All Episodes
Jason Isbell: Portrait of the Musician as a Young Man
It’s 2019, and Jason Isbell is recording his latest album: Reunions. As he does so, he discusses his life and music with director, Sam Jones. The result is Jason Isbell: Running With Our Eyes Closed, a documentary that explores Jason’s childhood trauma, his addictions, music, and marriage to fellow musician Amanda Shires, as well as the challenges of living through the Covid pandemic. Sam joins Matthew Sherwood to discuss the film, its star, and the importance of embracing the unexpected.
The Rise and Fall of America's Most Corrupt Police Squad
The Baltimore Gun Trace Task Force was created to fight crime. Instead its officers became criminals. In I Got A Monster, director Kevin Abrams explores how their reign of terror was finally ended by the FBI and a defence attorney named Ivan Bates. In his discussion with Matthew Sherwood, Abrams explores what happened, his interviews with the officers’ victims, and what it was like filming with minimal resources. Kevin also pays tribute to Baltimore’s beauty and brings an unexpected guest onto the podcast!
Waco: The Tragedy that Still Haunts America
In early 1993, law enforcement officers attempted to storm a compound belonging to the Branch Davidian cult in Waco, Texas. The officers were met by a hail of gunfire. They retreated and a 51-day siege began. It ended when a number of fires began at the compound killing 82 members of the cult, including 28 children. Using previously unseen footage, Waco: American Apocalypse examines what happened, and why. In conversation with Matthew Sherwood, director and producer Tiller Russell calls the siege an ‘iconic American tragedy’ with roots that go all the way back to the USA’s origins.