Kinda Sorta Maybe Like a Podcast

Among the first crop of winners at this year's Juno Awards was Jon Dore, who won the Comedy Album of the Year Juno for A Person Who is Gingerbread, the veteran Canadian comic's debut comedy album from Howl & Roar Records (headed by his sister, Allison Dore). The Ottawa native has had a long career working on both sides of the border, first becoming a household name as a correspondent for 3 seasons of CTV's Canadian Idol before hosting The Jon Dore Television Show on the Comedy Network for 2 seasons. Jon was the first stand-up comic to appear on TBS' Conan when it debuted on November 11, 2010 (his first of many appearances on the late night show), and he hosted multiple seasons of HBO Canada's Funny as Hell, an alternative comedy showcase shot each year during Just for Laughs in Montreal. He's appeared multiple times on the Comedy Central sketch shows Inside Amy Schumer and The Kroll Show, as well as CBC's Baroness von Sketch Show, and in 2021 created and starred in CBC's Humour Resources, shot during the early days of the pandemic. (You can -- and should -- watch all the episodes now on CBC Gem.) Leading up to this year's Junos, Andrew Lizotte got the chance to chat with Jon from his home in Juneau, Alaska about how his album got more personal than his previous material, growing up with a funny sister, the process of filming Humour Resources, what it's like living in Alaska, and work-life balance before and after having a baby. Jon Dore's A Person Who is Gingerbread can be purchased from Howl & Roar Records and streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music.

If you don't know who Vir Das is by this point, that's on you, because he's very busy. Most recently, the stand-up comic released an all-crowd work special which was recorded over Zoom -- two phrases that make him a comedy daredevil. This marks his 4th special for Netflix. He was also in the latest Judd Apatow film, The Bubble, shot in the heart of the pandemic that's also about a major motion picture being shot during the pandemic. In advance of his appearances this week at JFL Toronto, Andrew Lizotte chatted with Vir over Zoom about those two latest projects, and Vir spoke about how breaking into the North American market so successfully involved mostly happy accidents that forced him to be the most himself he could be.

Kurt Braunohler has been embracing the bananas since well before he had a podcast of the same name. A stand-up comedian, actor, and improviser, Kurt's material ranges from the conversational to the absurdist, and has always been willing to go to new places. Kurt has appeared at Just For Laughs in Montreal, hosted a comedy game show, Bunk, on IFC, and collaborated with Kristen Schaal on the long-running and critical favourite variety show "Hot Tub with Kurt and Kristen" (coming to JFL Toronto). He most recently started an irreverent news podcast with writer and performer Scotty Landes, Bananas, on the Exactly Right Podcast Network. He'll be at Just for Laughs Toronto where he will be making multiple stand-up appearances as well as bringing "Hot Tub" to Toronto for the first time on September 24. Matt Ardill had an opportunity to sit down with Kurt before his Toronto dates to talk about "Hot Tub", Bananas, comedy, and Canadians' intrinsic love affair with the beaver.

Laurie Kilmartin has been making people laugh for a long time. She's been working as a stand-up for most of her adult life, putting out 3 albums (including 2021's Corset) and appearing on late night shows like CONAN, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. She spent 11 years writing on CONAN on TBS, and in 2012 wrote the New York Times bestseller, "Sh*tty Mom: The Parenting Guide for the Rest of Us". Since CONAN ended last year, she's been hitting the road for stand-up more often, including Just for Laughs in Montreal this past July, and several upcoming dates at JFL Toronto at the end of September. Paul Little got the chance to chat with her before her Toronto dates to talk about her time at CONAN, getting back on the road, and why she likes talking about just about anything on stage. For JFL Toronto show info and tickets, visit toronto.hahaha.com.

Fresh off a spring West Coast tour opening for Molly Burch, a couple cool UK festivals, and several very fun music video releases, genre-bending singer-songwriter JayWood is starting an exciting summer. It began with his first-ever appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival last weekend -- where he brought his mix of jazz, pop, folk, and funk music to huge hometown crowds -- and then kicks into high gear with the release of a new full-length album, Slingshot, on July 15. Paul Little caught up with JayWood on the final day of the Winnipeg Folk Fest to chat about his festival experience, his successful tour windows when many acts have had to cancel gigs worldwide, writing and recording the new record, and why he made sure it's a complete front-to-back package rather than just a collection of songs. If you're in Winnipeg, you can head to the Tallest Poppy on Thursday, July 14 at 8:00 PM for a Slingshot album listening party. Otherwise, be sure to keep your eyes peeled to JayWood's Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter for upcoming summer tour dates across North America and beyond -- including Manitoba festivals Real Love Summer Fest and Rainbow Trout Music Festival -- as well as a proper album release show sometime in the fall.

