Known Associates | Episode 3: Jessica Hopper
In episode three of “Known Associates,” a podcast brought to you by New Pony in affiliation with Southwest Review, the Paranoid Style singer-songwriter and cultural critic Elizabeth Nelson talks to music writer, director and producer, author and feminist badass Jessica Hopper. From her earliest years as a young ‘zine writer to her bestselling books The First Collection of Criticism By A Living Female Rock Critic and Night Moves to her groundbreaking work in film, TV and podcasts, Jessica Hopper doesn’t just move the needle. She IS the needle.
Over the course of their conversation, Elizabeth and Jessica discuss the mighty Lilith Fair (1:33)—a late 90s festival alternative founded by Sarah MacLachlan with the emphasis on elevating women musicians—and Hopper’s involvement as an executive producer on the 2025 documentary, Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery—The Untold Story currently streaming on Hulu. They also talk about the University of Texas Press’s 75th Anniversary, Hopper’s American Music Series on UT Press, and the books that she has helped get published (21.19). Of course, they get into what the future holds (44.34), but they also talk about Hopper’s past, her upbringing in Minneapolis, and how she became the force of nature she is (47.48). Finally, they dive into her friendship with Known Associate Craig Finn from the Hold Steady and the regional specificity of where she comes from, the bands that she loves that come from her hometown, and the Twin Cities’ critics who inspired her (59.09).
Elizabeth Nelson is a DC-based journalist and singer-songwriter in the band the Paranoid Style. She also hosts the New Pony/Southwest Review podcast Known Associates, where she speaks to fellow writers, artists and musicians. Her new album—also titled Known Associates—will be released on Bar/None Records in February, 2026.
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