Natalie Bennett is one of two Green Party Peers sitting in the House of Lords. She was the leader of the party through the 2015 general election - the ‘Green Surge’. Natalie has a new book out now called Change Everything: How we can rethink, repair and rebuild society.

I ask Baroness Bennett to share her vision in the book, covering the potentially transformative ideas for changing the UK’s political and economic system for a healthier, happier, and sustainable future. We turn our focus to the importance of the arts & culture, and how we need to respond to the way the government is treating them! I hope you leave this episode with more hope for the future :)

To learn more, buy Natalie’s new book Change Everything: https://unbound.com/books/change-everything

Follow Natalie

Twitter: @natalieben

Instagram: @nataliebennettgreen

Follow me and let me know what you thought of the episode!

Instagram: @tomplattzs 

Email: [email protected] 

King Charles impression by Tom Platts

This podcast is produced by Sound Sapien
soundsapien.com

Rayan Telleria is a recording engineer trained by the Abbey Road Institute, and an already prolific producer and composer of film music, songs and lofi music, at only 23 years of age. He was also the drummer of the latin/neo-soul band Naia for several years from its birth, and more recently the band’s producer.

In this episode, Tom Platts and Rayan Telleria dig into the struggles of film composition, songwriting, and production in relation to Rayan’s work (as listed below). Later they debate what the hardest thing is about being an artist - especially one in the early stages of their career. The conversation is pillared with some relevant and less relevant anecdotes that serve to lighten the mood… even though it never gets particularly dark.


The topics of the episode are as follows:


• Scoring “La Lune Est Morte” a short film created by Aya Nour: Instagram aya.nour.a

• Film Composition –  tips from an Oscar-winning composer

• The Abbey Road Institute – why you should pay thousands of pounds to hire a professional studio

• What stood out about British people when Rayan first moved to England?

• Production: ‘hi,’ by Bring Me Flowers Rayan’s duo with Faith Norman 

• Songwriting – ‘Christmas Alone’ by Kharesma Ravichandran

• Naia – finding its style: Instagram naia_sounds

• Living in London working a bar job, gigging weekly, and getting to Glastonbury 2022 with Naia – both Rayan and Tom’s highlights of the festival.

• C. Tangana’s Tiny Desk – listen here!

• The difficulty of being an artist just out of higher education – why you need to be as productive as possible, juggling another job alongside your artistic projects, and not really having a day off!

• Specialising: finding what you find easiest vs what you enjoy the most.

• Being a lofi artist under the name Voyäge – getting over the ‘intimidating first release’, going from 45 streams per year to 4600 monthly listeners (just on Spotify).

• “The song I put the least effort into musically has the most streams… there’s a lesson in that.”

• Rayan’s favourite meal chosen from his diverse cultural background…

Follow Rayan Telleria on Instagram: rayantelleria

Credits:
Matthew McConaughey impression by Tom Platts

‘hi,’ by Bring Me Flowers

‘Freedom’ , ‘Dizzy’, & ‘You Gotta Go’ by Naia

‘killua’s theme (hunter x hunter lofi)’ and ‘nocturne’ by Voyäge

This podcast is produced by Sound Sapien
soundsapien.com

Faith Norman is a singer-songwriter in the duo Bring Me Flowers with the single ‘hi,’ in collaboration with the producer Rayan Telleria. Whilst music remains a huge part of her life, Faith has achieved the Himalayan feat of working whilst converting to get into medical school after studying Music and Drama as an undergraduate. 

In this episode, they dive into a vast range of topics from psychology, music therapy, songwriting to mental health and the struggle of deciding what career to pursue. They do not shy away from talking about their personal views and experiences surrounding these topics. However, the conversation, recorded back in January 2023, remains a fun and bubbly one throughout.

Please reach out with questions and feedback to [email protected] 


The topics of the episode are as follows:

• Songwriting

• ‘hi,’ by Faith’s duo Bring Me Flowers with Rayan Telleria

• It’s okay not to know what you want to do!

• Love songs

• Converting from music and drama to med school

• The power of music therapy, specifically regarding Parkingson’s disease 

• NHS nurses’ and doctors’ strikes – what it’s really like on the ground firsthand. 

• Mental health, and the impact of going to boarding school which both Tom and Faith experienced.


Follow 'bring me flowers' on: Spotify


Credits:


Graham Norton impression by Tom Platts

 ‘Christmas Alone’ by Kharesma Ravichandran, Faith Norman, and Rayan Telleria

Produced by Rayan Telleria

‘hi,’ by Bring Me Flowers

Written by Faith Norman and Rayan Telleria

Produced by Rayan Telleria

This podcast is produced by Sound Sapien
soundsapien.com

Kharesma Ravichandran is a British-Tamil playback singer in the South Indian movie industry who shot to stardom with the 2015 song ‘Kadhal Cricket’ in the film Thani Oruvan, composed by Hiphop Tamizha.

In this episode, Tom seeks to understand how Kharesma became a successful artist from a young age, including her steps to get so good at singing! Her vocal ability transpires to be underpinned by a wide range of musical stylistic influences and many hours in professional studios. From this experience, she offers some great points of wisdom in becoming a more authentic artist and unveils her broader methodological approach in setting life and career goals. 

Jump right back into the Christmas spirit by listening to Kharesma’s 2022 release, ‘Christmas Alone’ on Spotify. 

 
The topics of the episode are as follows:

• Being brought into the music industry by Harris Jayaraj and Hiphop Tamizha

• Kadhal Cricket

• The joy of singing Tamil music

• From playback singing to releasing her own songs with English lyrics

• How Kharesma became such a dynamic vocalist at such a young age

• Her unique upbringing in the music industry

• The utmost importance of authenticity as an artist  - in songwriting, and the recording studio

• Taking a law conversion course

• Entering the music industry, YouTube vs TikTok, and networking

• “Just don’t give up”

Follow Kharesma:

Instagram: @kharesma_ 

Spotify: Kharesma Ravichandran


Credits:


David Attenborough impression by Tom Platts

‘Kadhal Cricket’ by Hiphop Tamizha (feat. Kharesma Ravichandran)

‘Na Re Na’ by C. Sathya and Madhan Karky (feat. Kharesma Ravichandran)

‘Never Again’ by Kharesma Ravichandran, Rayan Telleria, and Faith Hayley Norman

© Kharesma Ravichandran

‘Steady For Me’ by Kharesma Ravichandran 

Produced by Glen Hartmann

© Kharesma Ravichandran

This podcast is produced by Sound Sapien
soundsapien.com