Q with Tom Power

The new film “The Ballad of Wallis Island” tells the story of Charles, an eccentric lottery winner who uses his money to hold a private concert on the remote Welsh island where he lives. The band he hires is his favourite group of all time: the fictional folk rock duo McGwyer Mortimer. The only problem is they haven’t spoken in years — and the concert is just for Charles. British poet and comedian...

In Karen Chapman's debut feature film, “Village Keeper,” a grieving single mother who’s grappling with violence in her past learns how to put herself first. Karen sits down with guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about the stigmas and stereotypes she aimed to challenge with this film, how she made “Village Keeper” in only 12 days while eight months pregnant, and why she feels that what happens behin...

When Anoushka Shankar was in Goa two years ago, she wrote down four words: “Three chapters, three geographies.” That note has been the inspiration for a trilogy of mini-albums. With the release of the latest and final album, “Chapter III: We Return To Light,” the acclaimed sitar player sits down with Tom Power to tell us what was driving her creatively, how she wants to change perceptions of her i...

For the past 30 years, on the last Sunday of every month, Yuk Yuk’s in Toronto has hosted the Nubian Comedy Revue — one of the top showcases for Black and racialized comedians in Canada. Over the years, the show has been blessed by numerous appearances by top talent like Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart and Russell Peters. Comedian Kenny Robinson has been producing the show since founding it back in the...

Mike Hadreas, better known as Perfume Genius, has been making music since 2010, when he released his debut album, “Learning.” Since then, he’s become known for writing vulnerable songs that still feel incredibly powerful and danceable. While the cliché is that artists make their best work when they’re struggling — or even under the influence of drugs or alcohol — that was not the case at all for P...

Though the influential punk band Hüsker Dü has long been disbanded, its co-founder Bob Mould has never stopped making music. Back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Hüsker Dü cut a path for countless indie bands to follow, like Nirvana, Pixies and Green Day. But before all that, Bob was — as he describes it — a precocious kid growing up in a small farming town near the Canadian border. On the heels...

Mitch Wood is a Toronto-based actor and content creator who’s gone viral for his impressions of people in the theatre industry. He sits down with guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about navigating his newfound internet fame, plus, his one-man show “My Impression of a Show,” which heads to London, England next week. If you like this conversation, check out Tom Power’s interview with sketch comic Lau...

Britta Johnson is a Canadian composer and playwright whose award-winning musical “Life After” follows a 16-year-old girl grappling with the death of her father. Loosely inspired by her own experiences, the show originally debuted at the Toronto Fringe Festival in 2016, but later this month, it will return to Toronto at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre. Britta sits down with guest host Garvia Bailey to t...

Canadian horror actors Luke Hutchie and Matthew Finlan are the co-hosts of the CBC series “Ghosting,” which just began its second season. In each episode, Luke, Matthew and a celebrity guest test their tolerance for the paranormal by spending time inside a Canadian place with an eerie legacy. Along the way, they decide whether or not it’s truly haunted. Luke and Matthew sit down with guest host Ga...

After finding success on the critically acclaimed show “Atlanta,” Brian Tyree Henry (The Book of Mormon, Causeway) has become one of Hollywood's busiest actors. His latest role is on the new series “Dope Thief” as Ray Driscoll — a complex character who’s dealing with generational trauma, addiction and grief. Brian joins Tom Power to talk about “Dope Thief,” his life on the stage and screen, and ho...

Salin is a Montreal-based Thai drummer who’s just released her new album, “Rammana.” She got her start as a rock and metal drummer in Bangkok, but after living in Montreal, her sound morphed into a blend of Afrobeat, funk and indigenous Thai instruments. Salin joins Tom Power to talk about her unique journey in music and how she went back to Thailand to get inspiration. Plus, she sets up the title...

The magician, mentalist and endurance performer David Blaine has been stunning audiences for decades with his card tricks, illusions, and extreme stunts that challenge both his mind and his body. He’s been buried alive, trapped in ice and suspended in the air while sealed inside a box for 44 days. But in his new series, “Do Not Attempt,” David is the one who's left speechless as he travels the wor...

