Tegan and Sara's eighth album, Love You to Death, cements the duo's transformation from cult indie artists to mainstream pop stars. In an intimate conversation with Rachel Giese, the twin sisters talk about identity, evolution and the difference between mainstream success and selling out. 

Subscribe to UpTalk on iTunes or Google Play, or listen here: http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/https://chatelaine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/UpTalk-Episode-5-Tegan-and-Sara.mp3 Download this podcast.

Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq's new album, Retribution, debuts this week. In a frank conversation with host Rachel Giese, Tagaq talks about how her anger and despair over the rape of women — and of the environment — inspired the album. Subscribe to UpTalk on iTunes or Google Play, or listen here: http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/https://chatelaine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/UpTalk-Episode-4-Tanya-Tagaq.mp3 Download this podcast.

Podcasts to listen to right now

Gilmore Guys

Two hilarious dudes (Kevin T. Porter and Demi Adejuyigb) dissecting an episode of Gilmore Girls every week for three hours? As a mega-fan of the show, this is definitely my favourite pick-me-up podcast.

- Editorial Coordinator Alexandra Gater

Dear Sugar

Hosted by Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond, this podcast delivers “radically empathetic advice.” I could listen to Cheryl Strayed's stories forever, and there's something so compelling about being privy to other people's' dilemmas (though there's usually always something to takeaway that pertains to your own life).

- Associate Editor Dominique Lamberton

TrumpCast

If you’re like me and you can’t look away from the U.S. presidential election, you should really check out TrumpCast, an almost-daily podcast hosted by Slate Group editor-in-chief Jacob Weisberg. Not only does the show do a brilliant job of contextualizing the the absurd and appalling Trump-related scandals of the day, it also features a range of guests — historians, political insiders, mental health experts — who deliver some profound insights into the social, political and economic forces that have conspired to create this candidate at this moment.

- Editor-in-Chief Lianne George

Colour Code

This new podcast from The Globe and Mail bravely and compassionately cracks open the conversation about race in Canada. Denise Balkissoon and Hannah Sung challenge us to look past our “angel complex” (the subject of a recent episode) and confront our prejudices.

- Senior Writer Sarah Boesveld

UpTalk

I may be biased, since this is Chatelaine’s very own podcast, but the multi-talented Rachel Giese hosts an objectively engaging bi-weekly look at pop culture and current affairs. I love that the format includes both a fun panel that debriefs the news of day and a long, satisfying interview with people who ooze wisdom, including Cheryl Strayed, Emma Donogue and Kathryn Hahn.  

- Associate Editor Sadiya Ansari

invisibilia

The loose premise of this female-fronted podcast is to explore the "invisible forces" that shape our lives, which means reporting on everything from the secret power of clothes to the way social norms affect behaviour. It’s co-hosted by one of my favourite podcast personalities, Hanna Rosin, who I also listen to on Slate’s DoubleX Gabfest.

- Deputy Editor Carley Fortune

Million$

Hosted by Clare O’Connor, a staff writer at Forbes, this podcast breaks down the taboo subject of money through interviews with successful female entrepreneurs. Topics include raising money, spending money, seed investors and the ups and downs of funding a start-up.

- Associate Editor Kate Gertner

Heavyweight

The newest show from podcast network Gimlet Media, is hosted by charming weirdo Jonathan Goldstein (This American Life, WireTap). In each episode, Goldstein leads his subjects back to a crucial moment when something went wrong in their lives, and helps them to reconcile. First up: reuniting his father and uncle, who have been estranged for over 40 years. The premise sounds serious, but the result is warm, funny, a little awkward and totally captivating.

- Lifestyle Director Rebecca Philps

Still Processing

Still Processing is a new pop culture podcast hosted by a duo of hyper-intelligent New York Times writers, Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham. They are clearly besties, which makes for fizzy chemistry as they puzzle out everything from Denzel Washington's best performance to AirBnB's racism problem. And, as the excellent name suggests, they’re more interested in asking questions than in delivering definitive hot takes — a refreshing antidote to an Internet full of know-it-alls.

