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I'm doing great.Hi, Arrow.How are you?
Absolutely fantastic and very excited to share a conversation with you because you're writing.Whoever, it's you, right?You're the writer of this because the writing is so unbelievably in my imagination.
It is a total theater of the mind experience to be a part of this podcast.
Thank you so much.Thank you.It's not me alone.We have, you know, a great team, but that really means a lot because that's what we wanted to feel as immersive as possible.
Yeah.Yeah.Because the way that you paint that landscape in New Mexico, I really, I swear to God, I felt like I was there.The way you just kind of brought it all together as one.
Yeah, I think I really appreciate that so much.
And, you know, that's that's what makes American homicide unique to me that we're going from area to area, but really focusing on not just the crimes and what it feels like to be there, what it would feel like to experience it.
And, you know, you you're hearing from victims, you're hearing firsthand accounts and that archival court footage.And it's just It's we want you to feel like you're in it to fully know what it would be like to examine these cases.
And the way that you bring in the sound bites at the right exact time, because, you know, until I heard the angry man's voice on the phone, you know, you're getting into the story.
But then all of a sudden it becomes authentic and it's like, oh, my God, it just got dirty and nasty now.
Yeah, we know how to take those turns for sure.
Yeah.Don't you see this as modern day journalism in the way that, I mean, it's like if we would have had, we didn't have it 10 years ago.
We've got so many great writers and journalists right now in this, and you really do give us that opportunity to find that escape.
Yeah, I think so.And you know, I was a reporter for a long time.And when you're doing that, you get a minute on air, really.I mean, you're fighting for a minute 20.And in the podcast world, you can do a real investigation.
And that's always what I wanted to do in my work.And it's amazing to have that opportunity.And there are so many people who want to consume in that way.Yeah.
Listeners need to understand that American Homicide, you're traveling across the country.This isn't about just one little section or a region.For you to march into another city here, there, there, there, were you constantly on the road?Yes.
My work always had me traveling a lot.And in American Homicide, we spent a good amount of time in each area, and we're still in that process, right?
So it's also developing your sources and communicating with people and knowing that people are all on different schedules.So when you can go someplace, they might not be able to meet you there.But it's a great experience, really.
Well, and through that experience, we realize and we do know that there is crime in every city, big and small, but you really do make it the importance of that crime.
And when we're there, it's not just something that's on page one of the newspaper that's now fallen to page nine.I mean, you really do bring it out and keep it right there in front of us.
I hope so, yeah.And a lot of these cases, they're infamous to that area.But even as a true crime consumer, I promise you, these are gonna be stories that you have not heard.
So now, let me ask you this question.The interviews that you get, does anybody just thank you for not forgetting about them?That you actually listened to what they were saying and what they bring to that story?
It's happened, yeah.I mean, I think that it's so important to let this stuff live on and to have a legacy beyond whoever the killer is, right?So often we're focused on that and not that we don't.
We are combing through these people's lives, but we spend a lot of time also talking about who it's affected and hearing from them.
Have you ever gotten too close to the true crime?And they're saying, back it down, Sloan.You're getting way too close.
No, but maybe I've naively had it happen and I just went over my head, right?I'm unaware of the danger, but no, no, I've always felt, you know, like appropriate boundaries in terms of safety, maybe not in terms of caring, but I, you know,
The one thing that I would be afraid of when you get this close to death is the fact that you can always pick up a ghost or a spirit.Do you ever feel that presence?
Yes, yes.Arrow, I'm so, I'm one of those people that I believe that a place can be haunted, like The Shining, I'm a horror movie fan.And I always, oh gosh, what if I step in here and I pick it up and it stays on me?
I'm so with you on that because it just, I also think there's something about that that seems simpler than a person being so off. It's, maybe my mind makes it easier to believe that it can be based on something that they've kind of walked into.
Bum, bum, bum, bum.Yeah, yeah.What leads you to these locations?I mean, is it the murder itself or just the mystery of why?
Oh, it's the mystery.It's a mystery and it's the beauty of some of these landscapes. I mean, it's just, America is just so beautiful. I just can never get over how diverse our landscape is.
And you know, you can get on play in a couple hours, you're in a totally different environment and we take it for granted a lot of times.But I, yeah, I mean, that probably doesn't answer your question.Just, it's a, it's a curiosity that I have.
