Tony Award-winning actor and director John Benjamin Hickey joins me on Tracks of Our Queers.

From his breakout role in Terrence McNally's Love! Valour! Compassion! to his devastating turn in Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart, John has been at the heart of some of theatre's most important queer work. Far from being typecast, John has appeared in hundreds of roles across TV, film, and theatre (I loved him in The Big C, and of course, the dad in Pitch Perfect).

Outside of acting and directing, John once presented his own music interview series on SiriusXM, My Favorite Song. It's a thrill to turn the interviewing tables on him and hear about some of his most cherished music, through a queer lense. 

The other bits:

• Tracks of Our Queers is recorded and edited between Gadigal and Ngarigo land in Australia, by me, Andy Gott
• Listen to all of the music discussed in the pod with the Selections from Tracks of Our Queers playlist
• You can email me your own queer tracks or guest recommendations at [email protected]
• Our beautiful artwork is illustrated by Luke Tribe.

Support the show

I'd love to hear about your queer tracks. Send me a voice note of a song, album, or artist that has resonated with your life, and I'll include it in an upcoming episode.
You can email me your voicenote at [email protected].
Help keep Tracks of Our Queers ad-free by shouting me a coffee right here. Thank you for your support.

William Yang is one of Australia’s most vital storytellers. For over five decades, he's documented queer life in Sydney -- its parades, parties, politics, and people -- through photography, performance, and prose. 

Born in 1943 in Far North Queensland, William came out as gay in the early 1970s during the wave of gay liberation, and later came out again -- this time as Chinese -- after reconnecting with his heritage through Taoism and travel. His landmark exhibitions and live slide shows, like Sydneyphiles, Sadness, and Friends of Dorothy, have cemented his place as a queer cultural archivist.

I've wanted to interview William since beginning Tracks of Our Queers, and have  to thank Benjamin Law for connecting us. This is a special episode, recorded in-person at Forbes Street Studios in Sydney, and William shares five songs that resonate with him, and his life as a queer person.

The other bits:

• Tracks of Our Queers is recorded and edited between Gadigal and Ngarigo land in Australia, by me, Andy Gott
• Listen to all of the music discussed in the pod with the Selections from Tracks of Our Queers playlist
• You can email me your own queer tracks or guest recommendations at [email protected]
• Our beautiful artwork is illustrated by Luke Tribe.

Support the show

I'd love to hear about your queer tracks. Send me a voice note of a song, album, or artist that has resonated with your life, and I'll include it in an upcoming episode.
You can email me your voicenote at [email protected].
Help keep Tracks of Our Queers ad-free by shouting me a coffee right here. Thank you for your support.

Kate Pierson is a founding member of the B-52s: The World's Greatest Party Band, and a beacon for weirdos and queer-does since the late 70s. 

After decades of collaborating with the likes of Iggy Pop, R.E.M., and her Japanese side-band NiNa (more on that in the episode), Kate began writing and recording her entirely solo output in 2015. Last year, her second album Radios and Rainbows was released, and at the age of 77, Kate is bubbling with inspiration and drive to create. 

Between the B-52s' legendary back catalogue (which I've only recently started discovering myself), Kate's solo work, and her reflections on her own queer legacy, there's a lot to get through in this conversation. Strap in.

The other bits:

• Tracks of Our Queers is recorded and edited between Gadigal and Ngarigo land in Australia, by me, Andy Gott
• Listen to all of the music discussed in the pod with the Selections from Tracks of Our Queers playlist
• You can email me your own queer tracks or guest recommendations at [email protected]
• Our beautiful artwork is illustrated by Luke Tribe.

Support the show

I'd love to hear about your queer tracks. Send me a voice note of a song, album, or artist that has resonated with your life, and I'll include it in an upcoming episode.
You can email me your voicenote at [email protected].
Help keep Tracks of Our Queers ad-free by shouting me a coffee right here. Thank you for your support.

I'm trying something new, and treating you, like I treat my long-suffering friends and family, to a quick voice note. 

