Would ya look at that? We’ve made it to season 8! Once again, it brings me immense joy to share these talks with you over the next few months. Especially when I reflect on how these talks have evolved beyond my wildest expectations from what I envisioned for this podcast. Even if you’re a new listener to this series, it won’t take you long to recognize that these talks tend to get deep and hand-on-heart; it shatters my mind how open the guests get across these next 15 episodes.

Starting today with Vanessa Brown (aka VV Brown), an indie alt-pop singer-songwriter, model, and producer from Northampton, UK. The word ‘trailblazer’ should also be added to the mix, especially due to her recent album, Am I British Yet? Which you can infer from the title, is a direct critique of how British society can make people of other races and cultures feel less then. Though the conversation starts with a focus on Vanessa’s lived experience, it doesn’t take us long to utilize a birds-eye view of how what she’s experienced mirrors what so many people of colour and I have experienced across the world. We explore those feelings and experiences in-depth across this episode, along with highlighting the vitality of having joy within the resistance.

This is something very different than our usual episodes, but one that I felt was important to share. A few weeks go, a good friend of mine, Eoin French (aka Talos) passed away. Eoin was one of the most talented artists I’ve met from Ireland. His artistry is exemplary of what makes that island special, along with how he carried himself off stage. Eoin was a deeply curious person, tenaciously creative, kind to all and a fantastic friend. I thought about how I wanted to honor him, which led me to listening back to some of our past conversations (from the times I interviewed him for magazines and podcasts). This led me to re-listen our very first conversation, which you’ll hear in this episode. Recorded back in the summer of 2018, it’s just….so wild how much of Eoin’s spirit can be heard across this conversation. Listening to this made me smile and laugh as I remembered my friend, and I hope it does the same to you. Codladh go maith agus i síocháin.

Photo in the artwork was taken by me in Manhattan during our chat. This episode features a performance of In Time by Talos, recorded in Greenhouse Studios in Reykjavík, Iceland.

This last summer episode couldn’t be with a more fitting guest. Caleb Eberhardt (aka Rosehardt) is a polyglot of a musician, and someone I very much feel lucky enough to call a friend. Caleb exemplifies New York's creative abandon across songwriting, production, and acting. His latest body of work, ‘the world gets smaller each day it seems to shrink’ is the kind of album that proactively refuses to be confined into a box. It’s a maelstrom of sonic textures, harsh pivots of genres and emotions…and yet it somehow feels cohesive; it somehow feels measured. Like many of the talks for this mini-season, the album reflects what it’s like to live and create art in New York. A beautiful aspect of this particular episode is how so many of the areas we touch on were experiences that Caleb thought about for the first time since working on the album; allowing you to hear him in real-time come to the realization of how much New York means to him. We recorded this chat at the Circle in Square Theatre on Broadway, ahead of one of Caleb’s performances as Hovstad on An Enemy of the People, the Tony Award-winning play starring Jeremy Strong.

Thank you for indulging me this summer with this mini-season. It’s been a long time coming, creating a series of talks highlighting why I decided to make this city my home and I hope it comes across with these five talks that when it comes to New York; there isn’t another place like it. Season eight will be starting very soon in September.

Intro song is NY Vibes by Bonus Points.