Rephonic
Artwork for Life in Seven Songs

Life in Seven Songs

The San Francisco Standard
Music
Incarceration
Criminal Justice System
California
Self-Identity
Songs
Public Office
Childhood Trauma
Radical Politics
Prison Calls
Family Dynamics
San Francisco
Love
Addiction
Beyoncé
A Series Of Unfortunate Events
Theater
Storytelling
Artificial General Intelligence
Oakland

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.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes45Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategories
MusicMusic InterviewsSociety & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Life in Seven Songs

Latest Episodes

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.... more

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 refle... more

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 addict... more

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:

... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Pivot
PivotNew York Magazine
Hard Fork
Hard ForkThe New York Times
The Interview
The InterviewThe New York Times

Recent Guests

Misty Copeland
An American ballet dancer and author, best known as the first black woman to become a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre.
American Ballet Theatre
Episode: From Mozart to Drake: The music that moves Misty Copeland
Mother Chaka
Beloved drag queen featured in Vogue and Out magazine
Episode: Special Episode: The songs that shaped our listeners’ lives (and Sophie’s, too)
Dr. Orna Guralnik
Clinical psychologist, psychoanalyst and star of Showtime's Couples Therapy
Showtime
Episode: How TV’s favorite couples therapist, Dr. Orna Guralnik, found her interior life through music
Jason Reynolds
New York Times best-selling author and MacArthur Genius Fellow
Various, focusing on young adult literature
Episode: Best-selling author Jason Reynolds writes the YA books he never had
Griffin Dunne
An actor, director, and producer known for his roles in An American Werewolf in London and This Is Us, and nephew of writer Joan Didion.
Episode: The music, movie stars and murder trial that shaped actor Griffin Dunne
Joan Osborne
American singer-songwriter known for her hit 'One of Us' and her explorative music reflecting personal and social themes.
Episode: Joan Osborne got famous for 'One of Us' — but finding her own voice took decades
Anna Sale
Host and creator of the podcast Death, Sex & Money, and author of Let's Talk About Hard Things.
Death, Sex & Money
Episode: Death, Sex, Money – and music: The mixtape to podcaster Anna Sale’s life
Natasha Rothwell
Actor, writer, and creator, known for her work in The White Lotus and Insecure
Episode: The White Lotus’ Natasha Rothwell on the 'angsty' music that shaped her
Richard Misrach
Influential American photographer known for his large-scale images of the American West
Episode: America, the broken? Richard Misrach photographs the country's splendor and scars

Host

Sophie Bearman
Host who skillfully engages guests with thoughtful and introspective questions, drawing out compelling life stories through their musical connections.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 119 ratings
  • I love this Podcast

    Great guests, great interviewer, and, most of all, great concept. Music is like a Trojan horse to the soul. And Life in Seven Songs wheels it right up in there. The David Sheff episode in particular is remarkable.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mfogelso
    United States4 months ago
  • Love this podcast and SF Standard!

    Love this podcast and the SF Standard! The truth about fabulous SF. But hard NO to Boudin who is to blame for a lot of problems.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ammara
    United States9 months ago
  • Beautiful life stories told through music

    I’m enjoying this podcast tremendously. The introspection, storytelling, and music are all wonderful. I love the diversity of the stories. Mr. Ive’s episode was fantastic, but I must say my favorite so far is Margaret Cho. Her message that life gets easier and to keep going was powerful.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    FirstTimeListenerSF
    United Statesa year ago
  • Great show. Great playlists.

