Wow, okay!

So, everyone, without any intended hubris or humblebrag, I’ve just realised that my current total number of artists requesting interview as of this moment is at least twelve!

I find this very humbling, and hopefully it’s an indication I’m doing at least something right where the podcast is concerned. Five years ago, when drafting and planning to launch ISC (initially just as a podcast, not even a blog!), I never would’ve thought I’d be expanding into the interview space on my own, let alone being blessed with so many fantastic conversations and opportunities.

Truly, I’m grateful beyond measure. “Wealth beyond measure, outlander” indeed.

However. Got a few housekeeping things to discuss as it’s actually getting a bit outta hand!

Interviews - Prioritising
A Note About Spotify + Our Podcast Platforms
Featuring Artist Tracks On ISC - Some Ideas
Our Scope’s Bigger Than You’d Think - i.e. Who I’ll Interview

ISC INTERVIEWS:

Given I run this project behind the scenes entirely by myself (including all aspects of creating, editing and publishing podcast video/audio interviews, distribution to platforms, posting to our socials accounts, etc), I’m pressed for time and energy on that basis alone.

Throw in the fact that I also have ADHD, am still in recovery from some of the worst and most protracted burnout I’ve ever experienced (getting there, but still not 100%), and things like life-admin, setting up and operating my new small business, etc - yeah, it can be a big ask. Thank atheismo for special-interest hyperfocus/hyperfixation for doing some of the heavy lifting, ‘spose.

Ergo, as much as I’d love to take on all offers as soon as folks want them done, I’m going to have to start prioritising.

Where interviews in the music space are concerned, I’ll have to prioritise according to the following criteria:

Artists who’ve put in requests the earliest, and/or have the most pressing deadlines (e.g. upcoming tours with associated press schedules, imminent album releases, etc),
Artists for whom we are locked in for additional content (gig reviews, album reviews, etc),
Interviews for where there are expected turnarounds on delivery.

Please do NOT take this as some form of disinterest or even playing favourites. Not saying that due to receiving that sort of reaction from artists; truly, I’m as eager to promote an unsigned band with their first upcoming demo as I am to big-league major-label acts. You’re all musicians in my eyes and in 2025, working harder than anyone before you.

I don’t have a producer or editing team or anyone like that behind me, and ISC doesn’t turn a time (if anything, it actually is costing a bit to maintain annually), and I’m guided by trying to meet where I’m at with bands’ deadlines, etc. Especially around major releases and tours for which the interview’s requested/offered with time sensitivity in mind.

Despite all this - I’ve also interviewed many bands where the above have been factors in terms of timeliness, but I’ve also interviewed many others where it was moreso just a case of wanting to have a chat in general! If you’re wanting to engage and promote yourselves, have a chat about something topical, promote a recent or upcoming release where things are a bit more lax - get in touch!

Okay, one more bit of #sorrynotsorry, then we get into some ideas I have for both the ISC community/artists we support alike.

2. SPOTIFY/OUR PLATFORMS:

As per some recent announcements both on our social media, and a rare not-an-interviw-or-bass-cover vlog on our Youtube Channel - ISC have moved away from Spotify for Podcasters to a new host, RSS.com.

I have my personal reasons for doing so, based on not only a recent move by the CEO that I find ethically egregious but also multiple, multiple historical actions that have hurt musicians and industry alike. Plus, it’s already been a much better user experience - like, much better.

In honesty, especially where ISC is concerned, I truly don’t think your reach via interview will be impacted much in the absence of Spotify. Perhaps moreso/mainly for listeners who couldn’t be bothered listening on Youtube or our MANY alternative platforms (see below for list). I also won’t exclude any of your own Spotify links as part of promotional material - my choice of whoever’s operating a cloud-based service for podcast doesn’t negate your own official press material!

Statistically, I pull more listenership on your average podcast app such as Castbox or Apple Podcasts, IHeartRadio etc than I ever do on Spotify anyway. According to the data (before Spotify pulled a jaded ex-lover on me and now I can’t access analytics, anyway), most apps were at least doubling if not tripling the listenership there/

If us not releasing an interview on Spotify is a guaranteed deal-breaker for you, that’s unfortunate, but I’m standing firm on our decision based on my own values-base. Thanks for understanding.

And for followers, Episodes 1-49 will be kept for as long as we’re allowed to have them active on the platform.

Yourselves and bands we’ve interviewed won’t be left high-and-dry in that respect, either!