I'm sure it's gotta be while you're in radio.You love talking to people and you want to ask questions.
I do.I do.And I love doing the research.Oh, my God.And I'm so jealous of you that you get this close to the authentic research of trying to figure out a crime.
Yeah.I mean, it's a way. We have it easy though in terms of, I think that being law enforcement and what it would be like to be responsible for these investigations.And often there's so much, a community, they want answers.
And sometimes these things go unsolved for years.And sometimes in certain areas, they don't have local law enforcement.They're outsourcing it to state. So it's a really tough balance between wanting to solve something and knowing, is this right?
Do we have all the information?Are we just trying to close the book here?I can't imagine what that responsibility feels like.
Oh, yeah.Yeah, because I mean, yeah, they do.It seems like that.Boom, the book is closed.Let's move on to the next story because we've got a new crime.
But see, that's what I love about the way that you pace everything out here with American Homicide.It's not over.And when you come back from that commercial, you're going to continue that story on.And it's like, oh, my God, here we go.
We're back into this into this emotion again.
Yeah, it's not over.That is such a perfect way to put it.And that's something that we hear over and over.And let me tell you, it is always one person just being the that's, oh, what is that?The squeaky wheel, I'm blanking.
You know, there's someone who's relentless.So here's my advice for anyone listening.Have a relentless person in your life.Assign them, say, hey, if anything ever happens to me, you are going to be the person making sure no one forgets.
Because man, it's so much respect for those people.
You even invite listeners to share their experiences.I mean, it's wide open for them to reach out to you.
Please, yes.I mean, I would be so grateful for that.
For anyone who has feedback or will entrust us with their stories or knows of something that's happened in their area that they believe deserves more coverage, please reach out to American Homicide and myself.
I mean, if it is me, but you know, and I would love to hear from anyone listening.♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, Riley ♪
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About a minute or so ago, you talked about the lay of the land and how important it is and how you believe that there's so much diversity in this country when it comes to the land.I live in a forest.
I understand the lay of the land, but I also believe that the land is speaking to us at all times.When you walk into an area, do you go, oh, there's been something bad that's happened here and I got to find it?
Errol, you're so speaking my language.Yes. There is a feeling, I was saying earlier, it can stick to your skin in a certain way, and you just know that something is off.
And it's funny because I also think when you're visiting an area, or I should say when you live someplace, things can start to get normalized, right?
You know, if you live near the bayou and you're kind of used to maybe a more swampy environment, and by the way, a lot of the language I use to describe an area is because it feels universal, but I also understand that if you live there locally, for example, when we're talking about New Mexico,
It's, to me, I mean, I'm feeling desert, but then you talk to some people there and they're, I mean, it's lush.So it's also really interesting how, depending on where you've grown up, you can perceive an environment really differently.
Let's go back to New Mexico because I like the way that you also describe the people there.That we all assume when it comes to, if we've never been to New Mexico, we on the outside assume, assume.
And you really do bring out the people in this in the way of saying, hey look, here's how it really is guys.
Yeah, I mean, don't we all assume that people are, I mean, and there's, there's endless ways that we look at people who are not us.And it's always with a bit of a raised eyebrow.
And I hope that with this show, you can get a better understanding of people's communities and just how close they are.
That's the thing that has moved me so much that years and years later, after something can happen, I mean, I'm just thinking in, in New Mexico and in the
first story we get into, there's a local priest who just cares so much about making sure that while people are scared in their community and not really knowing, like, is it so safe here?Creating some sort of safe environment for people.
We find that everywhere.But man, oh, yeah, the stories stay with you, for sure.
Your connection to iHeartRadio, what I love about when you go to the podcast is that I get the transcripts with it as well and there are many times that I will hear something in the podcast and then I've got to go to the transcript to just make sure that I heard it correctly.
I love that connection with the way that you've done that with this podcast.
Thank you.It's so funny that you say that because I'm someone, when I watch movies, I have to have the captions on.I need to read it.And I've thought so many times, man, I want to read the script of a podcast I'm listening to.
And then I think, am I just describing a book? At what point am I totally getting removed from the audio space?But yeah, I hope so.We spend a lot of time and care on the scripts, and I feel so grateful.
