q: The Podcast from CBC Radio

Twenty years after the release of his debut album, “When This Is Over,” Shad has firmly cemented himself as one of the great Canadian voices of our time. Now, the beloved Canadian rapper is marking the milestone with a new record, “Start Anew,” which is all about embracing change, facing loss, and moving into uncertainty with hope. He sits down with Tom Power to talk about his journey from being a curious teenager in London, Ontario, to an award-winning broadcaster and one of the best hip-hop artists in the country.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

For the past few years, Harris Dickinson (Babygirl,The Iron Claw, Triangle of Sadness) has built his reputation as one of the buzziest new actors. Now, he's turned his sights on directing with his film “Urchin.” It follows a man struggling with addiction and mental health issues while living on the streets of London. Harris joins Tom Power to discuss the film and its exploration of cyclical, self-destructive behavior. Plus, he talks about playing John Lennon in the upcoming Beatles biopic, directed by Sam Mendes. Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

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.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

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.”Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

In his new movie, “Ballad of a Small Player,” Colin Farrell (The Penguin, The Banshees of Inisherin, In Bruges) plays a gambling addict who's not adverse to going all in. The role comes on the heels of his award-winning part in “The Penguin” on HBO, and his Golden Globe-winning performance in the 2023 film “The Banshees of Inisherin.” In this interview with Tom Power, Colin talks about continuing his winning streak by ironically playing a guy who keeps losing.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

Horror master Eli Roth has called the new Canadian-made found footage film “Dream Eater” one of the scariest he's ever seen. Directed by Toronto's Jay Drakulic, Mallory Drumm and Alex Lee, the story follows a filmmaker who decides to document her boyfriend's violent parasomnia during their remote cabin holiday. “Dream Eater” has now hit theatres across Canada. Jay, Mallory and Alex sit down with Tom Power to talk about the incredible journey of their film.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

Writer, producer and director Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Funny People) is truly a comedy legend. He's behind some of the most successful TV and film comedies of the last couple decades, and he helped discover the likes of Seth Rogen, Jason Segel and Lena Dunham. Not only that, he changed comedy forever by proving that awkwardness and insecurity could gross $100 million. But at the end of the day, Judd is really just a big nerd. Specifically, a big “Comedy Nerd,” which is the title of his new memoir. Judd sits down with Tom Power to talk about his lifelong obsession with comedy, the stand-up set he saw that changed his life, how he had to watch his former roommate Adam Sandler become famous before he did, the importance of a great mentor (in his case, the comedian Garry Shandling), and what he means when he says his early projects were “cool enough to fail.”Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

It's often said that laughter is the best medicine, but there's an ever growing case that it might in fact be music. Over the last decade, Renée Fleming, the multi-Grammy-winning soprano, has been involved in spreading awareness about the health benefits of music. Last year, she edited a book titled “Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness.” Renée joins Tom Power to talk about the effect of music on our wellbeing, and how her own stage fright and somatic pain led to her interest in the issue. Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

She's ready to do the time warp again! Fifty years ago, Patricia Quinn played the maid Magenta in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” She joins Tom Power to reflect on five decades of the cult classic movie, its humble beginnings as a small stage musical, and the moment she realized it had become a cultural phenomenon.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

Christian McBride is a nine-time Grammy-winning bassist and composer who's known for his prolific career across jazz and other genres. His new big band album, “Without Further Ado, Vol 1.,” nearly reunited the beloved U.K. rock band The Police. Christian joins Tom Power to share that story and more, including his time going to high school with The Roots and playing with Miles Davis as a teenager. Plus, ahead of an appearance at the Oscar Peterson centenary celebration in Toronto, Christian talks a little bit about why the Canadian pianist was so important to him.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

As a teenager, Canadian singer Skye Sweetnam was on track to be a major pop star. She opened for Britney Spears before she'd even put out a record. But when people stopped buying music and started downloading MP3s her dream fell apart. Skye joins Tom Power to tell us how she picked up the pieces and built something better as the frontwoman of the hard rock band Sumo Cyco, which has just released a new album, “Neon Void.”Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

You might know Steve Martin as a comedy legend, but he's also a serious musician. If you know his early comedy albums, like “A Wild and Crazy Guy,” you might even be familiar with his banjo playing. In recent years, he's gotten a lot more serious about the banjo, joining bluegrass bands and releasing music. Now, he's teamed up with Alison Brown — one of the best banjo players alive — on a new album, “Safe, Sensible And Sane.” Steve and Alison join Tom Power to talk about the record, how they both found their way back to the banjo and what makes their musical collaboration so special.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

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.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

