Andrea Swensson, who hosts The Local Show on MPR’s 89.3 The Current and writes its music blog, launched a podcast last September called The O.K. Show. It explores the intersection of mental health and creativity, the emotions that artists express in music, and how music, in turn, can impact those emotions. It’s candid and conversational, as Andrea welcomes Minnesota musicians into her home, without scripted questions, and lets them share as much as they’d like. So far, they’ve shared a great deal, a catharsis signaling a new era of openness around a once-taboo topic.
On April 13, Swensson will host a live version of The O.K. Show at Mia—a conversation with Doomtree’s P.O.S.—as part of Imagine Wellness: Connecting Around Mental Health & Creativity, a day of discussion, artmaking, and, yes, humor hosted by Mia and MPR. Tom Weber of MPR News will talk with the authors of In a Different Key: The Story of Autism while John Moe will dive into “The Hilarious World of Depression” with comedian Dana Gould and Doomtree’s Sims.
Swensson will interview Doomtree rapper P.O.S. during a live recording of “The O.K. Show” podcast at Mia on April 13.
I talked with Swensson about the issues she’s explored on the air, and how art can bring them into the open.
What sparked The O.K. Show, what made you decide to base a entire music podcast around mental health?
It’d been coming up in interviews. For instance, I was prepared to do a routine interview with Sims, went out for a drink, and within 10 minutes we were talking about our anxiety medications. It was the kind of thing I usually would have left out of a story, but I decided to keep it in—he’d given permission—because it added depth to the discussion, the difficulty of working due to anxiety. It was scary to admit that I’m on medication, but the response was pretty positive. Just about anytime I’ve been more revealing, in fact, people have responded with “thanks for sharing.” That made me think I could wade into this territory.
How do you find your guests? It’d be a little awkward to say, “Hey, I’ve noticed you seem to have issues.”
It can be a little awkward. But usually there are hints in the music, some evidence that they’ve explored the issue publicly before, and I’ll just ask: “You’ve mentioned this in a song, would you be open to talking more about it?” I always try to be upfront and say, “I’m going to do this in a way you’re comfortable with.” I do it in my house, we have wine and a snack, and I don’t have any questions written out, any preconceived notion of where things will go. The more interviews I’ve done, the more people have reached out wanting to share.
What are some of the most moving discussions you’ve had?
Claire Monesterio, who performs as Manchita, was incredibly vulnerable and emotional. It was the first time she talked publicly about her relationship with Michael Larsen [who performed as Eyedea and died in 2010 from an overdose]. They’d been together for five years, he was the one who encouraged her to rap. She hadn’t really been able to talk about his death—she got blamed for it and wasn’t able to attend his funeral. We were both sobbing at one point.
Talking to Mayda was another example of someone working through things while we were talking. It was the first time we’d ever talked about the fact that she has Crohn’s disease that wasn’t really addressed, which has prompted a lot of feedback from people about her thin appearance. Some people have clearly been through therapy and are used to talking about themselves this way and others are really going through that process as we talk—it’s interesting to find people in those moments.
How does the music come in?
There are really two aspects of these conversations: the issues themselves and how they affect the music-making. And vice versa, of course—there’s a strong consensus that making music is beneficial no matter what you’re dealing with. And sometimes you end up writing about something you’re going through, so we talk about that. What’s it like to sing about something that challenges people and is scary to admit—and then sing it again the next night and the next?
What’s your own relationship with music and mental health?
I have always had a strong emotional connection to music. As a kid, I bonded with my parents through the music they loved, and then I became a musician myself. It’s more of a hobby now, but I started playing piano—and making loud banging sounds. I worked out some stuff in my teen years that way. As an adult, I could tell you the album I was listening to during every up and down. They’re so closely woven together for me—music is an outlet and a source of comfort.
What do you hope people take from the live show on April 13?
Well, everyone will find out just how loose the format is. But I’ve had a long relationship with P.O.S. as a listener and an interviewer—I think he’s one of the most talented songwriters that we have. His lyrics are really inspiring, and to know what he’s gone through with his health [he recently had a kidney transplant] and how that affected his ability to create, it’s a rich topic and I can’t wait to explore it.
At the end of the day, the goal is simply to make it okay and normal to talk about mental health. The struggles are so prevalent and yet we rarely talk about them. You can feel alone. But as soon as you open up, other people say, me too! It’s a vulnerable space for me to be in, even when I’m not being open about my own stuff, but it’s been really rewarding.
Imagine Wellness: Connecting Around Mental Health & Creativity begins at 2 p.m. on April 13 and is a ticketed event.
You can listen to podcast episodes and find more information about The O.K. Show here.