Fred Penner has been bringing music to the ears of children worldwide for over 40 years. He's a multiple JUNO Award Winner, a Member of the Order of Canada, and helped teach a generation of Canadians about everything from folk music to curiosity and creativity through his long-running CBC show, Fred Penner's Place. In short and without hyperbole, he's a universally beloved Canadian icon. Now, after a pandemic-enduced touring hiatus, the family entertainer is hitting the road again, including appearances at his hometown Winnipeg International Children's Festival -- a festival he's performed at more than any other. Leading up to the new shows, Paul Little got a chance to speak with Fred over Zoom to talk about his relationship with Winnipeg Kidsfest, his experience working with contemporary Canadian musicians on 2017's Hear the Music, the importance of childhood music education, and why he signed on to highlight Winnipeg musicians through the new TV series Route 90 Sessions.

Andy Kindler has been a stand-up comic for over 30 years; toured endlessly all over North America; co-starred in hit TV shows like "Everybody Loves Raymond", "Bob's Burgers", and "Maron"; spent years doing regular field pieces on Letterman; and delivers the "State of the Industry" address at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal ever year. Yet somehow, he only released his debut comedy album *this year*. In a way, it's fitting that a comic known for deconstructing the craft would wait until a global pandemic to release "Hence the Humor" via digital download and streaming. Less than a week after delivering this year's JFL "State of the Industry" address via Zoom for the first time with the festival moving online due to COVID-19, our own Andrew Lizotte joined Kindler on Zoom for a long conversation covering the 7 year process putting out the new album, what goes into making the address at JFL every year (and what was different about this year), Kindler's thoughts on "cancel culture", and a deep dive into each other's experiences with therapy, medication, and mental health.

With COVID-19 cancelling the main Just for Laughs festivals in both Montreal and Toronto, JFL is putting on a weekend of free comedy programming on YouTube and other media. Writer/performer Jenny Hagel (Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Amber Ruffin Show) will be joining her frequent collaborator Amber Ruffin for a chat as part of the "Conversations with Funny People" series on October 10 at 8:30 PM ET. The Second City alumn and mainstay of the hilarious "Jokes Seth Can't Tell" segment on Late Night joined our own Andrew Lizotte for their own conversation, where they discussed Jenny's experiences writing for The Amber Ruffin Show, the differences between writing for Seth and Amber, the way the pandemic has affected the work-home balance, and how to even find the funny in these bizarre times.

Due to COVID-19 and the many travel and performance restrictions in place, Just for Laughs is putting on a weekend of free comedy programming on various online platforms. The hilarious DeAnne Smith (Netflix's Gentleman Elf) is taking part in the "Conversations with Funny People" series, where they'll be speaking with longtime friend, Hannah Gadsby on October 10 at 10 PM ET. Chatting with our own Andrew Lizotte ahead of this weekend's online JFL, DeAnne spoke about their new monthly Zoom shows (DeAnne Smith & Acquaintances), staying in one location for the first time since starting comedy, the progression of their joke-writing and performance style over the last few years, and what this weekend's conversation with Hannah Gadsby will entail.

February 17 saw the return of metal titans Soulfly to Winnipeg, Manitoba. Along for "The Summoning" tour were thrashers Toxic Holocaust, and on this date we also received a metal barrage from X Method, Bears with Technology, and Cause of Death. Local writer/performer William O'Donnell had the chance to chat with Soulfly's legendary leader Max Cavalera in what was less an interview -- and more two metalheads nerding out about the genre, its bands, and Max's unending mission to blend every possible sub-genre of metal with world music sounds. His bandmates and wife/manger Gloria can be heard shuffling around them as they can tell: once you get Max going about these topics, it's going to be a while!

Comic Gavin Matts has had a pretty good last couple years. Since being named SiriusXM Canada's "Next Top Comic" in 2017, he's made a string of TV appearances in both Canada (The Stand-Up Show with Katherine Ryan, The Halifax Comedy Festival) and the United States (Conan, Comedy Central's Stand-Up Featuring). During that stretch, he also released a comedy mixtape called Premature and moved away from his hometown of Vancouver -- first to L.A. and then to New York City. This month, he's heading back home to Canada for shows in Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Vancouver. Before the mini tour, he chatted on the phone from New York with our own Paul Little about the opportunities he's had recently, the insecurities of comedians, and what he's looking forward to with the upcoming shows. Catch Gavin live in Winnipeg on November 12, Edmonton November 13, Vancouver November 14-17, or all over NYC after that.

