Uncensored Visionary: The Queer Music Podcast
99 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 7 ratingsOn this weekly podcast, George sits down with queer musicians for in-depth conversations about the joy and vulnerability in creating, producing and performing music. Join us as we discover how music is used to express the queer condition.
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Episodes
Jessye DeSilva talks developing sound and image and overcoming their traumatic religious upbringing
March 31, 2021 21:02 - 38 minutes - 5 MBJessye DeSilva talks developing sound and image and overcoming their traumatic religious upbringing
Miss Christine talks reimagining her dreams and moving from Nashville to Iowa to rediscover herself
March 31, 2021 18:01 - 38 minutes - 5 MBMiss Christine talks reimagining her dreams and moving from Nashville to Iowa to rediscover herself
sam goli talks growing up in Mexican/Palestinian home, figuring out their gender & musical identity
March 24, 2021 18:39 - 34 minutes - 5 MBMeet sam goli: Musician. Artist. Poet. Photographer. sam goli grew up in Los Angeles, CA to a Mexican mother and a Palestinian father. Culturally, they always felt like an outsider because their mother’s side speaks Spanish, while their father’s side of the family speaks Arabic, both languages they don't really speak. Their cultural upbringing translated to what they grew up listening to: Arab Music, Disco and Top 40s. Along with their two siblings, both of whom are artists also, sam is on...
Maxximo talks infusing his Mexican heritage into his imagery, storytelling & his Prince Harming
March 17, 2021 04:00 - 23 minutes - 5 MBBorn and raised in Mexico City, Maxximo grew up in a vibrant community of cultures, colors and people. From the minute he was born he acknowledged the power of what it means to be Mexican. So when it came time for him to become a musician he was poised to introduce that into his sound and imagery. When you look at Maxximo’s videos you’ll notice that he releases films that put the focus on telling a story. His biggest song, “Prince Harming” is the tale of a boy who broke his heart. Utilizing...
BVT talks combing her passions for R&B/hip-hop, music & acting and crafting a career in Australia
March 10, 2021 05:00 - 27 minutes - 5 MBMeet BVT — BVT (Bernie Van Tiel) was born in the ‘place with many chins and noses’/‘place of many possums’ in Australia. Eventually, she moved out to Sydney, Australia to pursue her dreams in the performing arts making it into some music and acting programs. From there she continued to purse music and acting, landing roles in Jade of Death (as the lead) as well as a cameo role alongside LaLa Anthony in Reef Break. Her interest in music came at a crossroads. She grew up listening to slow ja...
Yavin talks failing as a musician, writing openly queer songs & dedicating himself to music
March 03, 2021 05:00 - 25 minutes - 5 MBMeet Yavin —— Yavin grew up as a socially awkward kid in Massachusetts. Utilizing this to his advantage, Yavin grew up loving all different types of music to shape his future career as a musician. But it wasn’t until college that he decided to start playing around with music and writing songs. From there he was off to the races, releasing two Soundcloud songs, but under another name. He hit a speed bump after dropping out of school and working a part time job at a burger joint. But one day...
Stephanie Gayle talks starting a record label, writing at 8 yrs old & producing songs at 16 yrs old
February 24, 2021 05:00 - 46 minutes - 5 MBMeet Stephanie Gayle (She/They) —— Stephanie grew up in PG County, Maryland with her mother. She had a distant relationship with her father and grew up with two older siblings, one sister and one brother. Her family is a multi-talented family with mostly singers, on her mom side, and educators, on her dads side. She’s even related to William Christopher Handy, the Father of the Blues. Given her background, it was inevitable that she was going to be a singer/songwriter. And she did not disa...
Bentley Robles talks recording 100K vocal takes, losing and regaining his creative mojo
February 17, 2021 05:00 - 35 minutes - 5 MBMeet Bentley Robles. Born in Los Angeles, CA to two Mexican parents, Bentley grew up in South Gate, CA and then moved to Rancho Cucamonga where he out grew it rather quickly. From California, he uprooted himself to New York to escape the cabin fever / cookie cutter life he had lived. Making that switch, he went to pursue something bigger than himself and find himself. Having moved to New York, he knew what he wanted to do, however the pressures of the big city (paying bills, living the day ...
James Aries talks his off-beat baroque pop eclectic music style & planning his elaborate live show
February 10, 2021 08:00 - 44 minutes - 5 MBMeet James Aries. A singer-songwriter based in Toronto, Canada, James Aries’ main instrument is piano. James was trained and voiced in piano and writes off-beat, corky baroque pop songs that don’t fit in any genre. Born and raised in Swift Current, Saskatchewan in the middle of Canada, James started taking piano lessons when he was six. In elementary school he joined choir and studied piano through the Royal Conservatory of Music. In college, he studied drama at the University of Saskatche...
