From 500 Podcasts to Radio 1: DiS meets 101 Part Time Jobs (Part 2)

Picking up where Part 1 left off, DiS returns to its conversation with Giles Bidder. Not to talk about how musicians survive, but about how stories travel, how listeners connect and what it really takes to build a music podcast in 2026.

In this second instalment, Sean Adams turns the lens on the medium itself (yes, we’ve gone meta). Drawing on nearly 600 episodes of 101 Part Time Jobs, Giles reflects on the craft of interviewing, the ethics of editing, and why the best conversations often need space to breathe. This is less about hustle and more about care: how to hold people well, how to listen properly, and how to build trust over time.

The conversation ranges from standout episodes and “slow-burn” storytelling to what it feels like to make work that actually helps people navigate their lives. Giles speaks openly about bad bosses, fear-based workplaces, and the quiet anger that fuels his show (as well as the small, human moments that make it worthwhile).

A love for radio runs through this episode: Giles describes producing Shaun Keaveny’s Community Garden Radio as a lesson in warmth, humour, and emotional intelligence on air. From there, the pair broaden out into why podcasts have become such a powerful space for connection, especially for people stuck in boring jobs, long commutes, or lonely routines.

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.

Edited by:

Josh Craggs at Dubble Audio (dubbleaudio.com)

Chapters
00:00 - Intro

01:30 - Standout episodes and “slow-burn” editing

03:20 - When to cut vs when to let a story breathe

05:10 - What makes a “good” episode in hindsight

07:00 - Work gaffs, embarrassment, and shared vulnerability

12:00 - Bad bosses, anger, and fear-based workplaces

14:00 - Why people are quietly quitting

18:00 - Why podcasts work on boring journeys

21:00 - Community Garden Radio and the art of warmth

22:30 - What great broadcasting feels like

24:00 - Power, responsibility, and attention

25:30 - Why trust matters more than reach

27:00 - Outro

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From scout-hut gigs to the economics of touring, DiS sits down with Giles Bidder - host of 101 Part Time Jobs for an unsentimental look at how creative lives are actually sustained today.

In this first instalment, Sean Adams talks to one of the UK’s most quietly compelling broadcasters about the hidden labour behind music culture. Over nearly 600 episodes, Bidder has built one of the most humane music podcasts around, asking artists, writers, and comedians not about their success but about the jobs they’ve done to survive.

Giles explains how 101 Part Time Jobs emerged as both portfolio and refuge: a way to make sense of a patchwork career, rediscover belonging, and document how people navigate a system that rarely works in their favour. Along the way, the conversation takes in touring economics, merch, sync, class, and why even bands who play the Roundhouse still need “normal jobs.

What emerges is a stark but generous thesis: music is socially priceless and economically precarious. Until that gap closes, culture will continue to run on grit, goodwill, and vast amounts of invisible labour.

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.

Chapters

00:00 - Intro

01:26 - Sitting in the “other chair”: Giles as guest, not host

04:05 - Ska/punk origins, micro-prejudices, and how scenes teach you

07:45 - Why 101 Part Time Jobs began: Universal Credit, lockdown, stability

08:55 - Human curation and introducing unknown artists

11:25 - The myth of “making it”: Roundhouse bands with day jobs

13:55 - Why meaningful art can still leave artists broke

16:10 - Music is priceless but paid in grains of pennies

18:20 - Gilla Band, Lambrini Girls, and invisible cultural impact

19:25 - Class, rent, and the radical idea of simply covering your life

20:15 - Why customer-facing jobs matter (merch, coffee shops, respect)

23:55 - Hard work, timing, and opportunity

25:20 - Standout episodes and the “slow-burn” edit

29:10 - Bad bosses, anger, and fear-based workplaces

31:55 - Power, responsibility, and attention in podcasting

44:07 - The importance of having your own project and taking the time

46:55 - Outro

Continue the Conversation:

Head to the Drowned in Sound community (community.drownedinsound.com) to chat about the topics in this episode.

Subscribe:

Get weekly essays, interviews, and insights from the Drowned in Sound newsletter (drownedinsound.org) - exploring music, culture, and resistance.

Links & Resources:

101 Part Time Jobs (Giles Bidder) (101parttimejobs.com)

Community Garden Radio (Shaun Keaveny) (patreon.com/communitygardenradio)

Music Venue Trust - protecting grassroots venues (musicvenuetrust.com)

Gilla Band (gillaband.com)

Lambrini Girls (lambrinigirls.com)

Soho Radio (sohoradio.com)

Reading Festival (readingfestival.com)