Art and Being

Today on the show we have Abraham Kunin. Abraham is a Music Producer, Songwriter, Musician and Mentor who is known widely for his stunning work Producing the Dalai Lama’s album “Inner World” which reached #1 on the worldwide new age charts and #2 on the global iTunes album charts.    In this conversation we dive into Abrahams journey to where he is now, parenting, producing, mentoring, philosophy, spirituality, psychedelics, working with your partner and of course his work on the brilliant Dalai Lama album “Inner World” and the whole story behind that.    It was such a privilege to sit down with Abraham and chat about his journey. He’s such an incredible gifted, aware and humble soul and it was such an honour to sit in conversation with him. You can find more of his work at www.abrahamkunin.com   Also I am happy to announce that my brand new Tiny Triumph Recordings studio in the heart of Wellingtons CBD is now open. It’s been such a long journey to find a new studio space to work from and it felt like such perfect synchronicity when this studio came available. It’s such an incredibly vibey space and I think is going to be such an amazing thing for the Wellington music scene. You can check out the space over on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tinytriumphrecordings and all booking enquires can be sent to studio@tinytriumphrecordings.com   Also thanks to the amazing @rabbitislandcoffee from Mapua in Nelson. Their coffee is all hand roasted by a couple of amazing and inspiring human beings and im sure you’ll agree if you try it; thats it’s probably the best coffee in the country.    Also thanks again to @taylahmusicnz for letting us use the song Okay that we Produced as the shows theme song.

Today I am bringing you a segment of the show called greatest hits where I take an extract of one of the Art and Being episodes that I absolutely love. There is so much incredible wisdom from our guests in these shows and sometimes some of their profound moments may get lost in the length of the conversations. So with greatest hits; im bringing back little bite sized clips taken from an episode that I think is really inspirational. Whether or not you have heard this clip already or hearing it for the first time; I think we can all gain a lot from being reminded of these insights.    Today's greatest hits clip comes from our conversation with Joan Tollifson. In this clip; we talk about how searching for the self and looking for the one who is looking can lead you to an open space of awareness where everything is just happening including our thoughts, the choices we make, the desires and wants we hold and how accepting that we don't have the control we think we do can lead to a life of tranquility and peace and reduce hatred towards ourselves and others.   The clip is taken from Ep 10: The Art of Being Nobody: How searching for the Self can lead to nothing and everything with Joan Tollifson

Today on the show we have one of my favourite Songwriters and Artists of all time Frank Turner. Frank Turner is one of the UK’s most successful artists. He’s just released his tenth studio album ‘Undefeated’ which debuted at Number 3 in the Official Album Chart and Number 1 in the Independent Album Chart. His album ‘FTHC’ (Feb 2022) became his first #1 hit with the previous four albums all peaking in the Top 3. With over a million albums sold worldwide, he has three gold-certified albums and one silver status. Since his first solo gig in 2004, Frank has played over 2800 shows and has announced Show 3000 for Feb 2025 at Alexandra Palace, which sold out within 24 hours of being on general sale. His biggest UK headline shows include aforementioned Alexandra Palace, O2 Arena and Wembley Arena. He has performed at almost every UK venue imaginable, from tiny clubs to stadiums as well as the opening ceremony of 2012 London Olympics.   In this conversation we talk about his latest album “Undefeated”, life on the road, going clean from drugs, handling the pandemic without the ability to tour, navigating personal boundaries with fans, meeting his idols, playing NoFXs last ever show, advice for young touring bands and so much more.   Also thanks to our show sponsors Tiny Triumph Recordings, which is a boutique recording studio in Wellington New Zealand who prides themselves on being a safe space for artists and bands to be able to come in and express themselves with a compassionate Music Producer and strive to get the best out of their music and make it sit alongside the greatest artists in the world.   Also thanks to the amazing @rabbitislandcoffee from Mapua in Nelson. Their coffee is all hand roasted by a couple of amazing and inspiring human beings and im sure you’ll agree if you try it; thats it’s probably the best coffee in the country.    Also thanks again to @taylahmusicnz for letting us use the song Okay that we Produced as the shows theme song.