Hawksley Workman has been making albums since the late 90s (his first full-length, For Him and the Girls, came out in 1999) and he's been releasing new music every year or 2 since then. He's rarely been one to stick to the same vibe record-to-record, jumping between styles and influences in a way that he says was likely frustrating for record execs, his touring band, and perhaps even some of his fans over the years. However, he's always been a unique and singular artist, and his longtime fans have never doubted the authenticity of his music, whether it's stripped-down folk, high-energy synth-pop, or anything in between. Besides his many solo releases and tour dates around the world, he's also served as a producer for some of Canada's best folk and pop acts, wrote a stage musical with accompanying soundtrack, and has put out a pair of records as drummer and singer with the band Mounties. More recently, he released a brand new solo record ("Median Age Wasteland") earlier this year, just yesterday put out a single ("Around Here") from an already-completed new album, and will be on a 24-date tour with a full band across Canada from November 1 through December 4 (dates below). Paul Little got a chance to speak to Hawksley last week ahead of his month-long excursion across the country, and during their in-depth chat they talked about his return to Europe the past couple years, the music and influence of the 1980s on his last release and his upcoming record, the idea of "less rage, more tears", the destructiveness of fame, his sense of gratitude heading into this tour, and what his trusted piano player Mr. Lonely has meant to him musically and personally over the years.

Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, New York-based comedian Dave Merheje has had a pretty stellar 2019. He started the year off with a half-hour Netflix stand-up special as part of their Comedians of the World series, popped up as a series regular on the first season of the critically-acclaimed Hulu series Ramy (available in Canada on Crave), and he won the Comedy Album to the Year at the 2019 Juno Awards for his album Good Friend Bad Grammar. This in addition to performing around the U.S. and Canada, as well as wrapping up a long run last year as a recurring character on the popular CBC sitcom Mr. D. While back in Toronto -- the city where he started stand-up -- for a series of headlining gigs at JFL42, Andrew Lizotte got the chance to catch up with Dave to talk about the wild year he's had, how he's grown on stage, how his dad reacted to his Juno win, and his new love for Lulu Lemon pants.

Seán Cullen is one of those rare Canadian performers who has fans across any age group. People were excited to shake his hand and give him a hug as he sauntered to the stage at one of his recent JFL42 shows. For followers of the comedian's long career, the show at Toronto's Comedy Bar was a decidedly deeper and more intimate evening. As a comedian who is well known for pure silly, he was refreshingly open about... himself, for the first time. Cullen bared his soul, speaking to struggles with loneliness, depression, and weight. But it's still Seán Cullen, so it took the form of a song called "Shit-storm", wearing ghost pants, and reflections on dating a raccoon. The crowd was safe in his silly;he even stopped to have a conversation with a criminal defense lawyer about the pros and cons of depression vs. homicide. It was honest, and present, and felt just for those in the room that night. Much like the conversation he and Andrew Lizotte had last week in advance of his JFL42 appearances. (Andrew wrote this intro, and is clearly the King of Segues...)

Robby Hoffman is an original comedy voice whose writing and delivery on stage puts her at the top of the stand-up game. Her bit for The Chris Gethard Show with Queer Eye's Antoni Porowski is one of the funniest things on YouTube, and her other television writing -- which includes CBC/IFC's Baroness Von Sketch Show -- has even won her a Daytime Emmy for Odd Squad on PBS. Last September, she recorded her Crave TV stand-up special, Robby Hoffman: I'm Nervous, at Toronto's JFL42. Robby is returning to Montreal -- where she used to live and briefly began her stand-up career -- for the Just for Laughs Festival as part of the great line-up for "The Ethnic Show" (with shows through Thursday, July 25) and with her own "The Early Evening Show with Robby Hoffman", a unique take on the late night comedy format taking place at the Montreal Improv on Monday, July 22 and Friday, July 26. She spoke with Paul Little about the development of her talk show, her experiences at other festivals in Canada, the difference between writing for the stage and television, and living in Los Angeles after time spent in Montreal, Toronto, and New York.

Nick Nemeroff is a Montreal comic who has been a mainstay in the Toronto comedy scene for the past few years, winning Best Newcomer and Best Breakout Comic at the 2017 and 2018 I Heart Joke Awards. His comedy has been described as "aggressively deadpan" -- and if you're wondering what that means, just watch his set from last fall on Conan. It's a joy. After visiting Winnipeg for the Oddblock Comedy Festival a couple years ago, Nick is making his first appearance at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival this weekend. Paul Little chatted with him ahead of his visit, and they spoke about his "Square Pegs" gala taping, his experience on Conan, and what's in store now that he's made the move to Los Angeles.

