In the Zone with Andrew Boris

Prairie is a Winnipeg band inspired by the Manitoban prairie landscape here in Treaty 1 Territory. Their sound is inspired by loud indie alt-rock and droning shoegaze music, with lyrics overtop addressing topics such as the environmental crisis, queer and disabled experiences, and mental health struggles. In live performance Prairie’s somber ballads contrast with climactic high points to capture a...

Award-winning Winnipeg indie-folk standout Jacob Brodovsky writes songs about feelings, the people who have them, the places that create them, and the fears we carry about them. In the tradition of prairie songwriters, his songs are humble yet intricate, as humorous as they are heartbreaking. We recorded this episode a while ago and I'm super stoked to share it now with Jacob's second albu...

Ozconscious is a six-piece dream-pop alt-rock band creating expansive, exciting and emotionally immersive music that blends shimmering synths, textured guitars, and layered vocal harmonies into songs that feel both grounded and atmospheric. Their music explores connection, mental health, memory, and the search for meaning in a disconnected world. Tate Hiebert is the frontman, songwriter, and produ...

Strawberry Punch is an all-femme, queer band from Winnipeg, MB. Featuring four multi-talented women rotating instruments throughout a show to create a seamless blend of sweet indie twee pop and moody riot grrrl garage punk-rock sounds. The band gains a wide range of influence from 60’s girl group pop and 90’s indie rock. The combination is fun, raw, and incredibly catchy with memorable hooks, shim...

Angels without wings drive `02 Honda Accords decked in bumper stickers. Or so’s the case for Leah Magnan. That’s pronounced like Leia, the princess, but you can call her EARTH ANGEL. Channeling `90s girl-grunge icons like Hole and Mazzy Star, as well as today’s alt pillars like Wednesday and Blondshell, EARTH ANGEL distills gargantuan feelings, formative years, and the massive beauty of everyday w...

One of Canada’s most distinctive voices, Noah Derksen is a singer-songwriter whose luminous blend of folk, country, and indie defies easy categorization. Emerging from Winnipeg’s indie scene and now based in Montreal, Noah was named a finalist in SiriusXM’s Top of the Country competition and awarded Canadian Folk Music’s Emerging Artist of the Year. His fourth studio album, Mercy on the Skyline, i...

HAVS is an alternative R&B/Pop singer, producer, and sound healer, known for her ethereal vocals and genre-defying sound. With a fluid approach and a magnetic honesty that defines her sound, she blends strong R&B influences with evocative storytelling to deeply resonate with listeners. Her self-written songs are crafted to inspire connection and self-alignment, harnessing the power of word...

“Here to make you feel good about feeling bad” is a keen observation, turned mantra for Winnipeg emo-punk mainstays, Screaming at Traffic. Formed in the spring of 2017 by longtime friends Duncan Murta, Jacques Richer, Paul Colman and Stefan St. Godard, the band hit the road within a few months, feeding an insatiable hunger to bring their chaotic, energetic live show to a steadily growing fanbase a...

tofusmell is the project from the bedroom of Rae Chen. Inspired by 90s indie-folk music, the acoustic sounds of tofusmell originals incorporate emotive lyrics to comment on and explore slices of life. I fell in love with Rae's lo-fi aesthetic and sharp lyricism on his EP when I first heard it last year. Now he's released his debut album, and it was a pleasure having him in the zone to talk...

We’re Only Here for the Snacks are quite possibly the world’s only 14 year-old instrumental dual synth indie rock band. Winnipeg, Manitoba grade school friends Madis (guitar), Sebi (synth), Sal (synth) and Bennett (drums) have been performing together since Grade 5. Their unique sound blends electro pop, indie rock, punk and jazz into an energetic style with intricate melodies and catchy riffs tha...

LUANA MOTH presents their genre-flipping brand of psychedelic conceptual rock, and precision-cut electronica. Sibling duo Tony and Giovanna Mazza tell the story of a young woman’s supernatural experiments by way of frantic guitar work, intricate electronic production, and anthemic soaring vocals. Luana Moth have a backstory and ethos as epic as their live show so I was super excited to have them o...

Kingston, Ontario-based Kasador is interested in being a great rock and roll band when connection, friction, and unpredictability are whittled away in favour of algorithmically dictated sameness. Tender and carefully considered, but also raw and wild and burnt around the edges, their sonic and compositional thumbprint nods to classic and alternative rock history while pushing into something new, s...

Chickadee is a jazz quintet working on Treaty One territory. Inspired by jazz fusion visionaries like Pat Metheny and Jaco Pastorius, Chickadee shows are exciting and varied: Chickadee is just as likely to play a fiddle tune as they are to play a modern fusion composition, finding ways to put both under the same banner and make it work. Founded by bassist and composer Fred Warner, Chickadee is mad...

