Olga Koch - "I'm doing a PhD as a backup plan to comedy"

Olga Koch - "I'm doing a PhD as a backup plan to comedy"

Author: Mighty Moon Media February 17, 2026 Duration: 22:46
Russian-British comedian Olga Koch on her tech jobs, doing standup over Zoom to a silent, faceless crowd, and why she's doing a PhD as a backup to her (very successful) comedy career. Her new show Fat Tom Cruise is on sale. Get in touch giles@mightymoonmedia.com Get yourself some top class Shure microphone gear: https://shu.re/3YhV7p2 Set up Your Band's merch store, for free at Distrokid Direct: https://distrokid.com/direct/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behind every artist's public success lies a less visible story of hustle and side gigs. 101 Part Time Jobs with Giles Bidder digs into that reality, offering conversations that feel more like a backstage chat than a formal interview. Host Giles Bidder, from Mighty Moon Media, sits down with musicians and creators to talk about the grit required to sustain a creative life. These discussions move beyond the music itself to explore the resilience and practical work ethic that fuel artists in a notoriously unpredictable industry. You’ll hear how they navigate the constant shifts, balancing passion with pragmatism to keep making art. The guest list speaks to the show's eclectic and compelling range, featuring voices from IDLES and KNEECAP to Blossoms, Denzel Curry, Self Esteem, and Tim Heidecker, alongside conversations with The Last Dinner Party, Lauren Mayberry, and Crowded House. Each episode of this podcast uncovers the personal drive and sometimes unconventional jobs that allow the show to literally go on. It’s a candid look at culture and society through the lens of artistic survival, celebrating the determination found in music’s most compelling figures. Tune in for honest stories about the hustle behind the harmony.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

101 Part Time Jobs with Giles Bidder
Podcast Episodes
Stop & Chat: Hand Habits' Meg Duffy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:29
Cass McCombs and Hand Habits have announced a split 7", so Meg Duffy joins today with stories about their latest album Blue Reminder, fibbing to get in Kevin Morby's band, working as a boat hauler and getting their start…
Stewart Lee - "I left comedy for five years and started again" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:01
Stewart Lee joins on the non-affordability of bands today, alternative comedy and the different classes of comedians, losing money on tour, his old band and fighting facism dressed as a man-wulf. STEWART LEE vs THE MAN-W…
Ulrika Spacek - Measuring the property of the electron [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:22
EXPO by Ulrika Spacek is one of the best albums released this year. Rhys and Jenks tell us about prioritising music their whole adult lives, Rhys' experience of living in Stockholm, what success means to them and the ups…
Kevin Morby - "I've documented every part of my life" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:47
Kevin has a phenomenal ability to conjure up a beautiful moment from almost nowhere. Coming from DIY scenes in New York, he tells us about how he didn't really make any money in ten years playing music, before giving to…
The Scratch - "Everyone has something to contribute" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:12
On St Patricks Day at Signature Brew, The Scratch join us on how being in a band has changed them as people, busking in Dublin, the impact the recession had on Irish music and the soundtrack to House of Guinness. Their n…
Arlo Parks - "Trying to catch the zeitgeist is futile" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:07
Inspired by nightlife, clubbing and open-minded venues like Cafe OTO and Venue MOT in London, Arlo Parks' new album Ambiguous Desire is reassuringly soothing. Downstairs at the Miller, Arlo tells us about the real-life v…
Curtisy - Norm Macdonald, Mac Miller and Tracy Beaker [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:35
From Jobstown in Dublin, Curtisy joins us on working onsite with his older brother, doughnuts with his mum, how Mac Miller is one of his biggest inpos and coming out of a dry writing period. Get A Life! is Curtisy and ow…
Maisie Adam - "Football and comedy need to evolve" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:41
Currently trying not to crack up in Last One Laughing, Maisie Adam discusses her punk mum, loving Lambrini Girls and Amyl and The Sniffers, the gritty open mic circuit, online comedy and women's football. Watch Maisie li…
grandson - "You remind people the world can change" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:03
Jordan Benjamin is passionate about what his music can do for people. From a family of political campaigners, he's been co-signed by Billy Bragg, written with Tom Morello and is about to tour with Enter Shikari in Austra…
Lime Garden - "I was egg mayo girl" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:03
Chloe and Annabel join to talk us through their ridiculous jobs, Elton John, Warpaint, being a band since they were 17 and the homemade production on their excellent new album Maybe Not Tonight - out soon on So Young Rec…