Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with the Creators of Tampon Rock

Alysia Brown, Sarah Aument, and Sophie Dinicol are the creative geniuses behind Tampon Rock, a new scripted podcast that brings together everything we love about musicals and comedies, and features characters and creators from the LGBTQ+ community.

Tampon Rock follows two lead lesbian characters—Deja and Chloe—as they navigate the Oakland love and music scene with their band, The G.O.A.L. (The Greatest of All Lesbians).

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to catch up with Alysia, Sarah, and Sophie to learn more about Tampon Rock, their careers, and what they hope listeners take away.

PC: How did you all discover your passion for the arts and storytelling?
Alysia: When I was younger I always loved making people laugh, and from then I developed a passion for comedy and storytelling!

Sophie: Growing up in a theater town, Stratford, Ontario, I was always going to plays and running around backstage. The theater always felt so magical to me, and I think that is where my passion for the arts started!

Sarah: I grew up performing and landed my first big gig as Annie in the middle school musical. The rest is herstory, as they say.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your careers?
Alysia: I’d say the whole cast of MADtv. I loved that show growing up.

Sophie: Honestly, my whole family. I grew up in a theater family. My grandpa, dad, and brother are all actors, and they’ve always been so supportive of any artistic endeavors. Also my close friends; they’re all brilliant and hilarious and push me to be my most creative self.

Sarah: I have so many influences, it feels crazy to narrow it down. Although I’ve always loved Carrie Brownstein’s ability to have a serious music career as well as an insanely humorous sketch comedy career.

PC: Tell us about Tampon Rock and what inspired the podcast/series.
Sarah: I consume so much queer media, all of it to be exact, and it’s always been a dream of mine to contribute to that extremely small canon. Alysia and Sophie are such wonderful humans who bring their own skills and perspectives to the table that it was kind of a no-brainer to try and make something together.

PC: How did this collaboration/partnership form?
Sophie: We all work together at Jingle Punks, and our company had produced a podcast before, so we had the support here to do it. Sarah had the idea to write a scripted podcast and reached out to us to see if we wanted to work together!

PC: You’ve said in previous interviews that one of your goals with this podcast was to tell LGBTQ+ stories in a different light. Why has that been so important to you all?
Alysia: I think making Black/POC queer stories normalized has been a personal goal of mine. I’m tired of seeing Black stories rooted in trauma, and I felt with Tampon Rock, we had the power to change that.

Sophie: I think we wanted to show that Black/POC queer stories and voices are joyful and funny and aren’t just a niche. I think that Tampon Rock is a show that will appeal to so many people because at its root, it’s a story about love, friendship, and coming of age, and that’s universally relatable.

Sarah: I agree with all of the above. It’s so important for people to know the vastness of our experiences, beyond the trauma from being outside of White straight cis culture.

PC: What was the biggest takeaway for each of you working on this podcast? Did anything surprise you about the experience?
Sophie: This podcast reminded me of how important it is for me to have a creative outlet—especially during 2020.

Alysia: Creating a podcast in a pandemic was challenging—but honestly, very rewarding!

Sarah: I realized that I could do it! [laughs] I wasn’t exactly sure beforehand.

PC: The podcast premiered on December 3. What do you hope listeners continue to take away?
Alysia: I’m hoping listeners have an escape and most importantly, laugh during these times.

Sophie: I hope that they can relate to the stories we’re telling and yes, that they laugh! This year has been brutal, so we want listeners to have something funny and ridiculous to look forward to each week.

Sarah: I hope people embrace the weird, hilarious, fickle parts of life as much as this podcast does. It’s freeing!

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Alysia: Are You the One?

Sophie: Real Housewives of New York.

Sarah: Holiday Baking Championship.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Alysia: Mean Girls!

Sophie: Not Another Teen Movie.

Sarah: Moana.

PC: Favorite book?
Alysia: All About Love by Bell Hooks.

Sarah: The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson.

Sophie: Motherhood by Sheila Heti.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Alysia: Spring Awakening!

Sarah: I love Hedwig and the Angry Inch—the film though, I haven’t seen the show on Broadway!

Sophie: Into the Woods.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Alysia: I’d say Britney Spears, but I feel like it’s pretty obvious I’m a big B-Spears fan.

Sophie: Hmm, Ariana Grande maybe?

Sarah: Unfortunately, J Biebs [laughs].

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Alysia: Probably Issa Rae or, like, Lupita Nyong’o.

Sophie: Maybe Anna Kendrick? Says my boyfriend, anyway.

Sarah: I don’t know. Kate McKinnon?

Make sure to follow Alysia (Twitter/Instagram), Sophie (Twitter), and Sarah (Twitter). Listen to new episodes of Tampon Rock every Thursday!

Photo Credit: Sydney Goodwin