Kingston Live Podcast

Thanks to progressive musical acts like Angine de Poitrine, microtonal music is seeing a surge of interest. That's partly what's prompted Kingston musician James Mulvale to resurrect his abandoned musical recording and performance project FASTFAST. Our guest way back on episode 40, James returns to the podcast to share how a recent surprise call microtonal enthusiasts in Munich persuaded...

Kingston's Céline Klein (Jamstone Productions) set out to make a documentary film exploring the theme of music and mental health through the lens of local artists. Though the project took some unexpected turns, Céline discusses the concept along with her subjects, Emily Fennel (Miss Emily) and Ricky Brant (KaKaow), who share some of the mental health and financial struggles they've faced...

With the twenty first edition of Skeleton Park Arts Festival around the corner, we sit down with the organization's new Co-Artistic Director, Sol Castañeda, and longtime festival patron and participant, musician extraordinaire, Teilhard Frost. Together, they shed light on the significance of the annual, free and sustainably-run arts festival in McBurney Park, the spirit of inclusivity that fu...

Paul Langlois co-wrote some of The Tragically Hip's most iconic songs. Ten years after the band's final performance in Kingston, Paul reflects on his solo work and finding inspiration after The Hip, and shares details and music from his latest release, Smooth Rock Falls. Chapters: 00:00:01 - Episode overview 00:02:39 - Paul's new album: Smooth Rock Falls 00:05:59 - Recording, mixing...

In part two of our Inside the Isabel series, the Isabel's Senior Marketing Officer, Alyssa de Hoop, and Technical Director, Aaron Holmberg, detail interesting aspects of the performing arts centre's operations. They also share some funny behind-the-scenes stories, dispel some common misperceptions about the Isabel, and how the venue is working to support Kingston's many local acts a...

This month we go inside what has become one of Kingston's most treasured venues: The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts . In part one of a special two-part episode, The Isabel's Director, Gordon E. Smith, explains the vision, history, development and significance of the Queen's University-run building as a public space, educational facility, cultural hub and world class per...

In recent years, Kingston's reputation as a rock or blues town has eclipsed the city's legacy as a thriving hub of jazz music. Local music enthusiast and Kingston Jazz Society president George Broughton joins host Pete to talk about the past, present and future of jazz in Kingston , and how to keep it accessible for generations to come. Chapters: 0:22 Episode overview 1:48 Kingston'...

Born in Dublin, singer-songwriter Frank Ryan developed his artistry between London, Toronto, New York and L.A. On this episode, Frank shares how Kingston won his heart, what makes it a truly unique live music destination, and why he believes the city deserves the distinction as Canada's premier music city. Chapters: 0:21 Episode overview 2:46 From Dublin to Kingston: Frank's journey 6:48...

Tucked away just north of Kingston in the town of Westport is The Cove Inn , a hidden gem that's been quietly gaining a reputation as a legendary Canadian live music venue. Johnny and Rob visit with the historic hotel's manager and music curator, Seamus Cowan, to understand how this country-pub-turned-community-hub has become a pillar of eastern Ontario's music scene, and how Seamus...

Following his departure from the iconic indie band he co-founded, Lowest of the Low , Stephen Stanley has continued writing, recording, releasing and touring his own brand of music as The Stephen Stanley Band. He also keeps busy hosting a long-running weekly radio show; reuniting with Low bandmates for occasional shows and mini-tours; collaborating with emerging Kingston artists, and organizing an...

Anna, Dee and Jesse of Forty Seven Teeth reunite with host Riley to reminisce about Kingston's punk and indie music scene, and share a new song from their forthcoming album.  Chapters: 00:00:22 Episode overview 00:01:40 Fast forward to 2025 00:03:25 A new album in the works 00:05:33 Meeting your heroes… awkward! 00:06:28 Exclusivity and rebelliousness as performance draws 00:08:36 The all-age...

Is the music industry a mental health hazard? This is one of the many questions explored in this episode, as Johnny and first-time co-host, Jermaine Marshall, explore the mental health and wellness challenges of writing, recording and performing music with local artists Ricky Brant—who writes, records and performs music as KaKaow (and hosts Musiikki Café's popular weekly open mic night)—and R...

