Jesse Boykins III's Spark Is The Fifth Element

Jesse Boykins III's Spark Is The Fifth Element

Author: Adam Unze - Music & Film Interviews December 20, 2023 Duration: 39:38

Singer, songwriter and producer Jesse Boykins III was introduced to The Fifth Element by his college roommate (who happened to be Jonah Hill!). He was hooked on the film's style and storytelling from the first frame and has continually revisited it as a source of creative inspiration throughout his career. Jean Paul Gaultier's costume design combined with Luc Besson's unique storytelling to create a distinctive sci-fi landscape, one that showed Boykins the power of combining masculine and feminine energies in his artistry.









The Spark Parade is a podcast that dives deep into the films and albums that have inspired today’s creative icons. Hosted by Adam Unze, each episode features a unique conversation with an artist about their chosen film or album, and how it sparked their artistic journey.


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What single piece of art-an album, a film, a television show-fundamentally altered your creative path? That's the central question of The Spark Parade, a podcast hosted by Adam Unze. This isn't a standard interview format; it's a focused excavation of a singular, transformative work. Each conversation with an actor, musician, or cultural icon revolves entirely around that one catalytic piece of culture that ignited their journey. The discussion delves into the personal history and emotional resonance of the work, whether it's a cult classic or a mainstream hit, tracing how its influence continues to echo through their life and career. Listeners are invited into these intimate reflections, hearing stories from artists like Margaret Cho and Maya about the moments of inspiration that sparked everything. The podcast operates at the intersection of music, film, and personal narrative, offering a unique lens on the creative process. By concentrating on a single artifact, each episode provides a deep, nuanced portrait of both the artist and the art that made them. You'll come away from the podcast not just with a recommendation, but with an understanding of how art shapes identity.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Spark Parade
Podcast Episodes
Real Estate's Spark Is The Adventures Of Pete And Pete [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:40
Real Estate frontman Martin Courtney had loved Nickelodeon's The Adventures of Pete and Pete as a child, but he was understandably skeptical of how it might hold up when it came time to show it to his own kids. Fortunate…
Mitch Rowland's Spark Is Charles Mingus' The Clown [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:49
Of all places, Mitch Rowland discovered Charles Mingus' seminal jazz album The Clown at a pizza restaurant. The singer, songwriter, and Harry Styles collaborator was scrolling through his coworkers iPod when the album ju…
The Beaches' Spark Is True Romance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:12
This week on The Spark Parade, The Beaches front-woman Jordan Miller recalls the time her tour manager introduced her to True Romance, the cult classic written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott. Listen to M…
Atmosphere's Ant's Spark Is Herbie Hancock's "Rockit" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:03
On this episode of The Spark Parade, Atmosphere’s DJ and producer Ant discusses seeing a live performance of Herbie Hancock's instrumental hip-hop classic "Rockit" at age 13, a performance that ultimately led him to beco…
Justin Tranter's Spark Is Ani DiFranco's Swan Dive [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:51
On this episode of The Spark Parade, Grammy and Golden Globe-nominated songwriter, producer, and activist Justin Tranter talks about feeling completely entranced the first time they heard Ani DiFranco’s song "Swan Dive."…
Aryan Simhadri's Spark Is The Devil Wears Prada [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:02
Percy Jackson and The Olympians star Aryan Simhadri was a bit skeptical when he first saw The Devil Wears Prada, but he quickly became enthralled with the incredible acting and sharp storytelling. On this episode of The…
Max Burkholder's Spark Is Airplane! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:04
Ted star Max Burkholder might have been born in the '90s, but the 1980 cult classic Airplane! still resonated with him like few other comedies before or since. On this episode of The Spark Parade, Burkholder gushes about…
Sleater-Kinney's Spark Is Patti Smith's Horses [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:23
When Sleater-Kinney's Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker discovered Patti Smith's legendary debut album Horses, an artistic earthquake occurred in both of their lives. They were blown away by Smith's fearless, challengin…
Peppermint's Spark Is Janet Jackson's janet. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:45
As a lifelong Janet Jackson stan, actress, singer, and drag superstar Peppermint loves Janet's entire back catalog. But her self-titled fifth album has a special place in Peppermint's heart. It represents a major leap fo…
Sam Song Li's Spark Is Whiplash [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:00
Actor and content creator Sam Song Li (The Brothers Son, Never Have I ever, and Better Call Saul) was bowled over when he first saw Damien Chazelle's frenetic music school nightmare Whiplash. Li was even compelled to see…