Tommy B, Liz Toussaint, and Poisonous launch flagship podcast celebrating ignored Chicago music tales
The AUX Community, led by Tommy B, Liz Toussaint and Tremendous Producer Poisonous, is launching its flagship podcast throughout the opening night time of the XL25 Movie Pageant at Hyde Park Labs on Aug. 14. The Chicago-based artistic collective has spent a 12 months filming episodes with native legends together with Grammy Award-winning J. Ivy, R&B icon Danny Boy and hip-hop duo Do or Die. Their mission: to offer Chicago artists their flowers whereas they will nonetheless scent them, telling tales that mainstream media typically overlooks.
What impressed the creation of the AUX Community and the podcast?
Tommy B: It began as a podcast at first. It wasn’t a community at first. I got here up with it as a result of I wished to shine the sunshine on all of our legends and up-and-coming stars. We have been seeing that when it got here all the way down to different folks interviewing our of us, they weren’t giving them the questions they wanted to drag the correct solutions out of them. The explanation it seemed like that’s as a result of they don’t know them. We have to provide you with one thing the place we will shine the sunshine on our folks and provides them their flowers.
We pulled in one among our companions, Yancy Watkins, who’s actual massive on the enterprise aspect of issues. When he noticed what we have been doing, he was like, “Man, it’s not just a few little podcast. You guys acquired a complete community that’s happening right here. There’s a complete ecosystem inside this factor that y’all in all probability not seeing.” So we acquired with him, and it went from the AUX podcast to the AUX Community.
Why was the opening night time of the XL Movie Pageant the proper time to launch?
Liz Toussaint: It was the proper time as a result of it was God’s timing. We didn’t plan it in any respect. It simply occurred. We met with Troy, there was a chance there. We have been nonetheless in strategy of finalizing every part. We did it very gradual. We’ve been filming the podcast for a 12 months, so this isn’t a podcast that we simply jumped on, filmed it and put it out. We’ve been sitting with it and curating it, after which when Troy discovered, he supplied us a chance to host the opening night time for the XL25 Movie Pageant. We determined that we might launch the small model of the location on that date. It actually simply was divine timing, truthfully.
What episode stands out probably the most out of your recordings up to now?
Poisonous: All of them sort of stood out. With this podcast, we wished to shine a light-weight on our folks and allow them to inform their tales. Loads of instances, these tales get missed with different locations and different people who inform our tales, as a result of they don’t actually know our tales. We do. We wished to ensure our folks get that shine and we’re capable of allow them to inform their story amongst the people who they know.
The J. Ivy one was actually the one for me, as a result of we have been all slightly toasted on that present, and we simply actually let free. Jay Ivey was ready — any person who is aware of Jay Ivey very nicely was like, “I didn’t even know that about him” after they noticed the podcast. He calls what we do when we now have our little drink on the present “continuity.”
Why was it essential to concentrate on Chicago artists and their tales proper now?
Poisonous: We felt prefer it was the proper timing for us to seize these artists and say, “Look, come on our present and inform your story.” After they inform their story, it evokes the youthful folks to grasp the struggles that they went by means of and know what they will truly accomplish, seeing their accomplishments. I believe we’ve completed that up to now with the episodes that we acquired to date.
In a world the place podcasting has taken over, what makes the AUX podcast stand out?
Liz Toussaint: We’re actual. We’re real. What units us aside is we’re actually Chicago. All of us are born and raised in Chicago, we’re from the south aspect, the west aspect and slightly bit from the east aspect, and I believe that we convey the genuine Chicago voice to the ears of people that wouldn’t in any other case have the power to listen to our particular expertise in Chicago. Chicago acquired a whole lot of completely different energies, and I don’t suppose that individuals truly expertise the creatives, as a result of that’s who we’re. We’re the creatives of Chicago.
How do you envision the AUX podcast rising past this launch occasion?
Poisonous: The podcast is gonna develop as a result of the community is gonna develop. We’ve put collectively a community that goes together with the podcast. Our entire aim is to not simply have our present — our present is the flagship present for the precise community. Now we have podcast TV that we’re introducing to the world, which will probably be different podcasts which can be below the AUX podcast vertical.
The standard of what we do is what we love about what we do. We’re not simply placing out podcasts with a microphone and two or three folks speaking. It’s actual high quality. There are extra reveals than something. Now we have inserts, we actually inform a narrative, it appears to be like like the standard that every other TV present would appear to be. It’s not only a regular podcast. That’s the distinction.
What’s one factor you’ll need folks to really feel after they stroll away from listening to one among your episodes?
Liz Toussaint: I might need any person to stroll away feeling like they only sat with a bunch of their mates and simply chopped it up. You know the way once you ain’t seen your good friend in a very long time, and y’all simply go have a drink, or sit on the sofa, and you are taking the time to cut it up with that individual? That’s how it’s after we’re collectively. When folks take heed to us, I hope that they really feel seen, heard, understood and unguarded.
Poisonous: On the finish of each present, Liz does this “What We’ve Discovered As we speak” factor. Our factor is to have an effect on the tradition, the youthful technology, and provides them data of issues that they in all probability don’t have data of regarding the Chicago tradition, but in addition making an attempt to steer them in the correct course. On the finish of every present, Liz tells them one thing that they will study from what we talked about with our friends.
The place can folks discover the AUX podcast on-line?
Tommy B: Yow will discover us on social media, the Auxiliary Pod — that’s our podcast socials. Yow will discover us anyplace, Twitter, Instagram, all socials. The community aspect is AuxNet Media. That’s all socials for the community aspect.
Poisonous: In an effort to see our prolonged variations of our podcast, and likewise behind-the-scenes stuff, and all the extra stuff, together with the longer clips of our podcast, you would need to be part of and subscribe to our community that’ll be launching in November, and that’s theauxnetwork.com. That’ll be launching in November, together with all our different wonderful content material.
