The New Exchange with Ken Grand-Pierre

(Este episodio está presentado por Maddy Cline). Existe un tipo de dolor del que rara vez se habla. Un duelo que es a la vez silencioso y ruidoso, que nos acompaña en nuestros trayectos diarios, mientras cocinamos y en muchos otros momentos. Es el duelo que surge al intentar comprender esta vida, el torbellino de información, el ciclo de noticias de 24 horas, los salarios cada vez más bajos… la li...

(Your eyes aren’t deceiving you with the artwork. You can hear part 1 of Remembering Talos here ). Surprise! Welcome to the finale of season 10. As 2025 comes to a close, it felt only fitting to welcome back Ólafur Arnalds to the pod. The talk we had back in season 9 has gone on to become a massive favourite of mine, and yeah, it just felt so important to have a full + proper chat regarding our fr...

Nowadays, there’s pressure on artists to produce art that feels broad strokes. Pieces that aren’t specific to a place or time, with the hopes of it reaching the widest audience possible (i.e. the approach of producing “content”). But what happens when an artist does the opposite? When they not only lean into where they’re from, but also unflinchingly share a life experience that’s hyper-specific t...

A major thing that I love about structuring these seasons is how, on the face of it, none of these guests have anything in common. Sure, they’re largely creatives, but they all make different music, come from different cities and countries….in some ways, you couldn’t find people who’re more different. And yet, with this second half of season 10, I’m reminded of how crucial imagination is in this l...

The word “imagination” has been on my mind a lot lately. As creatively invigorating as New York City can be, it, like anywhere else, is susceptible to feeling stifling and drab, especially when stuck in the motions of life. It’s times like these where my mind wanders to other places and other people, like today’s guest, my dear friend Dan Black. I’m convinced that if the word “imagination” could h...

There’s a lot of swearing within the intro to this episode. Some might say it’s excessive, but what can I say: I fucking love this band, man. Last Train are a rock band of four friends from France who’re making some of the most exciting music I’ve heard in years. Their approach? Learn the rules of rock music and toss them out the window, while also showing flourishes of their mastery. They’re a ba...

I am convinced that there’s an alternate timeline where Nick Cave and PJ Harvey stayed together, had a child, and that child learned inter-dimensional travel to reach our world. That’s the only way I can explain the existence of Belgian artist Sylvie Kreusch, an unbelievable dynamo of a performer and the type of artist who was simply born to express themselves. Her second album, Comic Trip, is a w...

Something I secretly aspire to be is a lifelong student. Specifically, the type of person that can lose days, weeks and months to the pursuit of knowledge; along with the integration of that knowledge into their lives. That’s one of the many traits I’d use to describe my latest guest, Gwenno. She’s an accomplished Welsh-Cornish musician that’s just as interested as writing a densely layered song a...

Authenticity has become a word that most of us groan at. It’s a word that’s long plagued conference rooms & dating apps to (nearly arriving at) the point of losing all meaning. But once in a while, an artist comes around that reminds you of the magic of that word & the beautiful multitudes it can carry. Singer-songwriter Ben Abraham is such an artist, a musician who writes songs that are c...

The fact that many people still view pop music as a “guilty pleasure” is absurd. They say you shouldn’t start any piece of writing with a declarative statement, but similar to today’s guest; I couldn’t give a f%£k less about the rules. Miso Extra is a British pop artist (by way of Japan) that hates to be bored. For the last few years she’s released music brimming with colour, style, and most impor...

Energy. Authenticity. Soul. These are words we all know, but it’s so rare to come across an individual who not only reminds us of those words but also truly embodies them. That’s how I’d describe Caleb Kunle, though, like all great things, it feels comical to attempt to reduce him to words. Caleb is a singer/songwriter/performer from the UK (by way of Nigeria and my second home of Ireland), and hi...

(Hey, this is required listening before or after today's episode. You're welcome). Finding quiet moments in life feels more high-stakes than ever, doesn’t it? With what a dumpster fire the world is (both politically and societally), you could be forgiven for retreating into a feedback loop of escapism. But what’s your soundtrack for those moments? And could the soundtrack for those quieter...

