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Published by Nabil Ayers
Welcome to 'Identified', a podcast hosted by Nabil Ayers, music executive and author of 'My Life in the Sunshine'. This show explores the intricate and often complicated world of family and identity. In his memoir, Nabil shared his journey of understanding his mixed-race identity, navigating a distant relationship with his father, renowned jazz musician Roy Ayers, and discovering new family connections. 'Identified' continues this exploration, broadening the scope to encompass universal themes of family dynamics. Join Nabil as he engages in heartfelt conversations that traverse cultural histories, the impact of non-traditional childhoods, and the ways our relationships shape our identities. Through personal stories, the show confronts the challenges of loss and grief, while celebrating the unique bonds that define us. Each episode seeks to answer the profound question: What is family? Discover remarkable stories from individuals of diverse backgrounds as 'Identified' unravels the complexities that make family so unique. The executive producer for 'Identified' is Kieron Banerji, and is produced by Palm Tree Island.
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Chad Clark's father was Martin Luther King's lawyer, a man who, as Chad puts it, "changed the 20th century." On this episode of Identified with Nabil Ayers, the Beauty Pill and Smart Went Crazy musician talks about what it means to make art in the shadow of that kind of legacy, including the thing he rarely says out loud: he never shared his music with his dad. Guest: Chad Clark Host: Nabil Ayers Executive Produer: Kieron Banerji 00:00 "My dad changed the 20th century" 00:34 MLK's lawyer, the atheist & the reverend 02:57 Why he never shared his music with his dad 03:42 "I was shot at there once" 04:52 The Carter years 06:57 Harlem, Philly & the family line 09:42 A New York childhood 12:03 Arlington, and a hard first 13:36 The questions he'd ask his father now 16:42 "Songwriting equals girls" 17:54 Dischord, Ian MacKaye & the privileged-punk verdict Identified is a podcast series that explores identity, race, culture, and family through personal conversations. Hosted by author and music executive Nabil Ayers, each episode dives into lived experiences that reveal how our backgrounds shape who we are—and how we find belonging. Nabil is the author of My Life in the Sunshine (Viking, 2022), and has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, and GQ on themes of race, music, and personal history. He’s also the President of Beggars Group US, co-founder of Sonic Boom Records, and founder of the record label The Control Group / Valley of Search. Identified brings together notable voices for reflective, vulnerable conversations about where we come from—and where we’re going. Read more about Nabil: ➡️ https://www.nabilayers.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Brian Aubert of Silversun Pickups doesn't believe in perfect families, just ones where you feel safe and loved. Everything else, he says, is colouring. On this episode of Identified with Nabil Ayers, he traces where that idea comes from: a childhood in Los Angeles shadowed by his mother's brain tumour, she was given six months in 1980, and lived sixteen more years, and summers in Kailua, Hawaii, inside a sprawling "calabash" family where nobody's quite sure who's actually related. Along the way: the grandfather who drove around Kailua with "Pearl Harbor Survivor 19" on his car, the great-grandmother with hidden whiskey bottles and four husbands, an engineer father "fascinated and terrified" watching his son on stage, the son who draws the band's merch and sleeps through their sets, and why, for a man who performs for a living, family is the one place you shouldn't have to. Guest: Brian Aubert (Silversun Pickups) Host: Nabil Ayers Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Creative Agency: Palm Tree Island - Check out our Podcast: ➡️https://linktr.ee/identifiedpodcast - 00:00 The myth of the perfect family 01:33 "Safe enough to be a jerk" 02:30 His mom: given six months, lived sixteen years 04:18 Two sets of grandparents, best friends 05:36 Pearl Harbor Survivor #19 06:54 Gran-Nana Leah & the hidden whiskey 08:24 A math man watches his son on stage 09:41 Nico, the band's youngest artist 14:27 Hawaii: island fever & calabash family 20:18 A place where you don't have to perform - Identified is a podcast series that explores identity, race, culture, and family through personal conversations. Hosted by author and music executive Nabil Ayers, each episode dives into lived experiences that reveal how our backgrounds shape who we are—and how we find belonging. Nabil is the author of My Life in the Sunshine (Viking, 2022), and has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, and GQ on themes of race, music, and personal history. He’s also the President of Beggars Group US, co-founder of Sonic Boom Records, and founder of the record label The Control Group / Valley of Search. Identified brings together notable voices for reflective, vulnerable conversations about where we come from—and where we’re going. Read more about Nabil: ➡️https://www.nabilayers.