Witchpolice Radio

Little Miss Higgins is a singer, songwriter, and most importantly, a storyteller. We had a great conversation about her exciting new project,  The Fire Waltz   — which incorporates an album (featuring a murderer’s row of local roots musicians) and a narrative podcast, all tied to a story from her personal family history. We also got into the reasons she was drawn to Winnipeg, finding musical famil...

It's another Manitoba-adjacent episode: a conversation with Toronto (by way of Winnipeg, of course) solo guitarist John Testar! We talked about free improvisation vs classical training, John’s upcoming album, the difficulty defining his experimental sound, the benefits of silence, and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports...

Here's an interview with Christy Taronno (vocals/keyboards) of alt-pop outfit Paper Machetes ! We talked about the new Balancing Act EP , writing pop songs with substance, releasing a debut record during the pandemic, and much more. As you'll hear in the disclaimer at the beginning, I had a file problem, but was able to salvage Christy's side of the conversation (although mine sounds a bit rough)....

When Niverville singer-songwriter Ian Krochak  was last on the podcast , he was just in the process of re-launching himself as an artist after a number of years out of the game. We caught up and talked about the development of his country/roots-rock sound, tapping into creativity through the pandemic, a podcast project he’ll be launching soon, and much more. Note: This interview was a little longe...

It's a rare excursion outside of Manitoba for a chat with Rob Piquette, one of the hosts of Checkered Past: A Ska'd Cast . We talked podcasting, the past, present and future of ska music — including, of course, his views on Winnipeg’s ska scene growing up in Alberta — and much more! It’s a departure from the usual (very Manitoba-centric) guests I have on the show, but I had a blast with Rob (and h...

My old pal Mike Peters of Cancer Bats is back on the show, and we're talking about his primary project for the first time! We talked about their upcoming (recorded in Winnipeg) new record, living here while the rest of the band is in Toronto, the “acoustic” version of the Bats, and much more. This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company  and by the new  Good + Plenty Producer's...

Ancient Raven Records is a new Gimli-based label releasing cassettes and vinyl. I had a conversation with the label’s founder, Jønas Scott — who released one of my favourite local albums last year as Van Allen — about past, present and future projects, including Smoky Tiger tapes , a vinyl reissue of a 1970s Interlake classic , and much more. Van Allen tracks are sprinkled throughout the conversat...

Veteran Winnipeg MCs Gruf (Fermented Reptile, Frek Sho) and Yy (Park-Like Setting, Your Brother In My Backpack), alongside producer Rob Crooks are on the show about their outstanding new ‘ Mental Health Day ’ record! We talked about Gruf and Yy’s long-awaited team-up, the album’s lyrically dense sound, how boundaries were pushed on both vocals and beats, and much more! Get Mental Health Day now fr...

Here's my conversation with Brad Skibinsky from Winnipeg’s heavy vinyl distro Eye and Ear Control Records ! It's a great chat about serving a niche community of discerning metal fans, opening a small physical HQ in the Exchange, working with local artists like Propagandhi  (he just restocked the Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes remix/remaster ), and so much more! This episode brought to you by ou...

Space)doxa at the Graffiti Gallery has been Winnipeg’s source for outsider musical performances for years. I talked to its curator, Greg Hanec , about some of the upcoming events — acoustic, electronic and otherwise — coming up at the Higgins Ave. venue over the next few months. Sprinkled throughout are musical selections by space)doxa participants (chosen by Greg) including The Inflatable Band, F...

Call it doomwave, Black Sabbath meets Tears for Fears, or whatever else:  Crime Cellar has unleashed its debut EP on an unsuspecting Winnipeg public. Check out our conversation about the contrasts between their metal backgrounds and the new sound, the undying appeal of the ‘80s, starting out as a band through a global pandemic, and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shir...

Want a deep dive into the world of fiddle music? Here's an interview with Manitoba/Ontario duo Jane Cory and Kyle Burghout, who record and perform as Jane & Kyle . We talk about fiddle competitions, staying true to traditional/cultural sounds, their new record , and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company  and by Gruf and Yy's new 'Mental Health Day'  album...

I sat down with post-punk singer-songwriter Tired Cossack  to talk about the new “ Hocus Pocus ” record, creativity during the pandemic, drawing inspiration from Ukrainian culture and folklore, and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company  and by Gruf and Yy's new 'Mental Health Day'  album  on Saskatoon Folk Rap Records. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the...

For decades, salsa king Rodrigo Muñoz has been one of the standard-bearers for Winnipeg’s Latin music scene. We had a great chat about his 30+ years leading Papa Mambo , playing Afro-Cuban jazz with a full band vs. a stripped-down trio, tackling social media, and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company  and by Gruf and Yy's new 'Mental Health Day'  album  on Sas...

My old pal JD Ormond of Ultra Mega -- one of the first guests Witchpolice ever had -- is back on this episode talking about his new band's new 'Panis Angelicus' EP, long walks, the etherealness of Wolseley, and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company  and by Gruf and Yy's new 'Mental Health Day'  album  on Saskatoon Folk Rap Records. Huge thanks to everyone who...

This episode features a conversation with post-hardcore (or whatever subgenre you feel like calling it) outfit Prinport ! We talked about getting back to playing shows and the emotional catharsis of performing live, their songwriting style that can have a complete tonal switch mid-song, the origins of their weird-ass name, and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Com...

Tune in for a conversation with Brent Jackson from Old Gold Vintage Vinyl  about obsessive record collecting, getting a business going during a global pandemic, the future of vinyl, bringing a record shop back to Osborne Village, and much more. This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company  and by Gruf and Yy's new 'Mental Health Day'  album , and its release show  Dec. 29 ! Hug...

Whether you know him for his solo work or as 1/3 of prairie rap pioneers Shadez , Len Bowen is an integral piece of Winnipeg’s hip-hop community. Stay tuned for a conversation about his new BBS.Steve-produced project for 4th Quarter Records , creative freedom, music that needs to “marinate” before it can be fully appreciated, and much more! Unfortunately I had to cut a few sections of this intervi...

This is the eighth “Quick Hits” episode – a compilation of micro-interviews with four artists. It’s a fun way for the podcast to expand its scope a bit and talk to a wider range of guests. This episode features:  - Indie-folk duo Stellar - Glenn Radley of grunge-pop outfit Gladly - Rock n' rollers Righteous Fist - CKUW 95.9 program director Scott Price Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podc...

It was great to catch up with Ed Durocher, guitarist and bandleader of 10-piece instrumental juggernaut Apollo Suns ! We talked about getting back on the road, making inroads in the US, defining their sound (or not), their new music , and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company  and by Gruf and Yy's new 'Mental Health Day' album , which comes out Dec. 29 ! Huge...

I got nerdy about music and podcasting on this episode with Corey Toews of the Geekspin Podcast — a Winnipeg-based interview show that focuses on geek music around the world in all of its forms. It's a fun conversation about filk music (which is, apparently, a real thing), whether GWAR fits the geek criteria, nerd shit going mainstream, the connection between Geekspin and fellow local podcasters S...

I caught up with local guitar wizard Ronnie Ladobruk to talk about his new music, developing his vocal chops, doing session work with the likes of Fresh I.E. (for which he got a Juno nomination) and Hawksley Workman, 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...

Can you believe Winnipeg rock n' soul giants The Noble Thiefs  — in all the years I’ve been doing this show — have never been on the podcast before? We remedied that with this conversation, as I sat down with Myron (vocals) and Riley (guitar) to talk about the band’s deadly new single and video , soul music and authenticity, navigating the weird world of streaming, and much more. This episode brou...

I caught up with Nick Camble , frontman of local punks Suburban Hypocrites , for a new episode! We talked about the band’s lineup changes, its brand new darker, heavier full-length, starting a label ( Frozen Hell Records ) during a global pandemic, 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 , includi...

I had a great conversation (as always) with singer-songwriter Nic Dyson , who just put out another outstanding record, Brain Fog ! We talked about the impact of his unexpected connection with a distant cousin , about maintaining a raw, emotional sound despite studio bells and whistles, using his social media platform for good, and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt...