The New Exchange with Ken Grand-Pierre

Even though season 8 has just wrapped, I do have one more talk to share with you this year and it’s with an old friend mine that deeply inspires me, James Vincent McMorrow. He was my season finale guest way back in season 1 and it’s funny, though he is a musician, it always feels silly to only call him that. Yes, he is a prolific songwriter, a producer and an esteemed performer, but James is also...

I gotta say, this is an episode I’ve been dreaming about for a long while now. With the season finales, it’s always the hope that they’re a special send-off, and what could be better than a chat with the one and only AURORA? Among being an actual pop star, AURORA is one of my favourite people on earth. Throughout the years, I’ve been fortunate to have photographed and interviewed her for magazines...

Art that reflects a lived experience is more vital than ever. Beyond allowing us an opportunity to learn about others, it also gives us the chance to have something to believe in. I find it very important to have people that I can believe in when it comes to life, and today’s guest is someone I deeply believe in; the amazing Lana Lubany. She’s a Palestinian-American pop artist who makes some of th...

I mention it within the intro for this, but holy f*cking sh*t, Jamila Woods is on my podcast. If you’re unfamiliar with her, Jamila is a supremely talented singer, writer, poet, and activist. Musically she creates these worlds where you can safely pour your emotions into. Socially, she strives for a similar feeling with how she uses her voice, her platform, and the spaces that she commands. She’s...

It’s been a while since I’ve had a fellow photographer on the podcast, and it does bring a massive smile on my face to finally introduce you to my friend Jennifer McCord. This bonus chat with Jenny is essentially a part 2 of the Half Moon Run pod that dropped earlier this week. Jenny is a photographer primarily based in London that takes the kind of photos that makes us go “damn, I wish I took tha...

If this is your first time listening to the podcast, then know I’m very excited to hear that. In many ways this chat I had with Connor and Dylan of Canadian indie band Half Moon Run feels like how I want every episode of this podcast to feel: lovers of art talking about how life influences art. Don’t get me wrong, we tend to achieve that across our episodes, but Half Moon Run is unique in how thos...

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: three friends in Germany get together to essentially create their own world. The focal point is their aim to celebrate and progress hip-hop, along with integrating fashion, filmmaking, and photography in a way that has a unique impact. No, you’re not having a fever dream, this is indeed real and it’s the story of KITSCHKRIEG, a trio of German creatives who...

There aren’t any shortages of the narrative that life brings about the unexpected. That said, there are still times in which we need to be reminded of the beauty of that; which is very much what happens with this conversation I had with Jason Aalon Butler. Jason is a frontman that’s largely existed in the world of hardcore music, though to say that almost feels reductive because of Jason’s overall...

(ByLwansta chat starts at 3:37 and Dope Saint Jude chat starts at 60:47 ). This next bonus episode is a very special one, especially since you’re essentially getting two chats for the price of one. Last year, we had a very different season of the podcast called The Passport Season, which featured us highlighting six countries across six episodes. One of those episodes was South Africa, a place tha...

Something tells me that after the first few minutes of this episode, the last thing you’ll call today’s guest is “modest.” But something I grew to learn from talking to London-based artist Master Peace, was just how much that confidence has been earned. I could already tell from his stellar debut album, How to Make a Master Peace, an album full of danceable bangers that’ll remind you why you love...

I feel that this episode's title might be a paradox to some of you. In all honesty, fair, I mean how could someone straddle that line of tradition? But to hear Dawn Richard talk about it ends up making all the sense in the world. In our hearts we know that people are nuanced, but how often do we come across people who wear that on their sleeves with intense vigor and conviction? That’s one of the...

In a few short years, Kelly Lee Owens has become one of the most prolific artists of her generation. Her unique approach to combining hypnotic beats with pop melodies certainly has a lot to do with it (along with her euphoric live shows), but what continues to make Kelly stand out is how her curiosity about life continues to drive her creativity. The proof is in her upcoming album, Dreamstate (out...

