Higher Ground

•

Channel • 9 Shows

Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated weekly
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated weekly
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated weekly
Self-Improvement

Self-Improvement

Updated 6 May
Music

Music

Series
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated weekly
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Series

EPISODE 1

Music of My Mind | 1972

How does Little Stevie Wonder grow into just… Stevie Wonder? Years after signing his first recording deal as a kid with Motown Records, Stevie decides to renegotiate his contract. One of the things on the table? Complete creative freedom. What follows is the beginning of one of the greatest streak of albums in American popular music ever: Music of My Mind. Featuring Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick, Babyface, and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

E1

•

58 min
EPISODE 3

Innervisions | 1973

What more is there to say? For Stevie Wonder, a lot. He’s got more love songs, sure. But as Stevie takes a hard look at the world around him, he’s itching to address different concerns — drugs, politics, and religion in America. Stevie’s next album isn’t just about him. Innervisions, the third album in the streak, is about the Black American experience. Featuring Barack Obama, Brittany Luse, George Clinton, and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

E3

•

56 min
EPISODE 2

Talking Book | 1972

How do you follow lightning in a bottle? Well, if you’re Stevie Wonder, you go on tour with The Rolling Stones. Now catering to a wider (and whiter) audience, Stevie expresses himself as a Black artist in the best way he knows how: through music. And just months after Music of My Mind, he releases the second album in the streak, Talking Book. Featuring Barack Obama, Questlove, Deniece Williams, Ray Parker Jr. and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

E2

•

56 min
12/10/2022

Fight Club | E5: The Blueprint

“Masculinity is a lot like Fight Club. The first rule is that you don't talk about it.” In this episode, we’re breaking that rule, examining what Fight Club has to say about the emotional lives of men, the links between masculinity and extremist violence, and the path out of the darkness. TRANSCRIPT: HERE CREDITS: Host, Writer: Alex Pappademas Showrunner: Colin McNulty Producers: Sabrina Fang and Taylor Jones Production Assistant and Fact Checker: Stella Hartman Composer, Sound Designer, Mix Engineer: Alex MacInnis Studio Direction and Theme Music: Dan Leone Executive Producer for Western Sound: Ben Adair Editor: Jamie York Executive Producers for Higher Ground: Dan Fierman, Anna Holmes, Mukta Mohan, Janae Marable Editorial Assistant for Higher Ground: Jenna Levin Executive Producers for Spotify: Daniel Ek, Dawn Ostroff, Julie McNamara, Corinne Gilliard Special Thanks: Joe Paulsen and Eric Spiegelman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

12/10/2022

•

47 min
15/10/2025

Introducing Fela Kuti: Fear No Man

If you loved The Wonder of Stevie, you cannot miss Higher Ground and Audible's newest music show. In Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, Jad Abumrad—creator of Radiolab, More Perfect, and Dolly Parton's America—tells the story of one of the great political awakenings in music: how a classically trained 'colonial boy' traveled to America, in search of Africa, only to return to Nigeria and transform his sound into a battering ram against the state—creating a new musical language of resistance called Afrobeat. In a world that’s on fire, what is the role of art? What can music actually…do? Can a song save a life? Change a law? Topple a president? Get you killed? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

15/10/2025

•

58 min
09/07/2025

You Need to Fight for Friendship with Julia Louis Dreyfus

Legendary actress and comedian Julia Louis-Dreyfus joins the podcast to discuss the importance of building community in adulthood. Michelle talks about how she’s approaching life in her 60s, the surprising strategy she used to maintain her friendships while in the White House, and Julia shares the women who inspire her most. Plus, the group answers a listener's question about finding adult friends at every stage in life. Have a question you want answered? Write to us at imopod.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

09/07/2025

•

49 min
BONUS

A Conversation between Stevie Wonder, Barack Obama and Wesley Morris

In this bonus episode, Wesley sits down with Stevie Wonder and a superfan named Barack Obama to discuss the politics of optimism, the power of a love song, and what it feels like to break artistic ground. And the best part? Stevie brought his keyboard. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bonus

•

44 min
22/11/2020

Matthew McConaughey: Just Keep Livin

Matthew McConaughey just keeps livin. In his new memoir, Greenlights, you hear how. Through the trials and tribulations, speed-bumps and roadblocks, the Oscar-winning actor has remained unwaveringly optimistic and full-hearted. Today he joins us to share selected scenes from his life, on-screen and off. We start with the whirlwind year of 1992 (3:15) before moving into lessons learned from the late Joel Schumacher (13:02) and his idol, Paul Newman (18:07). He also candidly reflects on his rom-com decade (28:34), how his parents' on-again, off-again marriage impacted him (34:17), the McConaissance, from Mud to True Detective to Killer Joe (40:05). Then, before we go, he shares his hopes for the future–his and ours both (51:00). Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

22/11/2020

•

57 min
27/02/2022

Stacey Abrams’ Guide to Preserving Democracy

This week, we’re in conversation with author, voting rights activist, and gubernatorial candidate for the state of Georgia: Stacey Abrams. To begin, we talk about the systemic challenges that small business owners face (4:26), the impact of Georgia’s new voting laws (8:38), the threat of election subversion (11:52), what a functional democracy could look like (14:40), the lessons learned from her 2018 bid for Governor (18:14), and how she plans to win in 2022 (22:12). On the back half, Abrams reflects on growing up in the south (26:00), her earliest political ambitions (31:49), and how literature has offered a human complexity not always granted to people in politics (36:34), especially Black women in positions of power (38:07). As we leave, Stacey shares a personal story about her first visit to the governor’s mansion (41:53), the need to move past tribalism (46:34), and why she still wants to be in this fight in 2022 and beyond (48:31). Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

27/02/2022

•

53 min
24/10/2021

Nick Offerman: Out of the Woods

Actor, author, and woodworker Nick Offerman joins us in the studio! We begin with his new book, Where the Deer and the Antelope Play (5:05), which was inspired by Nick’s upbringing in rural Minooka, Illinois (6:12), the writings of poet Wendell Berry (7:30), and his experiences with the late Sam Shepard at Steppenwolf Theatre (8:08). Shortly after working with Shepard, Offerman began to find his footing—on and off the stage—as a performer, carpenter, and fight choreographer (9:35). He reflects on his galvanizing role in the film Going All the Way (15:14), the guiding principles of George Saunders (20:00), lessons from his sensei Shōzō Satō (25:26), the start of his nearly two-decade marriage with actress Megan Mullally (26:30), the phone call that changed his life (35:50), and the complicated legacy of Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation (41:45). Then, before we go, we return to the timely (and urgent) message of his new book (46:47), a song by Jeff Tweedy (49:50), and a poem by Wendell Berry (51:58). Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

24/10/2021

•

57 min

Founded by President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama with a mission to elevate stories and voices that bend the arc.