The New Exchange with Ken Grand-Pierre

I don’t think I’m breaking new ground by stating how we can all be biased when it comes to our friends right? Thankfully, I can say that’s not the case with today’s guest, my buddy Max Kerman, frontman of the Canadian rock band Arkells. You see, Max has written and released his first book, Try Hard: Creative Work in Progress (out now through Penguin Random House), and it’s actually insane just how much I love this book. Across the ...

In all honesty, I didn’t expect the first episode of Creative Maintenance to feature… well, me! But considering I talked Laura into doing this, it only felt fair haha. In case you missed the trailer we dropped, Creative Maintenance is a new series I’ve produced with my friend Laura Harvey, a photographer based in Vancouver who wants to have an honest dialogue about how we work. Across anonymous submissions, we chat with guests abou...

When it came to the season finale for season 9, I admittedly overthought things. But as our world delved deeper into darkness, I kept finding myself thinking of how I wanted to leave you with a sense of hope. That led me to having Valerie June on, an American singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist who lives an extraordinary life. Valerie is an artist who’s very driven by people; learning from people, connecting with strangers both...

Before we wrap season 9, I’m happy to announce Creative Maintenance with Laura Harvey, a new mini-series I’ve produced. Laura is a ridiculously talented British-Chinese photographer based in Vancouver who deeply cares about community.

Creative Maintenance is a series about just that: highlighting how, as working creatives, we vitally need a sense of community. The format of the show is we take anonymous submissions from our peers ab...

The dancefloor is a sacred place, and no one knows this better than Pierre Kwenders. The Congolese-Canadian artist has made a name for himself by being a daring creative who isn’t afraid to dig deep to make you move. A few years back, he was awarded the prestigious Polaris Music Prize for his project, José Louis and the Paradox of Love, a wildly ambitious album where Pierre sings in multiple languages (Lingala, Tshiluba, and Kikong...

It feels safe to say that there isn’t another music genre more in consistent flux than R&B. It’s a genre whose fans demand authenticity, a respect towards its forefathers, and evolution all at the same time. Where practitioners of other genres might get away with exercising old tricks here and there, R&B fans simply don’t allow for that. Burundian-Australian artist Beckah Amani has a perfect understanding of all this, with ...

Truth be told, there’s not really an artist that does what Tamara Lindeman does. With her project, The Weather Station, she’s figured out how to weave personal stories with universal themes that touch….well, all of us, really. What intrigues Tamara above all else is humanity, the ways we’re connected through this planet we live on, and the highest of highs and deepest of lows that come with being a human being. Her latest album is ...

Stop me if you heard this one before: a group of four friends form a band, create music that initially people don’t understand but ultimately they win the hearts of a nation, inadvertently becoming THE biggest band of their country. And then suddenly the beloved lead singer decides to quit and start life anew. Ok, you’re right, I also haven’t heard of such a story, but that’s the unique story of Dutch musician Eloi Youssef, ex-fron...

(Thanks for the help on this one, Todd Owyoung!) It’s kind of wild how intoxicating the idea of “quitting your day job to chase your dreams is.” As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed that the glow of that idea becomes brighter rather than dimmer for many of us. But what about the realities of doing such a thing? Well, that’s something that photographer Deanie Chen knows all too well. Deanie is a photographer that largely focuses on mu...

You know those moments where you feel a sense of gratitude towards the people who’ve been in your life for a long time? That’s how I feel about today’s guest, Yukimi Nagano of Little Dragon. I’ve been very lucky to have crossed paths with her throughout the years, but beyond that, I’m also a massive fan of the music that she makes. There’s a sincerity, confidence, and resolve that comes across her art that constantly leaves me asto...

It’s not lost on me that the title for today’s episode might seem heavy-handed, but when you stop to think about it; what a perfect time to be reminded of the vitality of comedy. People generally agree that we’re living through unprecedented times in every corner of the world. The best comedy doesn’t shy away from that, rather it jumps headfirst into poking fun at the madness of life, which is something that Munya Chawawa understan...

(Thanks for the help on this one, Bartees Strange!). Personally, I haven’t found that old saying of “never meet your heroes” to be true. This latest episode is a beautiful example of that and it doesn’t take long for me to share my appreciation to this guest while we’re talking. Today’s pod is with the one and only Tunde Adebimpe, leader of the legendary indie rock band, TV on the Radio. Beyond that, he’s also a cartoonist, art dir...

Something that comes up quite a bit on this podcast is how particular the job of a musician is. It’s easy to focus on the sold-out shows and the admiration of fans across the world, but let’s take a sec here to really pinpoint what happens: musicians are people who go into rooms to write down how they feel, and the longer their careers go the more depth they have to utilize to achieve this task. It’s something we don’t often think ...

The reasons for this are numerous, but in 2025, being in a rock band feels like an absurdly radical idea. In a time where people are becoming more divided, where the music industry is in shambles, one could be forgiven for thinking “Why a band?” But the beauty of that framework of a band, of four people coming together to work on a shared vision….it feels beautifully vital and poignant during a time like today. UK rock band October...

Joining me for the first bonus episode of the season is an artist who knows a thing or two about growth. Wafia Al-Rikabi is an artist I’ve been a fan of for several years now. At the core of her songwriting is her ability to sing these stunning songs full of contrasts. No one infuses flecks of pop and R&B the way Wafia does, and similarly: no writes about life experience the way she does. This has all led us to her debut album,...

Simply put: there are not many things that could be said about Ólafur Arnalds that haven’t already been said. However, in a lot of ways, that’s where the simplicity ends, with Ólafur being the kind of creator that’s impossible to fit into a box. He’s a multi-instrumentalist from Iceland who’s also an accomplished composer, a producer, an arranger, a french fry aficionado; the guy can do it all. On this episode of the podcast, I aim...

(Thanks for the help on this one, Dodie!). It’s become a tradition to remark on how wild it is that we’re starting a new season, but the truth of that has not waned one bit. Having a space and a platform to showcase a wide spectrum of ideas, perspectives, and walks of life feels more vital than ever and after all these years I still get an immense level of joy at getting to share these stories with you — especially the stories of r...

Before we kick off season 9, I felt like it’d be cool to have a bridge between what’s just ended and what’s about to begin. Speaking of, season 9 of the podcast will be starting next week on March 18th, and I cannot wait for you to hear it.

My guest today is someone who’s deeply important to me, my friend and mentor, Danny North. Danny’s a photographer from the UK, who got his start in photographing music, which feels like a colossa...

Time is a ridiculously funny thing, isn’t it? When Elyse and I started recording these talks, I don’t think that either of us could’ve imagined how relevant they’d be so many months later. This last talk in particular feels appropriate in opposition to this time of division, apathy and anguish that we’re currently living through. In 2025, the word ‘hope’ almost feels childish to reflect on, but there’s a vitality to that word that ...