The New Exchange with Ken Grand-Pierre

It’s mentioned towards the end of this episode, but it should also be said here: Danielle Ponder is a person who exemplifies grace. Her humbleness is part of that, but what also shines through is her tenacious passion for justice. An ex-lawyer turned professional musician, Ms. Ponder is an artist who’s on the rise in a magnificent way. Her debut album, Some of Us Are Brave, is one of the best bodies of work I listened to last year. On this episode of the podcast, we delve into the album, along with her past experiences as a lawyer and how all her life experiences as a black woman in America informs the art that she makes.

The episode you’re about to hear is one of my favourites of this entire series. Adia Victoria is a singer-songwriter who combines elements of blues, folk, and gothic country to tell stories. She’s also punk af, which is conveyed all-across today’s podcast. You see, Adia is the type of person who strives to live her words, constantly proving how true her words are to her. She’s a staunch supporter of human rights, workers rights, battling racism and sexism at every turn, and yes; all of this does greatly influence her music. Her most recent album, A Southern Gothic, explores what it means for a person to reclaim themselves from society. We get into all that and more on this special podcast episode.

By now you’ve probably clocked the tagline of this podcast that reads “a podcast about music” with music scratched off and the word “people” above it. That tagline is as literal as possible to depict what drives this podcast and what intrigues me the most: the lives of people and what we can learn from them. I’d be hard-pressed to think of an episode that better focuses on that tagline than today’s bonus episode with award-winning photographer Jim A. Mortram, the creator of Small Town Inertia. There are so many multitudes to describing this photo project, but at an attempt at putting it simply: Jim is a carer in his family home, and it’s through this chain of events that he found himself back in his hometown; a place he initially wanted to escape from.

But what happened next, is really something else, where Jim found himself reaching out to various people in town, documenting their lives and doing so in a way that many weren’t. What makes this specifically different, is that Jim’s hometown is one of the many small towns in the UK largely ignored by the wider public, leaving the town destitute, and as a result, isolated and practically forgotten. It’s through Jim’s camera that we learn about these people, their lives, and the overt marginalization they’ve been relegated to throughout the years. Throughout our talk we delve into the who, what, when, where, and why of Small Town Inertia (and yes, we do also chat about the “how” as well).

Having gratitude for life is something that’s a perpetual journey for me. It’s something I’ve admittedly been pretty bad at over the years. That said, the gratitude I feel for today’s episode is something that can’t be overstated. Local Natives are a band from Orange County, California that I’ve loved since I was in college. It’s always a special thing when you get to grow with a group of people, and it’s that attribute that’s a major fixture of today’s podcast: growth. Recently, the band has released two albums, last summer’s Time Will Wait for No One and this spring’s But I’ll Wait for You. The albums are companions to one another, with the most recent being the rare occasion where the sequel can also stand on its own. Lyrically, both albums feature the band being their most open, with the songs exploring the emotions behind isolation, loss, parenthood, and crisis of identity. It was such a starkly emotional thing for me to take in these works, and again, I have so much gratitude that I get to experience art that echoed feelings and experiences I’ve had in my own life. I’m sure many of you who’ll listen to this episode will also relate to those feelings, and yeah, these are exactly the things I chat with Taylor Rice (vocals and guitars) and Nik Ewing (bass, keyboards, and vocals) on today’s podcast.

It comes up pretty early on in this podcast: but Jesse Boykins III is the kind of person that people smile about when they hear his name. I’ve seen it happen numerous times throughout the years, both across the US and abroad. Sure, much of that has to do with how celebrated Jesse is as an artist, but so much of that love also has to do with how Jesse exudes generosity, candor, and affection towards the world. From Grammy nominations to collaborating with Vic Mensa, Steve Lacey Calvin Harris, and more…Jesse’s done a lot. But his latest offering is the most important step forward in his career: New Growth. Its Jesse’s fifth album, his most realized and honest depiction of who he is, where he’s been, and where he’s hoping to go. It’s an R&B album that reminds you that the limits of the genre are boundless, and the ways Jesse incorporates sounds like West African Folk, Brazilian Samba, and electronica are just incredible. That’s the sonic component of the album, lyrically New Growth traverses the nuances of being a human being. The good, the bad, the inspiring, the embarrassing; it’s a body of work that aims to encapsulate and convey so much of what makes us….well, us. We chat about all of that on today’s podcast, along with Jesse’s focus on creating safe spaces for creatives to evolve.

