The New Exchange with Ken Grand-Pierre

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 been mystifying to me. We recorded this episode a few days before she released music for the first time in two and a half years, and a lot of our talk centers around the experiences that inspired that music. From the internal work of reaching a place of self-acceptance to the ridiculous nonsense Ella has faced as a mother who operates within the music industry; this is a talk that reeks of humanity, the good and the bad.

Ella's new singles are called Glitter and Tears and Mountain, both songs are out now and can be found where ever you stream music. A new album will be coming out next year.

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 been able to build a world around them. Their social media, videos, and photography all reflect a group that wants to leave a lasting impact; a group that aims to leave you wanting more beyond their fast-paced songs. A major aspect of this is how both Georgia and Amy advocate for living your truth; essentially by saying what’s on their mind and not caring how it might be perceived or interpreted. That’s what today’s podcast is all about: the two of them sharing the story of Nova Twins, with an exploration of the hardships they’ve faced to get to where they are now. And yes, we do of course shat about the work that went into crafting their Mercury Prize-nominated album, Supernova.

Nova Twins will be touring across the UK and Ireland this February, starting on February 8th at The Lexington in London. Visit their website for ticket info and tour dates.

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 operates as an outlier in the music world, with a high level of quality across its features that celebrate the multitudes of everyone involved. In just a few short months, the mag has had incredible features showcasing the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, HAIM, St Vincent, Amber Mark, Lykke Li, and more, yes, seriously more. On this bonus episode, editor-in-chief Charlie Gunn shares her vision with me, and the importance of betting on yourself in times of uncertainty.

Be sure to give The Forty-Five a follow on Instagram and Twitter so you don’t miss out on upcoming features. Also, remember to also check out The Forty-Fives Patreon page for early drops on interviews, bonus content, and more.

It’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 daring artists. Part of achieving that has come from her ability, no, actually, more her desire for metamorphosis. A true testament to Charlene’s character is how when many of us are running away from change, she’s able to run toward it with open arms. Her latest release, Neon God, is a body of work that feels wholly reflective of its creator. Across the 5 tracks, Charlene projects a stylish ambition and a level of honesty that feels both vulnerable and defiant in equal measure. To get to the bottom of this, we decided to have this episode be a track-by-track, meaning we go into the stories of each song.

The end result is a talk that’s become the most personal episode of season 5, in a way that leaves me with so much gratitude and privilege. In addition to a stellar music career, Charlene also created/hosts one of my favourite podcasts; The Golden Hour. It’s a truly beautiful podcast where Charlene interviews creatives of Asian and Pacific Island backgrounds about the intersection between artistry and identity. Season 2 just started, so be sure to catch the podcast over on Apple, Spotify, and where ever you listen to podcasts (also support the podcast through Anchor).

Be sure to join Charlene and company at the second-ever Golden Hour Fest, which will be happening at Farm To People in Brooklyn. Tickets can be found here.

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) acts in the world are shy about sharing their beliefs and political standings, Dream Wife makes it as crystal clear as possible to know where they stand on…pretty much everything. Collectively, the band are strong advocates for unity, community, the rights of women and non-binary people, as well as the rights of LGBTQ people. Throughout my years of knowing them, I’ve been amazed by how they truly live what they preach. This new episode of the podcast is a mixture of things. Since it’s been a while since I’ve caught up with the band, we do explore the work that went into their adventurous second album, So When You Gonna? along with shedding light on their upcoming third album.

Be sure to check out the band’s latest single Leech, which you can also find as part of the official New Exchange Playlist.

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, Frances Forever, etc). Christina’s work stands out due to how she’s capable of straddling that fine line between surrealism and presenting moments that hit close to home on a deeply personal level. Together we explore the experiences that inspired Christina to pursue directing, along with how crucial it is to have a personal stake in your art.

After you hear today’s episodes, be sure to check out these works by Christina:

This Old Dog

Games by Tessa Violet and lovelytheband

PS5 by Salem with TOMORROW X TOGETHER feat. Alan Walker

Life of the Party by Sofia Mills

Write A List of Things To Look Forward To by Courtney Barnett

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 awards under his beat…it’s just mental to think that this is still only the beginning for Ruel. I wouldn’t say that this episode is an origin story, but more of: here’s the story ‘so far.’ Together we chat about the artistic evolution Ruel has gone on throughout the pandemic, along with a pure first for the podcast: a fan Q&A session (big ups to the legendary Michelle Grace Hunder for making that happen).

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 intimate yet cinematic, elusive and yet personal. His debut album Amir brought him all over the world and was so beloved by Radiohead’s Colin Greenwood that he asked to be a member of Tamino’s live band (seriously).

But what happens after you achieve success like that? How do you expand both your mind and your heart after your life dramatically changes? Those questions rest at the center of this episode, along with the work that went into Tamino’s exceptional second album, Sahar (which is out now).

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 rarely come to mind. Which makes today’s guest a super special case; say hello to Lana Lubany aka an artist you’re undoubtedly familiar with due to Tik Tok. Lana is a London-based pop musician with Palestinian roots that play a major role in her art. Those songs have also gone viral worldwide, especially across Tik Tok, where Lana reigns supreme with over 8 million likes and over 300,000 followers. In both an industry and a world that tries to convince people to be a copy, Lana Lubany is an outlier in how she approaches…well, pretty much, everything. This podcast episode is her story (so far).

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’s impressed me the most about David’s art is how he’s achieved this without ever compromising his vision; which is part of what we explore on today’s podcast. How does our need and desire for art shift in a time when the world is in utter disarray? We also chat in-depth about the difficult yet liberating work that comes with making a body of work that reflects who you are (in the form of David’s second album ‘WHAT THEN?’ and his upcoming third album, Crude (which will be out on November 11th).

We also have a talk about David’s friend/bandmate, Gar Kane, who sadly passed away in October 2020. In tribute to Gar’s life, David wrote/released a song called His Name Was Gar Kane, which you can find via Bandcamp. Be sure to purchase the song, since all proceeds go to Gar’s widow and children.