Sometimes unintentional patterns emerge in my podcast consumption. As it happens, this week I heard a bunch of interviews with rockin’ women, from Chrissie Hynde to Peaches to Laura Jane Grace. Below are a few things they said that stuck with me. If they resonate with you, consider streaming the full eps.
1. CHELSEA PERETTI (ACTRESS/COMEDIAN)
“When you’re in L.A. and you see someone at a party and they go, ‘How are you doing? How have you been?’ what they mean is, ‘What’s the recent link added to your IMDB?’”
Where she said it: Call Chelsea Peretti, Episode 68
About the episode: Last week I mentioned Peretti’s podcast, in which she takes listeners’ calls about anything and everything. While some of it is silly, the show can reveal bits of truth, like when Peretti and a caller talked about life in Los Angeles.
2. CHRISSIE HYNDE (MUSICIAN)
“One of [my children] said they heard Shirley Manson from Garbage doing an interview. They asked her what one of her favorite songs was, and she goes, ‘Well, I love the song ‘Kid’ by the Pretenders.’ And my daughter said, ‘Mom, when she said that, I was proud.’”
Where she said it: Studio 360, Oct. 1 episode
About the episode: Rock stars don’t come cooler than Chrissie Hynde, and even when she says she took an “average” amount of drugs and “never even swore” in front of her kids, it just makes me love her more. Hynde appears on the show to promote her recent memoir, Reckless: My Life as a Pretender.
3. MICHAELA WATKINS (ACTRESS/COMEDIAN)
“I had a friend who used to describe me as ‘a 70-year-old in a hot girl’s body.’ I think I always was this old soul; even as a kid, I was sort of this little old lady.”
Where she said it: KCRW’s Guest DJ Project, Oct. 6 episode
About the episode: Watkins, who stars in the new Hulu series Casual, picks five songs that represent her life for Guest DJ Project. They include tracks by the Beastie Boys, Mavis Staples, Prince, and (in relation to this quote) a song from the 1976 movie Bugsy Malone.
4. CINDY CRAWFORD (MODEL)
“No picture is real. Even an untouched picture is not real. … I think my responsibility to my children is just explaining [that] to them.”
Where she said it: Off Camera with Sam Jones, Episode 38
About the episode: Several news outlets picked up Crawford’s rare podcast appearance, but I think they focused on the wrong things. (She never mentions ex-husband Richard Gere by name, and it’s only in passing.) The show gets particularly interesting when she talks about how “so much of art is editing,” and what messages she wants to convey to today’s young women, including her own daughter.
5. KELIS (MUSICIAN/CHEF)
“You don’t ask permission, you don’t ask advice—you freaking do it. You do it because it’s so innately in you that you can’t breathe without it. And if that’s not the case for you, I suggest you do something else, ‘cause you’re not gonna make it.”
Where she said it: Food is the New Rock, Episode 163
About the episode: A lot of us know Kelis for her musical career, which includes the 2003 mega-hit “Milkshake.” But after achieving worldwide success, she enrolled in culinary school, training at Le Cordon Bleu. In this interview, she talks about her career switch and what she tells anyone who asks for career advice.
6. LAURA JANE GRACE (MUSICIAN)
“I just was so set on, ‘We can do this. We are gonna be a revolutionary force, and we’re going to change the world.’ And that was our mentality.”
Where she said it: Turned Out a Punk, Episode 47
About the episode: In this interview, the Against Me! singer discusses early punk influences and her musical path, which is marked by focus, confidence, and nonstop performing.
7. ELIZABETH GILBERT (AUTHOR)
“I have no way of knowing what’s hidden inside people. Most of the time I have no way of knowing what’s hidden inside me, you know? But I’ll tell you this: I think the most interesting way for me to approach anyone is to assume that they have all sorts of gems and treasures hidden inside of them.”
Where she said it: You Made It Weird, Episode 283
About the episode: This week, host Pete Holmes talks to the author of Eat, Pray, Love and Big Magic about her work, philosophy, and spirituality. She adds, “I feel like the one thing I can do in the position that I have right now is just to be constantly walking around, handing out permission slips, trying to encourage people to at least go mining.” (Holmes disagrees, and a friendly debate ensues.)
8. PEACHES (ARTIST/MUSICIAN)
“I am so happy I’m not Lady Gaga. It’s not my goal.”
Where she said it: WTF with Marc Maron, Episode 643
About the episode: In this friendly, funny, and surprising interview, Peaches chats about her relatively happy childhood, her early musical endeavors, and her new record, Rub. When Maron starts to compare her work to Lady Gaga, Peaches explains how different she is from the pop star—she notes that much of Gaga’s act involves cultural appropriation—and adds she’s glad she doesn’t face the same degree of public scrutiny.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images