The New Exchange with Ken Grand-Pierre

It’s always wild when we get to have a guest who directly inspired this series. Jarlath Regan is a standup comedian from Ireland who has also created one of the most unique podcasts in all of Europe. That series is An Irishman Abroad, a podcast that highlights people of Irish descent, with a strong emphasis on the successes and failures that make up a life. A major element that makes the podcast stand out is Jar’s ability to always convey sincerity, curiosity, and honesty when talking to his guests; and he does this in a way that I’ve long-marveled at. The intersection between his podcasts and his comedy is fascinating; which is largely what we chat about on this episode of The New Exchange. We also chat about family dynamics, raising children when working a creative job, and explore what makes a podcast great.

After you hear today’s episode, be sure to check out Jar’s hilarious comedy special, Notions Eleven, which you can stream in full over at YouTube. An Irishman Abroad can be streamed via Apple, Spotify, Soundcloud, and where ever you stream podcasts.

Also, be sure to check out his Patreon for An Irishman Abroad. Joining the Patreon grants you access to his numerous spin-off series, such as Running Abroad, Irishman In America, and Honey, You’re Ruining Our Kids.

So this is a very different kind of episode than our usual interviews (even for Real Exchanges). It’s majorly important to me that this podcast is never about promotion or glorifying one act in particular, but this felt like the right kind of circumstance. Arctic Monkeys are a band I’ve loved for well over a decade now, and today they’re releasing their seventh album, The Car. Throughout their career they’ve made musical choices that most acts would shy away from, causing them to become a band that’s impossible to pigeonhole in the process. To discuss what makes them so special, I invited back my friends and colleagues to the podcast; Will Oliver and Aysia Marotta. Together we discuss our favourite songs, albums, live shows, and in a way, we try to figure out: what is it that makes Arctic Monkeys such a special band?

In celebration of this episode being out, I’ve crafted a playlist that features my favourite songs by the band. It’s called Arctic Monkeys at their very best and you can hear it via Spotify.

(Phillip interview starts at 2:06 and Mobley interview starts at 52:55). It’s lovely getting to share with you this special episode where you’re getting two podcasts for the price of one. One of the things I love about my job is how it forces me to meet people who leave me feeling deeply inspired. That was the case when I met both of today’s guests: Nashville-based singer-songwriter Phillip-Michael Scales and Austin-based singer-songwriter/producer Mobley. Both of them are making names for themselves due to their distinctively exceptional live shows; which effectively are reminding people just how unique the act of performing can be. Phillip embodies swagger with a disarming process of storytelling that leaves you feeling like you hung out with your best friend at a bar. Mobley is grand at taking his experience as a director and infusing those sensibilities into his songs (also in terms of performance; he’s quite literally a one-man band). Hands down, these guys fucking rule and it’s an absolute privilege getting to share their stories with you. I chat with them both to explore their backgrounds, what drives them to approach music differently and why performance rests at the center of what they’re all about.

It’s been a while since I’ve had a fellow New Yorker on the podcast and it’s beautifully fitting that this is also our first bonus episode of season 5. Ariana Di Lorenzo (aka Ariana and the Rose) is a pop music singer-songwriter who fiercely believes that just because a song is a banger doesn’t mean it’s not capable of being emotional. Her debut album, Lonely Hearts Club, is filled to the brim with that theory being actualized into a proof of concept; an approach that’s proven to be a hallmark of Ariana’s career. On today’s chat, we hone in on how Ariana’s desire for wanting to live a better life essentially bleeds into every facet of her career; from live events to recording sessions and even onto Tik Tok videos. We also talk in-depth about her experiences of going viral on the app, along with how authenticity should always be more than a buzzword.

Jared Lee (aka Duckwrth) is a rapper, singer-songwriter, and visual artist who’s carving out his own path in fiercely unique ways. His upcoming project, Chrome Bull, is a wide-ranging spectacle that features Duckwrth collaborating with numerous artists of the LGBTQ community. In many ways, this new music poignantly represents the ways that Duckwrth is a trailblazer, but every superhero has an origin story; and that’s largely what we explore on today’s podcast. This is the story about how a young black kid from a Christian household in South Central LA went on to become a world-class performer who’s opened up for the likes of Billie Eilish, Anderson .Paak, Earthgang and Louis The Child. Together we chat about the ways Duckwrth isn’t afraid of tackling the conformities of gender roles and the ridiculous pace in which his life has changed over the last few years.