Is there anything more cliche than a sad boi crooning about a lost love? Well….probably not, actually, but it’s that self-awareness that shines through on J. Bernardt’s latest effort, Contigo. With this moniker, my friend, Jinte Deprez (of Belgian indie rock legends Balthazar) has crafted the perfect break-up album. Yes, there’s whining, sweeping string sections, and catching numbers, but what mak...

Nostalgia is a powerful emotion that’s omnipresent in our day-to-day lives. Because of this, we’re living in a time where indulging in nostalgia can feel lazy, tired and simply put: old. But once in a while, we’re reminded of the magic that can come from retreading our pasts, as well as the rare instances where it can give us clarity towards our future. That’s been the case with Matt Lowell, my fr...

Would ya look at that? We’ve made it to season 8! Once again, it brings me immense joy to share these talks with you over the next few months. Especially when I reflect on how these talks have evolved beyond my wildest expectations from what I envisioned for this podcast. Even if you’re a new listener to this series, it won’t take you long to recognize that these talks tend to get deep and hand-on...

This is something very different than our usual episodes, but one that I felt was important to share. A few weeks go, a good friend of mine, Eoin French (aka Talos) passed away. Eoin was one of the most talented artists I’ve met from Ireland. His artistry is exemplary of what makes that island special, along with how he carried himself off stage. Eoin was a deeply curious person, tenaciously creat...

This last summer episode couldn’t be with a more fitting guest. Caleb Eberhardt (aka Rosehardt) is a polyglot of a musician, and someone I very much feel lucky enough to call a friend. Caleb exemplifies New York's creative abandon across songwriting, production, and acting. His latest body of work, ‘the world gets smaller each day it seems to shrink’ is the kind of album that proactively refus...

I think one of the reasons people gravitate towards stories set here in New York is because of how overtly people carve their own paths here. My next guest is such a prime example of that, and it’s even wilder to think that her story has only just begun. Hannah Jadagu is a singer-songwriter who originally hails from Texas but has swiftly made New York her home. Some have gone on to describe her mu...

It’s not a secret that friendships in New York City are of a unique breed. Especially in the music world, it’s always clear when the artists who are collaborating also care about one another. That’s consistently been the case with B. Miles, an alternative indie/pop band based here in New York. Led by vocalist/pianist/songwriter Brenna Miles, the music of B. Miles evokes this mixture of effortless...

There are countless times when an artist realizes that the best way to create art is by getting personal. Naturally, one hopes to be in the right headspace for that, but what about those times in life when you feel stuck, unsure, and daresay; stagnant? If you deem yourself a professional, you must make art any way you can and more imperatively find the light within those dark times. This journey r...

It is my absolute pleasure to welcome you to A Summer in New York. In case you missed the announcement, this will be a mini-season of the podcast where I’ll be talking to some incredibly talented people about the things that make New York City special. What brings all these talks together is a desire that we have to explore the question “why is this city the place that we call our home?” The first...

Welcome to A Summer in New York! The first episode drops on June 25th BUT you can hear the special NYC playlist right now over on Spotify (right over here ).

The Wikipedia page for today’s guest describes her as a musician that plays with genres such as “synth pop” “dance-punk” and “punk rock.” Though there’s a kernel of truth to that, it exemplifies how words continue to fail the artist known as Peaches. For over three decades Peaches has remained a vital voice in the worlds of music, visual art, and really entertainment as a whole. Her abrasive sonic...

Empathy is a word we all know and yet there are times when it can feel elusive in our lives. One of the best antidotes for that is witnessing how it shows up in other people's lives, especially when it’s an individual that’s exerting it outwardly. That’s been the case as of late with Nabil Ayers, American music industry entrepreneur, musician, and author of the memoir, My Life in the Sunshine:...

This is the last bonus episode of season 7 and to call it a special one feels like a massive understatement. Sofia Loporcaro is an award-winning radio host, producer, and podcaster based in Los Angeles who’s made being a music fan a full-time job. Her podcast, Before the Chorus , centers on exploring the emotional journeys of a songs inception to its release. In many ways, her podcast feels like a...