Witchpolice Radio

This one's a little different. It's part of a series of episodes I'm doing in collaboration with local rapper  Ezoman 's  Creative Side Entertainment  for this year's 'Future of M"you"sic' competition, which is a five-month long showcase of up-and-coming local artists at the Limelight. Here's the third episode, which is similar to my old Quick Hits format (remember that?), and it features a clip o...

Their Bandcamp page describes it as “horse taming music”, but local outfit Boys Road has a mountain of eclectic, experimental weirdness out there, including the new ' Brand New Spankin Man'  album! Check out this conversation about the record, the band’s experimental sound, and much more… This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company  and by  Hot Goth Summer Fest II , happening...

Jordan Dorge (vocals) and Brett Goodchild (guitar) of long-running local metal outfit  Wilt are on the show! We talked about their excellent new ‘ Huginn ’ record, playing doom/black metal in a town that loves thrash, the importance of album packaging, unexpected musical influences (would you believe country?), and much more... This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company  and...

I caught up with experimental prairie rap impresario Kitz Willman  to talk about the new ‘ Grim Errands ’ album! We got into making (somewhat) more accessible hip-hop, influences from Alice Coltrane to Thrush Hermit to John Prine, including lyrics in a rap album, and much more! Need more Kitz Willman? Check out episode #574  (March 2021). This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Co...

The guest on this episode, Emma Peterson , is an award-winning Brandon country singer. We talked about her new pop-tinged single ( 'Got It Back' ) and acclaimed debut album, starting out in tiny Winnipegosis, falling in love with both Johnny Cash and Taylor Swift, the importance of songwriting, and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company ! Huge thanks to everyon...

Country-rocker JR Charron crossed an item off his musical bucket list the other week when he performed at Dauphin's Countryfest, and he’s now gearing up toward the next goal, with a new single out and an album in the works. Here's our conversation about being fired up to perform post-pandemic, cranking up the ‘rock’ half of the country-rock equation, those awesome hats, and much more! This episode...

Jazz pianist Will Bonness is back on the podcast to talk about his excellent new record, ‘ Is This a Dream? ’ Tune in for a conversation about the album’s dense sound, its striking artwork, following up a Juno award-winning release (2020's 'Change of Plans'), the 'jazz uniform' and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company ! Need more Will Bonness? Check out episo...

Ojibway trumpet player/arranger/composer Chuck Copenace has a deadly new single, “ Creator ”, out now! This episode features a conversation about the track and the upcoming album, creating an experimental fusion of ceremonial sweat lodge melodies, jazz and electronic sounds, why jazz lends itself so well to spiritual expression, and much more! Need more Chuck? Check out episode #270  (Feb. 2018) T...

I caught up with funky, grungy locals Confuschia -- their first appearance on the show in five years -- for a chat about their upcoming DIY album, the importance of cover art, deliberately making recordings that can’t be reproduced the same way live, and much more. Need more Confuschia? Check out episode #288  (June 2018). This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company ! Huge tha...

Great conversation as always with local MC Len Bowen , who is set to drop his fourth release since 2020,  NTHN4GRNTD ,  at the end of the month! We talked about the album -- the 'finish line' of everything he's worked on since the pandemic -- sincerely reflecting your roots and culture in your art, learning from and improving on the back catalogue, and much more. Need more Len Bowen? Hear him on e...

Great conversation on this episode with singer-songwriter Karen Hammarstrand , who released her second album, ‘ Still Life ’, earlier this month! We talked about the record and its diverse sounds (folk, jazz and beyond), working with the likes of Rusty Robot and Lloyd Peterson, the spontaneous way she became a musician, and much more. This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Compan...

This one's a little different. It's part of a series of episodes I'm doing in collaboration with local rapper  Ezoman 's  Creative Side Entertainment  for this year's 'Future of M"you"sic' competition, which is a five-month long showcase of up-and-coming local artists at the Limelight Here's the second episode ( hear the first one here ), which is similar to my old Quick Hits format (remember that...

I’ve always thought about expanding the scope of the podcast and occasionally interviewing artists with no local connections, but whose music I really love. …so when the opportunity to talk to Israel Joseph I came up, I jumped at the chance. Israel is probably best known for his time fronting the greatest band of all time, Bad Brains , on the “ Rise ” album (1993), but he was also the singer in th...

