Today my guest is photographer Steven Xiao. Steven is based in San Francisco and picked up photography during the pandemic as a way of getting some fresh air. Steven was a finalist for fine art at the Creative Awards at the Siena International Photo Awards, in the professional category. His work has been published in Dodho Magazine, a professional photography magazine, and has been featured in the San Diego History Centre at Balboa Park and many outdoor galleries in the metropolitan Los Angeles area. In addition, his experimental short film "Whispers of the Conscience" was screened at AMC Empire theatres in Times Square, NYC for the All American High School Film Festival. All this while still a college student at seventeen years of age. I was delighted to have Steven on as a guest to get his perspective on the world of photography and also on the introduction of artificial intelligence in the arts, so I hope you are sitting comfortably and happy to stay with us.

By accessing this podcast, you acknowledge that the entire contents and design of this podcast are the property of Ken Sweeney, or used by Ken Sweeney with permission, and are protected under Irish and international copyright and trademark laws. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this podcast may save and use information contained in the podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including, without limitation, reproduction, retransmission or editing, of this podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Ken Sweeney.

Today my guest is singer songwriter Phil BroiKos. Phil is currently working on a very unusual project called A Day in Music. Over the course of two decades Phil is planning to release twenty-four hours of music productions of one hour per year. Each hour of music is inspired by events that happened within a corresponding hour of the day. So far, Phil has released 4 albums in the series. As a musician, I found this project intriguing, and I was delighted when Phil agreed to join me as a guest, so I hope you are sitting comfortably and happy to stay with us.

By accessing this podcast, you acknowledge that the entire contents and design of this podcast are the property of Ken Sweeney, or used by Ken Sweeney with permission, and are protected under Irish and international copyright and trademark laws. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this podcast may save and use information contained in the podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including, without limitation, reproduction, retransmission or editing, of this podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Ken Sweeney

Today my guest is musician Stella Bass. I've known Stella for over ten years and have always admired her professional approach to producing music and her new album, Look for the Silver Lining is no exception. The album is a collection of timeless jazz standards. Stella collaborates with The Johnny Taylor Trio to bring you a heady mix of delightful swing, intimate ballads, intoxicating Latin grooves, as well as, for the first time, some of Stella’s original songs. I met with Stella to chat about her career, her influences and the story behind the new album, so I hope you are sitting comfortable and happy to stay with us.

By accessing this podcast, you acknowledge that the entire contents and design of this podcast are the property of Ken Sweeney, or used by Ken Sweeney with permission, and are protected under Irish and international copyright and trademark laws. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this podcast may save and use information contained in the podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including, without limitation, reproduction, retransmission or editing, of this podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Ken Sweeney.

Today my guest is author and political scientist Dr. Tobias Endler. With over 20 years in academia, Tobias has published numerous books and articles on US politics, transatlantic relations, as well as democracy, media, populism, and current progressive movements. I have known Tobias for many years now and we often catch up online and in person to discuss political and social issues. It's a busy year for major elections across the world and in today's episode, we chat about the current state of democracy, so I hope you are sitting comfortably and happy to stay with us.

By accessing this podcast, you acknowledge that the entire contents and design of this podcast are the property of Ken Sweeney, or used by Ken Sweeney with permission, and are protected under Irish and international copyright and trademark laws. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this podcast may save and use information contained in the podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including, without limitation, reproduction, retransmission or editing, of this podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Ken Sweeney.

Rock Vocal Mastery: Graham Bonnett on Shaping a Music Legend

Today my guest is rock music vocalist Graham Bonnett. Since his early teens, Graham has become synonymous with his powerful voice which has been heard in many songs over the decades. Graham has recorded with some of the best rock acts in the world including Rainbow and Alcatrazz. Graham is super active and still tours with his own band nowadays. I was delighted to have Graham on as a guest and take the opportunity to ask how he manages to keep his amazing voice in perfect condition, so I hope you are sitting comfortably and happy to stay with us. By accessing this podcast, you acknowledge that the entire contents and design of this podcast are the property of Ken Sweeney, or used by Ken Sweeney with permission, and are protected under Irish and international copyright and trademark laws. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this podcast may save and use information contained in the podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including, without limitation, reproduction, retransmission or editing, of this podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Ken Sweeney.

Today my guest is graphic designer Simon Roche. Simon is a Product Design Director who builds products and design systems in education and tech. Simon has worked in many fields in the last 20+ years as a designer, and produced work for international clients from Denmark to Australia, as well as for many Irish businesses through cultural work, branding and editorial design. I was keen to chat with Simon about his career and the new concepts and tools being used in the graphic design industry, so I hope you are sitting comfortably and happy to stay with us.

Today my guest is journalist and writer Ken Foxe. With over 30 years' experience in media, Ken has been at the forefront of investigative reporting and was the leading author of a long-running series of articles in 2009 regarding politicians' expenses that led to major changes in the way they were reimbursed. Ken is also a co-director of Right to Know, an Irish transparency organisation that campaigns for greater information access, and in his spare time, Ken is the author of a series of short stories. I was a long admirer of his work, especially around the issues of freedom of information, and I was keen to have him on The Comfortable Spot as a guest. We have an in-depth discussion on the media and access to information, so I hope you are sitting comfortable and happy to stay with us.

Everything is on schedule The Comfortable Spot podcast season six in early February. I’ve got some amazing guests and great conversations and as always, some of them you will know, some maybe not but I know you’ll find all of them intriguing.

In the meantime, here is a bonus mini episode featuring more from my recent chat with graphic designer Malcolm Garrett. We review of three iconic album covers and the importance of collaboration. As with the main episode, Malcolm is engaging, knowledgeable and funny so I hope you are sitting comfortable and happy to stay with us.