I mean, I Heart has been such a huge supporter of American Homicide, and they're incredible, incredible to work with.
One of the things that we hear a lot about from authors as well as musicians is the enormous amount of time that it takes to release an album or to get a book ready.We never hear the story of the podcaster such as this, American Homicide.
How long did it take?This is not like, oh, I'm going to go out and get some sound bites.I'll be back in 20 minutes.
Oh, this started as we were making a TV show.And then, well, you know what?Maybe this is better for the audio space.I mean, a year, it feels endless, really.It's always morphing.And I think it's so, you have to be flexible around that, right?
Because any expectation you had for how a project will turn out, it's, you can never know.And frankly, I feel so, I just was thinking, I hope anyone, I hope someone listens.I hope someone likes it.If one person likes it, that'd be so great.
And I'm not saying this to have some sort of fake humility, right?You have no idea.You don't know when you put something out there.And this week we were, Seven in true crime and in the top 30 and I just I'm gobsmacked I can't believe it.
I feel so grateful I'm always thinking about that listener that will that'll come around 10 years 15 years from now because I did an interview back in 2014 with Roy Clark from country music and to this day the dang thing is getting hundreds of listens.
It's like what the hell Yeah, I mean, that's what I think that is He's a legend.Either that or I asked the right question and somebody's still going, did he really ask that question?I don't know, but that's what I love about podcasting.
Unlike radio where it went out there and fell to the ground and you never heard it again, in podcasting you can always go back.
Well, I have to see this interview.What did you ask him?
You know, I I'm so I'm not one of those guys that goes back and listens.And the reason why is because it's like that's who we were in that moment of now.But now I've got a different interpretation.So but I do need to go back and listen.
That's like this past week.
A big one came up that it was with these future broadcasters from 2016 that happened to come into my studio at iHeartRadio.And I thought, let's talk.
Let's just have a conversation about where you are as a teenager and where I am as a broadcaster of multiple years.Are we mixing?We were so far away from each other, but it's a big thing.And I'm going, how did this come out of the ground?
Wow.And it's going to happen to you, Sloan. You think?I do.I think so.I hope.You know, I've been doing this for journalism for a long time and I don't, I'm trying to, you just made me think, have I gone back and watched?And no, I don't.
Do people ever ask you, oh, how do you, how can you stay on the sound of your own voice?Do you get asked that?
I do.And I say, I don't like it.You just get used to it.
I love the sound of my voice and he's saying, oh my God, people are listening to this.I just have the gift of, I don't care anymore.It's such a blessing.That cringe is in me, but you get tougher around it.You're like, ugh, whatever.
Yeah, but is your speaking voice the very voice that you're hearing while you're writing it in the scripts?
No, no.And I think I even start out the podcast in a slightly different tone and then it gets to in the center and it's just something I drop into.You can't help it.
I think we all kind of take on a different voice when we're talking to our friends versus our parents versus our colleagues.
And I believe mine's consistent in a way that feels authentic, but these stories deserve, so they have a certain gravitas to them.There's importance.And I do try to make sure that that comes through in my tone.
Yeah, yeah, because you're speaking to the future actually what do I call it?
I got dear future readers basically the way I Experienced that in the way that even though you're writing it in the presence of now It's for somebody that's going to discover it later on and but you're gonna make them feel like in their own presence of now That they're part of that story
Yes.Wow.I sure hope so.I mean, that's the immersive element that we were talking about at the beginning, right?You don't want anyone to feel like they're on the outside.
It's, I, I used to sometimes, that was my big thing actually in news that I always disliked.
I felt so uncomfortable with, and they would tell a story and they would assume that everyone knew the background or they would say, I always, I disliked the language.Well, unless you're living under a rock. Yeah, you're talking about this every day.
That doesn't make what you're talking about more important than what other people are talking about.And I never want anyone to feel on the outside.
I want, you know, when you're listening to these stories for you to know what it's like beginning to end and what it feels like for people when they're just experiencing it.
You've got to come back to this show anytime in the future.The door is always going to be open for you.
Thank you, Arrow.I would love that.I love talking to you.Really.Appreciate it so much.
Well, you be brilliant today, okay?
Thank you.Thank you.I'll do my best.
Have a good weekend, Arrow.
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