"The Last Resort" Podcast Premieres About California's Independence

 You might think that a podcast that documents an organized movement for California to succeed from the United States would be a dizzy narrative about hippies, tree huggers, and people on the fringes. You might roll your eyes and whisper, "California people," but the podcast doesn't judge. It explains and clarifies.

It's not. Instead, it's an insightful and compelling narrative about competing visions for the United States. This podcast is especially timely now, since earlier this year, the Texas Republican Party in June urged the Texas legislature to a require a referendum on Texas succeeding from the union. Even Mississippi has made noise about leaving the union, but the state can find no one to say stop.

Anyway, this documentary podcast series is hosted by activist and musician Xiuhtezcatl Martinez (phonetic spelling: shoo-TEZ-kaht), follows the rise, fall, and rebirth of Calexit: the campaign for Californian Independence.

The first two episodes premiered on October 18. New single episodes will be released weekly on Tuesdays

 Martinez, a musician, activist, and a prolific voice for his generation, is a gifted narrator for the first season of the podcast. In the eight episodes, he dives deep into the rise, fall, and rebirth of the Calexit movement (a campaign for California’s independence) to explore what would happen if California seceded from the United States. 

Over eight half-hour episodes, Martinez guides listeners through Calexit’s origin story, the organizers’ alternative vision for America’s future, and how two friends who started on the political fringe ended up in the middle of a still-unfolding global criminal conspiracy involving the FBI and Russian Intelligence.  

The Last Resort  was developed by Interval Presents, Warner Music Group’s (WMG) in-house podcast network, and produced by Awfully Nice. 

“What drew me to exploring the Calexit story was how it forced us to examine the things that fundamentally connect us while underscoring how we are more divided than ever as a country,” said Martinez, who was influenced from childhood by his Indigenous Mexican lineage and American upbringing to use his voice and his music to pursue social change. “Calexit is really just the entry point for a complex story about the many visions of the future that are competing to take root,” Martinez continued. “I’m excited for the opportunity to partner with Interval Presents on The Last Resort. I hope the show inspires conversation and thought around the issues and stories that are shaped by our history and that will determine our future.”

“Interval Presents is excited to launch this new series and share a compelling story with our listeners craving forward-thinking podcasts,” said Allan Coye, general manager of Interval Presents and WMG's senior vice president of Digital Strategy & Business Development. “With Xiuhtezcatl’s unique perspective as a voice for his generation, The Last Resort is our foray into documentary storytelling to probe today’s cultural and social issues and provide a platform for trending discussions. We’re creating exceptional and culture-driven content to connect our audience to meaningful topics that speak to their own identities and interests.”

In a tale that appears to about only politics, Martinez and Awfully Nice have crafted a fascinating tale of how some people can view themselves an instrument of change for the better.

As English playwright George Bernard Shaw once said, "Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything."

Check out the first two episodes of The Last Resort.