Witchpolice Radio

For various technical reasons, no new interview episode this week... but I'm not gonna leave you hangin'.  Instead, here's a bonus episode that was originally released exclusively on the Patreon page back in 2022: it's, essentially, the full discography of my old punk/noise/space music trio The Mouth-Boat , complete with my rambling recollections about the songs and recordings, etc. The Mouth-Boat...

The new record by rapper/producer/singer/songwriter/Winnipeg expat Rob Crooks is a layered, cinematic meditation on grief.  Here's our conversation about the four-song ‘ Unhomely ’, taking creative liberties with deeply personal stories, sonic experimentation, Winnipeg from an outside perspective, and much more. Need more Rob Crooks in your life? He was an original co-host of this podcast way back...

This is a bit of a different episode than you're used to on the podcast. As many of you know, in addition to releasing new interviews every week, I also have a Patreon page .  Basically, that exists as a way for people who want to support the show, throw me a buck a month or whatever they want to donate, and they get to help out the podcast, keep the lights on, keep things afloat, but they also ge...

Last time Show Pony was on the podcast, they were juuuust starting out, and in those early days, they were playing alt-country… but times have changed. I sat down with the band’s core members to talk about the shift to high-octane rawk sounds, harnessing their live energy in the studio, their excellent merch designs, and much more. Need more Show Pony in your life? Check out episode #560 (Feb. 202...

Really interesting conversation on this episode with Good + Plenty Arts Collective 's Amber Neufeld and Mckye Hildebrand, all about the upcoming ‘ Music Cocoon ’ show at the West End Cultural Centre (Nov. 16)! The event, which features performances by local artists (and past Witchpolice guests) Ila Barker and Two Crows for Comfort , is a family- and sensory-friendly matinee. We talk about the show...

Country singer-songwriter Chris Micheal was on a path to success a few years ago, until the momentum he had built was suddenly derailed and he all but disappeared from the music scene.  Tune in to our conversation about the way back from health problems and addiction, and his newfound vulnerability as a songwriter and a human being. This is the first in-person interview I've recorded for the podca...

Gettin' spooky on this one (just in time for Halloween) with Trevor and Mike from Omens ! Check out our interview about the (deliberately) slow roll-out to their second album, navigating the world of streaming and weird Google censorship, emerging from the Jet Set Satellite shadow, Halloween songs, and much more! Need more Omens in your life? Hear Trevor on episode #904 (June 2024). This episode b...

One of the coolest things about doing the show for eleventy trillion years is I get to watch interviewees’ careers grow and develop, and in some cases — like with JayWood  — I get to see that hard work pay off with well-deserved critical acclaim and success.  JayWood sat down for a fifth Witchpolice interview (six if you count his appearance at a 2017 live event) and we talked about his new ‘ Leo...

It's a return appearance on the podcast by singer-songwriter  Doug McArthur ! Tune in for a great conversation about collaborating with other writers, shifting his sound away from the alt-rock thing, unconventional ways to promote his new single, and much more!  Note: early on in the episode there are a couple of weird artifacts -- sounds almost like a weird computer voice muttering some gibberish...

Caught up with the fellas in Car287  to talk all about the new record, ‘ Through the Lens ’, the band’s recent upward trajectory, navigating acoustic versions of their songs, and much more! Note: this was recorded a couple of weeks back, so some of the things they mention have already happened... like the new record, which has already been released. Get it now! Need more Car287? Check out their pr...

Great sitdown on this episode with the big homie Jeff Darichuk of new Portage la Prairie folk-punk outfit Chucky and the Cheapskates !  Tune in for a chat about getting back into the game in your 40s, the imminent new Cheapskates record, three chords and the truth, his old band the Naked Midgets, and much more! Need more Chucky? He was on episode #561 (Feb. 2021) with the Naked Midgets! This episo...

I sat down with BreakOut West  executive director Michael Dawson to talk about the festival/awards show/music industry conference, which will take over Winnipeg beginning later this week! Tune in for all the details! 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 a couple bucks a...