Our first bonus episode of season 7 is another chat I’ve been dying to have for a long time and I love that it happened under these circumstances. You see, Denai Moore is a British-Jamaican artist I’ve gotten to know over the years through her music (which is fucking excellent by the way). We do chat about her music career across this podcast, but we also chat in-depth about how she’s grown into a chef and author of a cookbook; Plentiful: Vegan Jamaican Recipes to Repeat. Plentiful is Denai’s first cookbook, and it’s such a triumph. Along with being beautifully designed, it was also written with a level of ease in mind for the reader. With an air of authenticity and encapsulating Denai’s unique voice, it’s just really something else. Throughout this episode, we chat about how the book came to be, how Denai’s passion for cooking is rooted in her Jamaican heritage, and the joys of using creativity to learn more about yourself.

Say hello to Cristal, Alisa, Katie, and McKenna. There are a few episodes this season that I’ve been wanting to make since way back in season 1 and this is one of them. The Aces are a rock band from Utah that I’ve been privileged to have gotten to know over the years. They made their first album here in New York, and I fondly remember witnessing the hard work, tenacity, and just creative abandon they had throughout making that body of work. Since then, they’ve released two more albums, have toured the world, and have also become role models to women and queer people worldwide. The latest album, I’ve Loved You for So Long, specifically explores their journey as not just a band, but also individuals who grew up in a restrictive small town. They’re very open about how they’re on this journey of continuously trying to navigate the world while still figuring out who they are and what they want to say. And the beauty of that is how they let their fans in on that; how they’re very intentional in making people know that they’re not alone. We chat about all of that on today’s podcast and yeah, it is my absolute pleasure to introduce you to The Aces.

One of the most perplexing things on earth is how immigrants perpetually deal with unfair treatment throughout many corners of the world. The hard work, expressions of passion, and technicolor of culture are often ignored for fear-drenched sensationalism in the news. It’s in understanding that, where the vitality of a band like Gogol Bordello continues to be evident. Primarily based in New York City, Gogol Bordello is a motley crew of immigrants who perform ‘gypsy punk’ music. Their leader, Eugene Hütz, is famous for wearing the band's ethos of unity, diversity, and inclusion like a badge of honor. When Eugene sings, hell, when he speaks, and when he partakes in activism; those words of unity, diversity, and inclusion begin to feel tangible. The way Gogol Bordello has toured the world has only solidified those principles and seemingly there’s no end in sight for them. I recently caught up with Eugene to explore the importance of those principles and the outbreak of war in his home country of Ukraine. We also talk in-depth about the documentary made about the band, Scream of My Blood: A Gogol Bordello Story.

After hearing the episode, be sure to visit recoveryua.org, a non-profit that’s doing incredible work in helping wounded Ukrainian soldiers.

Welcome back to The New Exchange podcast and to very the beginning of season 7. I am beyond excited to share these talks with you, starting with a guest I’ve been dying to have on here for a long time. Seye Adelekan is a Nigerian-British artist who’s toured with Lana Del Rey, Emeli Sandé, KT Tunstall, and Paloma Faith; though he is best known as a prominent live member of Gorillaz’s touring party. I first saw Seye onstage at Governors Ball way back in 2014, performing alongside Damon Albarn. Since then, I’ve been a fan, and seeing his growth as an artist over the years has been something special. Along with being an in-demand touring musician, Seye has also started to release his own solo music. His latest songs have so far explored various shades of human emotions, while also being draped with this tone of intimacy and expansiveness that speaks to his years of experience as an artist. On this premiere episode of the podcast, Seye shares with me his experiences of finding refuge in creativity amidst navigating sobriety, embracing his cultural roots, and also what happens when you start believing in yourself.

A short explainer of what to expect between now and the launch of season 7 (March 2024).