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sam and Casey Harris of X Ambassadors never meant to be in a band together. They were two brothers making music separately in the same house, until Casey started sneaking downstairs to jam with Sam's band. On this episode of Identified with Nabil Ayers, they trace how brotherhood became the band. This is a conversation about family as both anchor and choice: growing up in a small upstate New York college town with a film-publicist dad away on sets for months at a time; the acrimonious split their parents hid from them; Sam growing up fast, partly because Casey, the older brother, is visually impaired, and Casey wondering whether they'd be as close if he could see; the raw recent moment of facing their father's mortality; and why being brothers is exactly what keeps the band from breaking up: "we fight, and then we still go on stage together." Guests: Sam and Casey Harris of X Ambassadors Host: Nabil Ayers Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Creative Studio: Palm Tree Island. - 00:00 Anchors: why family is why they play 01:34 Brothers, 20 months apart 02:42 Growing up fast 07:03 A father on film sets, months away 09:00 The split — and staying a phone call away 14:06 Facing a parent's mortality 17:36 Nabil on meeting his own father 19:12 The band they never meant to start 25:15 Fighting, choosing, staying brothers 29:36 What is family to you? - Identified is a podcast series that explores identity, race, culture, and family through personal conversations. Hosted by author and music executive Nabil Ayers, each episode dives into lived experiences that reveal how our backgrounds shape who we are—and how we find belonging. Nabil is the author of My Life in the Sunshine (Viking, 2022), and has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, and GQ on themes of race, music, and personal history. He’s also the President of Beggars Group US, co-founder of Sonic Boom Records, and founder of the record label The Control Group / Valley of Search. Identified brings together notable voices for reflective, vulnerable conversations about where we come from—and where we’re going. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jon Ronson joins Nabil Ayers on Identified for a conversation about family, fatherhood, growing up in Wales, finding his identity as a writer, and the strange series of events that ultimately led to his new book, The Castle. Jon traces his story back to Cardiff, where he grew up feeling like a square peg in a round hole. He remembers being dropped off alone at a Specials concert at just 12 years old, pretending to faint so he could get over the barrier, and unexpectedly meeting Terry Hall backstage. He talks about escaping Cardiff for London, discovering journalism, writing for Smash Hits, The Guardian and Time Out, and the unlikely turn that took him into Manchester’s music scene as the manager of The Man From Delmonte and keyboard player for the legendary Frank Sidebottom. Jon also opens up about his family: an often-absent father who later apologized, his parents’ award-winning Welsh hotel, an extraordinary family portrait that went spectacularly wrong, his marriage, and his relationship with his son. And then, there is The Castle... Jon tells Nabil about waking up to a series of alarming texts from his son after he and his friends had been lured to a mysterious castle several hours outside New York. What happened there eventually sent Jon himself to the castle, which crafted the orgins of his latest book. Guest: Jon Ronson Host: Nabil Ayers Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Produced by Palm Tree Island - 00:00 Jon Ronson's Son and the Mysterious Castle 01:25 Growing Up Jewish in Cardiff 03:55 Childhood, Fear and Freedom 04:51 Meeting Terry Hall at 12 Years Old 07:15 Escaping to London 09:18 Leaving Cardiff and Finding Journalism 11:39 Jon's Relationship With His Father 13:15 The Extraordinary Ronson Family Portrait 18:36 Returning to Wales 19:03 Getting His First Break as a Writer 20:18 Frank Sidebottom and the Manchester Music Scene 23:37 Marriage, Fatherhood and Moving to New York 25:21 The True Story Behind The Castle 28:18 What Family Means to Jon Ronson See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hermanos Gutiérrez never planned to be a band. On this episode of Identified, Estevan and Alejandro Gutiérrez sit down with host Nabil Ayers to trace where their music, and their bond, actually comes from: an older brother who became a father figure, a younger brother who picked up the guitar just to feel close to him, and the day a roommate overheard them playing and said, "you should be a band." Guests: Estevan and Alejandro Gutiérrez (Hermanos Gutiérrez) Host: Nabil Ayers Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Produced by Palm Tree Island - 00:00 How Hermanos Gutiérrez began 01:47 Eight years apart 03:09 The first time they played together 04:06 The name, and the accidental band 06:09 Their mother, their father 09:21 Their grandfather, Luis Alfredo 10:45 Where the music came from 11:51 Belonging to two cultures 13:42 Grief, and "what is family?" 