The Talk Music Podcast

My guest this week is guitarist/songwriter RIK EMMETT!   After a dozen PLATINUM albums from ‘75 to ‘88 with TRIUMPH (who celebrated their legacy and rise to stardom with the documentary “Rock and Roll Machine”), Rik has now released 25 more solo projects. Six decades in the biz have landed him in five halls, including the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, along with a few Best Guitarist award...

In part 2 of my feature on Interesting Estonian Personalities, my guest on the Talk Music Podcast is Mari Sild—an extraordinary artist and scientist who seamlessly blends both worlds to inspire, innovate, and make a difference: www.marisildmuusika.com By day, as a Senior Project Manager in clinical research, she plays a key role in developing new medications for migraines, hemophilia, and cancer,...

Hi everybody, my truly special Talk Music guest for this episode is ESTONIAN PIANIST KRISTJAN RANDALU, who exists among the most sought-after piano players of his generation, carrying the torch in both the improvised world of jazz and the traditional realm of classical music. Between creating his own original blend of contemporary jazz as a leader and collaborating with several...

Hi everybody, Happy New Year! I’m stoked to post this chat with my first guest of 2025: Mediterranean artist extraordinaire PAVLO!  Born in Toronto to Greek parents, Pavlo’s amazing journey to touring concert halls around the globe is most impressive. Over his 20-year career, he’s released 17 albums and 4 PBS TV specials, including his latest which was filmed in Santorini! Two of his albums w...

What a thrill and honour to interview an iconic Canadian music legend to end this season of the Talk Music podcast: BRUCE COCKBURN. Among his many achievements (including the release of 39 albums), the Ottawa-born artist has been honoured with 13 Juno Awards, an induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, Canadian Music Hall of Fame, a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award and has bee...

Hi everybody, welcome to another episode of The Talk Music Podcast! I’m thrilled to announce my guest is LES STROUD! Best known as the producer, creator and star of the hit TV series SURVIVORMAN, Les is also an accomplished musician/songwriter. His music is a rich tapestry of rock, world, prog rock, folk and blues, and it reflects his deep connection to nature. Steve Vai, Bruce Cockburn, Colin Lin...

Hi everybody and welcome to another episode of the TALK MUSIC podcast!  My guest this week is BOB ROPER! This is a great, entertaining deep dive into his illustrious career. Bob has done it all! From booking concerts at university to doing major label promo, to working for top concert promoter MICHAEL COHL doing marketing. Bob then became an A&R guru at WARNER Music where he signed acts s...

Hi everybody and welcome to another episode of The Talk Music Podcast.  I’m absolutely thrilled to post this wonderful chat with STEVE KANE, who just recently stepped down as PRESIDENT OF WARNER MUSIC CANADA where he orchestrated tremendous success for the label for over 20 years. Steve not only led the daily operations of the company, but also oversaw the signings of BILLY TALENT, SCOTT HELM...

Hi everybody and welcome to another episode of the TALK MUSIC podcast! My guest is music and film producer MARK BERRY.  Mark has attained 36 international GOLD and PLATINUM record awards for the artists he's worked with as a producer, engineer and/or mixer. The list is impressive, including Grammy-nominated artists such as Carly Simon, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Billy Idol, Boy...

Hi everybody, I have two wonderful guests on for this episode as I’m thrilled to welcome both AMY SKY and MARC JORDAN! This fun chat dives deep into Amy and Marc's beginnings and how they both grew up in Toronto, how Marc, in 1978, got a US record deal with WARNER Music, and that culminated in the hit song “Marina del Rey." Fast forward and Marc has now released 16 solo albums to date, including h...

I’m thrilled to announce my guest this week is JIM CUDDY from BLUE RODEO! In this fun interview, we dive deep on his entire career, starting from his early beginnings through all his solo albums, including his most recent called ALL THE WORLD FADES AWAY.  We discuss Blue Rodeo’s early days, how they got signed to the Warner label and the upcoming Blue Rodeo Documentary.  Jim’s solo caree...

Hi everyone! Here’s part 2 of my interview with Gordie Johnson from BIG SUGAR. In this episode we continue to go deep into his career, delving into all his albums after signing with A&M Records. With super radio-friendly songs such as Turn the Lights On, Diggin’ a Hole, The Scene, If I Had My Way, Better Get Used to It, Roads Ahead and the classic anthem All Hell For A Basement , Gordie achiev...

Hi everyone and welcome to another episode of the Talk Music podcast! WOW I’m so excited about this one as my guest is GORDIE JOHNSON from BIG SUGAR!  Gordie Johnson has earned numerous gold and platinum records with his band Big Sugar, and as producer/musician with Gov't Mule, Taj Mahal, North Mississippi Allstars, Toots Hibbert, Dennis Alcapone, Leroy Sibbles, Willi Williams, Nashville...

Hi and welcome to another episode of the TALK MUSIC podcast.  My guest this week is singer-songwriter extraordinaire, ROB LAMOTHE. He can sing anything and make it sound great! With an "out of this world soulful voice" (ROLLING STONE EUROPE), Rob is a “mercurial artist who slides effortlessly from rustic roots music to soulful country pop to full-blown rock balladry" (THE TORONTO ST...

Super excited to post this fun, entertaining and informative chat with LEE AARON as we go deep into her entire career. A recent inductee into CANADA’S WALK OF FAME, she is one of Canada’s most iconic vocalists; a songwriter, producer, and fearless re-inventor.  Our chat includes how, at the age of 19, she released her first album THE LEE AARON PROJECT and how in 1984 she wrote METAL QUEEN which so...

Welcome to another episode of the TALK MUSIC Podcast! This week’s guest is THE SPOONS. I loved this fun chat with both SANDY and GORD, including their most recent release ECHOES featuring Alan Frew, Gowan, Strange Advance, Kon Kan, Jean Marc Pisapia (the Box) and others doing their own interpretations of some of the SPOONS most popular songs. I also go deep on their entire, illustrious career, inc...

Hi everyone! On this week’s TALK MUSIC podcast, I’m thrilled to interview Derbyshire, UK native and guitar ace, the legend CHRIS SPEDDING Having recently seen him play live with ANTON FIG on drums and KEITH LENTON on bass, I can vouch that, at 79 years young, Chris still has it! His illustrious career includes session work with Cream bass player Jack Bruce, Harry Nilsson, Elton John, Brian Eno, To...

For this new TALK MUSIC podcast I was thrilled to also have HARRY PIWERKA join me as a co-host. Harry and I went to high school together and reconnected a while back. As it turns out, he’s also a great musician and was a part of the Toronto's vibrant music scene in the 70’s as a member of the band MORNINGTON DRIVE. Harry is also friends with our guest, BASSIST extraordinaire and all round musi...

Hi everyone! On this new TALK MUSIC episode, we're going to do something I haven't done yet: go deep into the harder-edged genre of Metal and Hard Rock. My guest is MICHEL LANGEVIN, the founder/drummer extraordinaire of French-Canadian progressive sci-fi metal act, VOIVOD, who counts DAVE GROHL as a fan, has toured with RUSH, been featured on OZZFEST and once included ex-METALLICA bassist...

Welcome to a new season of THE TALK MUSIC podcast! I just wanted to say BIG THANKS to all the guests who have chatted with me so far! Our episodes regularly chart in the Top 20 on Apple Podcast, so thanks SO MUCH to our listeners! I’m excited to kick off this 2024 season with Part 2 of my conversation with top music executive DEREK SHULMAN. If you missed Part 1, go back and listen as we discuss hi...

I’ve loved chatting with all my amazing guests this year, but for our Season 3 finale, this one is extra special. DEREK SHULMAN was the lead singer of my favourite band GENTLE GIANT. They, along with YES and GENESIS (among others), were pioneers known for the complexity and sophistication of their music. Our chat covers Gentle Giant's entire 11 studio album career, with stories about their beg...

This week's Talk Music Podcast features a really interesting chat with BARRY BERGMAN, a highly respected song expert who has published over 250 songs by major artists such as CHER, KISS, JOAN JETT, MICHAEL BOLTON and many others, including hits for hard rockers LEE AARON, HELIX and US act KIX where their ballad DON’T CLOSE YOUR EYES sold 2 million copies. He’s also had a worldwide TOP 10 hit w...

On this week's podcast, I’m thrilled to welcome GARTH RICHARDSON and JOE PRIMEAU, two fantastic producer/engineers (and friends of mine) from the past. Garth's legendary producer dad JACK RICHARDSON mentored me, so we both chat about his influence. We also talk about how Garth, after landing in LA, ended up producing RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's monster debut album, which sold 15 million...

On this week's podcast, my guest is DARYN BARRY, co-owner of one of the best studios in the world: The ORANGE LOUNGE RECORDING STUDIO in downtown Toronto. I recently had some of the most fun in years with Daryn as we chatted in his beautiful, vibing control room. Daryn was the first employee I hired at my Hypnotic label/studio many years ago, so we chat about how we first met and some of the a...

Hi everyone and welcome back to THE TALK MUSIC podcast, part 2 with BRIAN VOLLMER, lead singer of Canadian rock band HELIX. In this riveting episode, besides a fun GENE SIMMONS story and another when ROBIN WILLIAMS dropped in to say hi during a video shoot in LA, we talk about how Brian hit rock bottom and how he wound up sleeping on sofas, working as a clerk in a convenience store and getting bea...