iHeartMedia Partners With ‘Disgraceland’ Host on New Podcasting Company
Disgraceland creator and host Jake Brennan has established his own podcasting company called Double Elvis Productions in partnership with iHeartMedia.
Disgraceland creator and host Jake Brennan has established his own podcasting company, it was announced Wednesday (Nov. 20). Dubbed Double Elvis Productions and co-founded by Brennan’s business partner Brady Sadler, the company will create “original entertainment properties rooted in podcasting,” according to a press release, with a total of four music-focused iHeartOriginal Podcasts produced by the company already in the pipeline.
“There is no shortage of great stories out there but not all of them fit into the world of Disgraceland,” said Brennan. “Double Elvis is a way for me to help bring to life other stories that I want to hear, from an emerging group of compelling and diverse storytellers that challenge and inspire me to continue to try and push the limits of the podcast medium. Working with iHeartRadio on this new slate gives these creators a massive platform to help them find their audience.”
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The first of the four podcasts, which will be released in partnership with iHeartMedia, is Dear Young Rocker, “a first-person, coming of age story about the struggles of young adulthood and the power of music.” The story is told from the perspective of the host, bass player Chelsea Ursin, who tackles how body image, gender power dynamics and mental health are magnified during our adolescent and young adult years. It is slated for release in January 2020.
“I’m excited to work with Double Elvis Productions because we share a commitment to showcasing the power of music through creative storytelling and I feel truly supported in my fierce individuality as a creator,” said Ursin. “They’re helping me do exactly what I want to do while I stay true to my DIY sensibilities.”
Added iHeartPodcast Network president Conal Byrne, “Through the podcast Disgraceland, we were all introduced to one of our medium’s great talents, Jake Brennan. And now, we could not be more excited to support Jake as he moves into the role of executive producer – launching his first show, Dear Young Rocker, a totally unique and incredibly touching story about a woman encouraging a younger version of herself to have confidence in herself, to believe in herself — to be herself.”
Double Elvis’ forthcoming slate of shows will be included in iHeartMedia’s “Podcast, Meet Broadcast” initiative, which spreads awareness of the company’s podcast content by airing it on iHeartMedia broadcast stations. That initiative reportedly resulted in a “massive increase” in listenership for Disgraceland — the music-meets-true-crime podcast that joined the iHeart Podcast Network in its third season — after it aired on more than 70 iHeart stations this past March. Now in its fourth season, Disgraceland has since been adapted into a book as well as a live show experience.
Double Elvis’ podcasts will also be targeted for adaptation to other media, according to UTA’s Oren Rosenbaum, who represents the company. “Dear Young Rocker and our other forthcoming shows play into a broader landscape for adaptation to television and additional derivatives,” he said. “We couldn’t be more excited.”
You can watch a teaser for Dear Young Rocker below.
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