Telum spoke to Angharad 'Rad' Yeo about Game For Anything, a new podcast she co-produces with Paul F Verhoeven, and her career in podcasting.

Introduce us to your new podcast. What inspired it?
Game For Anything is the podcast where we're disgustingly down for whatever comes 'round! Paul and I get together and share a little pick 'n' mix of first looks or stories that caught our attention on Tuesdays. On Fridays, we have the main course: a more in-depth crack into games, tech, media, food...anything!

Paul and I are good friends, both with many years under our belts as hosts and podcasters. We met over brunch one day and realised we both had a podcast-sized space available in our schedules and thought, "I love to work, let's make a podcast."

What makes your podcast unique or different from others in a similar genre / category?
I think there can be a bit of cynicism in critique / review style content, which makes sense. You're there to cut through spin and bring a sharp and expert eye to the table.

Paul and I also love getting intensely excited about what we enjoy. Paul keeps telling me about something called "Columbo", and all I need is 10 minutes at a party before I'm extolling the virtues of the Bravo apple. (It's a relatively new cultivar developed in Australia by the same guy who made Pink Lady, John Cripps.)

We wanted to find a way to marry our critical eye with our love for enthusiasm, and build a chance to be true carp for the diem. A space to dive into anything and everything and gobble it all up like the invasive, useless trash fish we are generally considered to be. Somewhere we can celebrate the bits that we're jazzed about, and just be a little jolly and positive.

You have worked in podcasting for years, both producing and presenting. How have you seen the industry change over the years?
Podcasts have always had a relatively low barrier to entry, making it an exciting space for showcasing passionate independent voices. Similar to the meteoric rise of YouTube and TikTok, I think we've seen production quality get more and more professional, and the stories more varied. The expectations from audiences are also getting higher. People are savvy. They want to be entertained, informed, and have their time treated with respect, which means having interesting topics, tight episodes, and dynamic production.

Do you have any favourite podcasters or shows that have inspired or influenced your work and, if so, how have they impacted your creative process?
I really like Song Exploder! It's extremely different to what we make, but the core concept stands out to me: it brings broad appeal to a niche thing through way of human stories. Not everyone cares about the specific synth or plugin used in a song, and while that particular bit might go over people's heads, the stories of how the artist arrived there remain compelling. Paul and I want to share our experiences and stories with each other, and with you.

It's kind of like Chef's Table (aka. the best shot TV show there is). Everyone gets something a little different from it. Some see it as just about food, some see stories of culture, others success and perseverance. And some of us just want to remark at how good every shot looks.

Not to say Game For Anything is like Chef's Table. But it's not not like Chef's Table. 

Could you share some details about the team behind the podcast and the production process?
We are a small team, and by that, I mean it's me and Paul. So far, production has been really natural. I think that's because we're talking all the time as mates anyway, and we've both got a lot of experience under our belts and an aggressively DIY spirit. Currently, Paul is doing the editing, and he puts such a fun, jazzy sauce on it that captivates your attention. He's a dream to work with. I made our cover artwork, by sticking an Apple Watch on a papercraft computer, taking a photo of it, then doing some silly photo editing.

Other than that, Grammy-nominated composer Austin Wintory did the theme music for us! It's a real treat to have a history-making composer step in to create something with us. Gives me real Chef's Table vibes.

Are there any specific guests, topics, or episodes in the pipeline that you're particularly excited about, and if so, can you provide a sneak peek?
Paul keeps promising me he is going to make something happen with Bravo apple. I don't know what, I don't know when, I don't know if it'll actually happen. But you can count this as me manifesting a Bravo apple collab.