Today on the show we have Award Winning Filmmaker,  Investigative Journalist, Podcaster and Blogger David Farrier. David is known for his critically acclaimed films such as Tickled and Mr Organ as well as his fantastic Netflix TV show Dark Tourist and his brilliant Flightless Bird podcast.   In this conversation David talks about how he navigates his incredibly chaotic line of work and how he manages his mind when he is constantly putting himself into dangerous and intense situations in the pursuit of truth and art.   We touch on his career in journalism, film making, spending time with murderers, navigating lawsuits and the mental burden of pursuing such controversial figures, conspiracy theories, how to keep sane and healthy much much more!   You can find out more at www.Webworm.co and find his Flightless Bird Podcast athttps://linktr.ee/flightlessbirdpod   Also thanks to our show sponsors; the amazing Rabbit Island Coffee from Mapua in Nelson. Their coffee is all hand roasted by a couple of amazing and inspiring human beings and im sure you’ll agree if you try it; thats it’s probably the best coffee in the country.    Also thanks to Tiny Triumph Recordings. Tiny Triumph is a boutique recording studio in Wellington that is designed to be a super comfortable and un-intimidating environment where artists can feel comfortable and relaxed in a safe environment in order to get the best out of their music. It’s not a studio where artists can just turn up and record; it’s a studio where artists go through the whole process with a Producer who really cares about getting the best out of the music so it can sit alongside the greatest artists in the world. If you want to hear more; head over to www.tinytriumphrecordings.com   Also thanks again to Taylah for letting us use the song Okay that we Produced as the shows theme song.

Today I am bringing you a segment of the show called greatest hits where I take an extract of one of the Art and Being episodes that I absolutely love. There is so much incredible wisdom from our guests in these shows and sometimes some of their profound moments may get lost in the length of the conversations. So with greatest hits; im bringing back little bite sized clips taken from an episode that I think is really inspirational. Whether or not you have heard this clip already or hearing it for the first time; I think we can all gain a lot from being reminded of these insights.  Today's greatest hits clip comes from our conversation with Clinical Psychologist and Author Ben Sedley. In this clip; Ben uses an incredible metaphor about a Tiger being on the loose to explain fear and our shrinking sphere of concern when we are in the thick of stress, anxiety and depression. This metaphor alone has given me such a great understanding of human stresses and how it affects our ability to participate in this life and I have retold this story many times in my day to day life. The clip is taken from: Ep 9: The Art of Acceptance: How to navigate anxiety, negative thought patterns and mental wellbeing with Ben Sedley

Today on the show we have 4 times Academy Award Winning Re-Recording Mixer, Sound Supervisor and Sound Designer Chris Boyes. Chris is widely known for his work on films such as Titanic, Lord of the Rings, Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avatar, Pirates of the Caribbean and hundreds more.  As of the recording of this episode; Chris has worked on 8 out of the 10 highest grossing films of all time making Chris the highest grossing re-recording mixing engineer of all time. I have known Chris for over a decade and worked on various film mixes with him and one of the reasons why I wanted to bring him on the show was not just his excellence in his craft but also because he is an incredibly grounded and humble person who loves his family, values health and wellbeing, he has an incredible sense of humour and he doesn't let his successes get to his head. In this conversation we talk about his career, his journey, navigating the pressures of working on blockbuster films, success, working with tricky clients, parenting, health, navigating the ego and so much more. A small disclaimer; we had some technical difficulties when recording this episode so you will notice the sound changing towards the end of the episode where we had to switch over to the zoom audio recording. Also thanks to our show sponsors; the amazing Rabbit Island Coffee from Mapua in Nelson. Their coffee is all hand roasted by a couple of amazing and inspiring human beings and im sure you’ll agree if you try it; thats it’s probably the best coffee in the country.    Also thanks to Tiny Triumph Recordings. Tiny Triumph is a boutique recording studio in Wellington that is designed to be a super comfortable and un-intimidating environment where artists can feel comfortable and relaxed in a safe environment in order to get the best out of their music. It’s not a studio where artists can just turn up and record; it’s a studio where artists go through the whole process with a Producer who really cares about getting the best out of the music so it can sit alongside the greatest artists in the world. If you want to hear more; head over to www.tinytriumphrecordings.com   Also thanks again to Taylah for letting us use the song Okay that we Produced as the shows theme song.

