q: The Podcast from CBC Radio

Canadian filmmaker Chandler Levack's debut film I Like Movies was a huge hit, earning praise from folks like Adam Sandler and establishing Chandler as one to watch. Now, Chandler is back with her second film, called Mile End Kicks, that taps into her real-life story as a young music journalist coming up in Montreal. Chandler joins Tom Power in the Q studio to talk about mining her own life for art, depicting 2011's Montreal, and working with Adam Sandler on her next film.

There's a very personal story behind P.E.I. singer-songwriter Jenn Grant's new song, Jim Cuddy Dress. Jenn sits down with Tom Power in the Q studio to talk about meeting Jim Cuddy from Blue Rodeo at the 2012 Juno Awards with her late mother, how she honoured one of her final wishes, and all the ways her mother turned some tough times in Jenn's childhood into adventures.

The Governor General's Award-winning performing artist Sandra Laronde is bringing her novel She Holds Up The Stars to the stage. The story, about an Indigenous girl who forms an unexpected bond with a spirited horse, is performed using multi-disciplinary elements like a full orchestra, movement and a muscular horse puppet. Sandra tells Tom how she saw her novel as a stage show from the very beginning, why she believes the arts shouldn't be siloed, and how Indigenous stories can help all Canadians know themselves better.

The Emmy and Peabody Award-winning show Scrubs was special for the way it balanced comedy, satire and surrealism, all while being grounded in a very real story about medical interns at a fictional hospital. Now, as the show returns for a tenth season, Tom talks to main cast member Sarah Chalke about the legacy of the show, her friendships with her castmates, and how it felt to step back into the halls of Sacred Heart Hospital more than 25 years later.

Nashville singer-songwriter Maren Morris is back with a new album, Dreamsicle. It's her first release after her divorce last year, but it's not just a breakup record. It's an examination of the physical, mental and emotional changes that happen after a traumatic personal event. Maren joins Tom Power to discuss Dreamsicle, her 20 years of making music, and the importance of the collaborators on the record.

Or Schraiber and Bobbi Jene Smith are two of the most important names in contemporary dance. They're also a married couple. Or and Bobbi join Tom Power to tell us how their creative and personal partnership began while they were dancers at the Batsheva Dance Company, how the Gaga dance style influences their work, and their Canadian debut at the National Ballet of Canada, Procession.

You don't become one of the most successful pianists of our time without a lot of practice. That's something Lang Lang knows all about. Six years after the release of his celebrated record Piano Book, the virtuoso Chinese pianist is back with a new album, Piano Book 2. It's designed to inspire people of all ages, levels and backgrounds. Lang Lang sits down with Tom Power at the Glenn Gould piano in our studio to discuss the album, and his life in music. He tells us about the teacher who didn't believe in him, how he got past that early rejection, and how he found the right people to support him.

What happens when you start to feel anxiety and self-doubt in the middle of chasing your dreams? The Canadian folk trio The Pairs don't necessarily have the answer, but they are working through these feelings on their new album, Together on a Rock. While their songs don't come with perfect endings, the stories they tell are incredibly honest and vulnerable. Renée Coughlin and Hillary Watson of The Pairs join Tom Power to set up their devastating new track, Past My Prime.

Greg Wells is a Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated record producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and mix engineer who was recently made a Member of the Order of Canada. He sits down with Tom Power to talk about his early days playing in k.d. lang's band, producing and writing hits for artists like Adele, John Legend, Ariana Grande, Celine Dion and Taylor Swift, and why he's spent the last few years converting an old church in rural Newfoundland into a community music hub.

Murray Lightburn and Natalia Yanchak are a husband-and-wife duo who lead the acclaimed Montreal rock band The Dears. In the early 2000s, they put a heavy stamp on indie pop music in Canada. Now, they're celebrating their 30th anniversary as a band with the release of a new album, Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful! Murray and Natalia sit down with Tom Power to talk about their hopeful new record, their partnership and that very unique time in Canadian music when they got their start.

After years playing U.S. President Donald Trump on the news parody show This Hour Has 22 Minutes, comedian Mark Critch has come up with a few ideas on how Canada should deal with him. He's just released a new book, Sorry, Not Sorry, in which he argues that it's time for Canadians to park their apologies and match the president's bravado with some of our own. Mark joins Tom Power to share his unapologetic look at what makes Canada worth fighting for.

