Ep 35: EdoHeart

Ep 35: EdoHeart

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

This week we got to know Edoheart, a New York-based poet whose amazing journey has taken her into the world of rapping, producing, visual arts, and even a stint touring the world as a Butoh dancer. She told us about the nature of her divergent creative paths, how her slate of projects has allowed her to connect with people around the world, and about how we can all take part in the social uprising for Black lives happening around the world.

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Jun 17, 202001:21:52
Ep 34: Jehnny Beth

Ep 34: Jehnny Beth

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

This week we welcomed Jehnny Beth to the show. The Savages’ frontwoman, who also expresses herself as an actor and writer, told us about the different way love and creativity expresses itself in her life—both forces that inspired her solo album To Live is to Love. We chatted about how to shake up the creative process through unexpected collaborations and about how sometimes portraying the bad guy can be the most vulnerable act of all.

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Jun 10, 202058:04
Ep 33: Sondre Lerche

Ep 33: Sondre Lerche

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Sondre Lerche is quite possibly the world’s most affable songwriter and burger aficionado. Between writing a collection of essays on music and crafting his upcoming album Patience (out June 5th), Sondre found time to become an avid runner and create his own live showcase with local LA musicians at Largo. It was a delight chatting with him about his transformation as an artist over his career and why persistence is the key to creativity.

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May 27, 202001:04:26
Ep 32: White Sea

Ep 32: White Sea

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

This weekend, Morgan Kibby, who performs as White Sea, told us how collaboration has been the key to her career. We also delved into the idea that creative careers don't always follow linear trajectories. From life as M83’s Keyboard Girl, to composing for Netflix and Lady Gaga, Kibby has covered a lot of artistic ground.

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May 23, 202056:55
Ep 31: Mark Foster

Ep 31: Mark Foster

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer.  For our third season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.

Like everyone else Mark Foster has a lot on his mind. However, as we discussed on this week’s episode, that means the nature of creativity is much like a 4-ye