Blank Plate: A Podcast for Swifties with an Appetite

Blank Plate
  • 4.8 (11)
  • Music Commentary
  • Updated Biweekly

Join Sara and Laura as they do deep dives into the Tay-lore of individual Taylor Swift songs, react to new releases, discuss Taylor in the news, and overall just chat about all things regarding our Pop Queen Lord and Savior, Taylor Alison Swift. Each episode also touches on food in some way - It could be a recipe pairing for a song, deciding what kind of pizza each album would be, or trying to figure out why Taylor gets that Milk Bar cake for her birthday each year, so be sure to bring your appetite!

  1. Swiftie Sessions with our friend Katie

    6d ago

    Swiftie Sessions with our friend Katie

    For another installment of “Swiftie Sessions,” we have Sara’s friend Katie joining us today. We discuss how Katie met Taylor (!!!) during the 1989 era, how basically everyone has a Matty Healy, and her honest thoughts on Showgirl. We also go down a rabbit hole about the song “ivy,” speculate on what Taylor actually meant by the “paternity test” comment during her NYT interview, go on some tangents about Heated Rivalry and Off Campus, and we even touch a bit on the craziness of the Karlie Kloss conspiracy. Enjoy! Chapters (0:00) intro (1:28) Katie’s Swiftie origin story / meeting Taylor Swift (19:37) sun, moon and rising albums (21:57) favorite / least favorite albums (22:28) top 5 songs (23:57) hated songs (25:27) a Taylor song that feels uniquely personal to you (27:51) honest thoughts on Showgirl (35:41) Swiftie “hot takes” (46:24) defending “Jump Then Fall” (49:29) adding “ivy” to the Eras Tour set list (55:36) What song do you want a 10-minute version of? (56:24) hopes for TS13 (58:17) the “paternity test” comment from the NYT interview (1:05:02) the Karlie Kloss conspiracy (1:13:57) chit-chatting about Noah Kahan, Heated Rivalry and Off Campus (1:21:34) signing off / thank you Katie! SUPPORT US ON PATREON! Show us some love and get monthly bonus episodes and first dibs on upcoming episode ideas. We’d be enchanted to have you join our Swiftie community! Links Referenced Katie’s TikTok account Please make sure to subscribe and leave a review. If you’d like to reach out to send in a question or comment, please do so via any of these platforms: email blankplatepod@gmail.com leave a voicemail at (717) 382-831 Patreon (get bonus episodes and first dibs on episode ideas) YouTube Instagram TikTok You can also follow Sara and Laura individually: • Laura: Instagram and Tiktok• Sara: Instagram Listen to our previous podcast: Passports & Pizza

    1h 25m
  2. Unpacking "The Great Divide: The Last of the Bugs" (with Stef)

    May 22

    Unpacking "The Great Divide: The Last of the Bugs" (with Stef)

