Tea with sg

Nathan @nathanmicay is a music producer and DJ based in Berlin, originally from Toronto. I love his last two albums that took his sound to a soaring cinematic quality beyond dance music. I got must into the balance we talked about. Nathan has a really cool head on his shoulders when it comes to DJs. We talked perspective of touring, getting caught up comparing ourselves to peers, travel and healthy lifestyle. It's awesome how more and more are starting to think this way. He keeps his body in great shape as a top priority, and actually trains other DJs. Check out the latest The World I'm Going to Hell For on LuckyMe https://luckyme.bandcamp.com/album/the-world-im-going-to-hell-for

Shunan @teadrunk founded NY's Tea Drunk in 2013 on my favorite block 7th St. + Ave. A. It was already my favorite block before she arrived, so adding arguably NY's best Chinese tea house means I can just spend entire days or weeks on the street in full bliss. Shunan is important in the tea world for lots of reasons. Her shop extends well beyond its four walls, which is so so so important to mainstreaming quality tea culture. She created a brilliant pop up at Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her Tea Ed video is a great intro to the real history of tea. She hosts tea clubs, classes, festivals, lately zoom conferences with talks about beautiful museum quality tea ware. Her tea club comes with literature on all the teas, with stories and directions that can make anyone an expert fast. https://www.ted.com/talks/shunan_teng_the_history_of_tea/transcript?language=en 

David (read his books http://davidnmeyer.com) played a huge part in my figuring things out in my life. I hated high school bc nobody cared about the life I had in the arts, it was taken as a distraction. Went to film school in Boston thinking I'd meet my people, and nobody really knew movies there. Emerson was full of sketch comedy kids who thought Stella (Kids in the Hall) was Kubrick. I thought I was alone. I thought I cared and knew more than anyone. But also had no idea how to do anything because I hated myself and the world so much, didn't see the point. I left Boston, came back to NY, and took a Japanese Cinema class at New School while I figured things out. First day I came in late, sat down next to Paul Dano. David lectured on Throne of Blood. It was all over my head. And I was surrounded by students young and old in fierce debate about Kurosawa, vocabulary I could not follow. David had this scene around him, so there were working directors and journalists who would come to the class just for David, so the room was incredible energy. And yeah. This was it. I found my people. Got my ass kicked. David gave me an A- on the Throne of Blood paper I wrote that week, I talked to him after class about it. Told him how confused I was and asked how I could have deserved this grade. He understood the thread I was thinking along, and even though I wasn't at the level the rest of them were on, he was steering my thinking. 15 years later, David is the first person I send my scripts to. He and Bianca are the ones who told me when I finally cracked my code a couple years ago, with the first script that really said what I was trying to say. I did make that film actually, but never showed anyone. David's not even seen it, only read the script. Anyway, this episode just has us talking movies and stuff. Read David's books on Gram Parsons, The Bee Gees, and Film Noir. And tell him you want him to publish the Miami Noir novel, it's really good.

Sara @sara_gran wrote a book that possessed me. I read Come Closer in January when I was really sick. I traveled to Oaxaca in February, and I thought I was healthy, then I don't really know what happened, but I had this crazy freak out where I lost my short term memory and kept resetting. Felt like I was waking up, I'd forget what was going on, relearn it, and then be able to commit to thought or physical action before I reset again. I Facetime'd a friend during, to be safe, and for about an hour apparently, I was possessed by the demon from Sarah's book. My friend did not know about the book, so could not tell what was happening. But I played out the entire possession, unaware that I was doing so until much later. I remember talking myself out of it, once I became aware of what was happening. It was wild. Anyway, I got in touch with Sara, and just like this is what makes the internet and the world so cool, that we get to talk about this. I loved this talk, also amazing nuggets about early days Williamsburg that I did not know. 

Elina @floating.mountain is owner of Floating Mountain, the last tea house I visited before the world collapsed. I had a lovely afternoon of Rendezvous with French Film at Film at Lincoln Center, cookies at Levain Bakery, bought some records at Westsider Records, then had two oolongs over a couple hours at Floating Mountain. Wow. Feels like a lifetime ago. But it was a pleasure to connect via Zoom with Elina, and learn sooo much more about her practice and philosophy. The last part is really valuable for novices and experts, she breaks down tea recommendations for mood, energy, health need, lots. It's really beautiful.

George @bigleemarvinfan is the first Twin Peaks cast member I have on here on purpose. His story bridges the gap between the beautiful world of the makers and the beautiful world of the fans. Because he started as a fan and ended up playing a huge role on the show. We talk through his early career up through his really, really great feature film From the Head. Into the amazing story of how he connected with David Lynch. Into the shooting of Twin Peaks: The Return and everything since.

Natasha @natasha_stagg writes on topics close to my heart, that few build enough perspective on, that even fewer write things I like. Most of the writing on the fashion world, post-Sex and the City New York, is either industry or celebrity focused. Natasha is all human experience. Her voice is the draw. It's not a catchy headline or trending topic. We talk about how some of my favorite pieces of hers are just about a time she sat in a restaurant and observed. Few dare to put themselves out there like her also. She goes nitty gritty about the process that is her life, the balance that is her creative work. I'm happy she exists and getting to go in on ideas with her is one of those reasons why I do a show like this. Check out her latest essay collection from 2001 to today, Sleeveless...and her 2016 novel Surveys, both on the best of the best small press Semiotext(e).

Dave @nickcaveandthebadmemes @sadpeaks is a memer turned other thingser. We love a lot of the same things, so we became internet friends. He's got a new podcast coming soon in collaboration with like the most obvious collaborator ever once you know what Dave cares about. The podcast comes off the back of Dave becoming this kind of modern world therapist or Dr. Drew on his IG. He posts each night something like "What's on your mind?" and...yo...I mean...like hundreds or thousands of people tell him. And he answers so many of them. You can watch any day. He's very very good at it. People like him a lot. This episode was recorded last week, and we talked a lot about mental health in pandemic times. Dave and I talked offline some, but this episode doesn't include the craziness going on with the protests. I think the kind of patience, empathy and perspective Dave provides is going to be really important in the new world.