Identified with Nabil Ayers

Nabil Ayers
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Relationships
  • Updated fortnightly

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.

  1. 4 days ago

    Jon Ronson on Family and the Extraordinary Story Behind The Castle

    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 RonsonHost: Nabil AyersExecutive Producer: Kieron BanerjiProduced by Palm Tree Island - 00:00 Jon Ronson's Son and the Mysterious Castle01:25 Growing Up Jewish in Cardiff03:55 Childhood, Fear and Freedom04:51 Meeting Terry Hall at 12 Years Old07:15 Escaping to London09:18 Leaving Cardiff and Finding Journalism11:39 Jon's Relationship With His Father13:15 The Extraordinary Ronson Family Portrait18:36 Returning to Wales19:03 Getting His First Break as a Writer20:18 Frank Sidebottom and the Manchester Music Scene23:37 Marriage, Fatherhood and Moving to New York25:21 The True Story Behind The Castle28:18 What Family Means to Jon Ronson See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  2. 17 Aug

    Reissue: Hermanos Gutiérrez on Their Musical Beginnings, and the Meaning of Family

    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 AyersExecutive Producer: Kieron BanerjiProduced by Palm Tree Island - 00:00 How Hermanos Gutiérrez began01:47 Eight years apart03:09 The first time they played together04:06 The name, and the accidental band06:09 Their mother, their father09:21 Their grandfather, Luis Alfredo10:45 Where the music came from11:51 Belonging to two cultures13:42 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.

  3. 10 Aug

    Reissue: Comedian Reggie Watts on the Meaning of Family and Belonging

    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 WattsHost: Nabil AyersExecutive Producer: Kieron BanerjiProduced by Palm Tree Island. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  4. 3 Aug

    Award Winning Director Nabil Elderkin on The Family We Choose

    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 ElderkinHost: Nabil AyersExecutive Producer: Kieron BanerjiProduced 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.

  5. 27 Jul

    Adam Buxton on Why No Parent Has It Figured Out

    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 BuxtonHost: Nabil AyersExecutive Producer: Kieron BanerjiProduced by Palm Tree Island Recorded in front of a live audience at Fiction Studios, London. - 00:00 Intro00:48 His parents’ unlikely love story05:51 His mother’s lonely first years in London09:00 Being sent to boarding school at nine12:12 When friends became family17:00 Finding his creative community20:24 Why he should have gone to art school22:00 Looking back at his family history26:00 Understanding his father’s choices30:24 Becoming a parent himself31:39 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.

  6. 20 Jul

    Daymé Arocena on Leaving Cuba to Follow Her Dreams

    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 ArocenaHost: Nabil AyersExecutive Producer: Kieron BanerjiProduced by Palm Tree Island Check out our Podcast:➡️https://linktr.ee/identifiedpodcast - 00:00 Intro00:35 Growing up in Havana02:18 Living with 14 family members03:30 Why everybody sang05:45 Discovering music06:24 Cuba’s conservatory system08:36 Finding jazz09:45 Embracing her Afro-Cuban identity11:12 Family, pressure and responsibility13:36 The Yoruba idea of carrying your crown15:30 Realising she grew up poor20:27 Becoming her ancestors’ wildest dream20:45 Her grandmother’s legacy23:00 Spiritual traditions and celebration25:33 Grief, transformation and water26:59 What family means to Daymé See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  7. 13 Jul

    Dry Cleaning’s Florence Shaw on Growing Up in a Family of Artists

    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 CleaningHost: Nabil AyersExecutive Producer: Kieron BanerjiProduced by Palm Tree Island - 00:00 Intro00:48 Growing up in South London02:24 The story of being born at home05:06 Childhood with her brother07:00 Growing up in a family of artists12:10 Knowing her grandmother through her artwork15:15 Family stories are never simple18:03 Learning to collaborate in Dry Cleaning20:30 Why the best work comes from letting go22:15 Family, grief and artistic legacy24:15 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.

  8. 6 Jul

    Turnstile’s Brendan Yates on Why the Band is Like a Family

    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 TurnstileHost: Nabil AyersExecutive Producer: Kieron BanerjiProduced by Palm Tree Island - 00:00 Intro01:00 Exploring his family history04:20 The older sister who introduced him to music06:40 His grandfather’s piano and first instruments08:00 Getting his first drum kit10:00 The parents who made it all possible12:20 Recording Turnstile’s first music in the basement13:00 Touring before Turnstile14:20 Why bands become families18:20 Community, grief and growing together20:50 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.

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About

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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