Season 5, Episode 1: What if swifts sound like Slipknot? What are flying rivers? And how do you give water a voice? This New Year special takes you backstage at EarthSonic Live, where over 3,000 people gathered at Manchester Museum to explore how music and nature sounds can help us reconnect with the planet and drive real climate action.

Recorded across a single extraordinary day in November 2025, this episode captures conversations with conservationists protecting endangered species, climate activists working with Brian Eno and Billie Eilish, and Brazilian artists who travelled from Belém where the performed at COP30.

From sampling frogs in the museum's Vivarium with Japanese composer Hinako Omori to learning about the UK's temperate rainforests (yes, really!), EarthSonic Live had it all.

In the first episode of 2026, you'll hear from RSPB conservationists Annabel Rushton and Roshni Parmar-Hill about why swifts are disappearing and what red squirrels tell us about biodiversity loss. Climate activist Tori Tsui shares how music became central to her campaigning. Hannah Overton from Warp Records explains more about the event.

And we meet four members of FLOW, female artists from three continents to reflect on their journey to Belém for COP30, where they turned droughts, floods, and flying rivers into hip-hop, spoken word, and song.

The Drowned in Sound podcast is presented in partnership with Qobuz, the pioneering high-quality music streaming and download platform for music enthusiasts and audiophiles. Each week we curate playlists on Qobuz, featuring our favourite records, artists, and the themes we explore on the show.

Visit drownedinsound.org/playlists to discover new music in rich Hi-Res lossless quality and start your 30-day free trial of Qobuz at qobuz.com/dis.

Continue the Conversation: Join the discussion on the Drowned in Sound forums and share your thoughts on music, nature, and climate action.

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Links & Resources:

• Tori Tsui - Climate activist and author of "It's Not Just You: How to Navigate Eco-Anxiety and the Climate Crisis"


• EarthSonic Live - Event details and future dates


• Takkuuk - Inside Bicep's Arctic Masterpiece (DiS article)


• Full Tori Tsui Interview - Climate justice and music with Brian Eno & Billie Eilish


• RSPB - Conservation and volunteering opportunities


• Wildhoarse Water - RSPB nature reserve in the Lake District with UK temperate rainforest


• In Place of War - Arts organization for social change


• Manchester Museum Vivarium - Home to the frogs sampled during workshops


• Sohini Alam - British-Bangladeshi composer and vocalist


• Keila - Brazilian singer from Gang do Eletro, FLOW artist


• Bebé Salvego - Brazilian jazz vocalist, FLOW artist


• Jaloo - Brazilian gender-fluid artist and producer, FLOW artist


• Hinako Omori - Japanese artist and composer


• Wellcome Trust - Event partner


• Arts Council England - Event partner


• Ableton - Event partner and workshop provider

About the Host:

Sean Adams is the founder of Drowned in Sound, an independent music publication championing underground and independent artists since 2000. Through the DiS podcast, newsletter, and community, Sean explores how to build a fairer, more sustainable music industry while supporting the artists and fans who make it meaningful.

This episode was completely self-produced by Sean Adams, recorded on location at Manchester Museum. Thanks to Shure for providing the mics to record this special episode.