    Calling all Swifties who are also Noah Kahan fans, or who are Noah-curious! Today Sara is joined by her friend Stef (again) to dive into Noah’s newest album, “The Great Divide: The Last of the Bugs” while Laura is still on maternity leave. They reacted to the whole album for YouTube (linked below), and loved it so much they knew they had to come on here and break it down. Laura even shares her two cents in a few places via some voice memos, which is really fun. They begin by talking about how Noah’s songwriting is similar to Taylor’s before diving more deeply into the album with specific tracks, and then ending with favorite songs, lyrics and ratings, etc. A couple notes: we goofed and didn’t realize that evermore was INDEED nominated for Album of the Year in 2022. Our bad! Also, we forgot to play Laura’s voice memo about her top 3 songs from the album, so her 3 favorites are: End of August, Orbiter and Willing and Able. We hope you enjoy this one, and please let us know if you’d like us to do more of this kind of episode in the future. Chapters (00:00) Intro (1:35) Taylor Updates (11:37) Our backgrounds with Noah (18:18) Noah’s similarities to Taylor (34:22) Introducing “The Great Divide” - overall thoughts and themes (50:46) End of August (56:51) Doors (1:03:56) American Cars (1:09:21) Downfall (1:14:23) Paid Time Off (1:17:43) Staying Still (1:20:23) Haircut (1:22:56) Willing and Able (1:27:14) Dashboard (1:28:30) 23 (1:32:01) All Them Horses + A Few Of Your Own (1:33:58) Orbiter (1:39:21) Dan (1:45:20) Top 3 Favorite Songs (1:46:54) Skips (1:51:07) Best Bridge (1:59:58) Song for Taylor to be featured on (2:07:18) Favorite Lyrics (2:10:33) Rating the album (2:16:05) Signing off / outro SUPPORT US ON PATREON! Show us some love and get monthly bonus episodes and first dibs on upcoming episode ideas. We’d be enchanted to have you join our Swiftie community! Links Referenced NYT - 30 Greatest Living American Songwriters National Recording Registry Inducts Sounds of Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, The Go-Go’s, Vince Gill, Weezer, Reba McEntire and More Chats and Reacts girls react to “Stick Season” Sara and Stef react to “The Great Divide: The Last of the Bugs” Please make sure to subscribe and leave a review. If you’d like to reach out to send in a question or comment, please do so via any of these platforms: email blankplatepod@gmail.com leave a voicemail at (717) 382-831 Patreon (get bonus episodes and first dibs on episode ideas) YouTube Instagram TikTok You can also follow Sara and Laura individually: • Laura: Instagram and Tiktok• Sara: Instagram Listen to our previous podcast: Passports & Pizza

    2h 17m
  3. Swiftie Sessions with our friend Kelley

    May 8

    Swiftie Sessions with our friend Kelley

    Welcome to the second installment of our Swiftie Sessions series, with our friend Kelley! We chat about her sun, moon and rising albums, her love for the Lover album, her beef with the song “Timeless,” plus a lot of chatter about Showgirl and the Eras Tour. Of course we get into her Swiftie origin story as well, and she even recommends a Taylor Swift playlist for getting your child to sleep. Enjoy! Chapters (0:00) intro (4:40) Kelley’s Swiftie origin story (8:24) sun, moon and rising albums (17:04) honest thoughts on Showgirl (22:03) favorite album (35:27) favorite songs (40:50) Kelley’s beef with “Timeless” (46:31) songs that hit a personal note (51:14) Swiftie hot takes (52:32) underrated songs (55:12) adding to the Eras Tour set list (59:10) 10-minute versions (1:00:43) hopes for TS13 (1:03:36) other artists to enjoy (1:09:11) goodbye + signing off SUPPORT US ON PATREON! Show us some love and get monthly bonus episodes and first dibs on upcoming episode ideas. We’d be enchanted to have you join our Swiftie community! Links Referenced “The Taylor Swift Method” sleep playlist “taylor swift instrumental for studying” playlist Please make sure to subscribe and leave a review. If you’d like to reach out to send in a question or comment, please do so via any of these platforms: email blankplatepod@gmail.com leave a voicemail at (717) 382-831 Patreon (get bonus episodes and first dibs on episode ideas) YouTube Instagram TikTok You can also follow Sara and Laura individually: • Laura: Instagram and Tiktok• Sara: Instagram Listen to our previous podcast: Passports & Pizza