Here's a conversation with country singer-songwriter Jade Turner ! We talk about her new single, “Deadweight”, moving into a roots/Americana direction, country music in northern Manitoba, a rise in representation for Indigenous artists, and much more. This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company ! Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on  Patreon ! You can help out f...

The 800th episode of the podcast features Rod and Jill from Bloc Parents — a new group blending post-punk, power pop and more, featuring members of Duotang, The Sorels, The Windups, and the Telepathic Butterflies. We talked about the group’s roots as a one-off tribute act to the band X, their debut EP , the dynamic between the two lead vocalists, and more! Check 'em out this Saturday at Blue Note...

Fredheads of all ages unite: it's an interview with acclaimed singer-songwriter, children's entertainer, TV host, actor, writer and national treasure Fred Penner ! Still active, the multiple-Juno winner and Member of the Order of Canada is back onstage at a familiar event this week, the Winnipeg International Children's Festival . We had a quick chat about the festival, redeveloping a live connect...

Singer/songwriter/music educator/multi-hyphenate Heidi Korte  can now add published author to her list of accomplishments! I sat down with Heidi to talk about her book, On The Edge of Greatness , which aims to help young musicians and other creatives get past mental obstacles and accomplish their goals. Instead of the usual songs I would include in an episode, this one includes audio clips of cont...

Jazz musician, woodwind specialist, composer and educator Sean Irvine sat down for a conversation on the podcast. On this episode, we talk about ska as a gateway for band nerds, teaching music to students with exceptional needs, coming back to Winnipeg after a stint in Toronto, his upcoming gig at the Pride Winnipeg festival , and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt...

I caught up with "all-female, all-Hailey" alt-rockers The Haileys for a conversation about their upcoming debut album (' The Haileys' by The Haileys, available everywhere June 23) and first tour, being a ‘COVID band’, adding a third Hailey since the last time we spoke, and much more! Need more from (two of) The Haileys? Check out episode #646 (Dec. 2021). This episode brought to you by our pals at...

Sean and Todd McGinity are a big part of the local podcasting community in this sordid little burg, as hosts of the SeanGeek and FastFret Podcast , but they’re also musicians. You may know them from their work in hard rockers Dome , but we sat down for a conversation about  The Kitchen Sink  by  Bros Before Gin — a new collection of unreleased tracks from their various bands over the years, some o...

Brandon rocker Matt Cory  is on the show to talk about the music scene in the Wheat City, his prolific discography and love for the EP format, and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company ! Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on  Patreon ! You can help out for as little as $1 a month if you like the show and want to throw some change in the guitar ca...

Comparing his artistic personality to that of a ‘queer mad scientist from the ‘80s’, synthesizer enthusiast Stiff Wiggle  is set to perform live for the first time in a while. Check out an enlightening conversation about identity, realizing one’s creative purpose, Prince, and so much more. Need more Stiff Wiggle? Hear him on episode #578 (April 2021) and #98  (Oct. 2014) under his birth name, as w...

Solid conversation on this episode with jazz pianist/saxophonist Connor Derraugh , who just released his debut album, ‘ Acceptance ’, with vocalist Cordelia Donovan. We talked about the record — which was inspired by the passing of a close mutual friend — and the discovery of a new musical partnership. We also got into Connor’s unique journey, which includes a traumatic brain injury that left him...

You probably recognize Kyle Halldorson from his work in bands like Dizzy Mystics  and the Gerry Hatricks -- and from the epic theme song to this podcast -- but he’s going solo (kind of) with the new project Dr. Rift ! We talked about Dr. Rift's conception, focusing more on hooks than technical complexity, getting a band together, playing a first show (with another on May 20), and much more. ...and...

Country-tinged indie rocker Amos the Kid  just released his excellent debut LP ,  Enough as it Was , after a pair of highly-regarded cassette EPs via the  House of Wonders  label! We sat down to talk about the record, creating a bigger sound (and playing on beat) and much more. Give this interview a listen before you hit up Amos' release show May 6 at the West End Cultural Centre. This episode bro...