Feeling stressed? Chris Locke has the perfect new podcast for you
If you want to drift from the world of self-isolation and COVID-19 induced stress, Chris Locke's new podcast Happy Good could be the key for you to melt away and relax.
The premise of Happy Good is simple; for half an hour or so, Chris Locke takes the microphone and rambles a gentle stream of consciousness of his thoughts (or as he describes in a recent episode as "relaxing nonsense") over a soft bed of synthesizers.
The outcome? As Locke puts it, hopefully you "turn into one of those vibrant fuzzes that drifts through walls like a cupcake sprinkle-coloured mist."
Locke is an instrumental fixture in Toronto's comedy scene, and is known as a comedic writer and actor, with appearances on CBC's Baroness von Sketch Show and Mr. D, and a Funny or Die series under his belt entitled Learning Nature with Chris Locke.
Inspired by his father, a "real self-help cassette tape guy" according to Locke, the comedian says he's always been drawn to Eastern philosophies, which in turn has inspired his own path.
"This stuff is a part of me," says Locke.
"The world is full of hell and suffering and I've always wanted to cheer people up."
Locke himself is also no stranger to the podcast world, and has a long running series entitled Utopia to Me?. However, fans of that podcast should expect something totally new with Happy Good.
"For this podcast it's me lying on a bed envisioning the nonsense without a guest to bounce off of," says Locke.
"So in that regard it's a lot more cozy."
In terms of the future of the Happy Good, Locke says he's thought about making a collection of his own self-help cassette tapes, and looks forward to being able to do live events with guests. Locke is also releasing bonus episodes of Happy Good to his Patreon, with the latest being an interview episode with Graham Clark of Stop Podcasting Yourself, who is also a regular on CBC's The Debaters.
As for Locke's own personal social isolation situation at home, he says he's "trapped in the most comfortable pizza party prison with my wife and two daughters."
"We laugh a lot, dance, go for long walks, and my four-year-old is all about the stories in Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, so we play that a lot.
"I oblige her by playing Zelda a lot. Isn't that nice of me?"