If you can't be bothered to listen, the summary is... please email or DM me your thoughts on:

• As a listener, how much do you care about interviews with 'known' figures, or for want of a better word, celebrities? Would you rather listen to people you weren't aware of? Or do you like a balance?
• As a listener, how important to you is my use of music in the episode? Would you miss the clips of music if they were gone, or would you be fine?

You can write or voicenote me back at [email protected], or @tracksofourqueers on Instagram.

New episodes soon!

Support the show

I'd love to hear about your queer tracks. Send me a voice note of a song, album, or artist that has resonated with your life, and I'll include it in an upcoming episode.
You can email me your voicenote at [email protected].
Help keep Tracks of Our Queers ad-free by shouting me a coffee right here. Thank you for your support.

Sabah Choudrey is an award-winning, reluctant activist. He's also an author, youth worker, Pride organiser, Saturday morning Fun Run participant – the list is exhausting, but they somehow found time for me and Tracks of Our Queers.

Sabah has also featured on the Diversity Power List 24/25, serves as the Vice Chair of Trustees for the Inclusive Mosque Initiative, a Gay Times Future Fighters Honouree, and the writer of the book Supporting Trans People of Colour. 

We discuss music by Planningtorock, Linkin Park, and Dr Zeus.

Follow Sabah online.

The other bits:

• Tracks of Our Queers is recorded and edited between Gadigal and Ngarigo land in Australia, by me, Andy Gott
• Listen to all of the music discussed in the pod with the Selections from Tracks of Our Queers playlist
• You can email me with your own queer tracks or guest recommendations at [email protected]
• Our beautiful artwork is illustrated by Luke Tribe

Support the show

I'd love to hear about your queer tracks. Send me a voice note of a song, album, or artist that has resonated with your life, and I'll include it in an upcoming episode.
You can email me your voicenote at [email protected].
Help keep Tracks of Our Queers ad-free by shouting me a coffee right here. Thank you for your support.

Rhys Nicholson is a comedian, actor, and judge on Drag Race Down Under.

They began their stand-up journey in their teens, with regular train rides to Sydney’s open mic evenings, before launching onto the global comedy scene with a slot on Conan O’Brien. This, in turn, lead to a Netflix special, which found it’s way to one RuPaul. 

They’ve won countless awards, have toured globally multiple times, and are a regular panellist and host on Australian television. 

Their book DISH was published in 2023. Their experience and voice on the relationship that some queer people have with bodies and food is one I personally welcome. 

We discuss music by the Scissor Sisters, Talking Heads, and David Byrne. Follow Rhys online.

The other bits:

• Tracks of Our Queers is recorded and edited between Gadigal and Ngarigo land in Australia, by me, Andy Gott
• Listen to all of the music discussed in the pod with the Selections from Tracks of Our Queers playlist
• You can email me with your own queer tracks or guest recommendations at [email protected]
• Our beautiful artwork is illustrated by Luke Tribe

Support the show

I'd love to hear about your queer tracks. Send me a voice note of a song, album, or artist that has resonated with your life, and I'll include it in an upcoming episode.
You can email me your voicenote at [email protected].
Help keep Tracks of Our Queers ad-free by shouting me a coffee right here. Thank you for your support.

Peppermint joins me for our 50th episode. 

A mainstay of New York nightlife, Peppermint burst onto the global queer scene as a finalist in RuPaul's Drag Race's ninth season. Soon after, she became the first trans actress to originate a principle role on Broadway, and has starred in dozens of television roles, most recently in Michelle Buteau's Survival of the Thickest on Netflix.

She continues to regularly appear on mainstream news outlets as a powerfully articulate activist for trans folk, and co-hosts Town Hall: A Black Queer Podcast with Bob the Drag Queen.  

We discuss music by Kina, Maxwell, and Janet Jackson. Follow Peppermint online.

