The New Exchange with Ken Grand-Pierre

What’s it like to not only grow up in a place that’s confused by your very existence but also resistant towards you sharing your heart? Most of us can’t imagine what it’d be like to deal with such hardships and yet, that’s exactly what today’s guest had to deal with; both as a child and as an adult. Say hello to morgxn, an independent singer-songwriter who’s made a name for themselves through coll...

We all know that classic R&B sound of the ’70s is timeless, right? Artists like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Charlie Wilson have all released songs that sound like they could’ve been released yesterday. But, what if I told you that there’s a new guy who’s not only continuing that legacy but also truly building upon it? Joel Culpepper is a deeply passionate British singer-songwriter who does...

What if I told you that one of the best movies of 2022 involved parallel universes, a genocidal coconut, the power of friendship, and a treasure cove of internet culture references? Yeah, it’s true, that movie does in fact exist and it’s called Night of the Coconut , the directorial debut of Patrick Willems. Throughout the years, Patrick has made a name for himself on YouTube with thought-provokin...

They’re not many bands out there who can say that they excel at challenging listeners, let alone themselves. But legendary Canadian indie band Metric have done just that and the proof is all over their latest offering, Formentera; the band's 8th album. Named after an idyllic island off the coast of Spain, the album explores that universal desire to escape from the madness of life. But is that even...

Before we start, I want to give a major thanks to everyone who’s been on the podcast this season, along with a massive thanks to you, the listener. I say it every season but the fact that you’re proactively taking the time to listen to this is huge and it truly means the world to me. Season 4 was such a wild journey, a true blast of technicolor of people from various walks of life. Getting to brin...

True story: one of the most ambitious bands on earth hails from Hamilton, Ontario. They’re called Arkells and they’re here to remind you that rock music can be fun, exhilarating, and colorful. Their latest and sixth album, Blink Once, is full of songs that work both for stadium sing-alongs and those quiet walks home from the bus stop. The architect of these songs is frontman Max Kerman, a musician...

I do love these kinds of episodes and we simply had to have one more before this month's season finale. Photography is a passion of mine that’s grown at a rate that quite frankly staggers me. It started as a side-hustle and over time has transformed into a career of sorts. A major form of enrichment that I’ve gotten from photography is how it’s introduced a wild array of people into my life; such...

It’s no overstatement to highlight that today’s podcast is with a certified pop star. Yuna is a pop singer-songwriter from Malaysia who’s one of the most successful artists to ever hail from the region. For over a decade she’s released songs that have garnered millions of streams and has collaborated with titans like Tyler The Creator, Little Simz, Pharrell Williams, and USHER. She’s been nominate...

This is a talk that’s been in the making for quite a while and the amount of joy I have in getting to share this with you is insurmountable. Sampa The Great is a singer-songwriter, poet, and rapper from Zambia and Botswana who’s fiercely unapologetic about what she stands for. A major touchstone of her values is an unwavering love for family, friendship, and culture, but another key focus is a ste...

Connie Lim (aka MILCK) is a singer-songwriter, producer, and esteemed advocate for human rights. Beyond her talent, the most remarkable thing about MILCK is her ability to showcase her principles within her craft, which is something we explore in-depth within today’s bonus episode. I’ll be honest, this is a conversation that left me deeply affected, especially our exploration of the ‘why’; why do...

I gotta say, it’s kind of crazy how much this episode embodies what this entire series is all about. I say the tagline in every intro (that “everyone has a story to tell”) and it’s honestly something that’s so crucial towards how I see the world; that remembering that everyone has their own individual stories can help me better understand my own. Today’s guest is someone who also believes this, bo...

The best thing about today’s episode is that it doesn’t take long before it gets personal. British punk musician Frank Carter is known for wearing his heart on his sleeve, both on stage and off. Along with being a prolific musician, he’s also a deeply respected tattoo artist, which led him to create Rose of Mercy, a tattoo shop in London. The shop's mantra of “ always in bloom, bloom in all ways ”...

You know I love it when we get to have an Irish act on the pod. Say hello to Naomi Hamilton (aka Jealous of the Birds). NPR has hailed her music as a “remarkable gift” and once you hear her album, Peninsula, it becomes obvious how that came to be. Throughout the album's 11 tracks, Naomi contrasts sincerity and attitude with flecks of indie rock, folk, and soul. Similar to previous guests on this s...

