The podcast Nocturne has been getting a lot of attention lately - and it's well-deserved. In The New Yorker, Sarah Larson writes a lengthy backstory about producer Vanessa Lowe and describes the podcast as having "a nocturnal mood, atmospheric and occasionally mysterious, that feels just right between the hours of eleven and deepest dark." iTunes featured Nocturne on its Podcast page this week as well.
I met Vanessa in 2014, when she reached out and asked if I could create the logo and later, artwork for each Nocturne episode. When I heard the podcast for the first time I was blown away by the production: a range of inspiring, sometimes creepy, stories about the night against a backdrop of well-chosen sound effects and music that evoke the shifting moods of nighttime. Vanessa's voice is perfect for this kind of storytelling, soothing and honest.
Below are some of my favorite episodes. So lie back, put on your headphones, and get transported by one of the most beautiful, haunting podcasts out there. If you're like me, you'll get hooked.
1. Shortboard: Surfer Matthew Bryce finds himself lost at sea.
2. A Catalogue of Nights: Vanessa Lowe leaves home for 6 months - this is what she heard, around the world.
3. Moon Shadow: A lunar eclipse brings out a different side of the moon - and of us.
4. 3am: Stories about how, in the middle of the night, our minds wander to dark places.
5. Look Up! We're usually doing the opposite - looking down at our phones. Paul Salazar discusses the importance of looking at the night sky.