Summer Bonus: Genesis Owusu

Photo by Bailey Howard

Surprise! I have a new mini-season to share with you this summer before season 3 kicks off in September. Throughout these episodes, I will be sharing the stories of musicians who’ve excelled at sharing the stories of their truest selves; while becoming trailblazers in the process. 

Our first episode is with Ghanaian-Australian artist, Genesis Owusu, who’s beautifully shaken up the music world with his unbelievable debut album Smiling With No Teeth. Within the album, Genesis tells of his experiences dealing with racism & mental health struggles with an abrasive punk attitude encapsulated in sweetness. If there’s a singular through-line within the album it’s the importance of having empathy for oneself and running headfirst into the obstacles in your way towards self-love. We have a fascinating (and hilarious) chat about Genesis’s life in music, the ways experiencing racism informed his writing, and why self-empathy is the ultimate goal.

Genesis will also be touring the states for the first time throughout January 2022. You won’t want to miss these shows:

The Roxy, Los Angeles (Thursday, January 13th)

The Independent, San Francisco (Saturday, January 15th)

Neumos, Seattle (Monday, January 17th)

The Bluebird, Denver (Wednesday, January 19th)

Bowery Ballroom, New York (Monday, January 24th)

Bowery Ballroom, New York (Tuesday, January 25th)

Terminal West, Atlanta (Friday, January 28th)

Basement East, Nashville (Saturday, January 29th)

Antone’s, Austin (Sunday, January 30th)

After you hear the episode, be sure to check out Genesis’s track Don’t Need You on the official New Exchange Playlist. Also, be sure to follow Genesis Owusu on Spotify, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.