See below for a list of our alternative platforms, where you’ll also be able to review stats on most as well.

Where The Slime Podcast Lives:

Via our new podcast host platform (RSS.com), as well as Youtube Podcast Page, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, GoodPods, iHeartRadio, PocketCasts and RadioPublic.

Thanks to the new host, we’re now also syndicated to the following:

Castamatic, Castro, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Podcast Guru, Podverse and TrueFans.

Coming Soon:

Pandora, Deezer and TuneIn, plus some more!

Not Just Audio/Video:

A reminder to all artists that whilst we conduct a lot of interviews via video/podcast format, we’re also very open to doing email-based ‘Q & A’ interviews, as we have done for quite a few bands in the past.

If organising things along international timezones schedeules etc would otherwise be a barrier, then please feel free to reach out to discuss whether myself or another team member can look at sending through a Q & A doc, which (?goes without saying but I’ll say it again) can include any promotional materials you’d like included.

3. FEATURED TRACKS:

Given how much of an unassailable level of promotional content we constantly cop in our inbox (easily ~1000 emails per week, roughly, can’t imagine how many big-time podcasts must cop), I have a couple of ideas/intentions going forward both for the podcast writ large and for Music Mondays. Both are again, subject to time and energy but if the experiment works, I’m keen to implement either/both as a feature of Inner-Strength Check ongoing:

A ‘radio’ style show where I feature a whole slew of artists’ tracks on an episode itself, then give some personal feedback, commentary, thoughts between tracks. Less a live-react styled episode, and more a podcast version of a music radio show. I thought this could be a neat way of shoehorning in a lot of the releases I/we have difficulty covering due to aforementioned time/energy.

ISC community, if this is something you’re interested in let me know! If it ends up being feasible with time/energy, I’d be happy to even serialise it a bit more with fortnightly/monthly ‘radio’ episodes. Could be a neat way of providing some Heavy News updates in audio form alongside tracks, as well as including some promotional materials and links from press releases here on the blog too!

2. Honestly, I’d like to make a habit of featuring at least one artist for every ISC episode, moving forward. If you look back on past episode history, you’ll see that we’ve covered everything from a narrative biological examination of the Xenomorph in Alien to tabletop, video gaming and social discourse/culture.

I see every episode from here as a relevant opportunity to promote someone, especially because as is evident, we don’t always have capacity for full presser coverage.

I’d love to offer, with bands’ consent, opportunities to add relevant tracks and links in episode/show notes. I’ll be approaching some of you in the near future regarding this, but do keep updated with our happenings via here/socials etc and if you think a topic is a good fit or just want to get some airplay for a single, etc - get in touch!

4. Who I’ll Interview:

*Hey, if 2025 is going to continue being this absurdist I might as well talk to cartoon characters. Amirite..?*

If you’ve gotten this far and landed on the site by happenstance, but don’t happen to be in a band at the moment - you’re in luck!

I’ve interviewed folks ranging from Lachlan Dale of Art as Catharsis (label owner) to a friend on Discord who just wanted to talk turkey about all things Dark Souls lore.

Whilst min-maxing hustle-grindset SEO stooges might scream internally at our kaleidoscopic topical coverage, the intent and advantage of doing so is that I don’t just interview musicians - they’re just the ones who request/offer it the most!

A list of who I’d potentially interview on the podcast is too exhaustive, and that includes where music is concerned.

Just some of many examples of who I’d have on the show to chat all things music:

Fans! If you’re a lifelong fan or recent devotee of a particular artist/genre etc and want to school me on something, or just banter about about an artist, album etc that you truly love and appreciate - that is very much aligned with the spirit of ISC. Go for it.
Industry! Label owners, managers, PR folks, roadies, bar staff at music venues, photographers, content-creators, etc. If you’re even tangentially involved in the music space, go for it.
Gamers, game-masters/DMs, other hobbyists - inspired either by music to play or create within a certain setting? Got an OST you absolutely love and adore? Go for it.

Really, as long as it fits within our general topical scope of arts, hobbies, music and mental health, I’ll have a very open-door policy.

Who I Won’t Interview:

Dickheads who want to use the platform to verbally espouse hateful rhetoric. Go to some bottom-feeder troglodyte pond elsewhere on the internet. The rest of you are cool dudes/dudettes/dudefolk, so you’re welcome to get in touch!

Our email: innersterngthcheckmedia@gmail.com.

Otherwise, you can hit us up on socials top-right/down below.

Peace, Love and Grindcore xoxo - Brady.