    1h 10m
  4. Swiftie Sessions with our friend Stef

    Apr 24

    Swiftie Sessions with our friend Stef

    Welcome to the first installment of our new series titled “Swiftie Sessions,” where we chat with other Swifties to hear about what brought them to the fandom and what Swift-related things resonate with them most. First up is Sara’s friend Stef, who is a newer Swiftie. They chat about Stef’s Swiftie origin story, her favorite songs and albums, the importance of YOYOK, honest thoughts on The Life of a Showgirl, misconceptions about Taylor, some of Stef’s favorite lyrics from “peace,” hopes for TS13 and some other fun stuff. We hope you enjoy these conversations as we fill in some time while Laura’s on maternity leave from the podcast. Chapters (0:00) Intro and welcome (6:11) Stef’s Swiftie origin story (23:36) Stef’s favorite album and songs, etc. (27:55) The song uniquely personal to Stef (31:04) Honest thoughts about Showgirl (36:12) Misconceptions about Taylor (45:03) An underrated Taylor song to defend (48:47) Adding to the Eras Tour setlist (49:38) Stef’s “10-minute version” request (50:38) Zooming in on “peace” (59:56) Hopes for TS13 (1:05:14) An artist recommendation (1:09:39) Signing off SUPPORT US ON PATREON! Show us some love and get monthly bonus episodes and first dibs on upcoming episode ideas. We’d be enchanted to have you join our Swiftie community! Links Referenced Sara’s food blog “Swiftle” song-guessing game “Wildest Dreams” at the Grammy Museum Maggie Antone on Spotify Please make sure to subscribe and leave a review. If you’d like to reach out to send in a question or comment, please do so via any of these platforms: email blankplatepod@gmail.com leave a voicemail at (717) 382-831 Patreon (get bonus episodes and first dibs on episode ideas) YouTube Instagram TikTok You can also follow Sara and Laura individually: • Laura: Instagram and Tiktok• Sara: Instagram Listen to our previous podcast: Passports & Pizza

    1h 11m
  5. champagne problems (From The Patreon Vault)

    Apr 10

    champagne problems (From The Patreon Vault)

    For the first episode of Laura’s maternity leave we are “unlocking” the “champagne problems” episode from our Patreon Vault. If you’d like more content like this from Taylor’s back catalogue, we’d love to have you join us over on Patreon for a monthly bonus episode. If you’d like to give Laura some love, you can leave her a sweet comment on her Instagram post announcing the birth of her son, Theo. We hope you enjoy! Summary We have an evermore track for you today, and it’s a doozy: champagne problems!! A fan favorite. We get deep into the lore of this song, chatting about Taylor singing this with Aaron Dessner while wearing a wedding dress, and go on a tangent about Gilmore Girls since some fans believe this song is inspired by Rory and Logan’s story. There are tie-ins to I Look in People’s Windows, Sara learns what “splashed out” means, we plan out what the music video should look and feel like, and just generally appreciate the incredible emotional storytelling and world-building of this song. Enjoy! Chapters (0:00) intro by Sara (2:58) beginning of Patreon episode (4:58) introducing song (8:49) personal associations (15:07) folk’lore’ of the song (31:59) verse 1: the night train, ILIPW tie-ins (36:11) chorus 1: dancing metaphors, crestfallen on the landing and familial ties (45:03) verse 2: “splashing out” on the bottle (49:45) chorus 2: hometown skeptics and forgotten speeches (54:47) bridge: poetry, the group of friends, which word?! and she’s f*cked in the head (1:10:25) chorus 3 and outro: all the champagne problems (1:13:32) music theory analysis (1:16:06) favorite lyrics and ratings (1:17:32) this song as a recipe (1:20:14) signing off SUPPORT US ON PATREON! Show us some love and get monthly bonus episodes and first dibs on upcoming episode ideas. We’d be enchanted to have you join our Swiftie community! Links Referenced Taylor's video of her singing champagne problems in a wedding dress Death in the Afternoon cocktail Elderflower 75 cocktail Please make sure to subscribe and leave a review. If you’d like to reach out to send in a question or comment, please do so via any of these platforms: email blankplatepod@gmail.com leave a voicemail at (717) 382-831 Patreon (get bonus episodes and first dibs on episode ideas) YouTube Instagram TikTok You can also follow Sara and Laura individually: • Laura: Instagram and Tiktok• Sara: Instagram Listen to our previous podcast: Passports & Pizza