16:57 Passing it on to the next generation - Identified is a podcast series that explores identity, race, culture, and family through personal conversations. Hosted by author and music executive Nabil Ayers, each episode dives into lived experiences that reveal how our backgrounds shape who we are—and how we find belonging. Nabil is the author of My Life in the Sunshine (Viking, 2022), and has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, and GQ on themes of race, music, and personal history. He’s also the President of Beggars Group US, co-founder of Sonic Boom Records, and founder of the record label The Control Group / Valley of Search. Identified brings together notable voices for reflective, vulnerable conversations about where we come from—and where we’re going. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A brand new and exclusive reissue from the Identified archive, with one of our most fascinating guests, Reggie Watts. Reggie Watts joins Nabil Ayers on Identified to trace where he actually comes from — a military childhood from Germany to Great Falls, Montana; the house he grew up in and still owns today; and the "ship of orphans" of friends who became his real family. This is a conversation about chosen family and belonging: being a biracial kid and a self-styled outsider in a very white place, finding his people in the 1980s post-punk scene, why SLC Punk still means so much to him, and the surprisingly honest thing he says about grief — that losing his mother "didn't feel the way you're supposed to feel," and what he's since learned about being an "internal processor." Guest: Reggie Watts Host: Nabil Ayers Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Produced by Palm Tree Island. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Photographer and filmmaker, Nabil Elderkin, joins Nabil Ayers on Identified for a conversation about his Iranian-American identity, childhood in Australia and the United States, family history, the Baha’i faith, vulnerability, creativity and belonging. Born in Chicago to an Iranian mother and American father, Nabil Elderkin moved to Australia at three and spent his childhood moving repeatedly between Australia and the United States. Nabil talks about adapting to new schools and communities, experiencing loneliness, becoming guarded, and eventually recognising how those childhood experiences impact adult relationships. Nabil also discusses his Iranian ancestry, his family’s Baha’i background, his mother’s experience of leaving Iran, and his complicated relationship with his American ancestry. Guest: Nabil Elderkin Host: Nabil Ayers Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Produced by Palm Tree Island - Identified is a podcast series that explores identity, race, culture, and family through personal conversations. Hosted by author and music executive Nabil Ayers, each episode dives into lived experiences that reveal how our backgrounds shape who we are—and how we find belonging. Nabil is the author of My Life in the Sunshine (Viking, 2022), and has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, and GQ on themes of race, music, and personal history. He’s also the President of Beggars Group US, co-founder of Sonic Boom Records, and founder of the record label The Control Group / Valley of Search. Identified brings together notable voices for reflective, vulnerable conversations about where we come from—and where we’re going. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of Identified with Nabil Ayers, Adam Buxton explores family, identity, childhood, boarding school, fatherhood, parenting, class, and friendship. The comedian, writer, broadcaster, and host of The Adam Buxton Podcast reflects on growing up with a Chilean mother and British father, navigating privilege, and how childhood experiences shaped the parent he is today. Adam and Nabil talk about his parents’ remarkable love story, his mother’s early loneliness after moving to England, being sent to boarding school at nine years old, discovering lifelong friendships with Joe Cornish and Louis Theroux, and finding a creative community that became his chosen family. Guest: Adam Buxton Host: Nabil Ayers Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Produced by Palm Tree Island Recorded in front of a live audience at Fiction Studios, London. - 00:00 Intro 00:48 His parents’ unlikely love story 05:51 His mother’s lonely first years in London 09:00 Being sent to boarding school at nine 12:12 When friends became family 17:00 Finding his creative community 20:24 Why he should have gone to art school 22:00 Looking back at his family history 26:00 Understanding his father’s choices 30:24 Becoming a parent himself 31:39 What family means to Adam - Identified