It's Giving: Sylvan Esso

It's Giving: Sleigh Bells

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!

It's Giving: Joy Oladokun

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/ [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.

It's Giving: Animal Collective

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/ [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.

It's Giving: Sylvan Esso

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/ [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.

It's Giving: William Perry

On the inaugural episode of It’s Giving, host Ingela Travers-Hayward is joined by her husband and nonprofit co-founder, William Perry. While future episodes will feature deep dives with world-class musicians about the causes they champion, this episode peels back the curtain on their own nonprofit: This Must Be The Place. Perry shares journey from the front lines of the opioid epidemic in Ohio and a ten-year prison sentence to becoming a leading voice in national harm reduction. It’s a story of survival, the "gravitational pull" of service, and the "butterfly effect" of a single life-saving kit of Narcan. “Everyone deserves a tomorrow if that chance is to be given.” Follow along with behind-the-scenes notes and resources on the causes each musicians champions: https://itsgivingpod.substack.com/ [https://itsgivingpod.substack.com/]  Enjoyed the show? Rate, review, and subscribe to help us keep these essential conversations going. Episode 2, available now, begins our series of interviews with the musicians who are using their platforms to change the world.