- Features Director Rachel Heinrichs

The Bill Simmons Podcast

Host of the HBO talk show Any Given Wednesday, Simmons talks about everything happening in sports (mainly baseball, football and lots of basketball). But my favourite episodes are when he has non-sports personalities on — like Malcolm Gladwell and David Chang — because they discuss sports news in a super-entertaining way. This might defeat the purpose of tuning into a sports podcast, but it’s definitely why I keeping listening.

- Style Director Vanessa Taylor

Nth Wave

Metro columnist (and full disclosure, my friend) Rosemary Westwood looks at women and the media. She has a knack for getting at the layers beneath the issues that concern women today, whether that’s politics or sexuality or the evolution of Canada’s oldest women’s media brand (check out her interview with Chatelaine’s Editor-in-Chief Lianne George).  

- Senior Writer Sarah Boesveld

More: UpTalk Episode 3: Novelist Emma Donoghue talks power, faith Incredible girl shows why kids’ clothes are the worst in viral video 15 stylish dresses to wear to a fall wedding

Following her hit novel, Room, Irish-Canadian author Emma Donoghue is back with the gothic mystery The Wonder. She discusses its themes of devotion and deprivation and her life as a writer with host Rachel Giese. Writer Monica Heisey and Chatelaine associate editor Sadiya Ansari join Giese for the Debrief panel to talk about what it means to "fit in" as a Canadian and the public reaction to the Kim Kardashian robbery. Subscribe to UpTalk on iTunes or Google Play, or listen here: http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/https://chatelaine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/UpTalk-Episode-3-Emma-Donoghue.mp3 Download this podcast.

In our second episode, host Rachel Giese interviews actress Kathryn Hahn, who stars in the critically acclaimed show Transparent. Naila Keleta-Mae and Monica Heisey join Giese for The Debrief panel to discuss Brad and Angelina's breakup, Tatiana Maslany's win at the Emmys and Justice Robin Camp. Subscribe to UpTalk on iTunes or Google Play, or listen here: http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/https://chatelaine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/UpTalk-episode-2-kathryn-hahn.mp3 Download this podcast.

Welcome to UpTalk from Chatelaine — the podcast we’ve always wanted to hear, and then decided to make ourselves. UpTalk features in-depth, intimate interviews with some of today’s most fascinating people — authors, musicians, politicians, business leaders, big thinkers and more — from a predominantly female, Canadian perspective.

UpTalk host Rachel Giese.

Why UpTalk? The name, as host and Chatelaine editor-at-large Rachel Giese explains, is “a bit of a cheeky push back at those dumb complaints about how women sound, especially women on the radio, about our vocal fry and our up-talk. And it’s also a signal that the podcast is going to feature a lot of women’s voices.” We also liked the sound of it.

The first episode features a candid conversation between Giese and Cheryl Strayed, the Wild author, advice columnist and co-host of Dear Sugar Radio. Their talk is an honest and intimate exploration of “radical empathy,” motherhood and regret. Strayed also delves into her counter-intuitive philosophy on infidelity: “People will say if there’s an affair it’s a sign that relationship should have ended anyway. That’s not true…. Sometimes it’s an indication that the people involved in the relationship are human beings.” The episode begins with The Debrief, a lively panel discussion with University of Waterloo Professor Naila Keleta-Mae and political commentator Supriya Dwivedi on Hillary Clinton, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau and X-Men: Apocalypse's questionable billboards. UpTalk features music by Ralph.  We hope to bring you a second episode of UpTalk soon. Until then, we would love to hear your thoughts on this pilot and what you’d like to hear in future episodes. Subscribe to UpTalk on iTunes or Google Play, or listen here: http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/https://chatelaine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/UpTalk-from-Chatelaine-Episode-1.mp3   Download this podcast.

Exciting news: We’re launching a podcast. Hosted by Chatelaine Editor-at-Large Rachel Giese, UpTalk will feature in-depth, intimate interviews with some of today’s most fascinating authors, musicians, politicians, business leaders and big thinkers of all stripes. For the pilot episode, which debuts tomorrow, Giese talked to Wild author Cheryl Strayed, writer of the hugely popular “Dear Sugar” advice column, about intimacy, fidelity and all of those annoying roads not taken. Here’s a quick preview of their conversation: https://chatelaine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/UPTALK-Promo-E01.mp3   You can find Episode 1 of UpTalk here on Chatelaine.com, on iTunes and Google Play.   Download this podcast.