Former “Morning Becomes Eclectic” host Jason Bentley is back with his first new project since leaving the signature KCRW show last year.
Bentley has partnered with 101 Studios and Soho House to launch a new entertainment podcast, “The Backstory,” which pairs different artists, creators and performers in conversation. The first episode, featuring actor/producer Kristen Bell (“The Good Place,” “Veronica Mars”) and psychologist/New York Times bestselling author Adam Grant, can be heard below.
Future episodes will pair comedian/actor Margaret Cho (“Over the Moon”) and director/writer Paul Feig (“Bridesmaids”); musician/composer Terence Blanchard (“Da 5 Bloods”) and playwright/director Kemp Powers (“Soul”); and actors Justin Min (“The Umbrella Academy”) and Rosalind Chao (“Mulan”).
“I’m excited to share these thoughtful conversations with the world, try my hand in long-form podcasting,” Bentley said in a statement.
Bentley stepped down as KCRW music director and host of “Morning Becomes Eclectic” in August 2019 after a decade, but continues to host the station’s weekly music show “Metropolis.” Anne Litt took over as music director, and the station just announced Bentley’s “MBE” replacements, co-hosts Anthony Valadez and Novena Carmel, who take over for Litt (who had been interim host) in January.
Bentley also regularly serves as a music supervisor for film and TV projects such as “Tron: Legacy” and “The Matrix” trilogy. He’s also working with the music supervision team on the upcoming “Top Gun: Maverick” to help oversee the film’s official soundtrack release.
101 Studios is behind films such as Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s “The Current War: Director’s Cut” and “Burden,” as well as the Paramount Network hit “Yellowstone.” 101 Studios also oversees and manages the Sports Illustrated Studios content platform.
Here’s the first episode of “The Backstory,” featuring Bentley interviewing Bell and Grant: