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cover art for Valerie Phillips, photographer & artist

Hellish

Valerie Phillips, photographer & artist

Season 1, Ep. 16

American photographer VALERIE PHILLIPS gives us a picture of her personal musical Hell, selecting the five tracks that will torment her for all eternity. Valerie's incredible body of work spans live music, album covers, corporate clients, and fashion magazines as well as her fascinating series of books photographing young women in their own environments. She's shot PJ Harvey, Garbage, and Florence + the Machine to name but a few, and her latest book, LITTLE BABY NOTHINGS, documents the band Manic Street Preachers at the very beginning of their career. It is quite the treasure trove for fans of Valerie, the band, photography, the 90s, rock n' roll, eyeliner, spray paint, and of course leopard print.


This episode was such a thrill. We hope you love it like we do.


Find Valerie on Instagram @wynterinspace


Buy 'Little Baby Nothings' from the Manics website - includes merch bundles

or buy 'Little Baby Nothings' on artdata (UK/EU)

or buy 'Little Baby Nothings' on Marginal Press (Japan/Asia)


Head to patreon.com/hellishpod to access episodes early and ad free, where you will find out which artists our guests will meet in Hell. You'll also get our two pilot episodes, and a bunch of other stuff depending which tier you pick - including the chance to come and work for Hell's H.R. department!

If you just want to be nice/bribe your way out of Hell then you can also tip us over at ko-fi.com/hellishpod


Hellish now has a bookshop, where you can get books written by our guests, and a choice selection of Hell literature. Help us out by ordering from us!


Find us on Spotify to hear the songs on Valerie's Infernal Playlist in full, as well as the Ultimate Infernal Playlist which combines all our guests' choices.


You can find us/beg for absolution on social media...

Instagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_pod

Facebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcast

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/hellishpod

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpod

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA for Alex's fiendishly impossible weekly picture quiz and loads more...

Instagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_pod

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.com

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_pod

Facebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcast

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpod

More episodes

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  • 6th Dec 2025: Julia Raeside

    09:47|
    The Hellish Advent Calendar is back! Every day in the run up to Christmas we’re resurrecting former guests and forcing an extra song on to their Infernal Playlists: a Christmas song they cannot stand.Today we welcome back JULIA RAESIDE, who originally joined us for episode 51. Julia’s latest book, Don’t Make Me Laugh, is out now. https://uk.bookshop.org/a/14263/9781835011881Come back tomorrow for the opening of the next door on the Advent Calendar of Doom!If you don't want to wait, and would rather scoff all the hellish treats straight away, then Patreon subscribers have access to all the Xmas special episodes RIGHT NOW, plus six others that will not appear on the main feed. You'll also get longer, ad-free versions of all sixty five episodes of Hellish so far, last year’s extended Advent Calendar, and our two pilot episodes. https://www.patreon.com/c/hellishpodHellish now has a bookshop - https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/hellish - where you can get books written by our guests, and a choice selection of Hell literature.Find us on Spotify https://tinyurl.com/hellishpodYou can find us/beg for absolution on social media...Instagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpod
  • 5th Dec 2025: Marc Burrows

    24:35|
    The Hellish Advent Calendar is back! Every day in the run up to Christmas we’re resurrecting former guests and forcing an extra song on to their Infernal Playlists: a Christmas song they cannot stand.Today we welcome back MARC BURROWS, who originally joined us for episode 39. Marc’s new book on the Christmas number one, Mistletoe and Vinyl, is out now. https://uk.bookshop.org/a/14263/9780857162854Come back tomorrow for the opening of the next door on the Advent Calendar of Doom!If you don't want to wait, and would rather scoff all the hellish treats straight away, then Patreon subscribers have access to all the Xmas special episodes RIGHT NOW, plus six others that will not appear on the main feed. You'll also get longer, ad-free versions of all sixty five episodes of Hellish so far, last year’s extended Advent Calendar, and our two pilot episodes. https://www.patreon.com/c/hellishpodHellish now has a bookshop - https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/hellish - where you can get books written by our guests, and a choice selection of Hell literature.Find us on Spotify https://tinyurl.com/hellishpodYou can find us/beg for absolution on social media...Instagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpod
  • 4th Dec 2025: Emma Newman