The other bits:

• Tracks of Our Queers is recorded and edited between Gadigal and Ngarigo land in Australia, by me, Andy Gott
• Listen to all of the music discussed in the pod with the Selections from Tracks of Our Queers playlist
• You can email me with your own queer tracks or guest recommendations at [email protected]
• Our beautiful artwork is illustrated by Luke Tribe

Support the show

I'd love to hear about your queer tracks. Send me a voice note of a song, album, or artist that has resonated with your life, and I'll include it in an upcoming episode.
You can email me your voicenote at [email protected].
Help keep Tracks of Our Queers ad-free by shouting me a coffee right here. Thank you for your support.

Eric Schnall is a Broadway producer and author from New York.

Eric grew up attending Broadway productions with his parents, leading to a professional career which saw him driving critically-lauded shows like the Hedwig and the Angry Inch revival, and Fleabag.

In 2024, Eric published his first book, I Make Envy on Your Disco – a love letter to Berlin, through the eyes of a late 30s gay man exploring the city in the early 2000s, running from personal turmoil and finding solace in the concrete jungle.

I love Berlin, so I was already on board, but I really love Eric's book. Berlin is as much a character in the story as any of the fabulous people in Eric's cast, and I highly recommend it to fans of Less. 

We discuss music by Prince, Deee-Lite, and the Eurythmics. Follow Eric online.

The other bits:

• Tracks of Our Queers is recorded and edited between Gadigal and Ngarigo land in Australia, by me, Andy Gott
• Listen to all of the music discussed in the pod with the Selections from Tracks of Our Queers playlist
• You can email me with your own queer tracks or guest recommendations at [email protected]
• Our beautiful artwork is illustrated by Luke Tribe

Support the show

I'd love to hear about your queer tracks. Send me a voice note of a song, album, or artist that has resonated with your life, and I'll include it in an upcoming episode.
You can email me your voicenote at [email protected].
Help keep Tracks of Our Queers ad-free by shouting me a coffee right here. Thank you for your support.

Chloe Petts is a *very* funny comedian from the UK. 

Her work is littered with brilliant examples of what I think of as 'soft' activism – she skilfully endears audiences with her warmth, before a one-two punch reminder of the foolishness of homo- and transphobia. 

Chloe is touring the UK and Australia throughout 2025, and you can find her tour dates here.

We discuss music by Tina Turner, Haim, and Kasabian (!). Follow Chloe online.

The other bits:

• Tracks of Our Queers is recorded and edited between Gadigal and Ngarigo land in Australia, by me, Andy Gott
• Listen to all of the music discussed in the pod with the Selections from Tracks of Our Queers playlist
• You can email me with your own queer tracks or guest recommendations at [email protected]
• Our beautiful artwork is illustrated by Luke Tribe

Support the show

I'd love to hear about your queer tracks. Send me a voice note of a song, album, or artist that has resonated with your life, and I'll include it in an upcoming episode.
You can email me your voicenote at [email protected].
Help keep Tracks of Our Queers ad-free by shouting me a coffee right here. Thank you for your support.

Margaret Cho. Period.

A groundbreaking comedian, actor, musician, and advocate, Margaret Cho has been smashing barriers and ceilings in entertainment since the early 1990s. She's a massive queero of mine, and I was quite honestly shook to be on a Zoom with the Notorious C.H.O. herself.

Margaret just released her third studio album, Lucky Gift, including punk pop girl group bangers, musings on opioid addiction, and a beautiful tribute to her mentor, Robin Williams.

We discuss music by Erasure, the Hedwig and the Angry Inch soundtrack, and k.d. lang. Follow Margaret online here.

The other bits:

• Tracks of Our Queers is recorded and edited between Gadigal and Ngarigo land in Australia, by me, Andy Gott
• Listen to all of the music discussed in the pod with the Selections from Tracks of Our Queers playlist
• You can email me with your own queer tracks or guest recommendations at [email protected]
• Our beautiful artwork is illustrated by Luke Tribe

Support the show

I'd love to hear about your queer tracks. Send me a voice note of a song, album, or artist that has resonated with your life, and I'll include it in an upcoming episode.
You can email me your voicenote at [email protected].
Help keep Tracks of Our Queers ad-free by shouting me a coffee right here. Thank you for your support.