The word “imagination” has been on my mind a lot lately. As creatively invigorating as New York City can be, it, like anywhere else, is susceptible to feeling stifling and drab, especially when stuck in the motions of life. It’s times like these where my mind wanders to other places and other people, like today’s guest, my dear friend Dan Black. I’m convinced that if the word “imagination” could have a picture in the dictionary that it’d be ridiculously fitting to have Dan’s photo right on there. For over two decades, he’s pushed the boundaries of indie rock (with The Servant), redefined what pop music can be (see his solo album UN), and helped younger musicians build their own worlds as a music producer (enter French music phenomenon Louane). Oh, and did I mention how on his off-time he galavants across Europe with pioneering dance group Planet Funk as one of their singers?

If reading that made you wonder, “wait, how does this guy do ALL of that?” Well, don’t worry, Dan feels the exact same way. Hence, this episode you’re about to hear, a chat that explores Dan’s illustrious past, present and future as comprehensively as humanly possible.

On January 12th, Dan will be playing his first live show in years at POPUP! in Paris. You can get your tickets here.

There’s a lot of swearing within the intro to this episode. Some might say it’s excessive, but what can I say: I fucking love this band, man. Last Train are a rock band of four friends from France who’re making some of the most exciting music I’ve heard in years. Their approach? Learn the rules of rock music and toss them out the window, while also showing flourishes of their mastery. They’re a band that’s capable of being strikingly feral and sophisticated in their form, use of time-signatures, and call and release with their instruments (see tracks like Home, The Big Picture, and Heroin as prime examples). This marks their second time gracing this podcast; the first time was a chat I had with their drummer and bass player way back in season 1 (you can hear that episode here).

This time around, I’m joined by their legendary frontman, Jean-Noël (aka future winner of the Anakin Skywalker lookalike contest). A beautiful thing about this talk is that we use 2 of their recent albums (2024’s Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and this year's release III) to explore what the band is all about. Both albums not only rock, but feel like thesis statements about Last Train and why they’re about to become your next favourite band.

I am convinced that there’s an alternate timeline where Nick Cave and PJ Harvey stayed together, had a child, and that child learned inter-dimensional travel to reach our world. That’s the only way I can explain the existence of Belgian artist Sylvie Kreusch, an unbelievable dynamo of a performer and the type of artist who was simply born to express themselves. Her second album, Comic Trip, is a wondrous storm of contradictions. Sylvie’s trademark of sleek confidence and ferocity are present, but they’re now in the backdrop of lush and cinematic chords that feel….daresay, sweet? Something told me that the potential for bewildering her audience caused more excitement than pause for Sylvie, and across this episode, I chat with her about her refusal to be pigeonholed.

Something I secretly aspire to be is a lifelong student. Specifically, the type of person that can lose days, weeks and months to the pursuit of knowledge; along with the integration of that knowledge into their lives. That’s one of the many traits I’d use to describe my latest guest, Gwenno. She’s an accomplished Welsh-Cornish musician that’s just as interested as writing a densely layered song as she is a pop banger. Her latest album, Utopia, showcases that in spades. It largely centers around the time that Gwenno spent living + working in Las Vegas, a time she found herself thinking “wait did that ever happen?” The end result of those ruminations is a body of work that again, wants to make you sweat and dance in equal measure. Easily one of 2025’s bests, this is my chat with Gwenno.

Authenticity has become a word that most of us groan at. It’s a word that’s long plagued conference rooms & dating apps to (nearly arriving at) the point of losing all meaning. But once in a while, an artist comes around that reminds you of the magic of that word & the beautiful multitudes it can carry. Singer-songwriter Ben Abraham is such an artist, a musician who writes songs that are crafted to make your heart flutter. To hear Ben chat about it, the way of doing this is second nature to him, but the road to becoming the musician he is today was far from an easy one. A journey of highs and lows, Ben’s north star has always been “how to write the best song?” and this is all about how he goes about just that.

The full name of that comedian from the Broadway show ‘ta-da!’ is Josh Sharp.

It’s an absolute privilege to close out season 1 of Creative Maintenance with the one and only Ebru Yildiz. A deeply respected photographer who has gone on to define how we view artists such as Mitski, P!nk, Cigarettes After Sex, and the list is absolutely endless. Part of what makes Ebru’s work stand out is how she’s able to cut through and present work that feels reflective of who a person is, with all the noise of the world set aside and pushed away. When you look at an Ebru Yildiz photograph, it’s immediately clear “this is the art that she wanted to make.” But how did she get there? And more crucially, what’s the link between her better understanding herself + her ability to connect with others? We explore that and more on today’s episode.

Remember to follow @creativemainpod on Instagram for more updates on the pod! (intro song is Cassette Player by Rebecca Mardal).

The fact that many people still view pop music as a “guilty pleasure” is absurd. They say you shouldn’t start any piece of writing with a declarative statement, but similar to today’s guest; I couldn’t give a f%£k less about the rules. Miso Extra is a British pop artist (by way of Japan) that hates to be bored. For the last few years she’s released music brimming with colour, style, and most importantly: substance. Her debut album, Earcandy, is one of 2025’s finest, a masterclass of pop songwriting that understands that the rules of any genre are meant to be broken and skewed. It’s not that Miso solely colours outside of the lines, but rather that she understands the lines are there to be danced around; that she can operate within the confines of pop songwriting as easily as she can blend multiple genres to her will. Part of how she’s able to achieve that is by creating within the Misoverse. What is that exactly? You’ll have to hear this latest podcast to find out.

Energy. Authenticity. Soul. These are words we all know, but it’s so rare to come across an individual who not only reminds us of those words but also truly embodies them. That’s how I’d describe Caleb Kunle, though, like all great things, it feels comical to attempt to reduce him to words. Caleb is a singer/songwriter/performer from the UK (by way of Nigeria and my second home of Ireland), and his mission is to make you feel. His music blends the best bits of R&B, soul, jazz, and funk into this sound that‘s fresh and immediate. When Caleb puts a song out into the world, he wants you to move, to sweat, and again: to feel. This episode is all about introducing you to what Caleb is about, why he does what he does, and getting you to know your next favourite artist.