For this episode I spoke to musical adventurer Biig Piig, as she was preparing for the release of her debut mixtape Bubblegum . At the end of last year the nomadic artist joined me at Levi’s Haus of Strauss to discuss moving into a new home, making music that connects with humanity, and navigating chaos in an upside down world. If you enjoy this episode then please subscribe on your preferred podcast provider, and please check out my book Life Lessons from Hip-Hop which is available now from all...
Jan 27, 2023•53 min•Season 2Ep. 5
For this episode I spoke to my friend Mireille Harper, editorial director, writer, authenticity reader, communications consultant and the editor of my own book Life Lessons from Hip-Hop . She recently joined me at Levi’s Haus of Strauss in London to talk about going viral with her Instagram post “10 Steps To Non-Optical Allyship” in 2020, the role of authenticity reading, how words can be harmful and working towards a more diverse publishing industry. ---------- During this conversation Mireille...
Dec 08, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Welcome to season two of Making Conversation with me, Grant Brydon. I’ve been sitting down with some of my favourite artists and thinkers to discuss creativity and life, for this fortnightly podcast. For this episode I spoke to ELIZA, the North London musician behind A Sky Without Stars, an immersive slow-burning soul album that she wrote during the pandemic and shared with us earlier this year. ELIZA recently joined me at Levi’s Haus of Strauss in London to talk about music as a vessel for huma...
Nov 24, 2022•54 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Welcome to season two of Making Conversation with me, Grant Brydon. I’ve been sitting down with some of my favourite artists and thinkers to discuss creativity and life, for this fortnightly podcast. For this episode I spoke to Haviah Mighty, a rapper, producer and recording artist from Toronto who won the 2019 Polaris Music Prize with her breakthrough album 13th Floor . Last year she followed up with the Stock Exchange mixtape, which won a Juno Award. She recently joined me fresh off the plane ...
Nov 10, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Welcome to season two of Making Conversation with me, Grant Brydon. I’ve been sitting down with some of my favourite artists and thinkers to discuss creativity and life, for this fortnightly podcast. I’m thankful to have some incredible guests lined up to talk to in the next few months, and am looking forward to sharing these interviews. For this first episode I spoke to Murray Matravers, a singer, songwriter and the frontman of easy life, an eclectic group that are pushing sonic boundaries and ...
Oct 27, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 1
For this episode I spoke to singer, songwriter and producer Dijon. The LA-based artist has been doing his best to stay as proactive as possible during the pandemic. In May he released his latest solo project ‘How Do You Feel About Getting Married?’ alongside his first production credit for Charli XCX’s ‘pink diamond’, the opening track from her latest album ‘how I’m feeling now’. And last month he dropped ‘mothership coming’ a collection of experimental music on Bandcamp, with all of the proceed...
Jul 14, 2020•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 20
For this episode I spoke to Atlanta rapper Deante’ Hitchcock. Deante’ has been making a name for himself over the past few years. Starting out with viral freestyles recorded in his car, he soon began attracting attention with projects like 2016’s Good and last year’s Just A Sample 2. He put in work to promote his music on the road, joining acts like Rapsody, 6LACK, JID, Wale and Jidenna on tour, and ended up with an invite to DreamVille’s legendary Revenge Of The Dreamers III sessions last year....
May 25, 2020•45 min•Season 1Ep. 19
For this episode I spoke to rapper, producer and multi-instrumentalist Kota the Friend. The proudly independent artist has been making waves over the past few years, with his blend of uplifting, relatable raps and jazz-influenced production. Having built a following through his self-directed Lyrics to Go YouTube series, he released his debut album Foto and toured extensively last year. Not letting the lockdown hold him back, we caught up for a conversation as he prepares to drop the follow up Ev...
May 18, 2020•42 min•Season 1Ep. 18
For this episode I spoke to singer, songwriter and producer Lolo Zouaï. Born in Paris and raised in San Fransisco, Lolo Zouaï came up writing songs, making beats on her laptop and listening to Bay Area rap before moving to New York where she’d take her career to the next level. Finding a creative partner in producer Stelios, she released her debut album ‘High Highs to Low Lows’ last year. A generational voice, she’s developed a rapidly growing global fanbase and spent most of 2019 on the road. N...
May 04, 2020•55 min•Season 1Ep. 17
For this episode I spoke to Bay Area DJ, Noodles. Born in San Francisco, Noodles learned to DJ from her father using disco and funk vinyl, before getting into French electronic music and her native Hyphy sound. She moved to Boston to start her career as a stylist with legendary streetwear site Karmaloop, before being introduced to Kehlani who convinced Noodles to take a chance on becoming her DJ in 2015. Since taking the gig and returning to the West Coast, Noodles has established herself as a g...
Apr 27, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 16
For this episode I spoke to singer, songwriter and producer Dave Bayley. Dave is the lead singer and producer of Glass Animals, who were in the middle of a US tour when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. They packed their stuff into a van, returned to London and have adapted quickly to the lockdown - keeping themselves and their fans entertained through a bunch of creative projects including a series of covers, film nights and an open source website that allows fans to use elements of Glass Animals work...
Apr 21, 2020•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 15
For this episode I spoke to singer, songwriter and producer Orion Sun. In the midst of this global pandemic, she has released her debut album ‘Hold Space For Me’, a vulnerable and emotive collection of songs that’s suited to soothing listeners in uncertain times. In conversation she’s as open and honest as in her music, and in our interview, recorded via Facetime from her home in Philadelphia, we discussed the theme of self-isolation that was already present in her work, her self-sufficient appr...
Apr 13, 2020•47 min•Season 1Ep. 14
For this episode I spoke to Sade Lawson. Sade works as part of the management team behind FKA twigs, co-owns consultancy agency Cozy Global alongside her close friend Mahaneela and manages dancehall DJ Lil C. During our conversation she recalls her career so far and describes how curiosity and a passion for learning new skills has lead her on a constantly evolving journey through the music industry, where she’s worked in a variety of roles from running the door at clubs, directing music videos, ...
Apr 06, 2020•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 13
For this episode I spoke to singer, producer and multi-instrumentalist BenjiFlow. The day before the release of his debut EP, ‘BENERGY’, we sat down to reflect on his story so far. The timeless sound that exists on tracks like ‘Deep End’ and ‘Can’t Lose’ is the product of a musical development that’s taken his entire life, from learning classical piano as a kid and playing almost every instrument at church, to recording grime tracks as a teenager and broadening his influences when he went to col...
Mar 25, 2020•52 min•Season 1Ep. 12
For this episode I spoke to Diva Jeffery and Alex Headford of musician duo Jadu Heart. Last year they released their debut album 'Melt Away' and we sat down to discuss their unorthodox origin story, the expansive lo-fi mythology they’ve created around their music and how that evolves as they grow as artists. We also got into the anxiety that comes with writing and releasing music, and what ultimately drives them to overcome the pressure. ---------- My debut book, "Life Lessons from Hip-Hop" is a...
Mar 12, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 11
For this episode I spoke to singer, guitarist and producer Omar Apollo. A first-generation Mexican-American, Omar grew up in South Haven, Indiana and taught himself to play guitar and make beats on YouTube. He began to generate buzz online in 2017 with his soulful debut single ‘Ugotme’ which blew up on streaming services. And he followed up with two independently released EPs, ‘Stereo’ and ‘Friends’, in 2018 and 2019 consecutively. I sat down with Omar the day of his sold out London show at Heav...
Feb 07, 2020•44 min•Season 1Ep. 10
For this episode I spoke to R&B duo dvsn. Comprised of singer Daniel Daley and producer Nineteen85, the Toronto natives have released a pair of cult classic albums ‘SEPT. 5th’ and ‘Morning After’ via Drake’s OVO Sound. After touring relentlessly for the past few years, the release of their third album is finally drawing closer. We met up at their label’s London offices at the end of last year, while they were putting the finishing touches to the record, for a rare in-depth conversation. Acro...