Hassan Phills is a comedian from Scarborough, Ont., who turns the mundane details of everyday life into comedy gold. Not only has it earned him millions of views on TikTok, but it’s allowed him to tour across the country. Hassan sits down with Tom Power to tell us why he gave up basketball for comedy, why he thinks even his most local jokes are hitting with folks around the world, and how he got a...

Michelle Buteau has been a working actor and comedian for more than 20 years. In that time, she says it was rare that she’d come across a role that celebrated plus-size women — so she decided to create her own. Her show “Survival of the Thickest” is now back for its second season. Michelle joins Tom Power to tell us why she wanted to create a story about plus-size folks that’s celebratory and joyf...

Tucker Pillsbury, better known as Role Model, has quickly become one of this year's breakout stars with a hit album and a sold-out solo tour. This summer, he’ll be joining musician Gracie Abrams in arenas across North America. He sits down with Tom Power to tell us how homesickness inspired his latest album, “Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye),” and how turning to Americana music helped him get...

This weekend, Sum 41 will perform one final time at the Junos in Vancouver. The legendary Canadian rockers will also be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Lead singer Deryck Whibley joins Tom Power live onstage at Hollywood Theatre in Vancouver to talk about the band’s journey and their swan song. If you want more Sum 41, check out Tom’s conversations with Deryck from this past Februar...

You might know Britt Lower as Helly R. on the hit series “Severance,” but she makes no less of an impression playing a librarian in the new Canadian indie film “Darkest Miriam.” The actor joins Tom Power to tell us how her love of libraries helped her bring her character Miriam to life and what it took to prepare for her “Severance” role — like studying trapped animals and people under interrogati...

Michael Bublé is hosting the 2025 Juno Awards in his hometown of Vancouver. The Canadian crooner and five-time Grammy winner sits down with Tom Power in our studio to tell us his incredible story, including the time the legendary producer David Foster told him it was never going to happen for him. Plus, Michael shares how he really feels about those Christmas memes. If you enjoy this conversation,...

Farah Ghafoor is an award-winning Canadian poet whose debut poetry collection, “Shadow Price,” is about the climate crisis. She sits down with Tom Power to explain the finance term her book is named after, and how she sees the role of the poet during a crisis. She also reads an excerpt from her book called “The Last Poet in the World.” If you’re looking for more conversations with writers and poet...

After Rush ended, Alex Lifeson wasn’t sure if he’d ever make music again. The Canadian guitarist had toured the world with his best friends from high school and changed rock music, so he felt like he had been there and done that. But when Alex heard a young singer named Maiah Wynne, he was transfixed by her voice and lyrics. That led him to form his new band, Envy of None. Alex sits down with Tom...

Angélique Kidjo is a legendary Grammy-winning singer, a UNICEF international Goodwill Ambassador and one of the most lauded African artists of our time. She also has one of the most unbelievable stories in music. At the same time that she began finding success as a singer in her homeland of Benin, the country was under a strict military dictatorship. By age 23, she made a very daring and lucky esc...

Drew Tarves, also known as young friend, is an emerging artist based in Vancouver who’s getting ready to release his debut album, “motorcycle sound effects.” The album is a “genre-bending fever dream” about the nuances of growing up. young friend joins Tom Power to talk about his music and to set up a song off the record.

When the award-winning actor and playwright Anusree Roy was growing up, her grandmother would tell her stories about the Partition of India in 1947, when British India was divided into the Muslim-majority Pakistan and the Hindu-majority India. Now, decades later, Anusree is performing in a play she wrote about the Partition called “Trident Moon.” It follows nine women and girls over the course of...

The Montreal musician Yves Jarvis spent a year listening only to Frank Sinatra when he wrote his sixth and latest album, “All Cylinders.” He says it’s the least contrived thing he’s ever done. Not only did he produce the record, but he also plays every instrument on it, blending genres like bluegrass, jazz, folk and even yacht-rock in unexpected ways. Yves joins Tom Power to tell us how his songwr...

The hit series “Severance,” which just finished Season 2, managed to knock “Ted Lasso” out of its place as the most-watched show on Apple TV+. That’s partly due to its premise, which explores a nightmarish experiment to enforce work-life balance by splitting your consciousness into two. There’s the you that goes into work (your “innie”) and the you that lives outside of work (your “outie”). Actors...