Valerie June (Season 9 Finale)

Photo by Travys Owen

When it came to the season finale for season 9, I admittedly overthought things. But as our world delved deeper into darkness, I kept finding myself thinking of how I wanted to leave you with a sense of hope. That led me to having Valerie June on, an American singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist who lives an extraordinary life. Valerie is an artist who’s very driven by people; learning from people, connecting with strangers both on stage and off. That curiosity has been a mainstay of her life, and that sense of whimsy is all over her latest album, ‘Owls, Omens and Oracles’ (which is out now). On this episode, I chat with Valerie about the vitality of seeing hope in others and why we need to always allow room to play in our lives.

Also, in case you missed the announcement: I’ll be launching a new series on June 9th with my dear friend Laura Harvey. That series is called Creative Maintenance, and the talks on there will reflect how so many of the disappointing experiences we have at work are a lot more universal than we often think. Episodes of that will be out all throughout the summer, along with season 10 of The New Exchange starting in September.

Valerie is touring the states for the rest of the summer, and she will also be touring Europe throughout this autumn. Be sure to visit her website to see all tour dates. After you hear the episode, be sure to check out Valerie’s track Joy! Joy! on the official New Exchange Playlist. Also, be sure to follow Valerie June on Spotify and Instagram.