My guest today is easily one of the bravest people that I know and it’s mystifying how that’s solely due to the honesty in which she lives her life. AJ Haynes of Seratones is a frontwoman and activist from Shreveport, Louisiana that is challenging what you’ve come to expect of rock music. Seratones third album, Love & Algorhythms, is unabashedly celebratory of the multitudes of our modern age (along with being an unapologetically queer as f$%k album). Sonically the music plays with elements of dance, electronica, pop, and soul while lyrically the songs depict the flux of the human condition. That said, I should point out how music is so little of what we talked about, and more about how life itself eventually inspires the art that we make. Along with being a frontwoman, AJ is also the President of the Board of the New Orleans Abortion Fund, a non-profit organization that’s fighting for a woman’s right to choose, especially in the face of the recent Roe v. Wade decision. Together we chat about a wild myriad of topics such as being black outside of the US, the pivotal nature of AJ’s work in abortion care, the need that comes from truly loving yourself, and yes; we do discuss how this all informs the music of Seratones.

Please consider making a donation to the New Orleans Abortion Fund, you can learn more about the organization by visiting their website here.

Also, be sure to check out Seratones performance of Good Day for the Stephen Colbert show.

This is an episode I’ve been looking forward to sharing with you for quite some time now and it still shatters my mind that it’s happened. Giles Duley is a photographer, writer, CEO, presenter, and cook; who for over a decade has traveled the world photographing people within conflict zones. In 2011, he suffered a grave injury by an IED, causing Giles to lose both of his legs and left arm. Where such an experience would understandably be a bookend for some, it was the exact opposite for Giles. It reignited his passion for photography not as a career but as a function of storytelling. This episode is about the long road it took for Giles to arrive at this point of being a well-respected and award-winning photographer (Giles is a recipient of the May Chidiac Award for Bravery in Journalism, the AIB Founders Award for Outstanding Achievement, AND the prestigious Amnesty Media Award for Photojournalism). Together we delve into the journey Giles went on from being an entertainment photographer to a photographer in conflict zones across Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan, DR Congo, and Ukraine. Along with the need to re-contextualize purpose, community, career, success, and truly…the importance of recontextualizing life in general.

We don’t normally do show notes for this podcast but in this instance, they’re absolutely necessary:

Giles photography website

The non-profit Giles founded, Legacy of War

The Power of a Story Ted Talk

Gile’s cooking/travel show for Vice, One Armed Chef

The NHS photos for GQ Hype

Let’s be honest, there aren’t many artists who can say they’re making their most compelling work 17 years into their careers. And yet, this is exactly the case with British band Editors. Across their 6 albums, they’ve continuously challenged themselves & listeners by breaking the conventions of rock music and electronic production; defying all expectations in the process. This has brought them to arenas all over the world, festival headline stages, and now their 7th album, EBM (out this Friday). It brings me so much gratitude that I can call these people my friends & it’s a true privilege getting to kick off season 5 with Tom, Ed, and Ben of the band. Together we go into the specifics of crafting a body of work that plays by its own rules; especially from a personal point of view.

The band has a European tour kicking off on October 1st in Spain and a UK and Irish tour kicking off next January at Nottingham on January 25th. For more info on their tour dates be sure to visit their website (here).

It took only over 100 episodes for me to finally release an introduction episode! But all jokes aside, it hit me a few months back that some of you who’ve gotten into the podcast might at some point have asked; who the f%$k is Ken Grand-Pierre, anyway? The short of it is I’m a photographer that’s traveled with musicians and a person who feels the most comfortable around people who’re from different walks of life. But that doesn’t explain the why’s and the hows of this series. So to make sense of all this, I invited my friend + peer, Toby Tenenbaum, to my apartment to interview me about The New Exchange. Beyond sharing a few laughs, we also explore why this series is important to me and what inspires my belief that everyone has a story to tell.

Season 5 of the podcast will be kicking off on September 20th. Be sure to rate, subscribe and leave a review!

Let’s be honest, we’re all keenly aware that the world is a dumpster fire. Arguably, we’re overly aware of that, which is why when a band like Los Bitchos comes around; there’s an intense need for celebration. They’re an all-girl band based in London that has one goal: to make you have a great time. That attitude is expressed strikingly so across their debut album, Let The Festivities Begin! (which is out now). To further hit this point home, the band has been on a non-stop run of shows throughout the world, both to headline shows and support acts like Belle and Sebastian and Franz Ferdinand. I caught up with guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Agustina Ruiz after their recent US tour to discuss how the band came to be and her favourite experiences from recording one of the best albums of 2022.

Los Bitchos are currently wrapping up a European tour and will be touring the UK starting on September 20th in Bedford. They’ll also be supporting Franz Ferdinand again throughout October, with a massive show at London’s Ally Pally on October 20th. Be sure to visit their website here for more tour dates.