I caught up with all-Ha(i)ley classic rock/pop/alt-rock trio  The Haileys  to talk about the band’s upward trajectory, collaborating with outside writers, the dad crowd, their first time at the Royal Albert, and much more!  Need more Haileys in your life? Check out their appearances on episode #796 (May 2023) and episode #590 (May 2021)!  This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Co...

Andrew Ritchot, a/k/a Lifte , is back on the show to talk all about  ' How Strength Creates Tolerance' ,  his new and deeply personal record that closes out a series based on his experiences as a caregiver for his late wife.  Tune in for our conversation about music as catharsis, the future of this project (if there is one), and much more!  Need more from Andrew? Check out his appearance on episod...

It's here! Episode 1,000! Who knew this silly podcast would have lasted so long? This, probably unsurprisingly, isn't a regular episode of Witchpolice Radio. It's a conversation -- led by my friends and fellow podcasters Sean and Todd McGinity (and shoutout to Ron Moore for his contributions as well) -- about the show's history, podcasting in general, the local music scene... and much more! On thi...

Great chat with award-winning singer-songwriter Stephanie Westdal , all about balancing bold, vulnerable lyrics about serious issues with danceable pop songs, the upcoming Goddess Series of events celebrating creative women, and much more!  This one is jumping the queue because it’s a little time sensitive and I’m working around the big 1,000th episode coming soon...  This episode brought to you b...

This isn't a regular episode of Witchpolice Radio. It's an abridged audio version of a two-hour(!) conversation I had with the host of video podcast Peg City Soundoff on his show.  We talked all about podcasting (including my upcoming 1,000th episode and his one-year anniversary), local music -- of course -- and all sorts of other stuff.  You can find the full video chat on Peg City Soundoff's Fac...

Fun conversation on this one with Jayda of Portage la Prairie punks (or as the band describes itself, “queercore meets riot grrrl meets unhinged bitch-fit fury”) Ticked Off ! Listen up a chat about Ticked Off’s new EP,  ' Act Your Rage ' , plus ‘lead bass’, the importance of songs with a message, punk in Portage, and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company .   H...

Even though Paul Hodgert has been involved with various Witchpolice things over the last little while, I had never personally sat down and interviewed him — until now.  Here's our conversation about the vinyl release of his excellent ‘ Paul is Dead ’ album, his new grief-informed single , his fixation with a particular series of classic wrestling matches, and much more.  Need to hear more from Pau...

Making his fourth appearance on the podcast, rapper/producer Kitz Willman sat down to talk about his new tape, ‘ A Moon on the Verge of Everything That You Wanted ’!  Check out our chat about sonic experiments, defining ‘prairie rap’, future projects, and much more! Need more Kitz Willman? Tune in to episodes #574 (March 2021), #811 (July 2023), and #853 (with Rob Crooks, Dec. 2023). This episode...

If you’re familiar with Project: Constellation at all, it’s likely as a North Dakota-based husband-and-wife folk duo with Winnipeg connections. They’re still all of those things, of course, but they have this interesting side gig performing Scandinavian songs — from traditional stuff to Swedish and Norwegian pop hits — at libraries and cultural events all over their region of the U.S. They were in...

Anyone involved in the local music scene (and beyond) in Winnipeg is probably aware of the tragic accident on Canada Day that led to the death of Royal Canoe bassist Brendan Berg and his partner Olivia Michalczuk . Brendan (along with Royal Canoe drummer Derek Allard) was on a very early episode of Witchpolice Radio back in fall 2014, so this is a reissued version of that episode for those who wan...

Here's an interview all about the soul, sound and signature of R&B-tinged Afrobeats artist Olisae ! It's a fun conversation about his forthcoming new single, perceptions on Winnipeg crowds, focusing on musical energy, 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...

A fun conversation on this one with the duo behind electronic project Peacocking ! We talk about their upcoming EP (which drops July 18), the science of ‘beat week’, expanding beyond drum and bass, glockenspiel, 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 a couple b...

This isn't a regular episode of Witchpolice Radio -- it's a bit of a throwback from the ol' vault. Here's the audio from a backyard show at my house in June of 2018, featuring performances by Anne-Marie Williot , Roger's Arsenal , Gerrit Delaquis , and Project: Constellation .  This has never been released before in audio podcast form, although it is available in video form (individual song videos...