Chris Gethard is comedy's favourite underdog. He is the fine wine that other comedians cannot recommend enough. His years of study as an improviser at the UCB Theatre in New York have made him a great listener and a truly empathetic storyteller. During this interview in advance of his appearances at JFL42, Chris gave Andrew Lizotte some of the most emotionally open and thoughtful answers of his career -- all while driving! Chris is a ringmaster of chaos. The man loves a sincerely weird experience. His beloved program, The Chris Gethard Show -- which has run on NYC cable access and a pair of basic cable networks -- is best described as if early MTV went truly punk and had no artistic censorship. His podcast, Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People, gives you honest and thoughtful looks into the lives of complete strangers. Chris also released an HBO stand-up special last year, Career Suicide, which gets us to laugh and understand his struggle with mental health. He is a complex and interesting man. If this interview jumps around a bit, it's only because there is so much to talk about.

Shortly after Donald Trump decided to run for President, improviser and actor Anthony Atamanuik -- a veteran of UCB Theatre in New York who had worked on 30 Rock for years and wrote for and appeared in a number of other comedy television shows and specials -- was asked to do a one-off show as Trump after playing an exaggerated version of then-candidate Trump in an improv scene. That original live show led to more shows, an eventual "Trump vs. Bernie" debate tour alongside James Adomian as Bernie Sanders, appearances on @midnight and FuseTV as the character, and then after the seemingly unlikely election of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States, starring in a Trump-themed talk show on Comedy Central called The President Show. In advance of a pair of apperances as Donald Trump for this year's JFL42 in Toronto, Paul Little spoke with Atamanuik over the phone about his career before taking on the Trump character, getting into the mind of someone like Trump, his overall take on the state of politics in the United States these days, and a very early teaser about a new President Show special coming up soon.

Greg's podcast, The Smartest Man in the World, is an hour and a half of crowd work and riffing off of the headlines. It's also consistently very funny. It's a style of performer/audience relationship that harkens back to the days of Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, and Joan Rivers; however, the format, subject matter, and approach are all modern. Like Greg himself, it combines the technical proficiency of an older generation, but continues to stay effortlessly relevant. He's also one of the most apt social critics working in stand-up comedy today. Don't believe us? The amount of issues that get touched on in this less than 15-minute interview with Andrew Lizotte is dense. His new album is out in October, his book is now out in paperback (The Smartest Book in the World), and he's performing stand-up and recording his podcast at JFL42 this week. Go enjoy him.

Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld are the writers, actors, and editors behind the award-winning webseries Jake and Amir, which began while the pair were writers at College Humor. In 2013, they started an advice podcast called If I Were You, and over the years, they have done special live recordings of the podcast around the U.S. Now they're bringing the podcast north of the border to Canada, with live shows in Winnipeg, Calgary, and Vancouver. In advance of these shows, our own Ian Bawa spoke to the comedy duo about the questions they choose to give advice on, where new segments developed from, if their current Vimeo series Lonely and Horny, and what audiences should expect going to a live recording of If I Were You.

In the fall of 2017, Toronto comic Courtney Gilmour was coming off the biggest professional accolade of her comedy career: being named the co-winner (along with Montreal's DJ Mausner) of the Homegrown Comics competition at Just for Laughs Festival. The win included a spot among the 42 feature acts at September's JFL42 comedy festival in her hometown. In the midst of JFL42, Andrew Lizotte sat down with Courtney for a long chat about her Homegrown win, her new CBC animated web series, and religion. The latter topic is the subject of her own podcast, So Help Me Pod, and in reality, Andrew just commandered her theme so he could sing Bible camp songs (which he swears is way cooler than it sounds). Since the interview took place, Courtney's friends and family have started a GoFundMe for her to be able to afford her #DreamLeg. She was born without both hands and her right leg above the knee, and the state-of-the-art prosthetic leg she'd love to have currently costs $100,000. The Toronto comedy community has stepped up in a big way with fundraiser shows and more, but if you have a few dollars to spare, you should consider donating to the #DreamLeg fund at gofundme.com/dreamleg!

