‘And That’s Why We Drink’ hosts talk about their roots in paranormal investigation

October 6, 2021

This episode of Podsauce features the hosts of “And That’s Why We Drink” as they chat with Dax and Alesha about everything true crime, paranormal, and friendship. How sweet! Christine Schiefer and Em Schulz are experts on all things spooky, creepy and weird, so get that sage ready for cleansing.

But first, we must hear Alesha’s pick for Murder Most Foul. This week, she’s been listening to Parcast network’s “Cults,” a podcast about, well, cults. Hosts Greg and Vanessa research the history and psychology behind the world’s most notorious cults, finding out what really goes on within their confines. The podcast typically needs more than one episode to dig in to all the details behind these groups, so expect a series of episodes for each cult. Alesha was drawn to their first episodes, which were about, of course, Charles Manson and the Manson Family Murders.

Dax’s pick of the week is “What Was That Like,” hosted by Scott Johnson. The podcast shares first-hand stories of incredible and terrifying feats of human nature: from surviving tsunamis and plane crashes to being in a gunfight with pirates. Dax’s favorite episode, though, is “Dan Who Was Mauled By a Grizzly Bear.” We also recommend the episodes “Aaron Survived a Tsunami” about the 2004 tsunami in Thailand and “Matt Crashes His Plane In The Wilderness.”

“And That’s Why We Drink” is the final resting place for all your favorite ghost stories and true crime tales. Em and Christine each have their own beliefs in the existence of ghosts and aliens, but that won’t stop them from trying to scare each other every week. Em is actually a professional ghost-hunter in their own right: they used to work at a 300-year-old museum across the street from some ghost tour guides, where they ended up working for all of college. So, a real-life ghostbuster.

They talk about terrifying ghostly experiences they’ve gotten from the podcast, as well as working their way to becoming full-time podcasters. They attribute much of their success (over 80 million downloads) to being one of the first true crime/paranormal podcasts and being able to listen to their friendship blossom through the years on their podcast.

As for their favorite podcasts, Em recommends “Radio Rental,” produced by Rainn Wilson, and “An Acquired Taste,” a podcast diving deep into random fun facts. Also, as someone diagnosed later in life with ADHD, they love “Catie and Erik’s Infinite Quest: An ADHD Adventure” where they discuss the experiences and challenges of life with ADHD. Christine is a podcast addict, and she and Em bonded over the hilarious “My Dad Wrote a Porno” at the start of their friendship.

Lastly, for the Odd Pod pick of the week, Dax has picked Popular Science’s “The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week.” Sea slugs to frog-gut waltzing beetles, there are no fun facts off limits on this pod.