Today on It’s Giving, host Ingela Travers-Hayward talks with the incredible August Ponthier. On top of releasing their fantastic debut album Everywhere Isn't Texas this year, August is a deeply thoughtful non-binary artist using their voice to champion trans advocacy and bodily autonomy.

In this episode, August takes us back to their roots in Texas, breaking down how old-school country music was actually working-class protest music -- and how they’re reclaiming that Southern space for the LGBTQ+ community. We talk about their personal journey coming out, why trans rights and reproductive rights are essentially the exact same fight, and what it really looks like to protect your community when the local politics get heavy.

Once you’re done listening, check out and support the incredible organization August works with: the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT), a vital BIPOC trans-led policy group doing the literal boots-on-the-ground work to advocate, educate, and protect trans individuals at the Texas Capitol!

"The fight for reproductive rights and the fight for trans rights are essentially the same fight. It's about bodily autonomy."

Dive into exclusive behind-the-scenes insights by following our Substack: ⁠⁠https://itsgivingpod.substack.com⁠

If you loved this chat, please leave a rating, drop a review, and subscribe to support our mission. Don't miss next Wednesday's release, where I'll introduce another incredible artist leveraging their platform for meaningful advocacy!

On this week's episode of It’s Giving, host Ingela Travers-Hayward sits down with Dr. Dog drummer Eric Slick, a musician who has woven social justice into his creative life since his youth. They explore his foundational experiences organizing benefits in high school, his evolution navigating political accountability on tour, and his enduring focus on lifting up neurodivergent communities and individuals with special needs.

Eric shares a grounded perspective on the structural inequalities that impact touring artists and vulnerable neighborhoods alike, shedding light on the stark wealth disparities he witnesses across the country. He reflects openly on confronting imposter syndrome as an ally, the limits of online spaces when it comes to true nuance, and why localized, mutual aid is the ultimate antidote to global despair.

"If our own government can't take care of us, then we have to take care of each other."

Dive into exclusive behind-the-scenes insights by following our Substack: ⁠https://itsgivingpod.substack.com

If you loved this chat, please leave a rating, drop a review, and subscribe to support our mission. Don't miss next Wednesday's release, where I'll introduce another incredible artist leveraging their platform for meaningful advocacy!

On this episode of It’s Giving, host Ingela Travers-Hayward is joined by Sadie Dupuis from Speedy Ortiz, 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 her work with United Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) and her deep commitment to grassroots harm reduction.

Sadie opens up about the gritty reality of organizing music workers, from launching campaigns during the early days of COVID-19 to getting vital resources into nightlife spaces. She continues her work today, primarily focusing on the hyper importance of work at the local level in her home-base of Philadelphia. This conversation offers a candid look at why social media algorithms aren't built to save us, and how harm reduction serves as a deeply grounding, human-scale framework for navigating a tough world.

"Give five dollars. It makes a difference to people in your neighborhood. If you have the ability to donate your time, go pass stuff out with a group for an hour or two."

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 7 next Wednesday, where we continue to explore the intersection of the music industry and advocacy!

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!

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/

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.

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/

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.

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/

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.

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/

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.