Overheard Podcast

In Episode 105 of the Overheard Podcast, recorded live in the Canadian Rockies, hosts Daniel Ruedl and Matty Rage sit down with DuBzZ (Devan Malloy) for a wide-ranging conversation about music, identity, and building a life in Banff. Originally from Halifax, DuBzZ has become a staple of Banff’s nightlife and festival culture, known for high-energy, genre-blending DJ sets that move seamlessly throu...

This week on the Overheard Podcast, recorded live in Banff, we sit down with Jad Wills for a conversation that picks up right where our first chat left off. UK-born and newly rooted in the Bow Valley, Jad joins us to talk about the move to Canada, what life in a mountain town really looks like once the novelty wears off, and how being surrounded by the Rockies has started to shape his day-to-day l...

Episode 103 – Landan from The Leo & Lando Show, Officiating, Sports Controversy & Banff Stories Recorded live in Banff, Episode 103 of the Overheard Podcast features Landan Semenok, a lifelong Banff local, veteran sports official, and co-host of The Leo & Lando Show. Born and raised in Banff, Landan has spent over three decades embedded in the town’s culture, sports scene, and communit...

In Episode 102 of the Overheard Podcast, recorded live in Banff, hosts Daniel Ruedl and Matty Rage sit down with Shawayne Dunstan, an author, artist, and creative force whose work continues to resonate far beyond the Bow Valley. Shawayne Dunstan has published 13 poetry books since 2016, including Tumblebug, Wallflower, and Rise of Shaweezy. In 2025 alone, he released three new collections — Nova,...

Episode 101 of the Overheard Podcast recorded live in Banff features Alberta Coast Guard, a coastal folk duo made up of two Coastal transplants who now call the Rocky Mountains home. Blending emotional songwriting, brine-soaked humour, and soaring harmonies, the Alberta Coast Guard explore how the ocean and the mountains shape their sound, why Banff became their long-term home, and how performing...

Welcome to Episode 100 of the Overheard Podcast — our Best of the 50th Anniversary Banff Centre Mountain Film & Book Festival. This special milestone episode brings together the biggest moments, award-winning stories, and standout conversations from our full week of coverage at the world’s premier mountain culture festival. In this recap episode, we highlight the voices that shaped this year’s...

In this episode of the Overheard Podcast, we sit down with Rachael, a young adult living with Cerebral Palsy and Spastic Diplegia who grew up in Canmore and became Mount Allison University’s first disability representative. As the International Day of Persons with Disabilities approaches on December 3rd—and Para World Cup events unfold in the Bow Valley—Rachael offers an honest, in-depth look at w...

In this episode of the Overheard Podcast, recorded live at the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, host Dan Ruedl sits down with legendary New Zealand mountaineer Lydia Bradey. The first woman in the world to climb Mount Everest without supplementary oxygen. Lydia reflects on her early life, the hardships of breaking barriers in a male-dominated sport, and the personal growth that came w...

In this episode of the Overheard Podcast, we sit down with legendary Canadian climber Sonnie Trotter — one of the most influential voices in modern rock climbing. From his early days learning to climb in a grain silo in southern Ontario to conquering some of the hardest routes on the planet, including Cobra Crack, The Path, and Rhapsody, Sonnie has spent thirty years pushing the limits of what’s p...

n this episode of Overheard, host Dan Ruedl sits down with award-winning author and environmental writer Craig Childs, winner of the Environmental Literature Award at the 2025 Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival for his latest work, The Wild Dark: Finding the Night Sky in the Age of Light. From the deserts of the American Southwest to the artist cabins of the Banff Centre, Childs shares t...

Award-winning author and journalist Cassidy Randall joins Overheard Podcast fresh from winning the Banff Award for Mountain Literature at the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival. Her new book, Thirty Below: The Harrowing and Heroic Story of the First All-Women’s Ascent of Denali, has been celebrated by Vanity Fair, TIME, Outside, and The Washington Post—and now stands as one of the most t...

