Today on It’s Giving, host Ingela Travers-Hayward is joined by Anthony Obi, also known by his stage name Fat Tony. He is an artist whose deep Texas roots and history in the DIY music scene completely shape his approach to advocacy and mutual aid. Tony opens up about growing up in Houston, sharing how organizing a benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina victims while still in high school made activism feel like second nature. He touches on a challenging question that is a common theme explored throughout this series: how does your upbringing shape a lifelong commitment to community care?

We talk about his personal experience losing his home in the devastating LA wildfires, and why he never hesitates to speak his mind or sit down for an honest conversation—even with those who hold opposing views. We also dive into his passionate advocacy for public spaces and the vital role they play in our communities.

The ultimate standout moment? When we wrap up with his urgent call to support our local libraries to protect literacy and ensure the future of great art. Tony talks about his relentless commitment to these essential community hubs and reminds us that places like the Downtown Los Angeles Public Library are not just beautiful landmarks, but necessary sanctuaries for everyone.

“I’m not good at lying or faking how I feel about something... Especially if I have a platform. That’s the whole point.”

If you loved this interview, please leave a rating, drop a review, and subscribe to support our mission. Don't miss next Wednesday's episode, where I'll introduce another incredible artist leveraging their platform for meaningful advocacy!

Today on It’s Giving, host Ingela Travers-Hayward is joined by Dan Campbell, the frontman of the powerhouse punk band The Wonder Years. Dan has spent decades in the punk and hardcore scenes, and he's always felt this deep, unshakeable need to use his microphone for good, even when it can bring him pushback. He touches on a challenging question that is a common theme explored throughout this series: when you are handed a massive public platform, how do you balance the vulnerability of standing up for human rights with the real-world friction it creates?

We talk about the messages he brings to the stage and how a quick message from the stage can spark massive conversations at family dinner tables. We also dive into how The Wonder Years have long ensured to make their shows safe, inclusive spaces for everyone – whether that means pushing venues for gender-neutral bathrooms or looking out for fans in the crowd.

The ultimate standout moment? When we talk about how our nonprofit - This Must Be The Place - provided free narcan for The Wonder Years to pass out on their entire tour this year, resulting in over 4,000 of their fans across the country equipping themselves with this life-saving medication. Dan talks about his relentless commitment to harm reduction and destigmatizing overdose prevention tools just like Narcan.

“People say to me: 'It used to be don't do drugs. What is it now?' If you do drugs, we'll save your life. Yeah, it f***ing is.”  

Dive into exclusive behind-the-scenes insights by following our Substack: ⁠⁠https://itsgivingpod.substack.com⁠

If you loved this chat, please leave a rating, drop a review, and subscribe to support our mission. Don't miss next Wednesday's episode, where I'll introduce another incredible artist leveraging their platform for meaningful advocacy!

Today on It’s Giving, host Ingela Travers-Hayward sits down with Azniv Korkejian, who creates beautiful music under the stage name Bedouine. Azniv is a deeply thoughtful artist whose global upbringing and lived experiences completely shape her intuitive, grounded approach to advocacy and human rights. We look at the question: how does growing up across different corners of the map shape the way you look at community and advocacy? 

In this episode, Azniv starts by opening up about her roots in Syria, and ends in Kentucky where she lived for many years as an adult, sharing how her personal history makes speaking out feel entirely natural. We discuss overcoming imposter syndrome when navigating complex global issues, as well as the creative ways artists can share their platforms with local organizers. My favourite takeaway? Her advice to 'think small' and focus on local care when the world feels too heavy to fix all at once.  

Once you’re done listening, please consider checking out and supporting the vital grassroots work of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) @dsausa -- the organization Azniv highlights for their boots-on-the-ground efforts organizing benefit concerts and building powerful local community engagement!

“I actually really like disagreeing with people. Where the friction is, is where the spark is."

Dive into exclusive behind-the-scenes insights by following our Substack: ⁠⁠https://itsgivingpod.substack.com⁠

If you loved this chat, please leave a rating, drop a review, and subscribe to support our mission. Don't miss next Wednesday's episode, where I'll introduce another incredible artist leveraging their platform for meaningful advocacy!

Today on It’s Giving, host Ingela Travers-Hayward talks with the incredible August Ponthier. On top of releasing their fantastic debut album Everywhere Isn't Texas this year, August is a deeply thoughtful non-binary artist using their voice to champion trans advocacy and bodily autonomy.

In this episode, August takes us back to their roots in Texas, breaking down how old-school country music was actually working-class protest music -- and how they’re reclaiming that Southern space for the LGBTQ+ community. We talk about their personal journey coming out, why trans rights and reproductive rights are essentially the exact same fight, and what it really looks like to protect your community when the local politics get heavy.

Once you’re done listening, check out and support the incredible organization August works with: the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT), a vital BIPOC trans-led policy group doing the literal boots-on-the-ground work to advocate, educate, and protect trans individuals at the Texas Capitol!

"The fight for reproductive rights and the fight for trans rights are essentially the same fight. It's about bodily autonomy."

Dive into exclusive behind-the-scenes insights by following our Substack: ⁠⁠https://itsgivingpod.substack.com⁠

If you loved this chat, please leave a rating, drop a review, and subscribe to support our mission. Don't miss next Wednesday's release, where I'll introduce another incredible artist leveraging their platform for meaningful advocacy!

On this week's episode of It’s Giving, host Ingela Travers-Hayward sits down with Dr. Dog drummer Eric Slick, a musician who has woven social justice into his creative life since his youth. They explore his foundational experiences organizing benefits in high school, his evolution navigating political accountability on tour, and his enduring focus on lifting up neurodivergent communities and individuals with special needs.  

