Witchpolice Radio

It had been way too long since punk rock power trio The Rules had been on the podcast, so with their rad new album, ‘ Exit Wounds ’ right around the corner (you will love it), it seemed like a perfect time to reconnect! Here's our conversation about the John Paul Peters-produced record, the band’s plans for world domination, working with co-writers for the first time (including Mike Koop !), and m...

Pop-rock artist Garrett Neiles recently relocated to Toronto in pursuit of his musical career after spending most of his life here in Winnipeg. Here's our conversation about starting over in The Big Smoke, the mechanics of writing a good pop song, his triumphant return to The Park Theatre Nov. 16 to release his new EP back home, and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shi...

Manitoba rap stalwart The Gumshoe Strut  has been extremely productive in recent years, and he has a new album, “ Extra Extra ”, dropping Oct. 20. Check out this conversation about the new record, the #dodadshit posse cut, keeping it DIY, his Styles Make Fights clothing/design project, Saskatoon Rap Rap Music and much more! Need more Gumshoe Strut in your life? Check out episodes #120 (with Gruf t...

This year has already seen its share of excellent local releases, but I’m particularly excited about the deadly new EP by grunge punks Death Cassette , which drops next month!  Stay tuned for a conversation about making the record, translating their raw, live sound to the studio, simplifying songwriting, their Nov. 17 EP release show , and much more. PLUS: Hear the brand new Death Cassette single,...

Here's a re-release of one of the "lost" podcasts from 2014 -- an early Witchpolice recording that didn't get added to the current podcast feed. This one was originally released as #65, featuring local rap duo Chivas and Kream , known for their work on the Deafwish label. I hope you dig it. It's in the show's old format, so if you're new to Witchpolice Radio, you're better off listening to a 2023...

Mike Fox (vocals/guitar) of psych/new wave/art rock/etc. outfit Foxwell , who just released their debut EP, is on the show! We talked about the murderer’s row of players in the band — with backgrounds in jazz, classical, rock and beyond — putting on a SHOW rather than just a performance, the “why” of continuing to make music, and much more. This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt...

Lots of people like country music, but most of ‘em don’t like country music with quite the intensity and specificity of Sean Burns . Sean was back on the show to talk about his neverending pursuit of buried honky-tonk treasure, his upcoming ‘ Lost Country ’ record, his gig on bass with Corb Lund, and so much more! Need more Sean? Check out his appearances on episodes #460 (Feb. 2020) and #572 (Mar...

This episode features an interview with acoustic folk/pop-rock singer-songwriter Ezi Margolis , who has been making music for a long time, but has just (as in the day this episode came out) released his first proper solo single, "Queen of Hearts". We chat about acoustic guitars, writing catchy songs, working with a producer with a very different musical background, DIY marketing as an independent...

I get asked if I know the true identity of mysterious music reviewer Bad Gardening Advice (“Steve Schmolaris”) on a regular basis, but I legitimately have no idea — even after recording an interview with him (complete with animated avatar and voice changer). Stay tuned for a conversation about the new BGA book , his abstract style of writing reviews, staying anonymous, getting to the heart of a re...

I sat down with singer-songwriter Doug McArthur  to talk about his new solo work , years after initially hitting the scene as frontman of local alt-rock act Broken Halo (and later with Soapbox ). Here's a conversation about Doug’s collaboration with Rusty Robot , navigating the strange new world of digital singles and TikTok hits, needing to express himself creatively post-pandemic, and much more!...

Great conversation on this episode with Brendan Grey, frontman of acclaimed Winnipeg live-band hip-hop outfit Super Duty Tough Work ! We talk about the heavy, politically and socially conscious new LP, ‘ Paradigm Shift’ , maintaining focus on music that matters, being both inside and outside of the Canadian music industry, hyper-local references, and much more. Want more SDTW? Brendan was intervie...

Guitarist and bandleader Ed Durocher of hard-touring psychedelic jazz rockers Apollo Suns  is back on the show! Settle in for a chat about the upcoming ‘ Departures ’ LP, album sequencing, consuming content at a slower pace, experiencing the jam band scene in the U.S., and much more! Need more from Ed and the gang? Check out Apollo Suns' previous appearances on episodes #226 (April 2017), #375 (Ap...