Jacob Collier is heading on tour with his latest album, The Light For Days. It's a stark contrast to his last project, Djesse — a sprawling eight-year saga built on collaboration and voices from around the world. Now, he's stripped it all back to just Jacob and his guitar. The musical polymath joins Tom Power to talk about the album, making music alone once again, the magic of his live performances and why human connection is still at the heart of everything he does.

Growing up in Grande Prairie, Alta. and listening to her parent's old record collection, Tenille Townes has always turned to music to make sense of the world. Now, she's a Nashville-based singer-songwriter touring with artists like Shania Twain and Miranda Lambert. After going through some major career shifts, she's back to making music to help her process uncertain times. Tenille Townes joins Tom Power in the Q studio to talk about her song Enabling, off her new record called The Acrobat.

Dan Levy is returning to TV with his new show Big Mistakes, which follows siblings who get mixed up in an organized crime ring. Dan joins Tom Power in the Q studio to talk about why family dynamics were on his mind, and how his own lineage has shaped his path in the industry. Plus, he'll reflect on his early days at MTV, and his award-winning show Schitt's Creek.

The acclaimed theatre director Nina Lee Aquino joins Tom to talk about bringing Cicadas, a radio play she directed, to the stage, and why she wants to challenge expectations around how we tell environmental stories with this eco-thriller. Plus, Nina opens up about why she believes theatre has the power to make the world a better place — and why she says it's something AI just can't touch.

Ahead of the 55th Juno Awards in Hamilton, Ont., Tom Power hosted a special live audience taping of Q at the historic Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton. In this episode, you'll hear interviews and performances from that night featuring musicians like Sister Ray and Jade LeMac, and comedian Adam Christie.You can find the first part of this live show, featuring on-stage interviews and performances from Begonia, the cast of It's a Good Life if You Don't Weaken, and TOBi, Jully Black and Saukrates, here.

A new documentary shines light on the early years of the hugely successful Canadian wildlife painter Robert Bateman. The Art of Adventure peels back the layers of how the artist fell deeply in love with the natural world and launched a lifelong fight to protect it. Yet, critics often dismiss Robert's art. He's received the Order of Canada, but has never been invited to show at the National Gallery of Canada. At 95, Robert looks back with Tom Power on an unusually artistic career which has been both celebrated and misunderstood by his home country.

Montreal artist Magi Merlin is carving out a sound all her own — blending punk, R&B, neo-soul and electronic music into what she calls “broken R&B.” With an already global and growing following, Merlin is releasing her debut album, Powerhouse, this July. Magi joins guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about finding her sound, and what it means to be an artist right now.

After 70 years in the music industry, Paul Anka has more than 900 songs to his credit. The prolific Canadian songwriter is also the only artist in history to have a song on the Billboard Top 100 during seven consecutive decades. In the new HBO documentary Paul Anka: His Way, Paul recounts his life as a teen idol in the '50s, writing some of the most memorable songs for artists like Buddy Holly and Frank Sinatra, and how he's managed to evolve through the trends of each passing decade. A few months ago, Paul joined Tom Power to talk about his life in music, having a good cry after he wrote My Way, and meeting the Beatles back when they were a cover band.

Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk is known for her distinct voice and gift for writing songs rooted in honesty and vulnerability. It's a talent that's earned her a Grammy and multiple Junos. But you might not know that beyond her career as a successful solo artist, Chantal has also penned songs for some of the world's biggest artists, including Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Gwen Stefani and Kelly Clarkson. Now, she's reimagining those songs on her new cover album, In My Own Voice. Last fall, Chantal joined Tom Power at the piano in the Q studio to talk about the hits that made her a star in Canada, and why she wanted to reclaim some of the songs she's written for others.

Amanda Peet plays a character maybe a little bit too close to home in her new film Fantasy Life. The film brings up questions about aging, art and relevancy — all things on Amanda's mind — alongside the complicated debate around cosmetic surgery. Amanda tells Tom Power about how the search for validation can lead you down some dark paths.

When Adam Sturgeon was walking around his neighbourhood in London, Ont., he kept seeing all these construction signs saying “big changes are coming,” which got him wondering if those changes would be good ones. So he wrote some new music to process his feelings about it. You can hear those songs on his band Status/Non-Status's latest album called Big Changes. Adam joins Tom Power in the Q studio to talk about his band's new record, and how he went from a life in professional hockey to being an artist and community worker who uses music to heal.

