The New Exchange with Ken Grand-Pierre

This is an episode I feel an immense sense of gratitude towards. SAIAH is a west-coast based musician that intrigued me with their authenticity and unapologetic approach to writing. I don’t think it’s breaking new ground by stating how in 2023 we live in a society that constantly asks us to be “perfect.” Honestly, in my opinion, the best artists are the ones that look at that and say “fuck that.”...

I’ll be real with you: I’m incredibly biased when it comes to today’s guests. But hand-on-heart, I do feel like they’re one of the best rock bands in the world and their latest album has only further solidified that thought. They’re called July Talk, they hail from Toronto and they deeply care about the human condition. Specifically, how can the multitudes and nuances of the human experience be ex...

Since childhood, it was obvious that twin sisters Naomi Diaz and Lisa-Kaindé Diaz would have music as the dominant fixture of their lives. When you have a father like the legendary Anga Diaz, how could that not be the case? That said, nobody could’ve expected the ways in which Naomi and Lisa have challenged the music world with their project; Ibeyi. For over a decade, the sisters have birthed, fos...

Welcome to the off-season, a series of talks I’ll be releasing on the road to season 6. Today’s episode is about an act I deeply respect and admire, largely due to their tenacity as both an artist and human being. Across four albums, Kimbra has perpetually challenged audiences across the world, with a clear love for experimenting with sonics and chasing the perfect melody. Her latest offering, A R...

It feels so fitting to me that we get to kiss season 5 goodbye with a friend of mine from Ireland, the incredibly talented Eoin French (aka Talos). A supremely talented individual, Talos has achieved international acclaim by creating these soundscapes that transport you elsewhere. Brilliant at experimenting with various electronic textures, beats and arrangements, it’s wild how he’s figured out th...

It’s such a joy that the last bonus episode of the season is with an old friend of mine, the incomparable Ella Vos. Ella is a pop singer-songwriter who’s one of the most resilient people I’ve ever met. From intense heartbreaks to battling a cancer diagnosis while building her career….Ella’s been through a lot, and yet the way she’s able to be a shining light in the face of all this darkness has be...

Nova Twins are two best friends, Georgia South and Amy Love, who’ve just had a life-changing year. Based in London, Nova Twins have taken elements of punk, grime, punk, hard rock, and even dance, to craft a sound that’s distinctly them; a sound that’s caused them to be impossible to place within a box. However, the most alluring thing about them isn’t only the music, but also how Nova Twins have b...

Charlie Gunn is an entertainment journalist/editor from London who’s founded an incredible new outlet called The Forty-Five . It’s an online music magazine that focuses on the creative exploits of women, women-identifying and non-binary people; specifically through the lens of writers and photographers who’re also part of those communities. Kicking off during the covid pandemic, The Forty-Five ope...

I t’s the third time it’s happened but it has to be said: it is wild that we’re at the point where we have return guests to the pod. Honestly, what a privilege to welcome back Charlene Kaye (aka KAYE), a friend I deeply admire and an artist I’m a proper fan of. We first met when she was part of the Brooklyn-based outfit, San Fermin, and since leaving the band she’s evolved into one of NYC’s most d...

Today’s guests are a group of people I’ve been dying to have on since season 1! Dream Wife are a punk band based in London that I’ve gotten to know over the years and the list of what makes them special is endless. But if I had to condense it, I’d say this: they’re a stellar band who’ve hit the sweet spot between having killer tunes and constantly having something to say. Where many (arguably most...

This is one of those bonus episodes that’s a perfect example of how nuanced we are as human beings. Christina Xing is an Asian-American director who’s honestly one of the funniest, most thoughtful, and incredibly talented individuals I’ve ever met. She’s been making a fierce name for herself by directing a constant stream of amazing music videos (for artists such as PS5, Courtney Barnett, K Flay,...

I feel a lot of gratitude towards this episode that you’re about to hear. Largely because, they’re artists you come across that you just know are going to leave a lasting impact, and that’s absolutely the case with my guest, Ruel. He’s a pop singer-songwriter from Australia who’s already achieved so much in his short career. With multiple top-charting singles, a worldwide fanbase, and numerous awa...