Eric shares a grounded perspective on the structural inequalities that impact touring artists and vulnerable neighborhoods alike, shedding light on the stark wealth disparities he witnesses across the country. He reflects openly on confronting imposter syndrome as an ally, the limits of online spaces when it comes to true nuance, and why localized, mutual aid is the ultimate antidote to global despair.  

"If our own government can't take care of us, then we have to take care of each other."  

Dive into exclusive behind-the-scenes insights by following our Substack: ⁠https://itsgivingpod.substack.com

If you loved this chat, please leave a rating, drop a review, and subscribe to support our mission. Don't miss next Wednesday's release, where I'll introduce another incredible artist leveraging their platform for meaningful advocacy!

On this episode of It’s Giving, host Ingela Travers-Hayward is joined by Sadie Dupuis from Speedy Ortiz, a musician whose life as a touring artist and passion for community building have always coexisted. This conversation dives into her history of advocacy, focusing on her work with United Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) and her deep commitment to grassroots harm reduction.  

Sadie opens up about the gritty reality of organizing music workers, from launching campaigns during the early days of COVID-19 to getting vital resources into nightlife spaces. She continues her work today, primarily focusing on the hyper importance of work at the local level in her home-base of Philadelphia. This conversation offers a candid look at why social media algorithms aren't built to save us, and how harm reduction serves as a deeply grounding, human-scale framework for navigating a tough world.  

"Give five dollars. It makes a difference to people in your neighborhood. If you have the ability to donate your time, go pass stuff out with a group for an hour or two."  

Follow along with behind-the-scenes notes and resources on the causes each musician champions: ⁠https://itsgivingpod.substack.com

Enjoyed the show? Rate, review, and subscribe to help us keep these essential conversations going. Keep an eye out for Episode 7 next Wednesday, where we continue to explore the intersection of the music industry and advocacy!

On this episode of It’s Giving, host Ingela Travers-Hayward is joined by Alexis Krauss from Sleigh Bells, a musician whose life as a touring artist and passion for community building have always coexisted. This conversation dives into her history of advocacy, focusing on co-founding two impactful outdoor organizations: Kinship Climbing Collective and Rise Outside.

Alexis opens up about the gritty reality of starting and running a grassroots organization, and shares the realization that led them to move their mentorship curriculum from indoor gyms to the Shawangunk Mountains. Today, Rise Outside is an official, AMGA-accredited 501c3 structured around inclusivity, addressing socio-economic barriers, and acting as stewards of ancestral Indigenous lands rather than treating nature as something to conquer. As Alexis unpacks the idea of "compassion fatigue" on social media, this conversation offers a candid look at the tension between a frantic music career and the deeply grounding, human-scale impact of physically showing up for your community.

"If you believe in something, if you believe there is a space and there's a void, there's something that needs to be filled and you can bring life to that, do it."

Follow along with behind-the-scenes notes and resources on the causes each musician champions: ⁠https://itsgivingpod.substack.com

Enjoyed the show? Rate, review, and subscribe to help us keep these essential conversations going. Keep an eye out for Episode 6 next Wednesday, where we continue to explore the intersection of the music industry and advocacy!

On this episode of It’s Giving, host Ingela Travers-Hayward is joined by Joy Oladokun, a musician whose art and activism have been deeply intertwined since the very beginning. This conversation dives into her history of advocacy - focusing on her deep roots in faith, family, and standing up for community care.

Joy opens up about the breakdown between commercial success and cultural impact, the anxiety and hyper-communication of the digital age, and why she views protest music not as a genre, but as a bridge-building tool. It is a candid look at the tension between massive industry pressure and the tangible, “human-scale” impact of simply showing up for your neighbors.

“Instead of overreaching and being like, 'I want to start a foundation...' maybe it's like feed one, or share a meal with one.”

Follow along with behind-the-scenes notes and resources on the causes each musician champions: https://itsgivingpod.substack.com/

Enjoyed the show? Rate, review, and subscribe to help us keep these essential conversations going. Keep an eye out for Episode 5 next Wednesday, where we continue to explore the intersection of art and advocacy.

On this episode of It’s Giving, host Ingela Travers-Hayward is joined by Brian Weitz, better known as Geologist from the influential band Animal Collective. This conversation dives into his equally long history of advocacy - focusing on his deep care for community-based harm reduction. 

Brian opens up about the "duality" of social media, the burnout that comes with the pressure to speak out on every global issue, and why he eventually chose to "get off Instagram" to focus on mutual aid in his own neighborhood. It is a candid look at the transition from high-level policy to the tangible, "hyper-local" impact of distributing Narcan and knowing your neighbors.  

“I don’t know if it solves all problems, but it’s solving this problem; it was really beautiful to see.”

Follow along with behind-the-scenes notes and resources on the causes each musician champions: https://itsgivingpod.substack.com/

Enjoyed the show? Rate, review, and subscribe to help us keep these essential conversations going. Keep an eye out for Episode 4 next Wednesday, where we continue to explore the intersection of art and advocacy.

In the first artist spotlight of the series, Ingela sits down with Amelia Meath of Sylvan Esso to discuss why she moved away from "performative helping" toward the "smaller world" of mutual aid. Amelia talks about tackling public school lunch debt in Durham, North Carolina, opens up about the pressure of social media activism, and why she traded the studio for a rental truck to deliver supplies in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

“The more we can actually sit inside of our discomfort... the more our capacity for empathy and our willingness to help comes to the surface.”

Follow along with behind-the-scenes notes and resources on the causes each musician champions: https://itsgivingpod.substack.com/

Enjoyed the show? Rate, review, and subscribe to help us keep these essential conversations going. Keep an eye out for Episode 3 next Wednesday, where we continue to explore the intersection of art and advocacy.