Rhys Darby may be best-known to audiences as Murray Hewitt on the acclaimed HBO series Flight of the Conchords, but the New Zealand Army veteran is also an accomplished stand-up comic, having worked all over the globe for nearly 2 decades and put out 3 stand-up specials. He's also starred in films such as Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi's brilliant vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows and the upcoming Jumanji reboot. A veteran of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Montreal's Just for Laughs, Darby is now in the middle of JFL's Alternative Comedy Tour across Canada alongside headliner T.J. Miller. Back in September, during a visit to Toronto for JFL42, Andrew Lizotte sat down with him to cover a wide range of topics including show preparation, Conchords, his interest in cryptozoology, and his summiting of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

After becoming a comedy and film superstar in France, 46-year-old Morocco-born Gad Elmaleh has spent the last couple years based out of New York, starting comedy in a brand new language and paying his dues again in rooms like the Comedy Cellar and Joe's Pub in NYC, and other smaller clubs across the United States. Of course, being an established performer -- even in another language -- meant Elmaleh's anglophone rise has been a bit quicker than for most comics. Building off of appearances on Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee and late night shows like CONAN and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the one-time Quebeccer is now playing theatres around Canada and the U.S., and is on the verge of recording his first English-language comedy special. In advance of some Canadian stops on his "Oh My Gad" tour, Paul Little got the chance to speak to Elmaleh about his original interest in performing and comedy after he moved from Morocco to Quebec, his discovery of Seinfeld, his recent adjustments to both the English language and North American audiences, and his desire to be seen as funny beyond the gimmick of "starting over".

Bronx-born comic, writer, and actress Gina Brillon made her first TV appearance over 10 years ago on Comedy Central's Live at Gotham. Since then, she's appeared on Chelsea Lately, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The View, and the CBS sitcom Kevin Can Wait in a recurring role. She also had a feature role in Gabriel Iglesias' comedy film, The Fluffy Movie, and put out a one-hour special, Pacifically Speaking. This fall, Brillon has hit the road north of the border, as comedy powerhouse Just For Laughs has teamed her up with JFL tour mainstays Alonzo Bodden and Sugar Sammy for a cross-Canada tour. Paul Little spoke with Brillon shortly before the tour began, and we talked about her absolute love of stand-up comedy, her experiences working in TV, her plans for the future, and why she was excited to hit the road with Bodden and Sammy.

SheDot Festival ("Toronto's Festival of Funny Women") is in its fourth year, and has grown from essentially a local festival in its first year to one featuring performers from all across Canada and the United States. SheDot co-producer Karen O'Keefe (who now runs the festival alongside founder Martha O'Neill) has been involved since its inception, and has also been performing stand-up for over 10 years along with other festival appearances and a writing stint on This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Paul Little chatted with O'Keefe at a cafe across the street from SheDot's home base for the weekend, Comedy Bar, mere hours before this year's festival began. They spoke about the chaos of co-producing a festival, SheDots beginnings, future plans for the festival, some of the shows to check out if you're in Toronto this weekend (the festival runs through Sunday, May 7), and her own writing and acting aspirations.

Rebecca Reeds started her comedy career in Ottawa, performing at open mics and eventually being part of an Ottawa Fringe Festival show. She's since made the move to Toronto, where there are not only far more opportunities for her to get stage time and hone her craft, but where she can perform alongside touring comics who regularly hit up the city (such as a recent opening spot for Matt Braunger at Toronto's Comedy Bar). Reeds has previously performed at the SheDot Festival and JFL 42 -- as well as made appearances on CBC Radio and SiriusXM -- but she's appearing at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival for the first time this year. Paul Little chatted with her about the early part of her career in Ottawa, the difficulties of moving to a much bigger comedy city like Toronto, her growth as a comic over the last couple years, and what she expects from her first big TV gala experience.

Tim Gray and Matt Nightingale are both veterans of the Winnipeg stand-up comedy scene, and this year they're both a part of the local contingent at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival. Besides their accomplishments as stand-up comics (Tim's first comedy album comes out this June, and Matt is a regular host at Rumor's Comedy Club), they're also members of the sketch troupe HUNKS. Their work with HUNKS -- which also features Dana Smith, Quinn Greene, and Rory Fallis -- has taken them to festivals like Just for Laughs NorthWest, San Francisco Sketchfest, and the Montreal Sketch Festival. (They also have their own very funny podcast!) Last weekend, Paul Little sat down with Tim and Matt to talk about their growth as stand-ups, their early success with HUNKS, and a whole lot more fascinating (and ridiculous) stuff. It's our longest podcast yet, but it's also a whole lot of fun!

Amanda Brooke Perrin is a veteran of the Toronto comedy scene who recently moved to Los Angeles. Approaching 10 years as a stand-up comic, Perrin has appeared at festivals like JFL 42 and Bridgetown, has appeared on Match Game and written for This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and just released her debut comedy album (AKA Randy, available on iTunes) last summer. Just prior to her first visit to the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Paul Little caught up with Perrin while doing a string of shows in B.C. They chatted about making the jump from her hometown of Calgary to Toronto earlier in her career, the comedy writing opportunities in Canada, what she's looking forward to about Winnipeg, and why Colin Mochrie should watch his back!