    1h 22m
  6. The Life Of A Showgirl

    Mar 27

    The Life Of A Showgirl

    Update since recording: Laura had her son on March 20, 2026. She and the baby are both doing well! More details to come when Laura returns to the podcast after her maternity leave. Can you believe that Sara and Laura have reached the final track of the album?! It seems like just yesterday Taylor released The Life Of A Showgirl, and today the ladies are analyzing its final title track. Sabrina and Taylor take us on a fictional ride through the glamorous and brutal world of show business, and we are here for the musical theater vibes. Be sure to tune in to hear about their plans for the pod while Laura is on maternity leave! Chapters (00:00) Introduction (00:22) Maternity Leave and Podcast Plans (01:41) What's On Our Plates (15:00) Taylor Updates (21:58) Introducing "The Life Of A Showgirl" (25:34) Personal Associations with the Song (29:42) The Folk"lore" Of The Song (40:15) Verse 1: Introducing Our Main Character, Classic Female Star, Nods To Fame's Cycle Of Tearing Women Down (46:43) Pre-Chorus 1: Theater Connections, Warnings (53:18) Chorus 1: The Price Of Fame & Industry Realities, Imagining Young Taylor (59:11) Verse 2 & Pre-Chorus 2: Sabrina's Story, Escapism (01:05:10) Bridge: Musical Theater Ties/ Greatest Showman Vibes, More Poetry Ties, The Bruises and Lessons Learned From Stardom (01:13:09) Chorus 3: Cheeky Attitudes, Glitz and Glamour, Additions From The Eras Tour (01:20:13) Music Theory Analysis: Musical Theater Associations (01:21:38) Favorite Lyrics & Ratings (01:23:18) This Song As A Recipe (01:24:42) Album Ranking Comparisons (01:30:56) Signing Off! SUPPORT US ON PATREON! Show us some love and get monthly bonus episodes and first dibs on upcoming episode ideas. We’d be enchanted to have you join our Swiftie community! Links Referenced Pink Champagne Cake Recipe Please make sure to subscribe and leave a review. If you’d like to reach out to send in a question or comment, please do so via any of these platforms: email blankplatepod@gmail.com leave a voicemail at (717) 382-831 Patreon (get bonus episodes and first dibs on episode ideas) YouTube Instagram TikTok You can also follow Sara and Laura individually: • Laura: Instagram and Tiktok• Sara: Instagram Listen to our previous podcast: Passports & Pizza

    1h 35m
  7. Honey

    Mar 13

    Honey

    Sara and Laura are obsessed with today’s sweetie pie song, “Honey,” from The Life Of A Showgirl. After sharing some maternity leave updates for the podcast (and Sara’s new obsession with Wuthering Heights!), the gals get into a short, sweet, and straightforward analysis of the song. Could this be the most Lover-coded song in Taylor’s recent discography? This uncomplicated, confident track has the girls giggling and kicking their feet… especially knowing that Taylor’s renewed sense of understanding love is so clear! Chapters (00:00) Introduction (04:02) What's On Our Plates (15:24) Taylor Updates (18:57) Analysis of 'Honey' from Life of a Showgirl (22:18) Our Personal Associations With The Song (23:42) Folk"lore" of the Song (29:15) Intro: Right To The Point, Interesting Structure Of the Song (31:09) Chorus 1: Using Kind Words For Unkind Reasons, Snarls, Bathroom Trauma (36:19) Post-Chorus 1: "Blues" Given New Meaning (39:50) Verse 1: Seasonal Dreaminess, Early Stages of A Relationship, A Question...? Reference (46:13) Verse 2: Naughty References, Wanting To See Him Everywhere, Public Relationship (49:34) Bridge: A Callback To Past Exes, "Lovely" As Passive Aggressive (53:45) Chorus 3: Fun Backing Vocals (54:47) Music Theory Analysis: Odd Structure Of The Song Symbolizes Confidence, Fun Instrumentation (57:58) Favorite Lyrics & Ratings (01:03:11) This Song As A Recipe (01:05:37) Signing Off! SUPPORT US ON PATREON! Show us some love and get monthly bonus episodes and first dibs on upcoming episode ideas. We’d be enchanted to have you join our Swiftie community! Links Referenced Bee’s Knees Cocktail Recipe Please make sure to subscribe and leave a review. If you’d like to reach out to send in a question or comment, please do so via any of these platforms: email blankplatepod@gmail.com leave a voicemail at (717) 382-831 Patreon (get bonus episodes and first dibs on episode ideas) YouTube Instagram TikTok You can also follow Sara and Laura individually: • Laura: Instagram and Tiktok• Sara: Instagram Listen to our previous podcast: Passports & Pizza

    1h 7m
  8. CANCELLED!