Amherst Island Radio embodies the spirit of community radio. Broadcasting on 101.3 FM from their CJAI "world headquarters" on Amherst Island, and powered by a small army of passionate volunteers, they've forged a staunchly loyal listenership across the greater Kingston area. Station Manager, Eric Tremblay, reveals the stories and secrets that continue to fuel the station's succ...

Friday's Child is the musical offspring of songwriter and vocalist, Krista Van Slingerland, and multi-instrumentalist and recording engineer, Evan Massey. Ahead of their forthcoming debut album, Broken Home Vol. 1, they discuss how their musical partnership survived their marriage, the power of community, and how making music together has helped them face individual mental health challenges....

Mark Deen of The Winter in Canada drops by the studio for a spirited discussion spanning the band's origins and interesting secrets behind the recording of their new album (out July 1, 2025), to making music in the age of AI and the essential ingredients of Kingston's thriving music scene. Chapters: 00:00:00 Episode overview 00:01:32 Introductions 00:02:09 Landing the band name 00:04:55...

In a deeply personal interview, Almonte, Ontario singer-songwriter Jordan Holman shares the inspiring story of the personal transformation that's motivating his musical project, Kentucky. He also shares his love for the Kingston music community that's embraced him, music from his forthcoming full-length LP, Second Chance Music, and details about a very unique local album release concert....

Over the past decade, Kingston's Kasador has been through a number of iterations, all while relentlessly touring and performing local shows, writing, recording and releasing new music and videos. In this episode, founding members Cameron Wyatt and Boris Baker reflect on the band's coalescence and chemistry, and share new music from one of two forthcoming self-produced EPs, due out this s...

On this episode, we celebrate the amazing women who continue to carry Kingston's music scene forward. Host Ange Stever is joined by three generations of accomplished musicians, Miss Emily , Julia Finnegan and Kyra Daniel , who share the experiences and influences that continue to inspire them to write, record, perform and build not just musical repertoires, but musical careers in Kingston and...

Originally formed in 2017 as Hot Knives, exciting Kingston emo-punk act with the somewhat difficult-to-decipher moniker, Monach (pronounced maw-nuck), have emerged from the studio—with a new lineup and new single—ahead of their self-produced sophomore album due out May 23, 2025. On this episode, Andrew (guitar, vocals) and Curtis (drums) discuss their enduring friendships with bandmates, the band&...

On this episode, Kingston singer-songwriter and stand-up comic, Logan Brown , shares his perspective our city's live comedy scene, and discusses his journey from performing musician to comedian. He also shares a track from his debut album, Black Man, White Privilege, as well as advice for aspiring comics, and where to catch stand-up performances in Kingston. Episode Credits Guests: Logan Brow...

Kingston singer-songwriter, Jay Smith , built his career as a working musician regularly playing local venues, festivals, weddings, parties, and whatever other opportunities his efforts earned him. It's no surprise that "Smitty" also earned his reputation as one of Kingston's most beloved, respected and in-demand musical performers, whose recorded releases put him on a trajecto...

It's been five years and a global pandemic since Kingston's Emilie Steele & The Deal released their self-titled EP . Through it all, the indie-rock-alt-country act has grown their following, their band and their repertoire. On this episode, Riley and Johnny talk to Emilie Steele and drummer Jon Irwin about their journey since 2019 and the making of the band's debut full-length a...

Whether you're a casual or career musician, or a live or recorded music consumer, you'll find this episode enlightening. Music is an industry, and being a professional musician is a trade. And, whether writing, recording or performing, musicians have rights and needs, just like other workers. Often navigating the industry on their own, many musicians experience mistreatment, poor pay and...

Known for their frenetic and rousing live performances, it's been six years since Kingston garage punks The Meringues' last full-length album. With their sophomore LP, Pavlova's Dog , set for release on September 16, 2024, founding members Ted and Amanda discuss the inspiration for their lasting creative partnership; their DIY approach to promotion and publicity; the making of the n...

Fresh from their Rockin' the Square performance supporting the JUNO Award-winning Crash Test Dummies, hosts Johnny and Riley sit down with Claya Way Brackenbury and Michael Broadhead of Kingston alt-folk act, Piner . The conversation traverses the accomplishments of the band both locally and abroad; their 2023 LP, A Netherworld and related social causes; the similarities and differences betwe...