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150b: Owen Tozer/Made Up

Owen Tozer, photographed by Ed Leigh, March 2021

Welcome to the second of two episode 150 instalments. To mark this milestone, I decided to stay true to the ethos of the Looking Sideways podcast and speak to two of my oldest and closest friends; two people who’ve been integral to the Looking Sideways universe since it launched – Ed Leigh and Owen Tozer.

This, episode 150b, is the second instalment with Owen Tozer. Long-term listeners will know Owen – he’s one of my oldest and closest friends who has been a key part of the Looking Sideways story since its inception a decade ago. He’s also my co-author on Looking Sideways Vol.1, the first Looking Sideways book we recently finished and which will be available soon.

Owen Tozer, by me

Not that this comes close to covering the full extent of Owen’s omnivorous creative talent and range As I’ve said many, many times before, Owen is the real deal – a supremely talented photographer, art director, designer, film-maker, artist and musician. Sure, like any creative he sometimes doesn’t know when to stop arguing with the producer but that’s alright. His standards are higher than everybody else’s.

I’m extremely fortunate he continues to lend his considerable talents to Looking Sideways, and the completion of our book and episode 150 seemed a fitting occasion to finally get him on the show. Join us, as we cover Owen’s life and career, his work on new project Goodrays, Looking Sideways Volume 1, the creativity-v-commerce conundrum, and loads more classic LS topics.

I’m so grateful for my friendship and creative partnership with Owen, and this was a hugely enjoyable catch up with one of my favourite people – hope you enjoy it!

Listen to the episode below:

Connect with Owen

Show Notes

  • Parked at the Shit Pipes
  • Over a year since seeing each other
  • The Japan trip
  • The book
  • ‘…it’s so much better now that it’s not just a photography book…’
  • When work is defined by limitations
  • The California trip
  • Interviewing Herbie Fletcher
  • The lack of time to revel in completed work
  • Book release plans
  • Contributors
  • Launching Goodrays, a CDB drinks brand
  • The skill of bringing people together
  • The team behind Goodrays
  • Building brand identities
  • Jack-of-all-trades
  • Primary cannabis research on the California trip
  • Marketing and branding for cannabis
  • The thoughts behind the Goodrays name
  • ‘…we’ve had a relationship with cannabis as humans for almost 12,000 years…’
  • The vilification of an amazing plant
  • Starting to make ideas happen
  • A love of collaborating
  • Learning from failure
  • The Yard
  • Developing the Outside/The Yard project with Paddy
  • Football with the The Yard Re-united
  • The Easton Cowboys
  • Growing up and surfing in Brighton
  • Localism and surf etiquette
  • How the medium is changing
  • ‘…anything that’s new in your 20s is new and exciting, anything new in your 30s is a threat…’
  • Surfing Bantham
  • The right way to teach surf etiquette
  • Insecurity as a creative
  • Pushing more into photography from design
  • ‘…photography makes you look at everything…’
  • Moving down to Devon for the pandemic
  • Staying at Coombe Farm
  • Making a film about Paul Riley
  • Pre-shoot nerves
  • Turning the creative mind to whatever is put in front of you
  • Personal creative integrity
  • ‘…happier being a skint creative rather than rich and miserable…’
  • The Good/Cheap/Fast triangle
  • Wave pools
  • Tom Gillespie headcam
  • Ireland
  • The surf session with Ben and Mickey at the Cliffs of Moher
  • Exploring caves and coast from Dark Side of the Lens with Mickey
  • Being fine with the current lack of travel
  • Trips to plan for the future
  • Guest suggestions

Names Mentioned

  • John Bassett
  • Hamish Duncan
  • Emma Westman
  • Mariko Finch
  • Taylor Knox
  • Jamie Thomas
  • Grayson Fletcher
  • Herbie Fletcher
  • Anthony Bourdain
  • Rachel Atherton
  • John Weaver
  • Kieth Maloy
  • Chaz Smith
  • Rob Machado
  • Dibi Fletcher
  • Ben Powell
  • Jamie Brisick
  • Circe Wallace
  • Craig Peterson
  • Jeff Johnson
  • Chris Kelly
  • Justin Stone
  • Eoin Keenan
  • Adam Buxton
  • Clive Davis
  • Jannis Joplin
  • Whitney Houston
  • Barry Manilow
  • Róisín Murphy
  • Paddy Wellens
  • Dom
  • Elizabeth Day
  • Johno Verity
  • Ben Howard
  • Roddy Bow
  • Agatha Lintott
  • Jess Wellens
  • Lara Lloyd
  • Martin Dustin
  • Mike Baker
  • Jack Daniells
  • Alex Hill
  • Owen Hill
  • James Bowden
  • Pete Geal
  • Micky Smith
  • Craig Peterson and Kevin Naughton
  • Douglas Adams
  • Chris Ashworth
  • Will Whipple
  • Mimi
  • Paul and Tina Riley
  • Willbot
  • David Carson
  • Peter Saville
  • Kelly Slater
  • Matt Warshaw
  • Tom Gillespie
  • Owen Davies
  • Mitch Corbett
  • Matt Smith
  • Tom Lowe
  • Fergal Smith
  • Ryan Burch
  • Dane Reynolds
  • Alex Mall
  • Stacy Peralta
  • Jamie Lopez
  • Kepa Acero
  • Joel Tudor
  • Strider Wasilewski

Places Mentioned

  • Shit Pipes
  • Brighton
  • Japan
  • Tokyo
  • Niseko
  • Mount Yotei
  • Australia
  • United Kingdom
  • London
  • Waterloo
  • Ventura
  • Devon
  • Abbott Kinney Boulevard
  • Apple
  • Canada
  • Méribel
  • South Brent
  • Bantham
  • Brandon
  • Worthing
  • Saunton
  • Australia
  • Porthleven
  • Cornwal
  • Coombe Farm
  • The Hacienda
  • Kelly Slater Wave Pool
  • Lahinch
  • Strand Hill
  • Ireland
  • Bundoran
  • Wales
  • Hawaii
  • New Zealand
  • New York
  • Jackson
  • Brazil
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Portland
  • San Diego

Companies, Organisations and Brands Mentioned

  • Visit California
  • Vero
  • Facebook
  • Amazon
  • Instagram
  • Sidewalk Magazine
  • Goodrays
  • Canabis Europa
  • Prohibition Partners
  • Surf Dome
  • Med Men
  • Dosist
  • Hotnife
  • The Yard
  • Volcom
  • Looking Sideways
  • How To Fail
  • The Alternative World Cup
  • The Easton Cowboys
  • Getty Images
  • Coombe Farm Studios
  • Factory Records
  • Magic Seaweed
  • Patagonia Europe

Books and Music Mentioned