For the last 15 years, Ezra Furman has released some of the most daring music in the indie rock world. Along with putting out critically acclaimed albums, she’s also toured the world with an unbelievable live band, has DJed for the BBC and she also created the soundtrack for Netflix’s hit show, Sex Education. But now, Ezra is gearing up to release the most personal music of her life, in the form o...

I can defiantly say that you have never come across an artist like BARKAA before. She’s a Malyangapa, Barkindji woman based in Sydney, Australia who is using rap to tell the stories, the truths, and the issues impacting First Nations people. But part of representing a group is being able to also tell your own story, which is something BARKAA does in a fierce manner that’s continuously unflinching....

Samm Henshaw is an unbelievably talented singer and producer from London that’s unabashedly elevating R&B to new heights. The most striking thing about Samm’s music is how it has this throwback vibe from his love of soul and gospel, yet his music never feels out of place within our modern age. His debut album Untidy Soul , presents Samm as a clear student of music, with a warmth that’ll undoub...

What do The Killers, Foals, Alex Lahey, Wolf Alice, and Manchester Orchestra have in common? They’ve all had transformative experiences working with Catherine Marks, a music producer/mixer/engineer from Australia who’s become the missing puzzle piece to so many of our favourite acts (most recently the Grammy award-winning Boygenius, featuring Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus). Through...

In a lot of ways, today's episode feels like I’m returning to my roots. I got my start in music through music journalism, writing about artists and their albums for blogs, newspapers, and magazines. The thrill I got from it, was being able to recommend music that I really enjoyed, knowing that you’d most likely be unfamiliar with it. I have a feeling that’ll be the case with you and today's guests...

It’ll genuinely surprise me if a more personal episode happens this season. The chat you’re about to hear with Caleb Eberhardt (aka Rosehardt) really “goes there” in a way that I wasn’t intending it to, but I’m massively grateful that this talk happened. Caleb is a talented musician and actor based here in New York, who’s building a community of art lovers through his vulnerable works. His music h...

Simply put: Mannequin Pussy are a badass punk band from Philadelphia that take no prisoners. A staple of their songwriting is throttling headfirst towards the willful ignorance of people who fight against progressive values. Having music with a strong moral compass isn’t a new phenomenon, but the way Mannequin Pussy put their beliefs at the forefront does feel unique, exhilarating, and vital. Thos...

Hailing from Leicester, England, Easy Life are a fresh young band that flies the flag of genre-bending in a profoundly beautiful way. The evidence was clear across their first single, Pockets, which is this euphoric dance of instruments that meld in a way you wouldn’t expect. That ability to fuse sounds in a fun way is contrasted by the lyrics of frontman, Murray Matravers, who doesn’t shy away fr...

The non-stop dominance of K-Pop is absurdly fascinating to me. I’m admittedly ignorant to this genre of music and interestingly enough, it’s that ignorance that rests at the center of today’s episode. I’m joined by fellow photographer/ridiculously impressive plant parent/my good friend, Wei Shi, a massive lover of K-Pop who came on to school me about what makes the genre special to not just her, b...

The idea of spitting in the face of the expectations of life seems sexy, right? But what does that actually look like? What does it take to live that out? Northern English musician Rebecca Lucy Taylor lives that truth throughout Self Esteem, a subversive pop project that goes there. The songs of her second album, Prioritise Pleasure, highlights why trying to live up to societal expectations will a...

I’m going to use Pokemon to describe today’s guest. Remember when we were introduced to Charmeleon and thought “man, can’t get better than this?” only for him to eventually evolve into a badass Charizard? In a weird way, that’s what happened with French disco-pop band, L’Impératrice. At the start, they were five friends who were cool as fuck, but then enters singer Flore Benguigui, whose vocals el...

Flora Fishbach is a musician/actor from France who isn’t afraid to follow the beat of her own drum. Her new album Avec Les Yeux (aka With The Eyes) is a glorious example of what a maverick she is in the music world. Lyrically, Flora forces listeners to ask uncomfortable questions about life and highlights the significant role our eyes play throughout our lives. All of this is discussed on today’s...