Canadian actor Shamier Anderson leads the new mockumentary series Hate The Player: The Ben Johnson Story. He and his brother, fellow actor Stephan James, founded Bay Mills Studios, the production company behind the series. Shamier stops by the Q studio to talk about why he wanted to portray the controversial athlete, and why he calls the comedy series “chocolate-covered vitamins.”

Rolling Stone has called Charlotte Cornfield “Canada's best kept secret.” But now, with the release of her sixth record featuring artists like Feist and Buck Meek of Big Thief fame, it's safe to say the secret's out. Charlotte talks to Tom about writing her first record since becoming a mom, collaborating with one of her favourite artists, Feist, and why she's feeling optimistic in her songwriting these days.

The Canadian electronic quartet Holy F has spent the last 20 years committed to making experimental music out of anything they can find, from toys to old film editing equipment. Their new album Event Beat continues to showcase their dedication to this approach. Holy F's Brian Borcherdt and Graham Walsh stop by the Q studio to talk about their new record, and how they went from an indie Toronto outfit to touring with international artists after just a few shows as a band.

Marlene Ginader's new play is hoping to get more inclusion for minorities in a predominantly white space: serial killing. She tells Tom all about her motivations for writing and starring in the new production Canadian Psycho, and how she hopes her satirical solo theatre show will challenge the Asian model minority myth.

Sterling K. Brown's role as Randall in the beloved series This is Us practically made him a household name. But the actor went to Stanford to study economics with the intention of working in finance. As you'll hear in Tom Power's conversation with Sterling, the pull of acting was too strong and he eventually transitioned to doing it full time. They discuss how he went from finance to acting, his mother's impact on him and his role as a secret service agent on the series Paradise.

Leading up to the 55th Juno Awards in Hamilton, Ont., host Tom Power hosted a special live audience taping of Q at the historic Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton. Yesterday's show featured live on-stage interviews and performances with Begonia, Jade LeMac, Sister Ray, and comedian Adam Christie. TOBi, Jully Black and Saukrates also performed their Juno-nominated single Who's Driving You? together for the first time, followed by a chat. Plus, the cast of It's a Good Life if You Don't Weaken, a new musical based on the music of The Tragically Hip, performed a song from the show in a special world premiere.

Critically acclaimed comedian, actor, writer, musician and podcast host Mae Martin will host the 2026 Juno Awards in Hamilton this Sunday. They sit down with guest host Talia Schlanger in the Q studio to talk about how they're preparing for Canada's biggest night in music, their hit Netflix mystery thriller series Wayward, and why taking the uncomfortable route is sometimes the most fulfilling.

Carl (A.C.) Newman has led the Canadian indie rock supergroup The New Pornographers for more than two decades. Their upcoming 10th studio album, The Former Site Of, explores big ideas like loss, uncertainty and acceptance. The milestone comes after a turbulent year for the band, following the arrest of their former drummer on serious criminal charges — a moment that forced a difficult rupture and a period of reflection. Carl joins Tom Power from New York to reflect on that upheaval, re-recording with rock and roll legend Charley Drayton, and what it means to slow down and savour the moment.

In her new memoir, Even the Good Girls Will Cry, Canadian musician Melissa Auf der Maur pulls back the curtain on the alternative and grunge scene of the '90s. She tells Tom Power about the chaotic, often destructive dynamics within Hole — and how, through it all, frontwoman Courtney Love emerged as one of rock's most powerful feminist voices. With both her bass and her camera as constant companions, Melissa made it through the decade not only intact, but stronger. The Montreal-born musician and artist joins Tom Power to share the whirlwind story of how it all came to be.

A few months ago, Stephen Spencer, a New York-based music professor from Ottawa, started posting videos on TikTok and Instagram accompanied by music he made with his three-year-old daughter. Their original songs include Apple Man, The Christmas Cat, and Funchy the Snowwoman. What started out as a fun project to share with his mom and her book club quickly became viral. Now, Stephen has amassed hundreds of thousands of followers and millions of views on his videos. He joins Tom Power to talk about the unexpected success of this project, the importance of truly listening to a child, and what it means to have “creative innocence.”