Somehow in 2025, the act of being unabashedly oneself has become a rebellious act. Arguably, it always has been, but it is baffling how speaking your truth in this modern age feels life and death. That said, my latest guest tackles this brilliantly, largely by being mindful of what they give a f%£k about. Nxdia is an alt-pop punk artist from Manchester (by way of Egypt and Sudan), and they relish...

It’s not just me that finds that the most impactful moments in life tend to be the quietest ones, yeah? Those moments where your perspective is forced to shift in ways you couldn’t have imagined and you can feel yourself changing in real time….yeah, moments like those. Someone who clearly feels similar is my old friend Gordi, a supremely talented singer-songwriter from Australia who’s released one...

I’d be hard-pressed to think of an episode that’s more personal than this one. Which is (sort of) ironic, because it’s a talk full of laughs and gets off the rails a fair bit, but on that note, I wouldn’t change a thing. Tim Wheeler and Keith Murray are the frontmen of two of my favourite bands, Ash and We Are Scientists. We’re also old friends, and both of their bands have significantly impacted...

It feels a bit silly trying to introduce today’s guest, because it largely feels like she needs no introduction. But let’s give this a go: Dorothy Miranda Clark (aka dodie) is a singer-songwriter from the UK who’s truly like no other. Most of dodie’s songwriting is emotionally thoughtful and open in sharing the contours of humanity, how oftentimes the most fulfilling thing we can do is also one of...

The New Exchange is a podcast about how everyone has a story to tell. Throughout the series, Ken Grand-Pierre interviews musicians, writers, comedians & entrepreneurs from all walks of life. Season 10 begins on September 23rd, 2025. Past interview snippets are from the episodes with: Denise Chaila (during season 3) AJ Haynes of Seratones (during season 5) Hrishikesh Hirway (during season 4) Ma...

Somehow, some f*cking how, this podcast has reached 10 seasons. I can’t overemphasize how this started with no plans or with a vision of the future; there was just a deep desire to learn from people who are different than me. To delve into the past, present, and future of The New Exchange, my buddy Toby Tennebaum rejoins me on the pod to talk through it all. Season 10 will begin on September 23rd,...

It’s an absolute privilege to close out season 1 of Creative Maintenance with the one and only Ebru Yildiz. A deeply respected photographer who has gone on to define how we view artists such as Mitski, P!nk, Cigarettes After Sex, and the list is absolutely endless. Part of what makes Ebru’s work stand out is how she’s able to cut through and present work that feels reflective of who a person is, w...

How often were told you told in school that you need to focus on one thing? If you were anything like me and my friends, I’d imagine it was a daily occurrence for you. There’s arguably some merit to why/how this was pushed onto us, but what about the people who say “f that”? That’s clearly been the case with our friend Carter Howe, a multi-disciplinary creative who’s exploring photography, modelin...

This is a wild one: one of the best (if not THE best) live band on planet earth are gracing the podcast. The Hives from Fagersta, Sweden have been making noise since 1993, and somehow have been looking better than the lot of us while doing it. They’re about to release their seventh album, The Hives Forever, Forever The Hives, which is a body of work that further solidifies their world dominance of...

We’ve all heard the saying “teamwork makes the dream work” right? Something that’s funny about that phrase is how it doesn’t leave room to highlight how our individual journeys also contribute heavily within a team setting. Today’s podcast inadvertently is an exploration of that, thanks to Vancouver-based artists Alexis Young and Malcolm Holt. Both are members of the indie pop band Blonde Diamond...

Referencing The Matrix as a symbol for everyday life definitely feels trite at this point. However, the prevalence of that does continue to feel appropriate, especially when describing scenarios that shake us at our core. In 2025, that could be as simple as a person sharing an experience where they weren’t their best selves, a time in their life when they weren’t ok. That’s the case with what you’...

None of us would be profound for stating how the word “hustle” is synonymous with creativity. For years, this has felt like a default setting: where if you “want to make it,” then you need to also be willing to throw your all into it. But what happens when the unsustainable aspect of that becomes crystal clear to us? Well, that’s when a person like Desirée Dawson comes in. A supremely talented sin...

It’s actually trippy when you stop to think about it, how the pandemic lockdowns are something we all went through, and while trying to make sense of it all, we’re also trying to act like it never happened. And who can blame any of us, right? For diving headfirst into the return of normalcy (lol) in everyday life. But this is where art, the very function of art, is so vital. It can drive us to rea...