Q with Tom Power

In his new film “Normal,” actor and writer Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, Mr. Show) plays a small town sheriff who discovers a big secret. At this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, he sat down with Tom Power to tell us how the feeling of embarrassment has actually fueled some of the best decisions in his life and career. Bob talks about chasing the things that scared him m...

When the Canadian singer-songwriter Basia Bulat was a kid, she felt embarrassed by the Polish disco music her dad listened to. But now that she’s a parent herself, she’s found a new appreciation for her parents’ taste in music. It even inspired a tune on her latest album, “Basia's Palace.” Earlier this year, Basia joined Tom Power to talk about the album, the Polish music that soundtracked her chi...

For decades, Stephen King fans have been clamouring for a movie adaptation of his dystopian horror novel “The Long Walk.” Now, 46 years after it was first published, the iconic story will finally hit the big screen. Director Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games, I Am Legend) joins guest host Talia Schlanger to discuss the film, the surprising difficulty of making a movie where all the characters wil...

Makram Ayache’s play “The Green Line” blends together two queer storylines in Lebanon — one taking place in 2018, and the other in 1978 during the Lebanon Civil War. Makram wrote the play as a way to explore what it means to be a queer Lebanese Canadian. A new production will be staged in Toronto later this month at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. Ahead of that, Makram sits down with guest host Tali...

Canadian singer-songwriter Susan Aglukark was the first Inuk artist to have a top 10 hit in this country. She’s won four Juno Awards, a Governor General’s lifetime achievement award and she’s an Officer of the Order of Canada. Now, Susan has released a memoir, titled “Kihiani,” in which she opens up about her journey in music, as well as the scars she’s been living with after experiencing a trauma...

Lifelong best friends and creative partners Jay McCarrol and Matt Johnson began their careers making the viral web series-turned-TV show “Nirvanna the Band the Show.” Now, they’ve adapted that project into a buzzy new feature film, fittingly titled “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie.” It just had its Canadian premiere in the Midnight Madness program at the Toronto International Film Festival. J...

Growing up in a packed house on Vancouver’s east side with her mother and four sisters, Jen Sookfong Lee became fascinated with female relationships — specifically, the stories and secrets passed down between mothers and daughters. In her new novel, “The Hunger We Pass Down,” Jen turns this fascination into a ghost story that asks the question: can you ever outrun your family history? She joins gu...

The Alberta folk singer-songwriter Sister Ray is known for writing songs about heartbreak and sadness. But they decided to try something different with their new album, “Believer,” which is all about love and connection. This past spring, Ella Coyes of Sister Ray joined Tom Power to talk about how “freeing” it is to write about joy, how growing up around Métis art influenced their love of music, a...

Anne Murray never thought she would release a new album — and yet here we are! The Canadian icon is back with her 33rd studio album, “Here You Are,” which features 11 unreleased songs she recorded back in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. Anne sits down with Tom Power in Vancouver to tell us how a fan got her to revisit those old songs, why she purposely stayed out the U.S. for her whole career, and how he...

Childhood cancer can be a really difficult topic to sit with, but it’s something a lot of kids and families face. The new TV series “The Unstoppable Jenny Garcia” is putting that story front and centre. The show is about a young Filipino Canadian named Jenny whose life gets thrown upside down when she’s diagnosed with leukemia. Catherine Hernandez is the showrunner. She’s also an award-winning aut...

Actor Théodore Pellerin is a familiar face in Quebec, with critically acclaimed performances in films like “Chien de garde” and “Juste la fin du monde.” Now, he’s taken on his first major role in an American movie with the intense psychological thriller “Lurker.” It’s about a fan who plots and manipulates his way into the inner circle of a rising artist on the verge of stardom. Théodore sits down...

Legendary punk rocker turned MTV Icon Billy Idol is back with his ninth studio album, “Dream Into It.” The record reflects his life and career, with songs documenting his early days, his massive breakthrough, his drug addiction and finally his rebirth. This spring, he joined Tom Power in our studio to look back on it all.

Dev Hynes has felt like an outsider since he was a kid. But as a singer-songwriter and producer, he’s been able to transform that sense of otherness into some of the most acclaimed and interesting music of the last decade. For the last few years, Dev questioned if he would ever return to his solo project Blood Orange, but after losing his mom, he was called back to it. Now, he’s released his fifth...