Whether you've heard his stand-up, read his articles for The Onion and The AV Club or watched @midnight, chances are you've know comedian Dan Telfer's work. Dan Telfer joins Aaron Demeter at the Oddblock Comedy Festival to talk about his work on @midnight, gives his opinions on living in L.A. versus his native Chicago, and opens up about his second bout with cancer.

Pete Johansson has spanned the globe with his comedy, spending the bulk of his career living in Vancouver, Los Angeles, and London. Just a few weeks ago, Pete made the move back to Canada, this time calling Toronto home. Paul Little speaks with Pete before this year's Winnipeg Comedy Festival. Among many things, they discuss his various moves, his experiences with the Edinburgh Fringe, and what he's got planned for this year's Winnipeg Comedy Festival (including his one-man solo show, "Good People", a preview of what he'll be bringing to Edinburgh this summer).

Paul Little chats with longtime stand-up comic and deliverer of Just for Laugh's annual "State of the Industry" address, Andy Kindler, in advance of his multiple appearances at this week's Winnipeg Comedy Festival. Topics include Andy's past visits to Winnipeg, Donald Trump and the state of journalism, how far comedy has come since the 80s, what David Letterman meant to television, and his other work in TV. He even tries out -- and quickly abandons -- some new hockey material. (Also, if Jay Baruchel is listening, get in touch with Andy. He wants to be on your radar, Jay!)

On his day off between Just for Laughs tour stops in Thunder Bay and Winnipeg, a slightly under-the-weather Jeremy Hotz joins us for the second time to talk with Paul Little about Just for Laughs, working with Ken Finkleman, the state of Canadian television, the improvised nature of his sets, and how despite never really going the political comedy route, even his current shows spend a couple minutes touching on the craziness that's going on in the never-ending American election cycle.

Shazia Mirza doesn't tend to stay in one place for very long. The award-winning stand-up comic, originally from Birmingham, England, has toured Britain, the United States, Canada, Pakistan, the United Arab Emerits, India, and all over Europe. Coming from a Muslim immigrant family in Britain, Shazia wasn't expected to end up in a career in comedy -- and in fact, she was a science teacher before she got behind the mic for the first time. However, over the last decade and a half, she's shown that comedy is definitely her true calling. Paul Little got the chance to speak to Shazia over the phone from her home in London just before she jetted off for some shows in India, one night back in the UK, and then her dates in Canada at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival. They chatted about her unlikely start in comedy, her growth as a comedian and writer, her past experiences in Winnipeg, and the peculiarity of good comedy writing not always equating to the most laughter.

Veteran stand-up comic, writer, and actor Demetri Martin headlines this year's Just for Laughs comedy tour as it careens through Western Canada, and a couple weeks ago Paul Little had the opportunity to chat with Martin ahead of his Canadian dates. They talk about his expectations for the tour, his experiences on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, his two seasons of Comedy Central's Important Things with Demetri Martin, and his growth as a stand-up over the years.

Canada was first introduced to the comedic mind of Daryn Jones on his early 2000s Comedy Network show Buzz, which featured he and Mista Mo in various sketches and random bits and interviews on the streets of Toronto. In the many years since, Jones has become a household name -- and even for those that might not instantly recognize the name, they've almost certainly seen his work on CBC's The Mercer Report, doing pieces for Hockey Night in Canada and George Stroumboulopoulos, and as the longtime host of MTV's flagship show, MTV Live. Since leaving his regular gigs on television, Jones has spent a lot more time working on stand-up comedy, a return to what first brought him into the spotlight doing Yuk Yuk's amateur nights at 17 years old. A couple weeks ago I got the chance to speak with Daryn about his upcoming visit to the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, a look back at his career thus far, and what's on the horizon for this extremely talented host and comedian.

K. Trevor Wilson -- the self-proclaimed Mountain Man of Comedy -- has a natural knack for brilliant and hilariously engaging storytelling, and held his own this past fall at Toronto's JFL42 alongside an impressive line-up of international comedy heavyweights. He's returning this year to the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, this time with the distinction of being the winner of the 2012 Homegrown Competition at Just for Laughs. In advance of his visit to Winnipeg, J.D. Renaud chatted with Wilson about what it takes to spin a good story into a good bit, J.D.'s inability to correctly read IMDb, and what it takes to become a member of K. Trev's Elite Adventure Squad.

