Polaris Podcast

Broken Social Scene's 'You Forgot It In People' and Kid Koala's 'Carpal Tunnel Syndrome' are the focus of this Polaris Podcast episode thanks to their recent Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize hall of fame designations. We'll interview BSS's Brendan Canning about 'You Forgot It In People' on top of an interview with Kid Koala where he spoke with juror Alain Brunet in Montreal.

Alanis Morissette's 'Jagged Little Pill' and Dream Warriors' 'And Now The Legacy Begins' headline this Polaris Podcast episode thanks to their recent Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize hall of fame designations. We'll hear expert analysis of 'Jagged Little Pill' from author and Polaris juror Andrea Warner in addition to a deep dive on 'And Now The Legacy Begins' with juror Mary Dickie.

Rush's '2112' and Bruce Cockburn's 'Stealing Fire' are the focus of this Polaris Podcast episode thanks to their recent Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize hall of fame designations. We'll hear expert analysis of '2112' from expert Polaris juror Adrien Begrand as well as an exclusive interview with Cockburn.  

Neil Young's 'Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere' and Jean-Pierre Ferland's 'Jaune' are the focus of this Polaris Podcast episode thanks to their recent Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize hall of fame designations. We'll hear expert analysis of Young's album from from expert Polaris juror Mary Dickie as well as an exclusive interview with Ferland by juror Nicholas Tittley.  

With the 2018 Polaris season winding down, we used this episode to highlight some of our producers' favourite albums which didn't make the Long List. We'll be exploring Woolworm's 'Deserve To Die,' Laura Sauvage's 'The Beautiful,' Souljazz Orchestra's 'Under Burning Skies' and L CON's 'Insecurities in Being.'

The Weather Station and Jennifer Castle have recorded a pair of songs together for the third edition of the Polaris Cover Sessions, sponsored by Stingray Music. Included here is The Weather Station’s “I Tried to Wear the World (feat. Jennifer Castle)." Stingray Music host and Polaris juror Zachary Monson spoke to Castle and The Weather Station’s Tamara Lindeman about their musical partnership.

Jeremy Dutcher has won the 2018 Polaris Music Prize for the album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa. In this episode we speak with Dutcher about how he felt when he won, who the album was made for and what his name means. We also check in with Matt Carter, the Polaris Grand Juror who was tasked with speaking on behalf of Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa at the 2018 Polaris Gala.

The 10-album 2018 Polaris Music Prize Short List has arrived. To document this important occasion we gathered three jurors — Ian Steaman, Laura Stanley and Marc-André Mongrain — to weigh in on each album.

On June 14 we released the 40 album 2018 Polaris Long List based on ballots submitted by 203 Polaris jurors. For this episode we got three of those jurors — Michael Rancic, Erin Lowers and Christine McAvoy — to analyze what trends they saw in this year's list, what albums they voted for, and what album they think will win the whole thing this year.

Now that #Polaris2018 season is in full swing we did an Ask Polaris Anything with founder and executive director Steve Jordan. Topics included: what makes a good or bad juror, how an act can get nominated, best Gala performances and more.

The Polaris Podcast traveled to Hamilton, Ontario for this live taping event at Jillard Guitars featuring jurors Jamie Tennant (CFMU), J.C. Villamere (villamere.com) and Biljana Njegovan (Cut From Steel) talking records with Steve Jordan. Topics included Arkells, Junior Boys, Caribou as well as speculation about which album should win #Polaris2018.

Feist's 'Let It Die' and 'Joyful Rebellion' by k-os are the albums we focus on for this Polaris Podcast episode thanks to their recent Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize hall of fame designations. We'll hear expert analysis of these albums from expert Polaris jurors Karen Bliss and Tabassum Siddiqui. 

The Tragically Hip's 'Fully Completely' and Eric's Trip's 'Love Tara' albums are the focus of this Polaris Podcast episode thanks to their recent Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize hall of fame designations. We'll hear expert analysis of 'Love Tara' from veteran East Coast arts reporter Stephen Cooke before checking in with Michael Barclay, author of the forthcoming book 'The Never-Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip.'