Chris Jehnert talks using music to convey emotions & his role in tribute boy band Larger than Life
February 03, 2021 08:00 - 30 minutes - 5 MBMeet Chris Jehnert. Born in Baltimore, Maryland to his mom and dad, Chris was mostly raised by his grandparents. Growing up, he didn’t know how to express anger and sadness. It wasn’t until he discovered music that he used the medium as therapy to express himself. From there, he started singing to himself in secret until he gained the courage to join a choir. His experience in the choir confirmed to him that his future was in music. After receiving a degree in vocal performance, his career...
Kai Mata talks getting past being called “brave” for owning her identity and writing her song “So Hard,” about the objectification of female relationships
January 27, 2021 17:12 - 27 minutes - 5 MBMeet Kai Mata. Born in Indonesia, but raised in the US, Kai Mata's upbringing led her to use music as a modality to explore her emotional landscape, figure out who she is in the world and tell stories that others can relate to even if they are not of her minority group, ethnic background and sexual orientation. On this episode Kai Mata discusses pinpointing emotion to convey what’s in her heart and into the listeners ears, getting past being called “brave” for owning her identity and wr...
CPIII talks leveraging a theatre career to capitulate his music & owning the soul in his sound
January 20, 2021 08:00 - 34 minutes - 5 MBBorn in Oakland, California, Charles Peoples III grew up in a baptist community with an interesting childhood. Finding theatre in high school, he found his calling in performance and it changed his life. From there it was off the races to college in New York where he hit a snap. It wasn’t until he moved back to his hometown in Oakland, CA that he found himself and became the musician known as CPIII. With the goal of giving back to the community CPIII is a soul artist on the rise and with ho...
Boi Band talk honing in on an androgynous look for the band and evolving from a pop cover band to writing original music
December 17, 2020 03:17 - 45 minutes - 5 MBThis week’s season finale episode features Boi Band. On this week’s episode, Boi Band discusses not having a Justin Timberlake in the band, honing in on an androgynous look for the band and evolving from a pop cover band to writing original music. Follow Boi Band on Instagram and Facebook. © Uncensored Visionary
Dan Kiernan discusses the loss of his father, being romantic in the age of instant gratification and performing as Nick Carter in the tribute 90s boy band Larger Than Life
December 09, 2020 18:19 - 27 minutes - 5 MBThis week’s episode features Dan Kiernan. On this week’s episode, Dan discusses the loss of his father, being romantic in the age of instant gratification and performing as Nick Carter in the tribute 90s boy band Larger Than Life. Follow Dan Kiernan on Instagram. © Uncensored Visionary
Mel Fine discusses releasing debut album at 14 years old, attending Berkelee school of music and career plans post school
December 09, 2020 18:16 - 39 minutes - 5 MBThis week’s episode features Mel Fine. On this week’s episode, Mel discusses attending the Berkelee school of Music, being humble after releasing their debut album at 14 and what they look forward to in their burgeoning music career. Follow Mel Fine on Instagram. © Uncensored Visionary
Jakk Fynn discusses exploring life through music, turning down the flash and taking control over his messaging as a solo artist
November 18, 2020 18:02 - 43 minutes - 5 MBThis week’s episode features Jakk Fynn. On this week’s episode Jakk discusses exploring life through angst music, turning down the flash with writing and production and taking control over his messaging as a solo artist. Follow Jakk Fynn on Twitter and Instagram. © Uncensored Visionary
Billy Mick talks his debut album 'Just B' writing songs from the heart & being honest with yourself to give and get love back
November 11, 2020 05:00 - 24 minutes - 5 MBThis week’s episode features Billy Mick. On this episode, he discusses his debut album, Just B., making it in the music industry as an out gay man, writing songs from the heart and being honest with yourself to give and get love back. Follow Billy Mick on Twitter and Instagram. © Uncensored Visionary
Brett Gleason discusses being unfiltered in his music, therapy and navigating Patreon
November 04, 2020 05:00 - 45 minutes - 5 MBThis week’s episode features Brett Gleason. On this episode, Brett discusses being unfiltered in his music, becoming more in touch with himself through therapy and navigating Patreon as a musician. Follow Brett Gleason on Twitter and Instagram.
Kisos discusses his breakup EP ‘sweet nothings,’ music pr and marketing and writing top 40 songs
October 28, 2020 04:00 - 45 minutes - 5 MBThis week’s episode features Kisos. On this episode he discusses his breakup EP ‘sweet nothings,’ music pr and marketing and how he shifted from writing existential songs to top 40 songs. Follow Kisos on Twitter and Instagram.
