Witchpolice Radio

If you're a regular listener to this podcast, you may have heard an episode we did earlier this year with Dwayne Larson, a Winnipeg concert photographer who also blogs about music on It's A Music Thing. Dwayne does a lot of great interviews with touring bands, so we're teaming up with him to present some of those on our podcast, and hopefully Dwayne will be involved in some regular episodes and ot...

We're recording outdoors this week, sitting behind the mainstage at Winnipeg's iconic meeting place, The Forks. For three days in August (the 12th through the 14th), that stage will play host to some of North America's finest roots acts at the second annual Interstellar Rodeo. Sara Stasiuk of Six Shooter Records is on hand to talk about the Rodeo's roots and some of the exciting artists on this ye...

He's back... but not for long. Local rapper/songwriter/producer/man-about-town Rob Crooks -- an original co-host of this very podcast and occasional contributor -- is heading east to further his education. Before relocating to Ontario, he made a last appearance on the show (for now) and talked about his long-in-the-works full-length with Disintegration Records, his recent series of EPs for Maratho...

On a summer break from his studies in New York City, local saxman Niall Bakkestad-Legare guests on this week's episode to talk about his experimental jazz/funk/soul/R&B project Fauxpasfunk, who are on the verge of releasing their debut album. We talk "host" songs, trying to get into the vast universe of jazz and a lot more!

The three longest-running members of local emo outfit Boys' Club (their newest member is a past Witchpolice guest in his own right) invited us to an elementary school music room (seriously) for our latest episode. We talk 'cobra' songs, defining their genre, their unorthodox recording/performing schedule and more! Stay tuned 'til the end for an exclusive acoustic performance of a new Boys' Club so...

Spoken-word poet, interdisciplinary artist, bass player and all-around ball of creative energy KittyKittie hung out with the fellas this week in her front yard to talk about "victory" songs, sucking the pretentiousness out of poetry, avant-garde performances, and the fictional straight-edge hardcore band Globthorn on a really fun episode of the podcast.

Rapper/producer Abstract Artform is on the show to talk about "wolf" songs, live bands vs. backing tracks, breaking into the local rap scene and more. We also discuss the Living Proof project, which is a collaboration between Abstract and Doodlebug of '90s rap icons Digable Planets.

This week, we sit down with three members of local 'heart-pop' noodlers À La Mode -- outgoing (as in 'about to leave the band') guitarist Andy Cole, frontwoman/mastermind Dominique Lemoine and latest addition Ava Glendinning. (You may recognize Dominique and Ava from our recent Big Mix-Up show). We talk about 'robot' songs (and just robots in general), hear a stripped-down acoustic performance, an...

This week, we're in an apartment with really nice floors hanging out with young punks Suburban Hypocrites! We talk about the growing punk scene centred around the King's Hotel, "plaid" songs, the impossible task of defining "punk" and a lot more!

Live from Winnipeg's Park Theatre, it's Witchpolice Radio's Big Mix-Up! Volume one (oh yes, there will be more) of our randomized jam-band crapshoot improv extravaganza was a smashing success, with unrehearsed, on-the-spot creations like "Skanald Trump" and "Disco Banana". The premise of the show was that 15+ local musicians -- of all genres and styles -- were gathered together and drawn randomly...

If you've paid attention to the local music scene at any point over the past decade-plus, you likely have a number of albums from Winnipeg's Transistor 66 Record Company in your collection. We sat down with label owner Art MacIntyre for a one-on-one conversation about Transistor 66's history (and 100-release deep catalogue), the ins and outs of running an indie label and a lot more!

Although it snowed a week or so after this episode (of course it did, it's Winnipeg), we took advantage of the nice weather for an outdoor episode recorded on a picnic table at Assiniboine Park(!) with up-and-coming folk-punk artist Harley James Flett. In a conversation that goes in all kinds of directions, we talked folk music, Bad Brains, the ins and outs (but mostly outs) of attending music fes...

