Rachel Withers
Image credit: Esther Linder
Presents Spin Cycle
Spin Cycle aims to make sense of the 24/7 updates and hot takes we are bombarded with from media outlets, politicians and pundits all trying to own the narrative.
How and when did you first connect with Triple R?
I've been listening to Triple R for a few years now, but I first popped up on the airwaves in early 2021, when I was invited to come talk politics on Uncommon Sense with Amy Mullins. I was fairly new in Australian media at the time, and I was so excited to be asked to fill a slot that's been filled by so many incredible thinkers.
What does Triple R mean to you?
Triple R really is all about the community — and what a smart, kind, passionate community it is. It's a rare thing these days, but Triple R is the real deal, and it's such a joy to be a part of.
Describe your happy place.
That would have to be a Saturday night in the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, front and centre and surrounded by 20 or so friends who have magically materialised. That or a Saturday night at home on my couch with my 13 year old rescue dog, Maggie. I contain multitudes.
Any phobias?
Failure. I'm working on it.
All-time favourite snack?
A jar of nutella — incidentally also the first thing I reach for when the political news is bleak.
Favourite book or movie?
I watch When Harry Met Sally about once a year. If Nora Ephron had written a book version, that would almost certainly be my favourite book.
The studio door has accidentally jammed shut with you stuck inside. What five albums would you want in there with you and why?
I'll go with Stella Donnelly's Beware of the Dogs, Caroline Polachek's Desire, I Want To Turn Into You, ABBA's Thank You For The Music (this has 66 tracks over 4 discs, but I'm counting it as one), the 500 Days of Summer soundtrack, and — I'm sorry to say — Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department. Don't worry, my co-hosts do not let me play Taylor Swift on air.