Ruby Mack discuss developing their sound, making a mark as a queer band and turning heads through harmony
October 21, 2020 04:00 - 49 minutes - 5 MBThis week’s episode features band Ruby Mack. On this episode, the super talented harmonizers discuss developing their sound, making a mark as a queer band and turning heads through harmony. Follow Ruby Mack on Twitter and Instagram.
Lizzy Lehman discusses writing songs as a form of therapy, becoming a solo artist and overcoming the feeling of being an outsider
October 14, 2020 04:00 - 45 minutes - 5 MBThis week’s episode features Lizzy Lehman. On this episode she discusses writing songs as a form of therapy, becoming a solo artist and doing whatever she wants and overcoming the feeling of being an outsider. Follow Lizzy Lehman on Twitter and Instagram.
RoVo Monty discusses growing up on Janet and Micheal Jackson, auditioning for American Idol and his single ‘pretty in pink’
October 07, 2020 04:00 - 49 minutes - 5 MBThis week’s episode features RoVo Monty. On this episode RoVo discusses growing up on Janet and Micheal Jackson, auditioning for American Idol and his single ‘pretty in pink’. Follow RoVo Monty on Twitter and Instagram.
Leopold discusses celebrating life, friendship and love through his music
September 23, 2020 07:00 - 32 minutes - 5 MBIt’s the season finale of Uncensored Visionary: The Queer Music Podcast. This week’s finale features singer Leopold and on this episode he discusses how he celebrates life, friendship and love while being who we are through his music. Follow Leopold on Twitter: Twitter and Instagram.
Kamerin talks owning their suffering and giving people the gift of music
September 16, 2020 04:56 - 38 minutes - 5 MBThis week’s episode features Bay Area singer Kamerin. On this episode, they discuss learning to read by being in a children’s choir, being able to own their suffering and giving the gift of music as self expression to other people. Follow Kamerin on Instagram.
Wu Am I talks growing up religious, reclaiming his queerness and having a 24-hour relationship
September 09, 2020 04:00 - 40 minutes - 5 MBThis week’s episode features singer Wu Am I. On this week’s episode he discusses growing up religious and affirming his queerness and reclaiming his authority and power through his music and having a relationship for 24 hours. Follow Wu Am I on Twitter and Instagram.
Teraj talks grassroots approach to launching music career, manifesting his success and quitting architecture to purse music
September 02, 2020 21:19 - 50 minutes - 5 MBThis week’s episode features singer, model and producer Teraj. On this episode he discusses manifesting his success, quitting his pursuit to become an architect and devote his attention to music and launching his career through grassroots fund raising and recording. Follow Teraj on Twitter and Instagram.
No Hugs discuss curating joy, not selling out and Berklee School of Music
August 26, 2020 19:32 - 51 minutes - 5 MBThis week’s episode features the band No Hugs. On this episode they discuss being the curator of people’s temporary joy, not selling out and what it’s really like to attend Berkelee School of Music Follow No Hugs on Twitter and Instagram.
Freddie talks being socially introverted, exploring more than R&B music and being a drag artist
August 19, 2020 17:20 - 1 hour - 5 MBThis week’s episode features Bay Area Singer, songwriter, rapper, performer Freddie. On this week’s episode we discuss being socially introverted, exploring more than R&B music, being a drag artist and so much more. Follow Freddie on Twitter and Instagram.
Louis Major talks how a dramatic fight turned his life around, intentional writing, playing long-term chart game
August 12, 2020 17:45 - 42 minutes - 5 MBThis week’s episode features Louis Major. On this episode we discussed how a dramatic fight turned his life around and led him to focus on music, being intentional with his writing and aiming to play the long-term chart game. This is Louis Major. Follow Louis on Twitter and Instagram.
Homoground - Same Ground, Different Sound
August 05, 2020 05:31 - 55 minutes - 5 MBToday's guest today is podcast host Lynn Casper. On this episode we discuss how her podcast Homoground aims to uplift queer musicians, creating a queer MTV and what she plans to do with Homoground in the future. This is Lynn Casper of Homoground. Follow Homoground on Instagram and Lynn on Instagram.
Richard Cortez - Nobody's Baby
July 29, 2020 04:00 - 42 minutes - 5 MBToday's guest today is singer Richard Cortez. On this episode we discuss vulnerability in his music, recording an album in six days and so much more. This is Richard Cortez. Follow Richard on Instagram.