In a lot of ways, today’s guest is an anomaly in the music world. During a time when social media dominates the lives of many, causing attention spans to grow shorter each year….this artist dares to ask: what if you spend some time with my art? Tamino is a Belgian-Egyptian singer-songwriter who’s achieved astronomical success by making contemplative pop songs. A soft-spoken soul, Tamino’s music is...

Truth be told, I generally don’t care about numbers. You see, the music industry has this constant conversation around numbers, in the context of how many views and streams someone’s gotten and utilizing those numbers as a metric of a person's worth. No, this isn’t a veiled attempt to highlight what a hipster I am, no, it’s more to highlight that when we have guests on this podcast; their numbers...

It seriously brings me so much joy getting to welcome another artist from Ireland onto the podcast. David Keenan is a singer-songwriter who in many ways is an unabashed maverick. His arrangements and singing styles tend to go against the conventional structures of western pop music, and yet his music still has an accessibility factor that allows his art to be embraced by the masses. The thing that...

It’s always wild when we get to have a guest who directly inspired this series. Jarlath Regan is a standup comedian from Ireland who has also created one of the most unique podcasts in all of Europe. That series is An Irishman Abroad , a podcast that highlights people of Irish descent, with a strong emphasis on the successes and failures that make up a life. A major element that makes the podcast...

So this is a very different kind of episode than our usual interviews (even for Real Exchanges). It’s majorly important to me that this podcast is never about promotion or glorifying one act in particular, but this felt like the right kind of circumstance. Arctic Monkeys are a band I’ve loved for well over a decade now, and today they’re releasing their seventh album, The Car. Throughout their car...

(Phillip interview starts at 2:06 and Mobley interview starts at 52:55). It’s lovely getting to share with you this special episode where you’re getting two podcasts for the price of one. One of the things I love about my job is how it forces me to meet people who leave me feeling deeply inspired. That was the case when I met both of today’s guests: Nashville-based singer-songwriter Phillip-Michae...

It’s been a while since I’ve had a fellow New Yorker on the podcast and it’s beautifully fitting that this is also our first bonus episode of season 5. Ariana Di Lorenzo (aka Ariana and the Rose) is a pop music singer-songwriter who fiercely believes that just because a song is a banger doesn’t mean it’s not capable of being emotional. Her debut album, Lonely Hearts Club, is filled to the brim wit...

Jared Lee (aka Duckwrth) is a rapper, singer-songwriter, and visual artist who’s carving out his own path in fiercely unique ways. His upcoming project, Chrome Bull, is a wide-ranging spectacle that features Duckwrth collaborating with numerous artists of the LGBTQ community. In many ways, this new music poignantly represents the ways that Duckwrth is a trailblazer, but every superhero has an orig...

My guest today is easily one of the bravest people that I know and it’s mystifying how that’s solely due to the honesty in which she lives her life. AJ Haynes of Seratones is a frontwoman and activist from Shreveport, Louisiana that is challenging what you’ve come to expect of rock music. Seratones third album, Love & Algorhythms, is unabashedly celebratory of the multitudes of our modern age...

This is an episode I’ve been looking forward to sharing with you for quite some time now and it still shatters my mind that it’s happened. Giles Duley is a photographer, writer, CEO, presenter, and cook; who for over a decade has traveled the world photographing people within conflict zones. In 2011, he suffered a grave injury by an IED, causing Giles to lose both of his legs and left arm. Where s...

Let’s be honest, there aren’t many artists who can say they’re making their most compelling work 17 years into their careers. And yet, this is exactly the case with British band Editors. Across their 6 albums, they’ve continuously challenged themselves & listeners by breaking the conventions of rock music and electronic production; defying all expectations in the process. This has brought them...

It took only over 100 episodes for me to finally release an introduction episode! But all jokes aside, it hit me a few months back that some of you who’ve gotten into the podcast might at some point have asked; who the f%$k is Ken Grand-Pierre, anyway ? The short of it is I’m a photographer that’s traveled with musicians and a person who feels the most comfortable around people who’re from differe...

Let’s be honest, we’re all keenly aware that the world is a dumpster fire. Arguably, we’re overly aware of that, which is why when a band like Los Bitchos comes around; there’s an intense need for celebration. They’re an all-girl band based in London that has one goal: to make you have a great time. That attitude is expressed strikingly so across their debut album, Let The Festivities Begin! (whic...