is a podcast series that explores identity, race, culture, and family through personal conversations. Hosted by author and music executive Nabil Ayers, each episode dives into lived experiences that reveal how our backgrounds shape who we are—and how we find belonging. Nabil is the author of My Life in the Sunshine (Viking, 2022), and has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, and GQ on themes of race, music, and personal history. He’s also the President of Beggars Group US, co-founder of Sonic Boom Records, and founder of the record label The Control Group / Valley of Search. Identified brings together notable voices for reflective, vulnerable conversations about where we come from—and where we’re going. Read more about Nabil: ➡️https://www.nabilayers.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Raised in a house with fourteen family members, Daymé Arocena reflects on how music, ancestry, and community shaped the woman she became. n this episode of Identified, Nabil Ayers sits down with Cuban singer, songwriter, and composer Daymé Arocena for a conversation about family, ancestry, identity, music, and leaving home to pursue impossible dreams. Daymé reflects on growing up in Havana in a house shared by fourteen family members, where singing wasn’t entertainment—it was survival. She explains how music became a daily expression of joy, resilience, and healing, long before she imagined becoming a professional musician. The conversation explores Cuba’s conservatory system, discovering jazz, embracing her Afro-Cuban identity, and the responsibility she felt carrying her family’s hopes while pursuing a career in music. She also shares how Yoruba spirituality shaped her understanding of success, responsibility, grief, and ancestry. From stories about her grandmother—the matriarch who inspired her artistry—to reflections on leaving Cuba, poverty, ambition, and becoming “the wildest dream” of her ancestors, this is an intimate conversation about identity, resilience, and the people who make us who we are. Guest: Daymé Arocena Host: Nabil Ayers Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Produced by Palm Tree Island Check out our Podcast: ➡️https://linktr.ee/identifiedpodcast - 00:00 Intro 00:35 Growing up in Havana 02:18 Living with 14 family members 03:30 Why everybody sang 05:45 Discovering music 06:24 Cuba’s conservatory system 08:36 Finding jazz 09:45 Embracing her Afro-Cuban identity 11:12 Family, pressure and responsibility 13:36 The Yoruba idea of carrying your crown 15:30 Realising she grew up poor 20:27 Becoming her ancestors’ wildest dream 20:45 Her grandmother’s legacy 23:00 Spiritual traditions and celebration 25:33 Grief, transformation and water 26:59 What family means to Daymé See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of Identified with Nabil Ayers, Florence Shaw of Dry Cleaning explores family, creativity, artistic legacy, collaboration, and identity. Growing up in South London surrounded by generations of artists, Florence reflects on how family shaped her understanding of creativity long before she became the lyricist of Dry Cleaning. The conversation explores Florence Shaw’s childhood, her family’s artistic heritage, the Royal College of Art, the Great Bardfield artists, collaboration within Dry Cleaning, creative trust, and the challenges of sharing unfinished work. Guest: Florence Shaw of Dry Cleaning Host: Nabil Ayers Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Produced by Palm Tree Island - 00:00 Intro 00:48 Growing up in South London 02:24 The story of being born at home 05:06 Childhood with her brother 07:00 Growing up in a family of artists 12:10 Knowing her grandmother through her artwork 15:15 Family stories are never simple 18:03 Learning to collaborate in Dry Cleaning 20:30 Why the best work comes from letting go 22:15 Family, grief and artistic legacy 24:15 What family means to Florence - Identified is a podcast series that explores identity, race, culture, and family through personal conversations. Hosted by author and music executive Nabil Ayers, each episode dives into lived experiences that reveal how our backgrounds shape who we are—and how we find belonging. Nabil is the author of My Life in the Sunshine (Viking, 2022), and has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, and GQ on themes of race, music, and personal history. He’s also the President of Beggars Group US, co-founder of Sonic Boom Records, and founder of the record label The Control Group / Valley of Search. Identified brings together notable voices for reflective, vulnerable conversations about where we come from—and where we’re going. Read more about Nabil: ➡️https://www.nabilayers.