In this episode of Overheard Podcast, host Dan sits down with world-renowned anthropologist, author, and National Geographic Explorer Wade Davis for a powerful conversation recorded live at the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival. Wade reflects on a lifetime spent exploring some of the most remote and culturally rich corners of the planet—from the Amazon to the Arctic—and the lessons he’s...

In this episode of the Overheard Podcast recorded live in Banff, we sit down with legendary environmental photographer, filmmaker, and climate activist James Balog — the visionary behind Chasing Ice, The Human Element, and the Extreme Ice Survey. From documenting glaciers collapsing in real time to exploring the fragile balance between people and the planet, James has dedicated his life to reveali...

In this episode of the Overheard Podcast recorded live in Banff, we dive deep with two of the world’s most accomplished polar explorers, Børge Ousland and Vincent Colliard. Together, they share their extraordinary journeys across the planet’s most extreme environments — from Børge’s historic solo crossings of the Arctic and Antarctic to Vincent’s record-breaking 2024 expedition to the South Pole....

In this episode of the Overheard Podcast recorded live in Banff, we sit down with world-renowned landscape and adventure photographer Paul Zizka. Based in Banff, Paul has built an international reputation for his stunning images of the Canadian Rockies, polar regions, and some of the most remote corners of the planet. We talk about his journey as an artist, his connection to the Bow Valley, and th...

Episode 90 – Conquer Your Mountain with Jimmy Stevens from Rocky Mountain Live In this episode of Overheard Podcast recorded live in Banff, hosts Daniel Ruedl and Matty Rage sit down with Jimmy Stevens, founder of Rocky Mountain Live — a free digital platform connecting artists, venues, and music lovers across the Rockies. Jimmy’s story is one of resilience, recovery, and reinvention. After years...

Episode 89. The Stories We Tell, Joanna Croston on the Evolution of Mountain Storytelling Welcome to the Overheard Podcast recorded live in Banff. I’m Daniel Ruedl, joined by co-host Matty Rage. This week we sit down with Joanna Croston, writer, climber, and Director of the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival & World Tour. With the festival celebrating its 50th anniversary, Joanna ref...

In this episode of the Overheard Podcast recorded live in Banff, hosts Daniel Ruedl and Matty Rage sit down with current Town Councillor and re-election candidate Barb Pelham for an in-depth conversation about Banff’s future — from housing and affordability to tourism, traffic, and long-term livability in Canada’s most iconic mountain town. Barb shares her journey from running Canada House Gallery...

Realigning Banff's Priorities with Dr David Fullerton

Episode 86 Grounded in Community, Ted Christensen's Case for Re-Election

Episode 85. A Local's Look at Bannf's Evolution with Brian Standish

Episode 84. Banff Now & Then with Chip Olver on Lessons Learned Across Decades

Twelve years ago, Michelle Backhouse came to Banff chasing a longer ski season — now she’s running for Banff Town Council. From community builder to volunteer firefighter and food security advocate, Michelle has spent over a decade working to make Banff a more connected, resilient, and welcoming place for everyone. In this episode of the Overheard Podcast, recorded live in Banff, Michelle shares h...

Banff local, small business owner, hockey player, and current Town Councillor Kaylee Ram returns to the Overheard Podcast for a powerful conversation about the future of Banff. With re-election on October 20, Kaylee shares her vision for tackling the housing crisis, managing tourism sustainably, supporting families, and building a stronger community for everyone who calls Banff home. In this episo...

In this episode of the Overheard Podcast, recorded live in Banff, we sit down with Marc Ledwidge, a respected community leader, certified mountain guide, and candidate for Banff Town Council. Marc’s story is deeply rooted in the Bow Valley. After moving to Banff in 1981, he spent 33 years with Parks Canada, starting as a backcountry warden on horseback and eventually leading major organizational c...