Today on the show we have Elena Brower. Elena is a bestselling Author, a Mother, mentor, poet, artist, volunteer, and host of the Practice You Podcast. She has been teaching Asana Yoga since 1999, she studies and practices Zen meditation, she received the Buddhist Precepts from Roshi Joan Halifax and is now a candidate for Buddhist Chaplaincy, Elena offers her time in hospice and penitentiary settings as well as facilitating grief counselling for children.   In this conversation we dive deep into the art of Zen, Elena’s discovery of Yoga, Zen Buddhism, Zen Meditation, Parenting, Non-Violent Communication and so much more.    Elena is a beacon of light and her presence is inspiring! I had so much fun diving into her journey and sitting with her in conversation gave me so much to contemplate about what it is to be.    Thanks to our show sponsors; the amazing Rabbit Island Coffee from Mapua in Nelson. Their coffee is all hand roasted by a couple of amazing and inspiring human beings and im sure you’ll agree if you try it; thats it’s probably the best coffee in the country. 

Today on the show we have Award Winning Music Producer and Artist Josh Fountain. Josh is known by many as the Producer of the international hit “Superlonely” by Benee as well as one of the founding members of the band Leisure and Kids in Space.    In this conversation, we dive into topics such as the importance of collaboration, surrounding yourself by inspiring people, writing Superlonely, being a Producer during the pandemic, joshes early journey through the hustle years, being a parent, imposter syndrome, battling the ego and so much more.    It was such a privilege to have Josh on the show. It’s success from people like Josh that have always given so much inspiration to the New Zealand Music Industry so I’m so grateful to have been able to sit down and chat about his journey.    Also thanks to our show sponsors; the amazing Rabbit Island Coffee from Mapua in Nelson. Their coffee is all hand roasted by a couple of amazing and inspiring human beings and im sure you’ll agree if you try it; thats it’s probably the best coffee in the country.    Also thanks to Tiny Triumph Recordings. Tiny Triumph is a boutique recording studio in Wellington that is designed to be a super comfortable and unintimidating environment where artists can feel comfortable and relaxed in a safe environment in order to get the best out of their music. It’s not a studio where artists can just turn up and record; it’s a studio where artists go through the whole process with a Producer who really cares about getting the best out of the music so it can sit alongside the greatest artists in the world. If you want to hear more; head over to www.tinytriumphrecordings.com   Also thanks again to Taylah for letting us use the song Okay that we Produced as the shows theme song.

Today on the show we have Joan Tollifson. Joan is a Spiritual Leader, an Author, Writer and Explorer of what is. Joan is the author of 5 fantastic books ("Nothing to Grasp", "Death; the End of Self Improvement" and others) and also appears on the brilliant "Waking Up" app from Sam Harris where she talks all things "Here and Now" on her stunning series "Explorations of Being".   In our conversation; we talk about Meditation, Free Will, Psychedelics, The issues with Belief, Zen-Buddhism, Navigating Suffering, The Self, Spiritual Practices and so much more.   Joan is a rare gift to the world and is someone who strips down the human experience into such an easy to understand and profound view point and her explanations and insights into sitting as awareness in the here and now are incredibly inspiring.    You can find out more about Joan at www.joantollifson.com   Also thanks to our show sponsors; the amazing Rabbit Island Coffee from Mapua in Nelson. Their coffee is all hand roasted by a couple of amazing and inspiring human beings and im sure you’ll agree if you try it; thats its probably the best coffee in the country.    Also thanks again to Taylah for letting us use the song Okay that we Produced as the shows theme song.