This week's episode features a surprise visit from Montreal punks Lost Love, who stopped by as they were passing through Winnipeg on a Canadian tour. They're currently on the road in support of their new Stomp Records release, Comfortable Scars. If you're a fan (and you fuckin' should be), they're back in town this Friday, May 13, for a gig at the Handsome Daughter with our pals Clipwing.

This week, Sam makes a visit to the downtown office of The Enemy Magazine to talk DIY, hip-hop, Winnipeg youth culture, "predator" songs and a lot more with the magazine's mysterious braintrust. The Enemy is making a name for itself by being "honest and unmerciful" when reporting on the good, the bad and the ugly of Winnipeg arts, culture and politics (and by the way, they're looking for contribut...

We talk soul music, Winnipeg neighbourhoods, 'neck' songs and a whole bunch more with local funk/pop/rock/R&B gang The Heights, who are new on the scene despite having played together (in various combinations and projects) for over a decade. With a debut EP being released June 11 and -- if you can't wait that long -- a show at the Garrick this Friday with past Witchpolice guest Casimir Gruwel...

This week features a long conversation with 2/3 (or 2/4, depending how you look at it) of the hard-to-define Winnipeg (via Kenora) rock band 1971. The fellas have a new tape -- Burning Bridges Before They're Crossed -- coming out today with a house show at their own Sad Boys' Club (assuming you're listening the day this episode gets released). Stay tuned until the end of the episode for an excelle...

This week, we talk to the hilariously-named Bartley Knives about his solo project, "volcanic" songs, a sense of place in song lyrics, campus radio and a lot more. A past guest on this show in early 2015, "Bartley" is best known as a member of local acts like The New Wild and Sibyl. Under his current guise, he's exploring songs that were too strange for his other bands.

All five members of rising St. Boniface combo Jeremie and the Delicious Hounds are on this week's episode to talk about their upcoming debut, "futuristic" songs, Winnipeg's francophone music scene... and to play some sweet soul music live on the show.

There's a weird contrast this week: plenty of ridiculous conversation about various Muppets (the theme of the week is "puppet" after all) alongside discussion of really serious issues, like the subject matter of guests Mulligrub's new single, "Europe". The Winnipeg alt/punk/twee(?) trio are gearing up for the release of their debut full-length, _Soft Grudge_ , on April 23. They talk about the new...

Fifteen years after the release of their last album, iconic Winnipeg two-piece Duotang -- best-known for their late-90s Mint Records output -- are back with a new release coming in 2016! Rod Slaughter (bass/vocals) and Sean Allum (drums) talk about gettin' the band back together, their new record, a bit of history and that pesky "mod" label that critics have always used to describe their sound. Mi...

This week we explore another element of the local music scene: photography. Sam is joined by camera-wielding photographer and blogger Dwayne Larson of It's A Music Thing, who talks punk rock, "hill" songs, DIY, the ins and outs of photographing bands and much more!

It's a crossover episode! This week, Sam hangs out with Anthony and Steve of local hip-hop roundtable podcast If You Don't Know Now You Know! The episode is split between our format and theirs. "Question" songs, lots of rap talk and much more!

Winnipeg indie-pop duo Bicycle Face not only have a phenomenal band name (and logo, holy shit), but they have a fantastically unique keyboard-and-guitar sound. They hang out on this week's episode to talk about the group's background, select "queen" songs and perform a few live ditties (so stay tuned until the end)!

Rootsy, harmony-slingin' folk-rockers Rory Verbrugge and the Ruckus sit down to talk about their forthcoming debut album, "pearl" songs and much more on the latest episode! This one also features some glorious live performances, so stay tuned until the end of the show.

Dilla Day 2016 at The Good Will in Winnipeg: an interview with Brendan Kinley of Super Duty Tough Work and R&B chanteuse Keisha Booker. It's the second time Super Duty have organized Dilla Day Winnipeg, which is to honour the late great hip hop producer's life and works. The night had guest performances by 3Peat, Fenom, Bazooka Joe, Chris Bvnnvtt and Keisha Booker. Together since 2014, Super D...