Singer-songwriter. Performance artist. Comedian. Podcaster. The New York-based Macy Rodman is a creative powerhouse who, over the past decade, has been a vital voice within multiple communities, both in the city and beyond. Her fourth record, SCALD, comes out in October, so we thought it would be a good time to hit her line and ask about some of the best songs for hyper-specific situations. Give the piece a read and listen to her newest single, “5 Mile Gyre,” below.

Best song for walking through the city at night with no planned destination?

"Young, Fresh N' New" by Kelis

Best song by a band or artist from Alaska?

"Chapel Perilous” by Alter Girl

Okay, so I feel like I need to acknowledge that Jewel is actually not from Alaska, contrary to popular belief, so I'm disqualifying her, even though she has some great tunes; most notably to me "Standing Still,” "Hands,” and "Fragile Heart." I recently came across this artist named Ashley Young from Anchorage who ROCKS and has this song called "Washout" that I've been listening to a lot. Also my sibling from Juneau lives in Portland now and has a great band called Altar Girl. My favorite track from their new album is "Chapel Perilous.”

Best song to listen to when you're feeling really lazy?

“Lazy Girl” by Macy Rodman

"Lazy Girl" by yours truly comes to mind, but also "Sepheryn" by Curtiss Maldoon.

Best song for winding down after a long day of podcasting? 

"Blood Roses" by Tori Amos

Best song that is also a TV theme song?

"No Return" by Anna Waronker & Craig Wedren

THE YELLOWJACKETS THEME SONG! I listened to it for like 24 hours straight when it was finally released on streaming. Runner up is "Let the Mystery Be" by Iris DeMent. It was the theme for The Leftovers seasons two and I think part of three and it is always stuck in my head.

Best song by a rock 'n' roll gay guy?

"Good Fortune" by PJ Harvey

Well "Rock 'n' Roll Gay Guy" by Macy Rodman fits the bill! But so does "Good Fortune" by PJ Harvey or anything by Hole

Best song that makes you feel like you are in a David Lynch film?

"Atlantis to Interzone" by The Klaxons

One of my favorites by David Lynch is Inland Empire, and I feel like the energy of that film is really captured in the song "Atlantis to Interzone" by The Klaxons. But I also really love the song by David Lynch called "Ghost of Love" that's featured in that movie.

Best song by a glam rock band?

"Bang A Gong (Get It On)" by T. Rex

Unpopular opinion but I loved the movie Longlegs. I thought it was a beautiful visual poem about a latent trans Satanist getting revenge on her rural community for shunning her. Did it make conventional "sense”? No. Did it feature a framed photo of Bill Clinton in every shot to signal that the movie took place in the nineties? Yes. Did it make excellent use of the song "Bang A Gong (Get It On)" by T. Rex? You bet your ass!

Best song for dissociating? 

"Pretty Canary" by Tongue in the Mind 

An opus.

Best song that makes you think about Bushwick in the 2010s?

"Only Girl In The World" by Rihanna 

Much like the way the aliens in Arrival taught humanity how to time travel just through language, that song to me is time travel through sound waves.