Jan 27, 2020•42 min•Season 1Ep. 9
For this episode I spoke to photographer Vicky Grout. Vicky is known for her documentation of London’s music scene through portraits that capture her subjects relaxed and full of character. She’s shot a diverse range of artists from both sides of the Atlantic including Stormzy, Jorja Smith, Smino, Doja Cat, Amine, slowthai, Virgil Abloh and Joe Kay. We discuss her career so far; from her first experiences taking photos to working with brands like Nike and shooting that infamous photo of Skepta d...
Jan 09, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 8
For this episode I spoke to vocalist, songwriter and producer Tom Tripp. We talked about his journey from being a bedroom producer releasing songs on SoundCloud while working retail jobs, to releasing his breakthrough track ‘Aurelia’ on NAO’s Little Tokyo label, performing with Mura Masa at Coachella and the creative process behind his latest EP, ‘FLAG’. Tom also discusses the peaks and troughs that come with a creative career, and how therapy helped him to reconnect with his purpose as a musici...
Dec 16, 2019•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 7
For this episode I spoke to grime MC, Manga Saint Hilare. Manga came up as part of the legendary Roll Deep crew, but over the past few years has been building his own fanbase as a solo artist with 2017’s ‘Outbursts From The Outskirts’ and last year’s ‘Outsiders Live Forever’. We talked about the difference between being known and having fans, building a brand that’s true to self and knowing the difference between the things that influence you and the things that you should make. ---------- My de...
Dec 07, 2019•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Welcome to Making Conversation with Grant Brydon, a podcast about music, creativity and careers. For this episode I spoke to DJ and promoter Oh Annie Oh. Annie was born in Korea, grew up in Toronto and moved to London for university with dreams of becoming a fashion designer. However she fell in love with the city’s club and music scenes and began working in the music industry while promoting and DJing on the side. Now a full time DJ she runs her NightDreams parties and has monthly shows at Rins...
Dec 03, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Welcome to Making Conversation with Grant Brydon, a podcast about music, creativity and careers. For this episode I spoke to photographer and co-founder of PLACES+FACES, Ciesay. He took some time out of his busy schedule between throwing sold-out parties to preparing for the release of his latest clothing drop to share his journey so far, including growing up between Gambia and London, the importance of travel in his work, building the relationships that have allowed him candid access as a photo...
Nov 20, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Welcome to Making Conversation with Grant Brydon, a podcast about music, creativity and careers. For this episode I spoke to creative consultant and one half of Bossy LDN, Dhamirah Coombes. I’d recently bumped into Dhamirah while I was considering a crossroads in my own career, and she put me onto an article about the advantages of generalising - and working across several interests - over specialising - and focussing on one thing - as a creative professional. I think she’s an amazing example of...
Nov 04, 2019•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Welcome to Making Conversation with Grant Brydon, a podcast about music, creativity and careers. For this episode I spoke to rapper, singer and producer Ragz Originale. Last year Ragz put out his debut album ‘Nature’ which was one of my favourites of the year, and still one that I recommend to people on an almost weekly basis. He’s an incredibly diverse producer and vocalist who makes timeless music that is rooted in feeling and doesn’t sound like anyone else. Ragz is also at the centre of the M...
Nov 04, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Welcome to Making Conversation with Grant Brydon, a podcast about music, creativity and careers. For this episode I spoke to singer and producer Baby Rose. She recently released her debut album ‘To Myself’ as well as making an appearance on ‘Self Love’ with Ari Lennox and Bas after sneaking into DreamVille’s 'Revenge Of The Dreamers III' sessions at the beginning of the year. We talked about growing up in Fayetteville, North Carolina, learning to produce and engineer her own songs, and losing mo...
Nov 04, 2019•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 1