Kathleen Edwards is a Canadian singer-songwriter whose lyrics are full of straight talk and sharp comebacks. But it took a while for her to get comfortable with having tough conversations. On her latest record, “Billionnaire,” Kathleen reflects on the last five years in which she sold a business, got married and moved twice. She tells Tom Power how these major life changes have made her more coura...

Caity Gyorgy is a Juno-winning jazz singer who’s originally from Calgary. She’s just released a brand new album, “Caity Gyrogy With Strings,” but Tom Power caught up with her during her last album cycle for “Hello! How Are You?” She joined him to talk about her influences and her love of scatting.

We’re remembering Canadian icon Graham Greene (Dances With Wolves, The Green Mile, Wind River), who died yesterday at the age of 73. Graham was one of the most recognizable Indigenous actors in North America. He was recently honoured with a Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award from the Governor General's Awards, which recognized his prolific career on stage and screen. In this career-spanning inter...

In “Andor” — the latest series in the “Star Wars” franchise — actor Stellan Skarsgård (Dune, Nymphomaniac, Mamma Mia!) plays Luthen Rael, a charming but ruthless rebel leader who fronts as an antiques dealer. Earlier this year, Stellan sat down with Tom Power to talk about the new season of “Andor” and why he’s drawn to morally complex characters. Plus, he shared a beautiful story about his time w...

A few years ago, cartoonist and writer Gabrielle Drolet developed a condition that made her unable to use her hands. It kept getting worse over time, and as Gabrielle searched for a diagnosis, she also had to find new ways to make art. She joined Tom Power to talk about her new memoir, “Look Ma, No Hands,” which tells the story of an artist coming to terms with disability, adapting to the unexpect...

A few years ago, the Toronto band The Beaches were dropped from their record label at around the same time that the band’s lead singer, Jordan Miller, was dumped by her boyfriend. After rallying around each other, The Beaches came out the other side with a life-changing hit, “Blame Brett,” which propelled them into the spotlight. What they didn’t anticipate was the feeling of impostor syndrome tha...

After more than a decade away from the spotlight, Melanie Fiona is back with a new EP, “Say Yes.” It’s the Canadian singer’s first major release since 2012, when she won two Grammys for her work on CeeLo Green’s song “Fool for You.” Melanie tells guest host Talia Schlanger how intense burnout led to a spiritual awakening, how losing her voice taught her to speak up for herself, and why she’s sayin...

In 1956, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong released “Ella and Louis” — the first of three classic albums the two jazz greats would record together. Now, a Canadian production is paying tribute to these records and these artists with a new stage show called “Ella and Louis,” which is running at this season’s Shaw Festival. The award-winning Toronto singer and actor Alana Bridgewater co-created th...

Raphael Bob-Waksberg has a way of conjuring up big feelings, sometimes even when you’re least expecting it. His acclaimed animated series “BoJack Horseman” (about an anthropomorphic horse who happens to be a washed up sitcom actor trying to make his comeback in Hollywood) was an emotional gut punch. Now, Raphael is back with a new Netflix series, “Long Story Short,” which is about the joys and los...

Shirley Moorhouse was 65 when she decided to pursue a Master of Fine Arts. Though she’s been creating art for more than three decades, now, at age 69, she’s finally having her moment. This year, the Labrador-based Inuk artist is on the longlist for the prestigious Sobey Art Award, a major solo exhibit of her work is currently on display in St. John’s, and one of her wall hangings will be shown at...

Ikky is a Canadian musician and producer who’s bringing Punjabi music to the world — and putting the spotlight on Canada in the process. The international hitmaker has racked up billions of streams and worked with artists both at home and in India. Now, he’s back with a new single, “Tell Me,” which is a bilingual collaboration between OneRepublic and Karan Aujla. Earlier this year, Ikky sat down w...

Billianne is a Canadian singer-songwriter who got her start after she posted a viral TikTok cover of Tina Turner’s iconic hit “The Best.” Since then, she’s released an EP, performed on “The Today Show” and “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” and was called a “young Adele” by Rolling Stone. Billianne sits down with guest host Gill Deacon to talk about her blossoming career, her relationship to her family an...