Introducing George Otiono...Refocusing Uncensored Visionary
July 23, 2020 16:58 - 10 minutes - 5 MBAnd we're back for Season 4 of Uncensored Visionary. This week's episode is a short one and it features....me! My real name is George Otiono and I'm no longer hiding behind the stage name of Thomas Tucker. On this episode, I discuss with former guest Javier Saucedo, why I've decided to use my real name and why I am rebranding the podcast as a deep dive into the queer music space. This is George Otiono.
Introducing George...Refocusing Uncensored Visionary
July 23, 2020 16:58 - 10 minutes - 5 MBAnd we're back for Season 4 of Uncensored Visionary. This week's episode is a short one and it features....me! My real name is George and I'm no longer hiding behind the stage name of Thomas Tucker. On this episode, I discuss why I've decided to use my real name and why I am rebranding the podcast as a deep dive into the queer music space. This is George.
Cori Bratby-Rudd - Influx Collectiv
June 25, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 5 MBToday's guest today is Influx Collectiv co-creator Cori Bratby-Rudd. On this episode we discuss her journey growing up with two mom's, poetry awakening and how she was able to create Influx Collectiv, a LA based queer poetry reading series. This is Cori Bratby-Rudd. Learn more about her journey in this week's episode of Uncensored Visionary. Follow Cori on Instagram and Influx Collectiv on Instagram and Twitter.
Amazin LeThi - Athlete. Author. Advocate.
May 28, 2020 07:00 - 48 minutes - 5 MBAs a teenager, Amazin LeThi was subject to bullying and discrimination which led to homelessness, poverty, depression and even contemplation of suicide. One night, she decided to change her life because she knew she had a purpose and wanted to contribute to the world. Through the use of sports, she was able to come from the bottom and now she’s one the leading advocates for LGBTQ youth. Amazin’s resume currently lists bodybuilder, TV/Film star, activist, entertainment executive and Vietnam...
Emily Starbuck Gerson - Profiles in Pride
May 21, 2020 19:48 - 53 minutes - 5 MBFrom Emily on ProfilesinPride.com Hi, I’m Emily Starbuck Gerson, a 34-year-old full-time freelance writer and editor currently in Cambridge, England (formerly San Antonio, Texas). Yes, Starbuck is my real middle name. I’ve been a journalist for over a decade, and in the past few years, I’ve written quite a lot about the LGBTQ community for various publications. Being naturally curious and inquisitive, I find it easy to ask people questions about their lives. But my journey to figuring out ...
Jeremy Michael Vasquez - Revolutionary Artivist
May 14, 2020 19:03 - 31 minutes - 5 MBJeremy Michael Vasquez is an activist, artist, poet, author, father and educator. Born in the Bay Area and raised by his grandmother, Jeremy was always told that he was going to be dead or be in jail by the age of 25. He also had a stutter and realized that speaking could be used against him. It was then that he started to develop his voice as a written artist. He was silenced but still pursued his pen game and became a prolific writer. Then he arrived at college. He finally had the opportu...
Dr. Rodney Glasgow - Spiritual Interconnectedness
May 07, 2020 05:05 - 1 hour - 5 MBDr. Rodney Glasgow grew up lower class in Baltimore, Maryland and the most important thing to him was family. It’s no surprise then, that his students and fellow coworkers connect with him on a spiritual level. Taking his life in his own hands at a very young age, Rodney Glasgow always knew by the time he was 40 he was going to be a doctor. Today, now 40, after having his doctoral degree for a couple of years, Dr. Rodney Glasgow has evolved into a chameleon. He’s a middle school principal ...
Ms. Ter - Untitled (Living Sculpture)
May 07, 2020 05:04 - 42 minutes - 5 MBBorn in Downey, California as a kid that never sought the spotlight, Ms. Ter never knew what her future was going to hold. As a child and young teen, she had a penchant for choreography, but decided to study 2D art in college. After taking a live performance art class, she knew she wanted to perform but didn’t know what that would mean. One faithful night, after watching a performance from a local San Francisco drag queen, she knew what she wanted to become. Now a New York drag queen in he...
Cemora - Mother Superior of Oakland
April 16, 2020 05:42 - 33 minutes - 5 MBThe oldest of three, Cemora grew up in St. Louis with a mother who would sing and dance to all of her children. From 16 - 18, Cemora was purely a backup dancer and choreographer for drag queens. It wasn't until a faithful night at a Gay Prom that changed her entire life. At said Gay Prom, Cemora came as a drag queen and won Prom Queen. St. Louis became the new home of a newly born Drag Queen named Cemora.Fast forward a couple of years, when her life was at a breaking point, she finally decid...