    10:20|
    The Hellish Advent Calendar is back! Every day in the run up to Christmas we’re resurrecting former guests and forcing an extra song on to their Infernal Playlists: a Christmas song they cannot stand.Today we welcome back novelist and podcaster EMMA NEWMAN, who originally joined us for episode 43. Emma’s latest book, The Vengeance, is out now. https://uk.bookshop.org/a/14263/9781837861644 You can hear the Starship Alexandria advent calendar here AND the Tea and Sanctuary one hereCome back tomorrow for the opening of the next door on the Advent Calendar of Doom!If you don't want to wait, and would rather scoff all the hellish treats straight away, then Patreon subscribers have access to all the Xmas special episodes RIGHT NOW, plus six others that will not appear on the main feed. You'll also get longer, ad-free versions of all sixty five episodes of Hellish so far, last year’s extended Advent Calendar, and our two pilot episodes. https://www.patreon.com/c/hellishpodHellish now has a bookshop - https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/hellish - where you can get books written by our guests, and a choice selection of Hell literature.Find us on Spotify https://tinyurl.com/hellishpodYou can find us/beg for absolution on social media...Instagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpod
  • 3rd Dec 2025: Anthony Spargo

    16:43|
    The Hellish Advent Calendar is back! Every day in the run up to Christmas we’re resurrecting former guests and forcing an extra song on to their Infernal Playlists: a Christmas song they cannot stand.Today we welcome back ANTHONY SPARGO, who originally joined us for episode 63. Anthony is currently appearing in Peter Pan: A Pantomime Adventure at Greenwich Theatre. Tickets here: https://greenwichtheatre.org.uk/events/peterpan/Come back tomorrow for the opening of the next door on the Advent Calendar of Doom!If you don't want to wait, and would rather scoff all the hellish treats straight away, then Patreon subscribers have access to all the Xmas special episodes RIGHT NOW, plus six others that will not appear on the main feed. You'll also get longer, ad-free versions of all sixty five episodes of Hellish so far, last year’s extended Advent Calendar, and our two pilot episodes. https://www.patreon.com/c/hellishpodHellish now has a bookshop - https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/hellish - where you can get books written by our guests, and a choice selection of Hell literature.Find us on Spotify https://tinyurl.com/hellishpodYou can find us/beg for absolution on social media...Instagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpod
  • 2nd Dec 2025: Janis Pugh

    09:48|
    The Hellish Advent Calendar is back! Every day in the run up to Christmas we’re resurrecting former guests and forcing an extra song on to their Infernal Playlists: a Christmas song they cannot stand.Today we welcome back film director JANIS PUGH, who originally joined us for episode 34. Janis’s film, Chuck Chuck Baby, is now on Sky Cinema/Now TV https://www.nowtv.com/watch/chuck-chuck-baby/A5EK6sKrAayemXDAA8zoGCome back tomorrow for the opening of the next door on the Advent Calendar of Doom!If you don't want to wait, and would rather scoff all the hellish treats straight away, then Patreon subscribers have access to all the Xmas special episodes RIGHT NOW, plus six others that will not appear on the main feed. You'll also get longer, ad-free versions of all sixty five episodes of Hellish so far, last year’s extended Advent Calendar, and our two pilot episodes. https://www.patreon.com/c/hellishpodHellish now has a bookshop - https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/hellish - where you can get books written by our guests, and a choice selection of Hell literature.Find us on Spotify https://tinyurl.com/hellishpodYou can find us/beg for absolution on social media...Instagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpod
  • 1st Dec 2025: Jenny Colgan

    11:01|
    The Hellish Advent Calendar is back! Every day in the run up to Christmas we’re resurrecting former guests and forcing an extra song on to their Infernal Playlists: a Christmas song they cannot stand.Today we welcome back novelist JENNY COLGAN, who originally joined us for episode 38. Jenny’s new book, The Secret Christmas Library, is out now. https://uk.bookshop.org/a/14263/9781399734271Come back tomorrow for the opening of the next door on the Advent Calendar of Doom!If you don't want to wait, and would rather scoff all the hellish treats straight away, then Patreon subscribers have access to all the Xmas special episodes RIGHT NOW, plus six others that will not appear on the main feed. You'll also get longer, ad-free versions of all sixty five episodes of Hellish so far, last year’s extended Advent Calendar, and our two pilot episodes. https://www.patreon.com/c/hellishpodHellish now has a bookshop - https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/hellish - where you can get books written by our guests, and a choice selection of Hell literature.Find us on Spotify https://tinyurl.com/hellishpodYou can find us/beg for absolution on social media...Instagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpod
  • 65. Laura Checkley, actor