MIINA is a Canadian singer-songwriter with a sunlit, soulful sound who explores love, connection and our ties to the natural world. Described by Rifflandia Magazine as “the sound of sunlight cutting through the foliage,” MIINA blends warmth, intimacy and emotional depth. Find MIINA: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2be45mouasgEeyH4Tgm4fB Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/miina...

Mise en Scene is a garage rock band from the small Canadian prairie town of Gimli, Manitoba. Founded by BFF’s Stef and Jodi while studying Fine Art, the band is known for their whirlwind of rock-rooted, reverb-drenched dream pop that perfectly meshes modern vibes with vintage charm. Daydreaming, decadence and jam-packed dancefloors, they bring a raucous symphony of rolling thunder drums and Ricken...

Post-punk, grunge, and shoegaze combine in Tired Cossack. He has a unique ability to bend genre and break musical conventions. Themes of joy and melancholy mix with intense, cold industrial rhythms meeting clever songwriting with nods to Ukrainian folklore. The new LP, ZIMA tears through 10 tracks of jagged post-punk, grunge, and cold wave. It’s a cathartic shout into the void about trauma, defian...

Ed Garcia is the host of Power Afternoons, Mondays to Fridays from 2 to 6 PM on Power 97 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Ed also hosts Power 97’s River City Rocks every Sunday at 9PM where he chats with locals bands to see why they’re all about and play a couple of their songs. Crossover episode! It feels like every notable band in the city has been on Power to talk with Ed. I had him on the show to talk a...

Elise Roller publicly launched Misfit Music Management in 2021 with the announcement of its full-time roster and innovative Artist Evolution program. Active in the Canadian music scene since 2008, Roller began as a self-managed artist before transitioning into industry leadership. She spent four years as Industry Development Coordinator at Manitoba Music, connecting creators and professionals glob...

Join ZRADA on a kaleidoscopic journey through the dark heart of Ukrainian folk music and emerge somewhere in the cosmos. Ancestral sounds explode in a soundscape full of joy, anger, melancholy & madness. ZRADA’s music transcends language and beckons to those ready for a transformative & wild musical experience. I'm no Ukrainian folk savant but still I have NEVER heard another band like...

O.D Beresford is the musical project of Winnipeg-based singer-songwriter Owen Dueck. His debut EP, "On My Way," is set to be released on March 20, 2026, and introduces a distinct blend of indie, alternative, and neo-psychedelia influences into the long-standing Winnipeg folk-rock tradition. His intricate songwriting and introspective lyrics evoke a sense of familiarity while defying easy...

Montreal-based singer-songwriter Claire Morrison delivers “luminous … dazzling” alt-folk (Rocknfool) with fearless intimacy. A Folk Alliance 2025, Folk Canada 2022, and Pop Montreal 2021 showcase artist, she was named a “Canadian artist to watch” by the Canadian Cultural Centre in Paris. Indiemusic calls her “a unique, surprising, and insatiable composer.” Find Claire: Spotify: https://open.spotif...

Le Diable à Cinq is Quebec’s most electrifying traditional band, fusing roots music with raw rock energy. Blending time-honored repertoire with bold original compositions, the quintet delivers high-octane performances that unite audiences and keep dance floors moving. Their 2025 tour took them to six countries, including a standout appearance in Japan at the Osaka Expo. Le Diable à Cinq is set to...

VVonder was formed in the earth’s crust in the Mesozoic era but kept in stasis until the world was ready for its message. If you like wurlitzers, cool drum stuff, bass licks and wicked solos you oughta find out what everyone is wondering about. May contain melodic hooks reminiscent of Beach Boys in Hot Lava.  Find VVonder: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4p3dOkvr9RzvSgrhoKhub7 Apple Music...

Inn Echo crafts a cinematic, high-energy sound rooted in Celtic traditions, blending fierce fiddle, grooving guitar, and exploratory cello. With original tunes and bold arrangements, they push trad music into new territory. Their JUNO-nominated sound is rhythmic, dynamic, and ever-evolving—like a late-night session that refuses to end. Thanks to Festival du Voyageur for providing a space to record...

Altered by Mom is a smart, irreverent, and effortlessly cool rock band from Toronto, Canada. The female fronted trio brings a mix of catchy, well-crafted rock music with a rebellious edge and a sense of humor. JUNO-winning songwriters Gina Kennedy (Bass/Vox) and Devon Lougheed (Guitar, Vox), joined by Max Trefler (Drums) play with gender roles, lean into DIY creativity, and embrace a badass, fun,...