Heathen Heathen Podcast

Hi heathens! We're going on tour! And we can't think of a better reason to break our nearly 2-year silence. In this episode, get the inside scoop on TWO new albums full of fantastic music, and then come hear it in person. We can't wait to see you, west coast.

CryInTheWest.com

SAT 3/18 — SAN DIEGO, CA • University Christian Church
SUN 3/19 — LOS ANGELES, CA • Silverlake Lounge
MON 3/20 — MORRO BAY, CA • The Siren
TUE 3/21 — SAN JOSE, CA • Tabard Theatre
THU 3/23 — EUGENE, OR • Old Nick's Pub
FRI 3/24 — BEND, OR • Silver Moon Brewery
SAT 3/25 — PORTLAND, OR • Kelly's Olympian
SUN 3/26 — SEATTLE, WA • Central Saloon

All four heathens are in the house and we're talking about gender, how to destroy it, and the art of drag. Everyone grows up under the massive pressures of the binary gender, and religious folks usually have a few extra layers weighing us down. Drag is one way to expand, fuck with, and blur the boundaries of the binary and help us find a little big of wiggle room—freedom, even—in the clothes that constrain us. It's also having a cultural moment like never before, and there are parts of it that are problematic AF. We go there, too.

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Welcome to the show a couple of our favorite fellow podcast hosts, Pelayo Alvarez and Melissa Weisz. These incredible spacemakers and good friends are building spirituality from scratch after coming out of a Hasidic Jewish upbringing in Brooklyn (Melissa) and a Catholic upbringing in Northern Spain. Now, they explore what it means to be queer and spiritual on their fantastic show, The Forbidden Apple Podcast.

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HeathenPodcast.com

We doubt we’re the first to introduce you to the phenom behind the very popular, very powerful platform God Is Grey, but if this does happen to be your first time encountering Brenda Marie Davies, we’re excited for you. Brenda is, in her own words, a sex-positive, LGBT+ affirming, science-believing, intellectual Christian. She’s also an author and YouTube personality and what we like to call a shame destroyer. Brenda has taken a strong stand on holding the church accountable when it comes to purity culture, inclusion, and more. Her new book, On Her Knees: Memoir of a Prayerful Jezebel, chronicles a decade of her spiritual journey in LA through marriage, divorce, unlikely friendship, and sexual exploration. It’s an honor to have Brenda on Heathen.

Want to watch instead of listen? This conversation is on YouTube.

Pre-Order On Her Knees

God Is Grey on YouTube

@GodIsGrey on Instagram and TikTok

We've been massive fans of Suandria Hall since we first started following her on Instagram @mychoicemypowercounseling. Based in Denver, CO, Suandria is a life transitions and religious trauma coach—dolls, meet our absolute favorite certified Heathen counselor!

Anissa and Karyn sat down with Suandria to talk about deconstructing as cis het females, what it looked like to untangle that mess of purity rings on our fingers, finding a new sexual ethic, marriage, divorce, and raising daughters. Get your coffee, tea, or favorite red and come vent, hope, and heal with us.

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Westerlight is an Indie-Americana duo made up of Oklahoma singer-songwriters Rachel and Jonny Hupp. We talk with them about their shift from being worship leaders, how they quit church on accident, and what it’s been like to make music  during a pandemic. You’ll love this deconstruction conversation with Westerlight (and your two newest co-hosts, Anissa & Ben!).

Westerlight’s songs capture the modern ache of existence by directing an unflinching eye towards themes of hard-won love, frustrated faith, and unlikely hope in the midst of it all. In spite of their penchant for contemplative themes, Westerlight brings an electric charge to their folk stylings. After years of writing songs together, the husband and wife pair have crafted a sound that is as fresh as it is familiar and as graceful as it is gritty.

Listen to Westerlight’s album Sunday Best on Spotify.  Watch their performance of “Bad Influence” here (and subscribe for more awesome YouTube content).

westerlightmusic.com

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