    Love how this show dives into the most important moments in some of the Bay Area’s well-known residents through music. It makes me nostalgic about how those same songs influenced me… and there are some new songs I didn’t even know I needed to know!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Xander Vik
    United Statesa year ago
  • A San Francisco Treat

    This podcast is a wonderful mishmash of all the beauty and quirkiness that the Bay Area has to offer, and really evokes a sense of place old and new. Each interviewee brings a unique soundtrack that illustrates their sense of self and place in time, and this provides a fun tool to Sophie Bearman to uncover deeper truths. Ms. Bearman is so skilled at getting at each person’s “essence” that sometimes the subjects are not even aware of what they are revealing. It encourages the listener to review... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    At7200Feet
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate the thoughtful approach of inviting guests to share harrowing yet uplifting stories through music.
Many reviews highlight the emotional resonance of episodes and their ability to remind listeners of their own life experiences related to the featured music.
Sophie Bearman's interview style is commended for being engaging and empathetic, making guests feel comfortable to open up.
The show's unique format, focusing on seven songs that narrate life stories, is praised for its creativity and depth.

Top Society & Culture Podcasts

The Ezra Klein Show
The Ezra Klein ShowNew York Times Opinion
The Commune
The CommuneStuff Audio
Stuff You Should Know
Stuff You Should KnowiHeartPodcasts
Shawn Ryan Show
Shawn Ryan ShowShawn Ryan
This American Life
This American LifeThis American Life
I've Had It
I've Had ItJennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan
Sword and Scale
Sword and ScaleSword and Scale
Freakonomics Radio
Freakonomics RadioFreakonomics Radio + Stitcher
1440 Explores
1440 Explores1440 Media

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

From the South Bronx to Sesame Street: How Sonia Manzano made Maria a Latina icon
Q: What does the song 'Sing' mean to you?
Sonia feels the song evokes a sense of hope and yearning, resonating emotionally with audiences of all ages.
From the South Bronx to Sesame Street: How Sonia Manzano made Maria a Latina icon
Q: What were some of the moments where your lives were in sync?
Manzano reflects on how her real-life experiences often mirrored those of her character Maria on Sesame Street, including significant life events like having a baby.
Special Episode: The songs that shaped our listeners’ lives (and Sophie’s, too)
Q: Why seven songs?
It symbolizes completeness, like seven days of the week or seven notes in a major scale, representing a life fully lived.
Special Episode: The songs that shaped our listeners’ lives (and Sophie’s, too)
Q: What song did you choose to share that helps listeners get to know you a little better?
When You Say Nothing At All by Ronan Keating, which has taken on new meaning for me since becoming a mother.
Mary Louise Kelly: NPR host, war reporter, mother … spy novelist?
Q: What advice do you have?
None of us figured it out. We are all hanging on by our toenails.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Life in Seven Songs

What is Life in Seven Songs about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Exploring the intricate relationship between music and life narratives, a unique format invites guests to share their stories through the lens of seven songs that define pivotal moments in their lives. Each episode features a diverse range of individuals, from artists and authors to everyday listeners, revealing how melodies accompany their personal journeys of love, loss, resilience, and self-discovery. The thoughtful interviews, led by a skilled host, aim to evoke emotional connections and reflections on how music shapes identity, fostering a rich tapestry of experiences that resonate on a universal level. Notably, the emphasis on the transformative power of music and personal storytelling sets this podcast apart, making it a resonant cho... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Life in Seven Songs?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Life in Seven Songs. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Life in Seven Songs and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Life in Seven Songs get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Life in Seven Songs, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Life in Seven Songs?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Life in Seven Songs, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Life in Seven Songs have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Life in Seven Songs has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Life in Seven Songs?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Life in Seven Songs:

1. On with Kara Swisher
2. Pivot
3. Hard Fork
4. The Interview
5. Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov

How many episodes of Life in Seven Songs are there?

Life in Seven Songs launched a year ago and published 45 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Life in Seven Songs?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Life in Seven Songs?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Life in Seven Songs from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Life in Seven Songs?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Life in Seven Songs. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Life in Seven Songs?

Recent guests on Life in Seven Songs include:

1. Misty Copeland
2. Mother Chaka
3. Dr. Orna Guralnik
4. Jason Reynolds
5. Griffin Dunne
6. Joan Osborne
7. Anna Sale
8. Natasha Rothwell

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days