Seye Adelekan (of Gorillaz) on battling addiction with creativity (Season 7 Premiere)

The New Exchange with Ken Grand-Pierre

Welcome back to The New Exchange podcast and to very the beginning of season 7. I am beyond excited to share these talks with you, starting with a guest I’ve been dying to have on here for a long time. Seye Adelekan is a Nigerian-British artist who’s toured with Lana Del Rey, Emeli Sandé, KT Tunstall, and Paloma Faith; though he is best known as a prominent live member of Gorillaz’s touring party. I first saw Seye onstage at Governors Ball way back in 2014, performing alongside Damon Albarn. Since then, I’ve been a fan, and seeing his growth as an artist over the years has been something special. Along with being an in-demand touring musician, Seye has also started to release his own solo music. His latest songs have so far explored various shades of human emotions, while also being draped with this tone of intimacy and expansiveness that speaks to his years of experience as an artist. On this premiere episode of the podcast, Seye shares with me his experiences of finding refuge in creativity amidst navigating sobriety, embracing his cultural roots, and also what happens when you start believing in yourself.