Glenn Gould's 'Bach: The Goldberg Variations' and Harmonium's 'L'Heptade' albums are the focus of this Polaris Podcast episode thanks to their recent Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize hall of fame designations. We'll hear expert analysis of the Gould record from CBC Radio's Katherine Duncan and then speak with Harmonium's Louis Valois to discuss the album some people call Quebec's 'Dark Side Of The Moon.'

In this episode we focus on two albums that recently received Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize hall of fame designation — The Band's 'The Band' and Gordon Lightfoot's 'Lightfoot!' We'll hear expert analysis of these albums from music historian Rob Bowman and author Nick Jennings as well as some bonus insights from Travis Good of The Sadies.

Lido Pimienta's 'La Papessa' album has won the 2017 Polaris Music Prize. In this episode we spoke with Francella Fiallos, one of the grand jurors who advocated for 'La Papessa' at the Polaris Gala on September 18. We'll also talk to the winner, Lido Pimienta, who'll explain what 'La Papessa' is about.

Every year the Polaris jury passionately support waaaay more albums than what happens to make the 40 album Long List or 10 album Short List. We call this the Longer List and we gathered jurors Francella Fiallos (CKDU), Dustin McGladrey (CFWE), Anupa Mistry (Vevo) and Jean-Étienne Sheehy (freelance journalist) to talk about some of the albums they recommended.

With the help of CBC's Raina Douris, we assembled a panel of Polaris jurors including Adrian Lee, Jill Krajewski and Chaka Grier to predict what would make the 2017 Polaris Music Prize Short List. Then, once the list got announced, we got their reactions to it.

We travel to Ottawa, Ontario for this special live taping at the National Arts Centre after the announcement of the 2017 Long List. Jurors Ryan Bresee, Erin Flynn, Valerie Lessard, and Fateema Sayani dissect, lament, and predict which album might win the 2017 Polaris Music Prize. Featuring a live performance from Long List nominee Philippe B, who explains why he's happy to be on the same list as Leonard Cohen.

Three-time Polaris nominee Cadence Weapon is an ace rapper, producer, and former poet laureate of Edmonton, Alberta. He discusses his debut album 'Breaking Kayfabe' and his all-consuming obsession with the music of Destroyer's Dan Bejar.

Past winners Buffy Sainte-Marie and Tanya Tagaq discuss their new collaborative song, “You Got To Run (Spirit Of The Wind).” Recorded in fall 2016 with producer Jon Levine (Nelly Furtado, K’naan, Drake) and mixed by Howie Beck (Feist, Hannah Georgas, Jason Collett), the song is inspired by champion dogsled racer George Attla, who competed in the first-ever Iditarod dog sled race in 1973 and was the subject of the 1979 film, Spirit Of The Wind.

Featuring interviews with Arcade Fire, Blue Rodeo, Patrick Watson, and author Michael Barclay, this episode explores four Heritage Prize-winning albums—Blue Rodeo's 'Five Days In July,' Mary Margaret O'Hara's 'Miss America,' Arcade Fire's 'Funeral,' and Lhasa's 'La Llorona.'  

Eight albums were honoured with the 2016 Slaight Family Heritage Prize. Jurors Michael Barclay and Pierre Landry discuss Neil Young's 'After The Gold Rush,' Leonard Cohen's 'Songs Of Leonard Cohen,' Rush's 'Moving Pictures,' and Kate and Anna McGarrigle's S/T album. Anna McGarrigle describes the first song she ever wrote, and the last time she sang with her sister. Young Galaxy's Catherine McCandless talks about life in Montreal after Leonard Cohen's death. 

We dive into Kaytranada's '99.9%,' the album that won the 2016 Polaris Music Prize. First, someone who was right beside Kaytranada literally banging his hands on the stage—bassist Chester Hansen of BADBADNOTGOOD. Next, CBC Music's Del Cowie shares the argument for '99.9%' that helped win over the rest of the Polaris Grand Jury. Then, juror Anupa Mistry talks to Kaytranada shortly after his Polaris victory at Red Bull Music Academy, discussing the Montreal piu piu scene where he got his start as a beatmaker.

Welcome to the first ever episode of the Polaris Podcast. In this episode, we'll dig deep with a look at the 10 albums on the 2016 Polaris Music Prize Short List. One of those 10 albums will win this year's prize at the Polaris Gala on September 19 and we've assembled jurors from across the country who'll explain to host Lana Gay why their favourite album should win.