As regular listeners know, I like weird shit, and long-running Winnipeg experimentalists  Trío Telfær certainly fit that description! I had a conversation with Corey and Brian about their process of improvisation, being ideologically — but not necessarily sonically — a “jazz” group, their other gigs backing up high-profile locals (i.e. Amos the Kid, Boy Golden, and others), their deep catalogue an...

We're back in Morden (virtually) for a conversation with pop-punk solo act Garry "EzRa" Doell ! Check out a conversation about growing up listening to punk/hardcore/metal of the Christian variety, the neverending quest to find bandmates in a small community, performing at the Corn & Apple Festival (and getting a high-profile shoutout), new music, and much more! This episode brought to you by o...

After a few years on hiatus, Winnipeg ‘tweemo’ trio Mulligrub are back with a new bass player and their long-awaited sophomore album, ‘ Tragical’ ! (It's really grubbin' good, too!) Stay tuned for a conversation about new (and also old) sounds, sad songs, reaching new audiences, and much more! Need more Mulligrub in your life? Check out episode #173 (March 2016)! This episode brought to you by our...

The good news: JayWood  just released a new EP. The bad news (for Winnipeg): he’s skipping town! Jeremy Haywood-Smith was back on the podcast to talk about decamping to Montreal, the ‘ Grow On ’ EP as an extension of 2022’s acclaimed ‘ Slingshot ’ long-player, and much more. Need more JayWood in your life? Check out our previous interviews on episodes #308 (Aug. 2018), #589 (May 2021), and #708 (J...

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 fourth episode, which is similar to my old Quick Hits format (remember that?), and it features a clip...

Winnipeg’s The Benefits might be borderline un-Googlable, but big things are going down in their universe. I sat down with the duo of Snarky Remarkable and Jomaha Nebraska to talk about their new (but also very old) single , expanding to a full band, comedy music (and musical comedy), parody songs, and more! Note: Due to technical difficulties, the audio for about half of the interview is from my...

Summer in Manitoba is festival madness, and one of the events coming soon is GentleFest , Aug. 25-27 at Ignite Retreats in the Interlake! I talked to Zach Van Der Hooft of organizing team The GentleFolk about the festival’s roots in campground animations, its connection to a local shitposting forum, building a DIY community, and much more! This year’s GentleFest features artists like Ami Cheon, Vi...

Singer-songwriter Orvis Thomas -- known mononymously as simply Orvis as far as his music is concerned -- sat down for an interview days after the release of (the second version of) his new ‘ Love in Vain ’ solo EP! Check out our conversation about the record, playing country covers, notebooks of songs going back 20+ years, getting into music in a remote northern community, and much more. Need more...

Remember psych/noise/prog/post-rock/etc. outfit Ham ? They’re back — from various corners of the continent — for a pair of reunion shows later this month (Aug. 18 at The Goodwill with Mahogany Frog and Aug. 19 at Rainbow Trout)! I sat down with Paul Lafreniere (guitar/vocals) to talk about getting back into Ham-mode, defining the band’s weirdo sound, opening for the Pixies almost 20 years ago… and...

On this episode, I sat down for a conversation with singer-songwriter Grant Davidson, a/k/a Slow Leaves . We talked about the excellent new ‘ Meantime ’ LP, making modern-sounding music while throwing back to ‘70s vibes, productivity during the pandemic, getting reviewed by goth publications, and much more. This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company! Huge thanks to everyone w...

Living proof that dick jokes are alive and well in Portage la Prairie, pop-punk band Pulling Pud have just released the “ It Burns When I EP ”. Check out this conversation about the ongoing appeal of the genre, the music scene in Portage, influences from the obvious (NOFX, Blink-182) to the unexpected (black metal, country)… and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt C...

Drummer and composer Tetyana Haraschuk is back on the show! We sat down for another great chat about her upcoming EP, experimenting with heavier sounds, the difficulty of defining her psychedelic/jazz/rock/electronic style, and much more! Need more Tetyana? Check out episodes #630 (Oct. 2021) and #698 (June 2022) This episode brought to you by our pals at  Devine Shirt Company! Huge thanks to ever...

From the teeming metropolis of Morden, Man., it’s Derek Helps , who you may recognize from projects like Lakes and Pines ! Here's a conversation about his excellent new solo album, ' That Night, A Forest Grew ',  which blends singer-songwriter vibes with atmospheric soundscapes and crunchy alt-rock. We also touched on the music scene in the Morden area, getting experimental down at the local legio...