Next week, the Toronto indie band Good Kid is releasing their debut album, Can We Hang Out Sometime? They've built a massive online fanbase by embracing internet culture — from gaming streams to Discord communities — and letting fans help shape the band's creative world. Nick Frosst and Jacob Tsafatinos of Good Kid join Tom Power to talk about the new album and how it came together. Nick is also the co-founder of one of Canada's leading AI companies, so he and Jacob share their thoughts about AI's place in music and whether it's changing how artists create.

Thirty years ago, legendary Cree playwright Tomson Highway wrote a musical called Rose that was never professionally produced, though it was occasionally staged by students. One of those productions took place at the University of Toronto, where singer and actor Patricia Cano played the lead. What began as a student-teacher relationship between Tomson and Patricia eventually grew into something more like family. Now, Rose is finally getting its first professional production at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, with Patricia once again in the starring role. Tomson and Patricia join guest host Garvia Bailey to share the story behind the musical and their decades-long creative partnership.

Many artists won't talk openly about money and ambition, but Haitian Canadian singer-songwriter Tedy says the quiet part out loud. In 2025, he released his debut album, Scandalous. One of the album's standout tracks, Rich, is blunt, catchy and unapologetic — a song about not wanting to work hard, just wanting to be rich. The irony is that Tedy is working harder than ever right now. He sits down with guest host Garvia Bailey in the Q studio to talk about his rising music career.

Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street) are two college friends with a gift for turning “unfilmable” ideas into box office gold. From the cult favourite series Clone High to the high-concept chaos of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, they've built a career on big swings and absurd humour. Now, the Oscar-winning duo is heading into deep space with their new sci-fi blockbuster Project Hail Mary. Lord and Miller join guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about adapting a beloved novel, being fearless in an industry that seems allergic to risk, and what it takes to keep your friendship and creative partnership alive in Hollywood.

Calgary's Tate McRae is tied with Justin Bieber for the most nominations at this year's Juno Awards, with six apiece. Last year, she talked to Tom Power about her skyrocketing career, growing up on social media, and how she's learning to slow down and appreciate the present moment.

Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom, Won't You Be My Neighbor?) is turning his attention to Paul McCartney in a new film, Man on the Run. It explores Paul's life after the breakup of The Beatles, tracing the personal and creative journey that led him to form the band Wings. Morgan joins guest host Garvia Bailey to discuss his conversations with Paul, and why he says the musician wanted to speak so candidly about this pivotal chapter in his life.

There's something abuzz in the classical music world — something 300 years in the making. It's a new recording from a 300-year-old manuscript of Bach's Leipzig cantatas, but with a surprising twist: the works aren't by Johann Sebastian Bach, but his distant cousin, Johann Ludwig Bach. Renowned conductor Johanna Soller is the driving force behind the album, titled Johann Ludwig Bach: The Leipzig Cantatas. She joins guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about recording these pieces for the first time, and why they matter today.

Before Sindhu Vee became one of the most sought-after comics working today, she was a stay-at-home mom, and before that, an investment banker. Now, she's performing to sold-out audiences around the world. After a brief hiatus, Sindhu is back with a new tour, Swanky. She joins Tom Power to talk about returning to the stage, navigating the profound loss of her parents and sister, and why humour matters more to her now than ever.

Alireza Khatami's new film, The Things You Kill, begins as a quiet family drama set in Turkey before taking a sharp, surreal turn into psychological thriller territory. It follows Ali, a university professor who returns home to a complicated family dynamic. After the suspicious death of his ailing mother, he coerces his gardener into carrying out deadly revenge on his father. The film won the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award at last year's Sundance Film Festival and was Canada's official submission to the Academy Awards. Alireza sits down with guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about making films that linger in the mind — and why he asked his family in Iran not to see this one.

After the life threatening skin disease Epidermolysis Bullosa affected a family friend, Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder and his wife Jill founded an organization to help find a cure. That was 15 years ago, and today, they hope they are close to succeeding. Their journey is documented in a new concert film called Matter of Time which follows both Eddie and Jill's story and several kids living with EB. Canadian director Matt Finlin spent years putting the film together. Both Eddie and Matt joined Tom Power to talk about “the worst disease you've never heard of” and how art can uplift and heal, even when the world feels hopeless.