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of Identified with Nabil Ayers, Brendan Yates of Turnstile explores family, community, identity, creativity, and the relationships that shaped both his life and his music. From growing up outside Baltimore to forming Turnstile with close friends, Brendan reflects on the people, places, and experiences that helped define his creative journey. Brendan discusses discovering music through his older sister, learning from his grandfather’s piano, receiving his first drum kit, and spending years rehearsing in his parents’ basement—a space that eventually became the recording location for Turnstile’s earliest releases. He also shares stories of his father’s unwavering support, driving young bands to shows across the East Coast and helping make a musical life possible. Guest: Brendan Yates of Turnstile Host: Nabil Ayers Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Produced by Palm Tree Island - 00:00 Intro 01:00 Exploring his family history 04:20 The older sister who introduced him to music 06:40 His grandfather’s piano and first instruments 08:00 Getting his first drum kit 10:00 The parents who made it all possible 12:20 Recording Turnstile’s first music in the basement 13:00 Touring before Turnstile 14:20 Why bands become families 18:20 Community, grief and growing together 20:50 What family means to Brendan - Identified is a podcast series that explores identity, race, culture, and family through personal conversations. Hosted by author and music executive Nabil Ayers, each episode dives into lived experiences that reveal how our backgrounds shape who we are—and how we find belonging. Nabil is the author of My Life in the Sunshine (Viking, 2022), and has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, and GQ on themes of race, music, and personal history. He’s also the President of Beggars Group US, co-founder of Sonic Boom Records, and founder of the record label The Control Group / Valley of Search. Identified brings together notable voices for reflective, vulnerable conversations about where we come from—and where we’re going. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From an Army household in Washington, D.C. to New York’s creative community, Meshell Ndegeocello reflects on the people who shaped her life, and the love that expanded her world. In this episode of Identified, Nabil Ayers sits down with Meshell Ndegeocello for a conversation about family, music, identity, mentorship, and belonging. Meshell reflects on growing up in a musical household, where her father played tenor saxophone in the U.S. Army Band. She shares memories of learning bass alongside her older brother, playing her first professional gigs as a teenager with her father’s band, and discovering the discipline that would shape her career. The conversation follows her journey from Washington, D.C. to New York, where mentors, collaborators, and close friends introduced her to new music, new ideas, and entirely new ways of thinking. She reflects on how love, community, and curiosity transformed both her creative life and her understanding of herself. Guest: Meshell Ndegeocello Host: Nabil Ayers Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Produced by Palm Tree Island Recorded Live at Public Records, Brookyn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of Identified, Nabil Ayers sits down with Matt Berninger of The National to explore family, creativity, friendship, and the communities that shape us. Matt reflects on growing up in Ohio, the artistic influence of his parents, discovering music through his older sister, and the local scenes that first made him believe a creative life was possible. From college bands and design school to moving to New York in the 1990s, he traces the experiences that eventually led to the formation of The National. Nabil and Matt explore the unusual family dynamic at the heart of The National, a band built around two sets of brothers and decades-long friendships. Matt discusses collaboration, creative tension, trust, and how maintaining artistic relationships over time often resembles maintaining a family. Guest: Matt Berninger Host: Nabil Ayers Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Produced by: Palm Tree Island - Check out our Podcast: ➡️https://linktr.ee/identifiedpodcast - 00:00 Growing up in an artistic family 01:40 The creative influence of his parents 02:15 Discovering music through his sister 04:00 Moving to New York in 1996 05:00 The music scene that shaped him 06:00 The radio station that changed everything 08:00 Why he wanted to start a band 10:00 Design school and creative life 11:00 The beginnings of The National 14:00 Being the only non-brother in the band 18:00 Writer first, singer second 19:30 Creative relationships and family 21:00 The National’s parents and children 24:00 Supporting the next generation 27:45 What family means to Matt - Identified is a podcast series that explores identity, race, culture, and family through personal conversations. Hosted by author and music executive Nabil Ayers, each episode dives into lived experiences that reveal how our backgrounds shape who we are—and how we find belonging. Nabil is the author of My Life in the Sunshine (Viking, 2022), and has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, and GQ on themes of race, music, and personal history. He’s also the President of Beggars Group US, co-founder of Sonic Boom Records, and founder of the record label The Control Group / Valley of Search. Identified brings together notable voices for reflective, vulnerable conversations about where we come from—and where we’re going. Read more about Nabil: ➡️https://www.nabilayers.