Hernando Umana - Relatable Honesty
April 09, 2020 04:33 - 26 minutes - 5 MBDon't get in their way, because Hernando Umana knows who they are and what they want.A video performance of Into the Woods is what started their journey into the world of performing arts. From there, despite growing up in a Columbian and Catholic household, they always knew they were gay and that they were going to be a performer.Since the age of 15, they have been performing in musical theater working their way from the bottom all the way to the Broadway stage in plays such as Kinky Boots a...
Patrick Church - Artist or Designer
April 01, 2020 18:00 - 18 minutes - 5 MBPatrick Church is a British multimedia artist currently living and working in New York City. He paints from a personal point of view, blurring the boundaries between art and fashion, juxtaposing vulnerability with fearlessness; reflective of Patrick’s own character.Learn more about this burgeoning creative in the latest episode of Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast. Follow Patrick on Instagram.
Patrick Church - Artist v. Designer
April 01, 2020 18:00 - 18 minutes - 5 MBPatrick Church is a British multimedia artist currently living and working in New York City. He paints from a personal point of view, blurring the boundaries between art and fashion, juxtaposing vulnerability with fearlessness; reflective of Patrick’s own character.Learn more about this burgeoning creative in the latest episode of Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast. Follow Patrick on Instagram.
BROCK - School Of T.H.O.T
March 28, 2020 20:50 - 29 minutes - 5 MBMeet Artist-Designer-Maker-Crafty Bitch BROCK. Learn more about his story in the latest episode of Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast. Follow Brock on Instagram and Facebook.
Tiffany Wright - Quantifying LGBT Educator Experiences
March 24, 2020 16:47 - 40 minutes - 5 MBTiffany Wright grew up in North New Jersey, 45-minutes outside of New York. Since she was in 1st grade, she knew she wanted to teach. Fast forward to college at Gettysburg College she not only figured out that she was gay, but she also changed the course of her life. While in college, she worked with a local literacy agency providing classes for the local jail. Then it clicked. She wanted to work for marginalized populations of students and discovered she wanted a research lens to her caree...
Andy Thayer - Radical MD
March 04, 2020 06:34 - 43 minutes - 5 MBAndy Thayer is a long-time activist who has worked on a number of issues, including 1st Amendment rights, anti-war, and affordable housing. Described as "a gigantic pain in the butt for law enforcement" by a retired Chicago Police Deputy Commander, he’s been arrested numerous times in various protests, including twice in Moscow, Russia for protesting against that government's bans on gay rights demonstrations. He is a co-founder of the Gay Liberation Network, a multi-issue LGBT rights direct...
Debt Free Guys - Queer Money
February 26, 2020 05:00 - 56 minutes - 5 MBDebt Free Guys' Story: We’re David and John, husbands living our fabulous life. We help other gay men like you who also want to live an amazing life without sacrificing your financial security. With this website, our Queer Money™ podcast, tools and resources, we help you live fabulously, not fabulously broke. We were sitting on the dining room floor or our cold, dark basement apartment wondering why we weren’t as successful as we wanted. We just admitted that between us we had $51,000 of c...
They Won't Win - Danny + Greg
February 19, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 5 MBThey Won't Win is a folk-rock duo is made up of Danny M. Cohen and Greg Lanier. Originally, the duo played around the Chicago area as DannyPlusGreg but changed their name to They Won't Win in 2017 when they went into the studio to record their debut album, Lost At Sea. Danny M. Cohen, who originally hails from London, is the author of the Holocaust novel Train and the choose-your-own-adventure story The 19th Window. He is the founder of the human rights education nonprofit Unsilence and a...
Vogds - Queer Futurism
February 12, 2020 08:00 - 37 minutes - 5 MBBorn in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Jake was always told they were "over the top" and "campy". It wasn't until they created their performance alter ego, Vogds, that they dove straight in and embraced their campy-over-the-top-ness. As an artist at heart, it wasn't hard for them to become a revolutionary visual artist and build a following in Chicago, IL. Writing, producing and learning to master their own songs, the sky is the limit for this multi-faceted artist. In addition to being an artist, the...
#TBT Chad Onyx - Leather Safe Spaces
August 01, 2019 16:13 - 22 minutes - 5 MBIn honor of last weekend being Dore Alley in San Francisco, this week's #TBT features Chad Onyx. Chad gives us a look into the leather and kink community. ------------------ Educate. Explore. Empower. These are the words that Chad Onyx and the rest of his fraternal brethren live by. Born in Virginia, as one of two children, Chad roamed around the United States until he finally landed in South California. From there he learned and built a brotherhood for gay and bisexual men of col...