    01:07:52||Season 3, Ep. 65
    It's the last episode of season three, and what a season it has been! We're ending it in style by getting the incredible LAURA CHECKLEY to give us the five tracks she will meet in Hell!Laura's CV is stuffed full of amazing shows, including Detectorists, Red Dwarf, and King Gary, as well no less than three critically acclaimed hit shows this year alone: Dope Girls, The Change, and What It Feels Like For A Girl. There really was no better person for us to finish this season with.Laura told us about her sketch show beginnings as part of Checkley Bush; her interest in class as a subject, both in her Proper Class Podcast and in her work as an actor; the earworm that has plagued her since she was a teenager; AND Alex and Daniel get very confused about what the worst job Laura has ever done is.This may be the last episode of season three, but it's not quite the end of Hellish for 2025. Come back here on December 1st for the start of our advent calendar!BUY US A COFFEE! If you just want to be nice/bribe your way out of Hell then you can tip us over at https://www.ko-fi.com/hellishpodFIND US ON SPOTIFY! To hear the songs on Laura's Infernal Playlist in full, as well as the Ultimate Infernal Playlist which combines the choices of every damned soul we've met so far. https://tinyurl.com/hellishpodBECOME A PATREON SUPPORTER! https://www.patreon.com/hellishpod to access episodes early and ad free, where you will find out which artists our guests will meet in Hell. You'll also get our two pilot episodes, a bunch of advent calendar extras, and some other stuff depending which tier you pick.FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA for Alex's fiendishly impossible weekly picture quiz and loads more...Instagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpod
  • 64. Gonzalo C. Garcia, writer

    01:08:26||Season 3, Ep. 64
    The author of Telenovela and We are the End, GONZALO C. GARCIA, gives us the five tracks he will meet in Hell!Gonzalo told us all about his new book, Telenovela, which is set in Chile in the last days of Pinochet's dictatorship. We talked about growing up in and out of Chile, beer, the stupid British citizenship test, and we got a new number one most chosen song in the history of Hellish, displacing Dancing Queen by ABBA.Telenovela comes out of November 28th 2025. Order it direct from the publisher, Galley Beggar Press. It will arrive wrapped in a lovely package with great care, and will help Galley Beggar keep publishing awesome books. If you pre-order, you'll get a signed first edition, a book mark, and three limited edition postcards.BUY US A COFFEE! If you just want to be nice/bribe your way out of Hell then you can tip us over at https://www.ko-fi.com/hellishpodFIND US ON SPOTIFY! To hear the songs on Gonzalo's Infernal Playlist in full, as well as the Ultimate Infernal Playlist which combines the choices of every damned soul we've met so far. https://tinyurl.com/hellishpodBECOME A PATREON SUPPORTER! https://www.patreon.com/hellishpod to access episodes early and ad free, where you will find out which artists our guests will meet in Hell. You'll also get our two pilot episodes, a bunch of advent calendar extras, and some other stuff depending which tier you pick.FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA for Alex's fiendishly impossible weekly picture quiz and loads more...Instagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpod
  • 63. Anthony Spargo, actor, writer, dalek, & panto legend

    01:14:03||Season 3, Ep. 63
    Actor and writer ANTHONY SPARGO gives us the five tracks he will meet in Hell! (Oh no he doesn't! Oh yes he does!)Pantomime season is almost upon on us in the UK, and so it's fitting that we plucked a panto legend from the queue of damned souls this week. Anthony has appeared in ten pantomimes, writing four of them - his Dick Whittington won 'Best Script' at the 2025 UK Pantomime Awards. We got to hear about how panto works, and why Anthony's pantos at Greenwich Theatre are a little different to all the others...We also found time to talk about some of Anthony's other work, including his time operating a dalek on Doctor Who during David Tennant's time in the part.Anthony's new panto, Peter Pan, is at the Greenwich Theatre from November 28th to January 11th. Get your tickets here.BUY US A COFFEE! If you just want to be nice/bribe your way out of Hell then you can tip us over at https://www.ko-fi.com/hellishpodFIND US ON SPOTIFY! To hear the songs on Anthony's Infernal Playlist in full, as well as the Ultimate Infernal Playlist which combines the choices of every damned soul we've met so far. https://tinyurl.com/hellishpodBECOME A PATREON SUPPORTER! https://www.patreon.com/hellishpod to access episodes early and ad free, where you will find out which artists our guests will meet in Hell. You'll also get our two pilot episodes, a bunch of advent calendar extras, and some other stuff depending which tier you pick.FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA for Alex's fiendishly impossible weekly picture quiz and loads more...Instagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpod