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PODCAST

Life in Seven Songs

The San Francisco Standard

What songs tell your life story? Host Sophie Bearman asks this question of some of the world’s most fascinating people. Through seven songs, guests reveal the milestones—and the music—that have shaped their lives. New episodes every Tuesday.

society & culture music interviews

All Episodes

30:14

How actress Pepi Sonuga keeps the faith, even when...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/10/28

Pepi Sonuga always knew she would become a performer. Even as a little girl in Lagos, Nigeria, watching “Barney” tapes that her flight attendant mother brought home, Pepi felt certain that someday, she’d be the one onscreen. That childhood conviction helped Pepi survive the culture shock of moving to Los Angeles at age 10, teen bullying, and years of grinding in an industry that tried to tell her, over and over, that she was replaceable. With her star now on the rise – with roles in Tyler Perry’s

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31:43

Drag queen and activist Peppermint finds joy even...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/10/21

Miss Peppermint wears a lot of hats (and wigs): drag queen, first openly trans woman on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Broadway actress, Traitors contestant – and through it all, vocal trans rights activist. She’s also hilarious, fabulous, and unapologetically herself. In this episode, Peppermint dishes on her early queer icons (think Prince and Amadeus), the danger and drama of the ’90s NYC nightclub scene – and why she’s always wanted to be anything but “basic and predictable.” Here are her songs.

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37:29

How music taught culture critic Sam Sanders to be...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/10/14

As the host and creator of numerous hit culture podcasts, Sam Sanders is known for having a finger on the pulse of pop culture. But growing up strictly Pentecostal in Texas, non-religious music was forbidden – so Sam got resourceful, smuggling CDs into the house in his underwear and watching MTV in secret.At 18 years old, just as he was getting ready to leave for Stanford, Sam’s life was turned upside down. Both of his parents suffered major health crises in the span of a few months, resulting in

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33:34

From the South Bronx to Sesame Street: How Sonia...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/10/07

Sonia Manzano knows you think of her as Maria on Sesame Street – and that’s exactly the point. Growing up in the South Bronx in a household “ruled by domestic violence,” TV was Sonia’s refuge as a child – but she never saw anyone who looked like her.Years later, when she landed the role of Maria on Sesame Street, Sonia made a choice. She wouldn’t play a character; she would be herself – on purpose. For 44 years, she served as an authentic and beloved role model for millions of kids. More recently,

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33:57

From Mozart to Drake: The music that moves Misty...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/09/30

After 25 years with American Ballet Theatre, Misty Copeland is taking her final bow this October. Just ahead of her last performance, the groundbreaking ballerina – who made history as ABT’s first Black female principal dancer – joins Sophie to reflect on her journey.From a shy girl nicknamed “Mouse” who grew up without a home for much of her childhood in Southern California, to a stunning career on the stages of Lincoln Center and beyond, Misty’s is a story of defying the odds. In this episode,

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38:14

Riding waves and weathering life’s storms with...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/09/23

Jamie Brisick was living the California dream – a pro surfer sponsored by Quicksilver, traveling the world and competing on the ASP World Tour. But beneath the “Malibu Barbie” facade, tragedy was brewing: his brother was descending into a drug addiction that would soon claim his life. Jamie left the world of surfing and reinvented himself as a writer, with his words appearing in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Guardian. But sudden tragedy would soon strike again.In this episode, Jamie

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26:36

Special Episode: The songs that shaped our listeners’...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/09/16

To celebrate one year of Life in Seven Songs, Sophie answers some burning questions about the show, shares a few songs off her list, and turns the mic to you — our listeners — to hear about the songs tied to your life stories. Here are your songs:Ronan Keating - When You Say Nothing At All Glass Animals - Heat Waves Bob Dylan - Tangled Up In Blue The B-52's - Roam Radiohead - Paranoid Android Carole King - Beautiful U2 - Beautiful Day Stevie Wonder - As Simon &

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35:36

How I Met Your Mother gave Josh Radnor 'identity...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/09/09

This week, we Willkommen actor and musician Josh Radnor! Josh is best known for playing Ted Mosby on the hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother for nearly a decade. But that success came at an unexpected cost: an identity crisis that left him feeling trapped in a character he didn’t create.In this episode, Josh talks about his formative role as the MC in his high school’s production of Cabaret, his first “almost kiss” (soundtracked by Aretha Franklin), how psychedelics helped him stay centered amidst

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29:59

How TV’s favorite couples therapist, Dr. Orna...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/09/02

Dr. Orna Guralnik broke barriers by bringing actual therapy sessions to millions of viewers through Showtime’s hit docuseries “Couples Therapy” — but her rebellious streak started much earlier. In this episode, Dr. Guralnik talks about the songs that transformed her into a "real" teenager, the therapist who changed her life, and how music has sparked both connection and conflict in her family. Plus, she draws a surprising line between Kendrick Lamar and Igor Stravinsky—and explains why therapy,

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36:16

'Everyone’s seen my tits': Keeley Hazell on...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/08/26

Keeley Hazell has lived a life that would make great television – which is probably why she inspired the beloved character Keeley Jones on Ted Lasso. In her new memoir, “Everyone’s Seen My Tits,” Keeley chronicles her chaotic childhood, her conflicted experience as one of Britain’s famous Page 3 topless models, and her journey to shed internalized shame as she reclaims her narrative.In this episode, Keeley gets real about her internal battle between empowerment and objectification, the time she

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34:23

Amanda Knox survived a living nightmare. Flight of...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/08/19

At 20 years old, Amanda Knox found herself alone in an Italian jail cell, falsely accused of a brutal murder, and facing 26 years in prison. She was called “Luciferina” in the courtroom – and far worse in the tabloids. But Amanda never stopped fighting to clear her name and tell her story – most recently, as Executive Producer of a new miniseries on Hulu.In this episode, Amanda opens up about how music became a lifeline – via the three CDs she was allowed in her cell and a paper keyboard to

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33:06

ENCORE: How Robert Reich learned to fight bullies

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/08/12

This week, we’re revisiting a favorite – our conversation with former US Labor Secretary Robert Reich, who just released “Coming Up Short,” a memoir that doubles as a national reckoning. The title is a nod to his height — just under 5 feet — but also to a country that, he argues, has fallen short of its ideals. He offers a blueprint for how to find its way back.In this episode, Bob reflects on the moments — and music — that shaped his politics: being bullied as a child, narrowly avoiding the

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41:46

Mary Louise Kelly: NPR host, war reporter, mother …...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/08/05

You probably know Mary Louise Kelly’s voice as the co-host of NPR’s All Things Considered. But you may not know that the veteran journalist has faced her fair share of challenges – from discovering she had severe hearing loss at 40 to making an agonizing choice between work and motherhood while reporting from a Black Hawk helicopter over Baghdad. In this episode, recorded live at the 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival, Sophie dives deep with the former national security correspondent, whose tales from the

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36:27

Biographer of geniuses Walter Isaacson on the songs...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/07/29

In our first ever live episode, recorded at the 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival, Sophie sits down with Walter Isaacson, the acclaimed journalist behind the definitive biographies of visionaries like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and Leonardo da Vinci. In this episode, Walter reveals why – despite a career spent chronicling some of the greatest minds in history – the most formative “character” in his life story might be the city of New Orleans, where he grew up. Here are his songs. The Neville Brothers ft

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39:46

Best-selling author Jason Reynolds writes the YA...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/07/22

Jason Reynolds is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and 2024 MacArthur Fellow who writes books for young people – but he didn’t finish a book until he was 17. Instead, Jason found his literary voice in the rap lyrics printed in cassette tape liner notes.In this episode, Jason traces his journey from a kid disconnected from his assigned reading in school to becoming one of the most influential voices in young adult literature. He opens up about his fraught relationship with his father,

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37:49

The music, movie stars and murder trial that shaped...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/07/08

Griffin Dunne was a Hollywood insider long before he became the successful actor he is today – in fact, he might not have survived childhood if Sean Connery hadn’t pulled him from the bottom of a pool. But Griffin’s story, captured in his memoir The Friday Afternoon Club, is much more than a catalog of celebrity encounters.In this episode, Griffin opens up about his parents’ divorce, landing his breakout role in An American Werewolf in London, the sudden tragedy that changed his family forever,

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37:05

Joan Osborne got famous for 'One of Us' — but finding...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/06/24

If you’ve ever wondered, “What if God was one of us?” you probably have Joan Osborne to thank. But you might not realize that Osborne didn’t actually write her chart-topping hit. In this episode, the singer-songwriter traces her evolution from a Catholic girl in Kentucky singing in church choirs, to accidentally discovering her voice at a New York blues bar covering other artists, to finally writing her own songs and sharing hard-won wisdom with her daughter. Here are her songs: So Long,

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35:05

Death, Sex, Money – and music: The mixtape to...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/06/10

As the creator and host of “Death, Sex & Money" – the hit podcast about "the things we think about a lot and need to talk about more” – Anna Sale has tackled her fair share of tough questions. In this episode, Anna shares the songs that helped her navigate life’s most uncertain moments – from leaving her home in West Virginia for Silicon Valley’s limitless possibilities, to figuring out how a radio reporter in New York City could build a life with a wildlife ecologist in Wyoming, to the moment her

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36:37

W. Kamau Bell on fighting white supremacy — but...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/05/27

W. Kamau Bell has made a career out of asking uncomfortable questions about race in America – both as a standup comedian and in his award-winning CNN series, United Shades of America. In this episode, Kamau shares the soundtrack to his life story – from bombing onstage as a young standup to inheriting “the family hardware store” of fighting racism. Here are his songs.Wade In The Water - Jireh Gospel Choir Rappers Delight - The Sugarhill Gang Times Up - Living Colour Hit The Road

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36:33

The White Lotus’ Natasha Rothwell on the 'angsty'...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/05/13

Long before Natasha Rothwell started stealing scenes as Belinda on The White Lotus or Kelli on Insecure, she was a self-described people-pleaser and peacemaker (yes, she’s a Libra). In this episode, Natasha reveals how creating some of the most iconic characters on TV today has been a form of self-discovery – one that has transformed her from a military kid trying to fit in into a creative force who has fallen deeply in love with herself. Here are her songs.Riverside by Kirk Franklin & The

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