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of Identified with Nabil Ayers, Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast explores family, Korean identity, mixed-race identity, grief, language, heritage, and belonging. The conversation traces her family’s history, her upbringing in Oregon, and the experiences that shaped her understanding of herself and her place between cultures. Michelle recounts discovering a diary written by her mother in 1978, learning Korean as an adult, moving to Korea, and reconnecting with family history through language and memory. She also reflects on growing up mixed-race, finding identity through music, and the journey that led from an unpublished essay about Korean food and grief to the bestselling memoir Crying in H Mart. Guest: Michelle Zauner Host: Nabil Ayers Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Produced by: Palm Tree Island 00:00 Discovering her mother’s diary 01:45 Growing up without a musical family 03:00 The hidden family history of performers 05:15 Finding identity through music 07:00 Growing up mixed-race in Oregon 09:10 Wanting to be a “neutral body” 11:00 Learning Korean later in life 13:10 Moving to Korea and reconnecting with family 15:00 Meeting her 21-year-old mother through a diary 18:00 The origins of Crying in H Mart 21:00 Rejection, success, and changing careers 23:30 Building a family through music 25:00 What family means now Identified is a podcast series that explores identity, race, culture, and family through personal conversations. Hosted by author and music executive Nabil Ayers, each episode dives into lived experiences that reveal how our backgrounds shape who we are—and how we find belonging. Nabil is the author of My Life in the Sunshine (Viking, 2022), and has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, and GQ on themes of race, music, and personal history. He’s also the President of Beggars Group US, co-founder of Sonic Boom Records, and founder of the record label The Control Group / Valley of Search. Identified brings together notable voices for reflective, vulnerable conversations about where we come from—and where we’re going. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
“Family to me is the feeling of safety without even understanding the concept.” In this episode of Identified , Nabil Ayers sits down with Bedouine for a conversation about family, heritage, migration, and belonging. As they begin tracing her family’s history, Bedouine uncovers new details about her Armenian roots, including stories she had only learned days before the interview. They discuss generations of displacement, from the Armenian genocide and the death marches through Syria to the communities her family rebuilt in Aleppo, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and eventually the United States. Along the way, she reflects on growing up between cultures, speaking English at school and Armenian at home, and navigating the complexities of identity within the Armenian diaspora. She discusses the challenge of preserving family stories when previous generations prefer not to revisit the past, and the importance of documenting those histories before they disappear. Bedouine's latest record, Neon Summer Skin, is out now. Guest: Bedouine Host: Nabil Ayers Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Produced by: Palm Tree Island See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of Identified, Nabil Ayers sits down with Show Me the Body's Julian Pratt to explore the people, communities, and experiences that shaped his identity. Growing up on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Julian was surrounded by family. With twin mothers, a sprawling network of cousins, and a household full of music, conversation, and chaos, belonging was never in short supply. But despite that foundation, he often felt different. Struggling in school, dealing with behavioural challenges, and feeling increasingly isolated as a child, he began searching for connection elsewhere. That search led him into New York’s punk, graffiti, and DIY communities, where he found what would become a second family. Through friendship, creativity, and collective care, Julian helped build the community that would eventually become Corpus and Show Me The Body. Nabil and Julian explores Jewish identity, immigration, generational history, and the stories passed down through family. Julian reflects on his grandfather’s journey from Eastern Europe to New York, what it means to be a “wandering Jew,” and how those ideas continue to shape his worldview today. At the center of the episode is fatherhood. Julian shares how becoming a parent transformed his understanding of strength, shifting him