Queer the Music with Jake Shears

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How Queer Artists Transformed Pop Music in 1984 | Ian Wade | Queer the Music with Jake Shears

2026-09-2945:53

Jake Shears is joined by journalist and author Ian Wade to discuss his book 1984: The Year Pop Went Queer and explore how one remarkable year became a turning point for queer visibility in pop. From the shock and sexuality of Frankie Goes to Hollywood and the radical visibility of Bronski Beat, to Madonna, Divine and the gay club culture breaking into the charts, they unpack a moment when queer music was reshaping the mainstream. They also look at how far queer representation in music has come since 1984, what has changed and why visibility still matters today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why Tom Rasmussen Believes Being Different Is an Enviable Position | Queer the Music with Jake Shears

2026-09-2201:07:00

Jake Shears is joined by artist, songwriter and performer Tom Rasmussen for a wide-ranging conversation on music, identity and finding freedom through creativity. Together, they look back on Tom’s journey from growing up in Lancashire to finding queer community through drag, as well as the artists who shaped them along the way, from Madonna and Celine Dion to Goldfrapp and Bronski Beat.The episode also looks ahead to Tom’s new album, Make a Fist, a bold electronic record centred on visibility, desire, resistance and self-expression. Tom reflects on the experiences that shaped the record, the evolution of their identity as a performer, and why being different can be an enviable position. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben Platt on Love, Queer Life and the Magic of Theatre | Queer the Music with Jake Shears

2026-09-1547:44

Season 4 of Queer The Music continues with Tony, Grammy and Emmy-winning actor and musician Ben Platt. In conversation with Jake Shears, Platt discusses the freedom of playing a queer character on stage in Midnight at the Never Get, his lifelong relationship with musical theatre and why performing live remains the place he feels most at home. He also reflects on bringing his sexuality openly into his songwriting, his marriage to fellow performer Noah Galvin and the importance of queer audiences seeing their own relationships represented in music. Elsewhere, Platt opens up about the uncertain future of theatre and independent filmmaking, the extraordinary long-term process behind Richard Linklater’s Merrily We Roll Along, and the lasting impact of his late friend and mentor Gavin Creel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Queer History of Lou Reed & The Velvet Underground | Queer the Music with Jake Shears

2026-09-0838:14

In This episode of Queer The Music, Jake Shears is joined by author and cultural critic Barry Walters to explore the queer history of Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground. Together, they discuss Andy Warhol’s radical New York underground, the influence of David Bowie, and theidentities and subcultures that helped reshape rock ’n’ roll. From ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ to ‘Perfect Day’, Walters and Shears unpack thequeerness at the heart of Reed’s work, how it became obscured from his legacy, and why his music continues to resonate with new generations today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jehnny Beth: “I’m In It For The Long Run” | Queer the Music with Jake Shears

2026-09-0156:50

Season 4 of Queer The Music continues with Jehnny Beth. She and Jake Shears discuss her journey from discovering Bowie and Patti Smith to forming Savages, finding her voice as an artist and embracing her bisexuality. The episode explores sobriety, identity, depression and the challenges that followed Savages, alongside her solo career, collaborations and move into acting, including her role in Anatomy of a Fall. Beth also reflects on creativity, collaboration and what it means to keep making art on your own terms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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