Today on the show we have Ben Sedley. Ben is an Author and Clinical Psychologist who wrote the brilliant books "Stuff that sucks" and "Stuff that's loud" and he has spent his life dedicated to helping people navigate the turbulent terrain of the human mind. Ben is a wealth of knowledge in the therapy realm and sitting down with him for this conversation; I learnt from Ben about mental health than I have from years of reading books and listening to Podcasts on the subject matter. We discuss accepting what we can’t control and changing the things we can, navigating negative self talk, raising well balanced kids in a chaotic time, living with trauma, depression, anxiety, the human brain and seeing our thoughts as not who we are but what we are experiencing and so much more.  If you know anyone that is having a hard time; make sure you send this episode over to them as I believe Ben's insights into human suffering is something that could benefit absolutely everyone. Also shout out to our sponsors @rabbitislandcoffee for fueling us with their amazing coffee! Shout out to @taylahmusicnz as well for letting us use her song “Okay” as the theme song for the podcast!

Today on the show we have Russ Hughes. Russ is a Branding and Marketing expert, Author, Podcaster and the creator of the brilliant Pro Tools Expert and Production Expert blogs which have millions of readers each year. I have admired Russ's work for a very long time and have been an avid reader of the Production Expert blogs for over a decade. Russ has also recently released a book called "The book dad told me not to write" and it's filled with beautiful and inspiring quotes that Russ has picked up over his life as well as so much brilliant advice. We dive into a wide array of topics in this conversation like seeing potential, branding, storytelling, how to navigate negative self talk, self worth, the influence of British culture, therapy and so much more. Russ is a master of pulling out quotes left right and centre and im sure you will all gain so much from this episode. Also shout out to our sponsors @rabbitislandcoffee for fueling us with their amazing coffee! Shout out to @taylahmusicnz as well for letting us use her song “Okay” as the theme song for the podcast!

Today on the show we have the amazing Actress, Director and Producer Nathalie Boltt who you may know from the hugely successful Netflix show Riverdale who played the incredibly loved Villain “Penelope Blossom”. Natalie spends her time between Vancouver and New Zealand has also worked on films like District 9, TV shows like Riverdale, The chilling adventures of Sabrina and many other incredible films and shows. Nathalie not only wears multiple hats in the film and tv world but is also an advocate for animal welfare and climate change and is an extremely present and inspiring human who i’ve had the privilege of working with on multiple projects. This conversation was one that was the kind of conversation that I really wanted this podcast to be like when I first started this show. I wanted the show to be less of a question and answer session and more of a naturally evolving conversation. As soon as we connected on zoom we started chatting and never actually formally started so as you will hear; the conversation ebbs and flows in a beautiful and natural way. It was such a privedlge having Nathalie on and I know you will all find here wisdom and insights incredibly inspiring. Also shout out to our sponsors @rabbitislandcoffee for fueling us with their amazing coffee! Shout out to @taylahmusicnz as well for letting us use her song “Okay” as the theme song for the podcast!

Today on the show we have Olympic Bronze Medalist Marcus Daniell who is a professional tennis player, business owner and philanthropist who runs High Impact Athletes. Marcus is an incredibly inspiring being who has been making significant efforts to make the world a better place through his effective giving company High Impact Athletes.  While he is an absolute inspiration on the tennis court; his work in trying to shape the landscape of giving in the world of sports is something that has been so incredible to watch! We touch on Marcus’s journey to become a Bronze Medalist at the olympics, his work in effective giving, his views on the treatment of animals, mental strengthening, resilience and living a life of purpose.  I think you’ll all have so much to be inspired by in this conversation.  Also shout out to our sponsors @rabbitislandcoffee for fueling us with their amazing coffee! Shout out to @taylahmusicnz as well for letting us use her song “Okay” as the theme song for the podcast!