away from fear, aggression, and anger toward something rooted in love, care, and responsibility. Guest: Julian Pratt (Show Me The Body) Host: Nabil Ayers Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Produced by Palm Tree Island See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of Identified, Nabil Ayers sits down with bestselling author and literary agent Betsy Lerner to explore identity, family history, and the complicated path to becoming a writer. Betsy reflects on her upbringing, the influence of her family, and how personal experiences eventually shaped both her writing and her career in publishing. Known for her work as a literary agent as well as her acclaimed memoirs and books on writing, Betsy has spent decades helping writers uncover the stories only they can tell. The conversation explores how identity, family dynamics, and cultural background can influence the stories we carry and the stories we are willing to share. Betsy also reflects on the emotional challenge of writing personal material, the tension between honesty and vulnerability, and why the most powerful writing often comes from confronting the truths we try hardest to avoid. This is a thoughtful discussion about storytelling, memory, and the role writing plays in helping us understand where we come from. Guest: Betsy Lerner Host: Nabil Ayers Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Produced by Palm Tree Island See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Have you ever found community through your art? In this episode of Identified, Nabil Ayers sits down with musician Ryan Kattner to talk about growing up in an Air Force family, moving every three years, and never quite feeling rooted in one place. Ryan reflects on being mixed race, with a Filipino mother and a white father, and how navigating different cultural spaces shaped his sense of identity. He shares what it was like to feel caught between worlds, passing in some environments while feeling out of place in others. The conversation explores how constant movement shaped his understanding of family, where friends often became family, and how music eventually became a space where he felt understood and connected. Ryan also talks about the realities of life on the road, the bond that forms between musicians, and how creativity can help process loss and major life moments. Guest: Ryan Kattner Host: Nabil Ayers Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Produced and Distributed by: Palm Tree Island See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How much of who we are is shaped before we ever have a say? In this episode of Identified, Nabil Ayers sits down with musician Damon McMahon, formally Amen Dunes, to explore how family history, inherited trauma, and cultural identity shape who we become. Damon reflects on growing up between two very different worlds: his mother’s side of European Jewish Holocaust survival and his father’s working-class Irish American roots. He shares stories of how these legacies lived quietly in his family — sometimes spoken, often unspoken — and how they influenced his sense of self from an early age. The conversation moves through complicated family dynamics, childhood instability, and the ways creativity can act as a private space for processing what’s difficult to articulate. Damon talks candidly about how his music has long been a way of exploring identity, releasing emotion, and trying to understand the forces that shaped him. They also discuss how becoming a parent reshaped his understanding of family — not as something inherited, but something actively created. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What does it mean to raise yourself across cultures—and carry tradition forward through food? In this episode of Identified, chef and author Camille Becerra sits down with host Nabil Ayers for a heartfelt conversation about family, identity, and the life-shaping power of memory. Born in Puerto Rico to a Puerto Rican mother and Cuban father, Camille moved to New Jersey at just one year old and grew up between cultures, languages, and generations. She reflects on growing up with a single mother, navigating a distant relationship with her father, and finding connection through her Puerto Rican family’s rituals—like traveling alone as a child to visit cousins, or waking early to buy bread from the local bakery. Food became her anchor and a bridge to memory and belonging. Camille opens up about defining family on her own terms, the blurred lines between relatives and chosen loved ones, and what it means to pass down tradition through flavor. Guest: Camille Becerra Host: Nabil Ayers Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Production by Palm Tree Island See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ranking source
Apple Podcasts rankings via the Mato Topic Intelligence Platform.
Observed September 18, 2026. Cached outside the daily freshness window; the positions keep the date they were taken on.
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