    Feb 27

    CANCELLED!

    Buckle in, Swifties! Today, we’re going deep into the lore surrounding Taylor’s most Reputation-esque track on The Life Of A Showgirl… CANCELLED! That means Laura and Sara have prepped a whole segment unpacking the drama surrounding Blake Lively, and how Taylor keeps her female friendships close, even through public scrutiny and dogpiling. This one is a BIG one… enjoy! Chapters (00:00) Introduction (00:44) What's On Our Plates (12:45) Taylor Updates: A Rundown of Blake & Taylor's Text Messages and Legal Complications With "It Ends With Us" (45:05) Introducing "CANCELLED!" (49:27) Personal Associations With The Song (53:02) Folk"lore" of The Song (01:03:06) Verse 1: Descending Into Taylor's "Underworld," Cancel Culture Waiting To Take A Woman Down (01:06:49) Pre-Chorus 1: Sarcastic Commentary On Reasons Cancellations Happen & MacBeth References (01:10:23) Chorus 1: Tongue and Cheek Love For Friendship Embroiled In Scandal, Thorny Flowers Lore, Scar References In Past Music (01:18:21) Verse 2: Real Friends Stick Around, Mob Mentality (01:20:42) Pre-Chorus 2: Musical Theater-Esque Vibes, Tiny Violin Reference From Texts (01:29:50) Bridge: Horror Movie Instrumentation, Friendship Goes Beyond Public Perception (01:36:02) Chorus 3 & Outro: Infamy Loves Company, Max Martin Adlibs (01:40:51) Music Theory Analysis: Creepy Builds, Broadway and Rock Elements, Musical Mode (01:43:00) Favorite Lyrics & Rating (01:44:27) This Song As A Recipe (01:46:24) Signing Off! (01:48:49) Patreon Preview SUPPORT US ON PATREON! Show us some love and get monthly bonus episodes and first dibs on upcoming episode ideas. We’d be enchanted to have you join our Swiftie community! Links Referenced Candied Cheez-its Recipe Pistachio and Ricotta Swirl Cake Recipe (Reddit recipe) A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni’s ‘It Ends With Us’ Feud In Court, Online & In The Media I Read Taylor Swift’s Texts with Blake Lively — And You Can Too Taylor Swift Wants to 'Stay Away from the Drama' After Her Texts with Blake Lively Are Unsealed Jenny Slate's "Damning" Comments About Justin Baldoni Have Been Revealed Sagittarius Whisky Sour Recipe Please make sure to subscribe and leave a review. If you’d like to reach out to send in a question or comment, please do so via any of these platforms: email blankplatepod@gmail.com leave a voicemail at (717) 382-831 Patreon (get bonus episodes and first dibs on episode ideas) YouTube Instagram TikTok You can also follow Sara and Laura individually: • Laura: Instagram and Tiktok• Sara: Instagram Listen to our previous podcast: Passports & Pizza

    1h 51m
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4.8
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Join Sara and Laura as they do deep dives into the Tay-lore of individual Taylor Swift songs, react to new releases, discuss Taylor in the news, and overall just chat about all things regarding our Pop Queen Lord and Savior, Taylor Alison Swift. Each episode also touches on food in some way - It could be a recipe pairing for a song, deciding what kind of pizza each album would be, or trying to figure out why Taylor gets that Milk Bar cake for her birthday each year, so be sure to bring your appetite!

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