By: Emma Jean, Staff Writer
The interview podcast format is as old as the podcast itself, repeated countless times by a whole host of curious interviewers. As a result, any podcast that comes along in that format and still stands out, without hooks or fancy production, is a real testament to its content. Full of Chit-Chat, hosted by author, comedian, and former Peak opinions editor Charlie Demers, does that by featuring warm, insightful conversations with Lower Mainland figures worth knowing about.
So far, six episodes have been released on streaming platforms, all featuring about an hour of conversation. Additional episodes are available on Demer’s Substack, a newsletter subscription service for creatives, but it’s unclear whether those will be released for free as well.
Since his time at The Peak, Demers has worked as a comedian, political activist, author, and, most recently, student theologian. All of those perspectives inform not just the conversations he has, but how he knows the guests themselves, most of whom are his personal friends.
Demer’s background comes through in his conversations: there is a warm lightness to the discussions, but also a deep curiosity to explore the issues impacting each individual and their work. From a City of Vancouver councillor like Christine Boyle, comedians like Ivan Decker, and an economist like Seth Klein, there’s plenty of room to discuss both the art and the artist.
That comes through especially on an episode featuring Khelsilem, a Squamish Nation councillor who is game to cover both policy and topics. Demers and Khelsilem discuss Bill C-15, a federal Indigenous rights bill which would force the Canadian government to reflect the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in their laws. Khelsilem says that this would lay the groundwork for generations of Indigenous activism. In the same conversation, they both reflect on Khelsilem’s own motivations and goals for self-improvement that allow him to pursue his work.
A common theme in the discussions is self-reflection. For these figures, usually interviewed about their work, it’s lovely and refreshing to hear them prompted to talk about their personal journeys.
Another standout is an episode featuring Andrea Jin, an up-and-coming stand-up comedian whose rising career has been altered by the pandemic. As Jin opened up on the podcast about the competitiveness of comedy, she also shared how she found solace in a forced break from her non-stop lifestyle.
One of those Chit-Chat guests is the reason many know who Charlie Demers is in the first place. Graham Clark, comedian and host of the long-running Stop Podcasting Yourself frequently hosted Demers on the conversational comedy podcast for almost 13 years. He returned the favour by joining Demers’ podcast to talk about how his career has evolved during COVID-19, and about finding a renewed sense of community.
This podcast isn’t going to have the flashy production values of a Spotify original — many episodes are interrupted with discussions of technical glitches or errors with the set-up — but it makes the heart and substance of the conversations stand out more as worth listening to.
These conversations can get deep, both in subject matter and in detail, but they also express an optimistic perspective that things can always look up.
The first six episodes of Full of Chit-Chat can be found wherever podcasts are streamed, with additional episodes available on Charlie Demers’ Substack.