Returning by popular demand to the Winnipeg Comedy Festival once again, John Wing has more than secured his reputation as a stellar performer and true renaissance man in the world of comedy. A seasoned vet of the stand-up world, Wing has long been one of Canada's most original and consistently irreverent comedic voices. Not only that, he has also inexplicably found time in his busy schedule to write several books and collections of poetry in his down time, while being one of the most sought-after, witty, and razor-sharp joke writers in North America. He also has over 200 television appearances under his belt, including six Tonight Shows and nine Just for Laughs galas. J.D. Renaud spoke to John about the nomadic life of a traveling comic, the challenge of writing material with deadlines looming on the horizon, and the debate surrounding whether or not stand up comedy can be considered 'art'.

Shortly before Jeremy Hotz began his cross-Canada tour, Paul Little spoke with the comedian and actor about the place he is in his career, the significance of The Newsroom, his upcoming work on Call Me Fitz, and some interesting encounters he's had recently at The Laugh Factory. Unfortunately, as the interview intro will explain, there were some audio issues which made the first couple minutes of the interview unusable, so it kind of picks up partway through a question about getting the odd bit of negative reaction from an audience.

A week before heading down to Montreal for the 30th Anniversary of the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, Paul Little speaks on the phone with stand-up comic Brendon Walsh about his early years touring with Doug Stanhope (whose career he admires and looks up to), connecting with fans via Twitter (@brendonwalsh) and podcasts (Brendon's is "The Bone Zone"), and why regardless of the rest of the options in the entertainment world, it all comes down to stand-up. I also fill him in on where he's performing at JFL.

Toronto-based singer/songwriter Emma-Lee has been recording music for nearly a decade, and just released a new full-length album, Backseat Heroine. Over the years, while her songs have slipped into genres from jazz and pop to country and soul, her unmistakable and remarkable voice has stayed strong -- even through a couple vocal cord surgeries that put her singing future in doubt. Emma-Lee chatted with Paul Little over the phone on the day of her album's release (also her birthday!) about the recording process for the new album, the difficulties of pushing through the endless stream of music out there today, balancing music with a photography career, and why having a diverse sound might not always be a positive in the music industry.

Rebecca Kohler is incredibly funny -- which, oddly enough, is a great thing when making a living as a comic. Jumping between performing on stage and stepping behind the scenes to write for television, Kohler has appeared on CTV's Comedy Now!, Much Music's Video on Trial, and The Jon Dore Television Show while writing for children's program Scaredy Squirrel and CBC's This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Kohler spoke to Paul Little in advance of her appearances at this year's Winnipeg Comedy Festival about her early interest in comedy, her relationship with stand-up as a career, and what she has on deck for the next little while.

David Steinberg is one of the most respected names in comedy. Besides being second to Bob Hope in appearances on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson", he's written or directed TV episodes spanning 45 years, such as "The Smothers Brothers", "Newhart", "Seinfeld", "Mad About You", "Friends", and "Curb Your Enthusiasm". With David returning to his hometown for his first show in Winnipeg in 11 years, Paul Little spends nearly 30 minutes hearing a string of fascinating tales of Johnny Carson, Larry David, perseverence through failure, his new show "Inside Comedy", and why Winnipeggers tend to be pretty funny.

Starting out his show business career in Ontario in the early 70s, Alan Thicke has gone from behind-the-scenes writer for top comics and performers, to writing some of the most iconic TV theme songs of all time, to appearing in one of the top-rated shows of the 80s (Growing Pains). In recent years, besides his many on-camera appearances (jPod, How I Met Your Mother, The Goods, and an upcoming Showtime series), he's also written two books about his own experiences with family and raised a superstar son (R&B star Robin Thicke). In advance of his appearance at this year's Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Paul Little spoke with the iconic performer about his early years in the business, what it was like being on one of the top shows on TV for so long, and the many projects he has on the go right now.

In the modern era of roasting, made popular by the Comedy Central Roasts, comedian Jeffrey Ross has taken on the symbolic title of Roastmaster General and run with it at a blazing speed. Never afraid of going too far (as long as the targets are in on it, of course), Ross has made a living roasting the likes of Hugh Hefner, William Shatner, Pamela Anderson, and Charlie Sheen. Besides the television appearances, however, he's performed extensively for U.S. troops overseas and appeared on many TV shows (CSI, Children's Hospital, The Sarah Silverman Program). Of course, a stand-up comic's real work is hitting the road, and Ross has been doing just that with his Jeff Ross Roasts America tour beginning last year. The tour takes a detour north with Jeff Ross Roasts Canada, courtesy of Just for Laughs. Paul Little got the chance to chat with Jeff last week, and they spoke about his start in comedy, the Comedy Central (and Friar's Club) roasts, what Canadians can expect when they come out to see his show, and a lot more.

