180: The Good Listening To Show with Chris Grimes - Episode 180180: The Good Listening To Show with Chris Grimes - Episode 180
UK Health Radio Podcast
Chris Grimes talks with John Kaye about how lockdown sparked a passion for making music, the people and ideas that inspire him, and the balance between creativity, work and family. The conversation blends humour, reflection and stories of generosity, endurance and quiet reinvention.
31:40•1 Aug 2026
Creating Without Applause: John Kaye on Music, Meaning and Wild Ideas
Episode Overview
- New creative paths can start from simple curiosity, such as taking an online class during a quiet period of life.
- Enjoying the process of making art can matter more than chasing applause or constant publishing.
- Generous, value-led business models, like giving profits to education and local communities, can be both practical and inspiring.
- Striking a healthier balance between work and family may prevent regrets about missed moments with loved ones.
- Flow states—losing track of time while creating—can be a powerful sign that something genuinely matters to you.
“It's just that, oh my God, I can actually make the stuff that I love listening to.”
Get ready to be moved by real-life accounts of curiosity, creativity and sheer human restlessness. This conversation on The Good Listening To Show centres on radio presenter, music producer and writer John Kaye, whose life so far could be summed up as: think clearly, live deliberately and create without chasing applause. You’ll hear how a lockdown boredom scroll turned into a full-blown creative awakening when John stumbled across Deadmau5’s online class.
That single course shifted him from lifelong gig-goer to bedroom music producer, realising, as he puts it, "oh my God, I can actually make the stuff that I love listening to." From there, his once gadget-free room slowly filled with music gear, including quirky devices like a handmade feedback box capable of soundtracking an entire horror film.
John talks with affection about teenage nights spent alone at indie gigs, his enduring love of The Cure, and how live music still gives him goosebumps decades later. He then switches gears to celebrate the people who inspire him now, notably Hannah Nunn, founder of Kickstart Coffee, who gives 100% of her business profits to support a school and community in Uganda. Her story highlights what generous, values-led work can look like in everyday life.
The tone stays warm and gently humorous as John admits to "gear acquisition syndrome", confesses a soft spot for wild, counterintuitive ideas, and reveals that behind the bald, desk-bound producer is someone who has run marathons, cycled the Alps and completed an Ironman. He also reflects honestly on balance, regret and what he’d tell his younger self about not sacrificing family for work.
If you’re interested in creativity, story-sharing and how people reinvent themselves without needing applause or fame, this conversation offers plenty to ponder and maybe a nudge to pick up that hobby you’ve been putting off. What spark might be waiting in your own spare room?
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