Today on the show we have the Award Winning Film Composer, Musician and Artist Arli Liberman. Arli is widely known for his amazing work in film composing features such as Stylebender, Ka Whawhai Tonu, Valerie and Savage (Which he won the Silverscroll for best score with). He is also an incredibly accomplished musician and artist playing festivals all around the world and was the guitarist in the White Flag Project which was the worlds first Palestinian/Israel crossover band that saw him playing shows in Russia and all through Europe. His story is so captivating and moving and he talks us through his incredible life story that takes us from growing up in Israel to leaving home as a young teenager and pursuing music full time right through to winning awards as a composer. He is a living breathing expression of art and we couldn't think of anyone better to have on our show. You can check out his work here: https://www.arlimusic.com/ Also special thanks to our sponsors Rabbit Island Coffee that make probably the best coffee in Aotearoa and to Taylah for letting us use her song "Okay" in the show.

Today on the show we chat with Michael Sutherland who is an expert in Psychedelic Music Therapy.  Michael has spent his last few years studying music composition for the use in psychedelic music therapy sessions. He recently released a 6 hour guided meditation soundtrack that was carefully curated to guide people through psilocybin mushroom trips.  Michael is such a wealth of knowledge on the subject of Psychedelics and has such a great story and im sure so many of you will have a lot of profound takeaways from this conversation with him. You can check out his work at https://www.sutherlandsounds.com/ Thanks to our sponsors @rabbitislandcoffee for fueling us with their amazing coffee and thanks to @taylahmusicnz for letting us use her song “Okay” on the show! Disclaimer: We accidentally called Michael an "Expert in Psychedelic Music Therapy" however Michael's expertise is in Creating Music for Psychedelic Music Therapy. He is not a licensed therapist and our apologies for the mistake.

Today on the show we chat with Radha Iveta who is a Meditation, Yoga and Mindfulness Coach who runs Heart Awakening Silent Retreats all around Aotearoa.  Radha is a wealth of knowledge in the mindfulness space and so in this conversation we dive deep into conversations about Consciousness, Non-duality, Spirituality, Meditation, Coffee and so many other topics. Radha is such an inspiring and grounded human with such a great story and im sure so many of you will have so many profound takeaways from this conversation with her.  You can also check out her Silent Retreats at https://www.heartawakening.org/ Thanks to our sponsors @rabbitislandcoffee for fueling us with their amazing coffee and thanks to @taylahmusicnz for letting us use her song “Okay” on the show!

Today on the show we chat with the Emmy Award winning Film Composer Stephen Gallagher who has had an incredible career working with the likes of Brian Eno, Ed Sheeran, Nick Cave, Peter Jackson and the Beatles!!! We had an amazing conversation about Stephen’s journey and we touch on imposter syndrome, gratitude, the proximity of excellence, intrusive thoughts, dealing with depression, working with your heroes and so much more! Stephen is one of the most positive, talented and inspiring humans we know and it was a pleasure to have him on our podcast to shoot the shit about all things Art and Being.  Thanks to our sponsors @rabbitislandcoffee for fueling us with their amazing coffee and thanks to @taylahmusicnz for letting us use her song “Okay” on the show!

In our first episode of the Art and Being Podcast, our host Toby Lloyd introduces himself and gives a little bit of history into what was the catalyst for this podcast, what kind of guests we will be talking to and what we will be talking about. This podcast is a platform for big ideas and will hopefully be a pond of inspiration for you to bathe in!   Big thanks to Taylah for letting us use her song "Okay" that we Produced as the theme song to the podcast. Taylah is such an amazing artist and you can find all of her music on all your favourite streaming platforms.   Also thanks to the sponsor of this episode "Rabbit Island Coffee Co." who make probably the best coffee in New Zealand!