Tim Gray speaks to Maria Bamford, a comic on the forefront of where stand-up comedy is heading, ahead of this year's Just for Laughs. Maria fits perfectly into the alt-comedy scene that's redefined the art form over the last decade, winning fans through the "Comedians of Comedy" series and making her a highly-sought-after performer. Knowing Maria can often be reserved in interviews, Tim begins by telling her about his own comedy background. The ensuing conversation has Maria open up about the philosophy of comedy, her endearing attitude toward the craft, and her fixation with improving as a person and a comedian -- and it makes her as likeable a person as she is a comic.

When one is labelled controversial, it will usually bring with it a lot of attention. But while comic Darren Frost has frequently been given the moniker of "Canada's Most Controversial Comedian", he feels his reputation as an opinionated presence on stage has probably done more harm than good to his bottom line. Still, even with some events and clubs not booking him because of their pre-conceived notions, that won't ever stop Darren from tackling the dirtiest, nastiest, or most politically-incorrect topics in front of a crowd every night. If you can handle (or even enjoy) the salty language and no-holds-barred material, you'll more than likely come away from his shows having done a lot of laughing. And if you can't handle it, then you probably should have heeded the "X-rated" warning posted outside all his gigs and not put down your money to see him in the first place. He may not be for everyone, but for those willing to go along for the ride, it's well worth it.

Kevin Pollak has carved himself a very successful career as a top-notch character actor in comedies and dramas: The Usual Suspects, A Few Good Men, The Whole Nine Yards, Hostage, Grumpy Old Men, Casino, L.A. Story, and Willow, to name a few. He's also a longtime stand-up comic, and one of the best impressionists on the planet. Recently, Kevin has become somewhat of a New Media trailblazer, starting Kevin Pollak's Chat Show, a great weekly online talk show with in-depth interviews and silly bits. After some scheduling conflicts prevented an in-person interview in Los Angeles, Paul Little spoke with Kevin over the phone this week about the start of his career, his impressions (listen for a new one he's been working on), his latest movie role, and of course, Kevin Pollak's Chat Show.

The Lonely Island -- the comedy collective featuring Saturday Night Live star Andy Samberg and SNL writers Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer -- recently released an album featuring a mix of past SNL Digital Shorts and a host of new songs (many with guest vocals from stars like Jack Black and Norah Jones). That album, Incredibad, surprised many by debuting at #13 on the Billboard charts a few weeks back. After interviewing Samberg in 2007 and Taccone (and Lonely Island collaborator Chester Tam) in early 2008, Paul Little finally had the chance to talk to all three of them at once. In their chat, the "Dudes" explain their thoughts on the album's early success, what classic Lonely Island track everyone should check out, and other upcoming projects.

Chester Tam met Saturday Night Live's Andy Samberg at NYU film school, and when Andy rejoined his childhood friends Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer in L.A. to make videos together as The Lonely Island, Chester began working with the trio. He appeared in many of the group's pre-SNL videos (including "The 'Bu", "The Backseatsman", and "Anger Management"), continues to keep fans updated with everything relating to the Dudes running their official website, and has a role in their new movie, Hot Rod. He's also carving out a career of his own outside of The Lonely Island, and our own TLI superfan Paul Little caught up with "Chez" on the ph about his own projects, some history of The Lonely Island before they "made it big", and of course, Vancouver's crepes. This was recorded in the very early days of ShowbizMonkeys.com, so the audio quality isn't the best -- but we figured we might as well add it to our podcast archive for anyone interested in checking it out!

Chances are, if you're reading this, then you know who Andy Samberg is, or at least recognize him. One of the hottest young talents in the current crop of Saturday Night Live cast members, Andy is best known to many for his starring role alongside Chris Parnell in the "Lazy Sunday" video, a digital short that aired on SNL and then became an overnight internet sensation and one of the first viral videos, which was followed the next year with the now Emmy-nominated Justin Timberlake duet, "Dick in a Box". However, before SNL, Andy was part of The Lonely Island comedy troupe, whose other two members Jorma Taccone and Akiva Shaffer also work at the NBC saturday night staple as writers. Now Andy, like so many SNL'ers before him, is making the jump to the big screen in the upcoming comedy Hot Rod, co-starring Taccone and directed by Shaffer, and as such was making the publicity rounds in support of it. Our own Mark McLeod in Vancouver and Paul Little in Winnipeg joined Andy on the phone from Toronto, where he was doing press for the movie. Seeing as how this was our first-ever audio interview (technically posted before this podcast existed), the quality isn't great, but hopefully you can enjoy it all the same!