For this interview, they unveiled more about not only the show but everything that goes into making it.
In a day and age where we are constantly swamped with new forms of content, vying to keep our attention as consumers, finding media to truly resonate with us beyond a surface level is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
But that’s where people like Glow come in. Their infectious personality and ability to traverse intrusive subjects in a fun, conversational way, make for a truly enjoyable listen when translated into podcast form. Listening to Glow makes you want to be his friend, a sentiment shared by their guests. All of this is the perfect recipe for great content.
The seed for the pod was initially planted back in 2017 when Glow listened to his first podcast and realised that while it was good, there was an element missing.
“They were talking about things, topics that I relate to like love, sex, dating, queerness etc. But because I felt like they didn’t have as much lived experience with things like queerness, they didn’t always know what to say, or some of their points felt slightly shallow,” Glow told us.
“I was thinking, oh, this is something I’m knowledgeable about. I might even be able to do this in more depth than they were able to.”
With the idea up in the air, the planning began. Next came the name, one that Glow had been casually using with friends since 2015.
“The story behind the name is funny actually. On one drunk night out, my friend was blackout and she was crying over a man that she should not have been crying over. And I just said, ‘Girl, chirpse hurts! This chirpse is not worth it.’ From then we just kept saying that, we were just like ‘Chirpse Hurts’ when we were writing stupid situations in relationships off.”
Then came the actual birth of the pod. With the equipment from the kit room at the London College of Communication (LCC), one talkative friend to bounce off and an hour to spare, the first episode of ChirpseHurts was recorded in 2019, which was just before other influencers really started to pick up on the podcast format.
“I didn’t really know what I wanted it to become, but I knew I wanted to keep doing it. I knew that I enjoyed it and the reception from the first ep was encouraging. I wanted to be as consistent as I could. But then COVID happened and I thought ‘I don’t know how long lockdown’s going to be.’ I wasn’t going to let this thing stop me from doing what I’m passionate about. So I used Zoom to have guests on the show. That worked in my favour because it meant I could pretty much record whenever with whoever.”
The topics of the show centre around relationships and life advice, particularly about Gen-Lennials from London. Glow describes themself as a diplomatic person, which is why he is typically the go-to-friend for guidance.
“I’ve always been so used to resolving conflict. I grew up the only child to a single mother, so you have to grow up quickly because you’re the only other person in the house that this adult can turn to.
“I was very money-conscious from a young age. I would give my mum advice on family situations and how to deal with clients at work and stuff like that. Then factor in that I’m someone who has always been very open about dating and I would put myself out there, and talk to different types of people,” Glow explained.
“I have a lot of lived experience when it comes to dating and life. The advice I gave would usually be good. I was seeing the positive impact that my advice was having and I’m like, why would I just limit this to my just friends?”
When it comes to what truly enthuses Glow about running the pod, is that he has created a platform where he can voice his opinion in a way that can’t be misconstrued or have to be fully explained, his own corner of the internet.
“On apps like Twitter, people can be ignorant or add their two cents on topics and you can’t filter out who responds to you. But I like that with having a podcast, the people who are going to engage with me are people who are part of the queer community. Even if they don’t agree with me, they understand more about me. They relate to where I’m coming from.”
On the flip side, however, Glow’s least favourite thing about the podcast would be “the fact that I’m producing it and that’s a lot of work. I have other things going on. I also have ADHD and don’t get me wrong, I love recording episodes, sometimes I get home and then I remember I have to sit down and listen to what I just said and edit it again. It’s kind of irritating.”
Glow mentioned that having ADHD does affect certain aspects of the podcast and is a hurdle they try to get over frequently.
“For a long while, I felt like I was chasing my tail because I would record once a week and then edit once a week and that messed with consistency. The pod taught me I have to work with my ADHD and not against it. Now I record in bulk and gradually edit which really helps. It also helps with editing because it allows me to take breaks and also not be too hard on myself with consistency, but still put the work out.”
Another vital aspect of the pod is the guests that Glow selects to have on. As much as he is the host, having someone to bounce off with great chemistry, is the cherry on top of all the hard work put into the pod.
Glow always looks for guests that are “active participants” as that is where both parties are able to engage the best.
“Good guests are the ones who are treating it as a conversation. They’re as curious about me as I am about them. Sometimes it even helps to have guests who don’t know me so that they’re more inquisitive,” Glow told us.
“Sometimes it helps to have guests who I already have a rapport with because we would already know how we work conversationally. But I think guests who are ready to actively engage and also who aren’t afraid to embarrass themselves. People who aren’t afraid to look stupid. I’ve had guests who might have been more self-conscious or anxious, which can work because as a host it’s your responsibility to bring that out of them, they just have to be willing.”
ChirpseHurts often delves into invasive topics. The conversations tend to centre around relationships, sex and dating. Glow has stated that because of this, the pod can sometimes get them in trouble, particularly when “there’ve been situations on the pod where I have spoken about situations before I’ve dealt with them in real life.”
Though this isn’t always a bad thing, Glow will use these opportunities to address whatever situation with the person immediately.
As for the future of the podcast, Glow has big plans for it, specifically in the upcoming year.
“We had a pod relaunch party and it was a huge success, the turnout was insane, so I’d really love to do something like that again, definitely on a larger scale. The event went so much better than I thought it would. It showed me the possibility of what podcast events can be. So many people made friends that day. There was such a sense of community,” Glow said.
“I would also love to put in the work to have a sit-down live show, where it’s me on stage pretty much doing stand-up and talking to other hosts.”
Expansion is the theme for 2025 and with a pod like ChirpseHurts, the only way is up!
Featured image by Sinead Owusu-Amofa