Witchpolice Radio

Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Blue McLeod from art-rock project Grotoko is on the show! Tune in for a conversation about busking, the writing process, a long-in-the-works upcoming Grotoko record, 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 yo...

I had a lovely conversation with singer, author, podcaster, activist, Winnipeg expat, and indomitable international superstar  Bif Naked ! Here's a chat about Bif’s upcoming record, her Winnipeg roots, using her platform for positive change, punk rock, finally getting back on tour, and so much more. This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company and the  Manitoba Loud Music Award...

On this episode, I took a deep-dive into Winnipeg’s early rap history with local pioneer DJ Bunny Lester! Bunny was a key figure in the development of what has become the city's enduring hip-hop scene, so we talked about those early days, how things have changed over the decades, why Winnipeg has maintained a strong community, and much more. This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt...

By popular demand, Interlake indie rockers Mise en Scene are on the podcast! It’s a fun chat about Gimli, “Winnipeg, California”, going DIY during the pandemic, songwriting, 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 thro...

Two members of local soul ensemble Flat Land Soul Band are on the podcast, talking about their new record, coming into their own sound rather than imitating the classics, collaborative songwriting, calling it quits after five years as a band (insert sad face emoji), and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on ...

Happy Halloween! This isn't a regular episode of Witchpolice Radio. It's not even an episode of Witchpolice Radio at all.  At various points over the past couple of years, I've been recording episodes for a potential second podcast called 'Incognito Johnson' with my pal Alex Seville , who now lives out in San Francisco. Here's a sample episode, about a 16th Century composer known for murder, witch...

I’ve been loving Alex Maher ’s recent social media experiments with loop pedals, so I had him on the podcast for a conversation about moving to Winnipeg from B.C. (during a pandemic), sax, seeking out the ‘fatness’ in funk, and so 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 littl...

I interviewed the brothers behind mysterious experimental love-pop outfit A Topiary ! Here's a fun conversation with Joshua and Jacob Letkeman about stage costumes, blood harmony, Billy Bob Thornton, and so 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 l...

On this episode, I talked sound art, field recordings, tapes and more tonight with experimental artist Cole Peters , who released a couple of limited-edition cassettes over the past few months. As you'll note in the intro, the podcast gods were out to get me on this one, but even technical difficulties aplenty couldn't stop me from getting this conversation into your earholes, so bear with some le...

I was really excited about interviewing Brandon (by way of Montreal) country troubadour Bobby Dove , whose outstanding ‘ Hopeless Romantic ’ LP is easily one of my favourites of the year so far. We talked about the transition from big-city Quebec to small-town Manitoba, releasing an album while the world was locked down, bummer songs, THAT VOICE, and much more. This episode brought to you by our p...

I had a great chat with Winnipeg jazz drummer/composer Tetyana Haraschuk , on the line from her current home in Spain. We talked about what drew her to drums and their expressiveness as an instrument, exploring new sounds, the beauty of instrumental music, and her fantastic, just-released suite ! This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports...

Brendon Ehinger (formerly of Bucko, the Vagiants , et al) is on the show to talk about his current obsession with modular synthesizers and his work running the Prairie Wires Modular  festival, which just wrapped up in his current home base of Brandon, Manitoba! This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on  Patreon . You can h...

This episode features a quick conversation with a stone cold Canadian legend: singer, actor, activist, and former Manitoban (but his heart is still here), Tom Jackson . We talked about his powerful new single and the public conversation around residential schools, taking the high road when it comes to dealing with tragedy, Tom’s philosophy behind his activism and charity work, and much more! This...

The inimitable Manitoba original known as the Smoky Tiger sat down for a chat, in which we discussed his three-album pandemic output, the joys of being “weird”, being a big fan of the work of the mysterious Bad Gardening Advice , 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 li...

Here's an interview with acclaimed jazz saxophonist (and U of M prof, by way of Staten Island, New York) Jon Gordon !  We talked about his excellent new album, ‘ Stranger Than Fiction ’, Winnipeg as a jazz hub, punk rock and free improvisation, embracing crowdfunding, and so much more. Jon will be perfoming Oct. 1 at the Rachel Browne Theatre as part of Jazz Winnipeg's Fall Fest . This episode bro...

A fantastic conversation with Bazooka Joe 204 (formerly John Smith) about his upcoming ‘Prairie Nilsson’ release, the resurgence of interest in (and activity from) Peanuts and Corn Records , respecting hip-hop’s roots, and so 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...

Todd Kowalski (bass/vocals) of Propagandhi is on the show! We talked about compassion — rather than politics — being the driving force behind the band’s music, his work as a visual artist , the upcoming remixed/remastered version of a classic Propagandhi record, and much more. (Note: this was recorded before some changes to their fall tour, so we only mention the one Winnipeg show at the Park Thea...

This is the seventh “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:  - Heavy folk outfit The Dirty Beat - Jazz improvisers Freddy and the Fire Nation - Indie pop singer-songwriter Rein - Pop singer Carlo Capobianco This episode brought to you by our pals...

Bonus election episode, in which local musicians-turned-political candidates Robert Crooks and Cam Scott talk about their experiences campaigning and an upcoming event that will include a live, improvised soundtrack. Whatever party/candidate you support, get out there and vote! This interview is not intended to influence your choice one way or another. Just vote! As always, if you like the podcast...

On this episode, Winnipeg musician/comedian J. Williamez talks about straddling both worlds (and why he’s more comfortable playing shows with bands than comics), hecklers, ridiculously ambitious projects, his “muse” — Brian Pallister — and so 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...

Winnipeg trumpet/piano/guitar player-vocalist-composer-multi hyphenate Candice Tugby is on the show, and she's premiering some brand new tunes! We talked about her transition from classical piano to learning how to improvise on trumpet from some of the city’s finest jazz players, about her gig as a music consultant on an upcoming TV series, getting hooked on Sinatra, and much more. This episode br...

Here's a “Winnipeg-adjacent” episode with Greg Soden, one of the hosts of U.S.-based Unscripted Moments: A Podcast About Propagandhi , a thoroughly-researched song-by-song deep dive into Winnipeg’s own Propagandhi! We got a bit nerdy about the podcast biz, talked about the impact the band has had on Greg and his listeners, the amount of research that goes into each episode, and much more! NOTE: I...

Live and direct from the sweaty confines of my pantry, it's a staple of Winnipeg’s music scene for decades, Greg MacPherson ! We talked about his roots performing solo at hardcore shows, went deep on Winnipeg’s dark/light duality and how that’s reflected in the city’s art, getting loud with Figure Walking , and so much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company . Huge t...

Great chat with Brendan McLean about the ambitious new record by local punks The Uglies , releasing CDs in the Red Lobster parking lot, growing up on the Fat Wreck Chords discography, and so 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 an...

"MySpace revival" is a thing, apparently, and awesome new Winnipeg mathcore band Hopscotchbattlescars are on the podcast to explain it. We talked about their experience as an Internet band — one that has spent most of its existence recording music by sending files to each other online (and how that’s finally changing), writing politically-charged content without beating listeners over the head wit...