This year, Iranian director Jafar Panahi won the Palme d'Or at Cannes for his extraordinary new film, “It Was Just an Accident,” which he shot secretly in Tehran under great risk of serious harm. Jafar has been in prison twice on charges of “anti-government propaganda” as well as for protesting the imprisonment of other filmmakers. At this year's Toronto International Film Festival, he joined Tom Power to tell us how “It Was Just an Accident” was shaped by his two experiences in Tehran's Evin Prison.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

Tanveer Alam is a Toronto-based dancer and choreographer who specializes in Kathak, a style of Indian classical dance that traces back to the 18th century. Tanveer is one of the creative forces behind the “Kathak & Ballet” programme, which will be on stage as part of the Fall for Dance North Festival in Toronto later this month. He sits down with Tom Power to talk about the history and hallmarks of Kathak dance, what Kathak has in common with ballet, and what's needed to ensure that South Asian dance continues to thrive in Canada.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

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 “Piano Book” record, 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.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

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.”Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

Vancouver's own Ryan Reynolds (Dead Pool, Free Guy) is one of the biggest movie stars in the world. But these days, he's using his voice to talk about another great Canadian movie star: the late John Candy. Ryan is one of the producers behind the new documentary “John Candy: I Like Me,” which examines the life, work and legacy of the beloved actor and comedian. In a special interview backstage at Toronto's Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Ryan sits down with Tom Power to talk about the film, and the parallels between John's career and his own.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

Back in 2023, Debby Friday won the prestigious Polaris Music Prize for her debut album, “Good Luck.” When she sat down to write her next record, it would've been easy to stick with what worked the first time, but instead, Debby made a conscious decision to do things differently. The result is her most ambitious album yet, “The Starrr Of The Queen Of Life,” which features everything from dance floor bangers to intimate ballads. This past summer, Debby joined Tom Power to take us inside the emotional and artistic journey behind her new record.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

Jeff Wall is one of the most influential photographers of our time. His photos have sold for millions at auctions, he's an Officer of the Order of Canada, and his work has advanced photography as an art form through the use of staged scenes and large lightboxes. But before ever picking up a camera, Jeff was just a kid living in Vancouver trying to find his way, experimenting with different artistic mediums like painting and filmmaking. Now, he's getting ready for his first major Canadian exhibit in 25 years. In a rare interview, Jeff tells Tom Power about the first time he got a camera, how his parents supported him by building him a shed in their backyard, and why he kind of likes it when you don't know the titles of his photographs.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

In her latest poetry collection, “Wellwater,” Canadian poet Karen Solie takes a hard look at climate grief and economic anxiety. Her opening poem, “Basement Suite,” was inspired by short-term rentals and precarious living arrangements. But for Karen, the role of poetry isn't about finding the answers to big questions — it's about honouring our curiosity with the hope that we can eventually find new ways forward. She joins Tom Power to talk about her new book and she reads a few poems for us as well.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

Before cementing her status as a bonafide comedic talent, Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids, Neighbors) was known for more dramatic roles. Now, the Australian actor is combining those skills in the new comedy-drama, “If I Had Legs I'd Kick You.” During this year's Toronto International Film Festival, Rose sat down with Tom Power to discuss the film and what it was like co-starring with Conan O'Brien in his first serious acting role. She also told us how she broke out of her shell as a shy kid, how she and Heath Ledger helped each other out as young Australians in Hollywood, and what she thinks about her one line from “Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones.”

Italian pianist and composer Ludovico Einaudi is a powerhouse in classical music. As one of the most streamed classical artists of all time, his atmospheric, meditative piano sound has captured the imaginations of acclaimed filmmakers and famous fans, such as Iggy Pop, Nicki Minaj and Ricky Gervais. Ludovico's new album, “The Summer Portraits,” was inspired by paintings he saw on a summer vacation that transported him back to his childhood. He joins Tom Power at the Glenn Gould piano in our studio to talk about his life, career and the healing power of music.

Today we're remembering the Grammy-winning R&B and soul singer D'Angelo. The musician's family confirmed in a statement today that he died following a prolonged battle with cancer at age 51. Back in 2017, we did a deep dive on D'Angelo's 1995 debut album “Brown Sugar,” which some say marked the birth of the term "neo-soul." In tribute to D'Angelo, we dug deep into the “Q” archives to bring you this guide to “Brown Sugar” by music historian Jason King.

You probably didn't expect the bestselling author of “The Notebook” and the acclaimed director of “The Sixth Sense” to start working together, but you'll be glad that they did. Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan have collaborated on a supernatural love story that's being released as a novel first, followed by a movie next year. It's called “Remain” and it follows a grieving architect who moves to Cape Cod and meets a mysterious woman. Nicholas joins Tom Power to talk about the book, his deep love for horror, and how he almost collaborated with Night on the movie adaptation of “The Notebook.”

Leith Ross is a Juno-nominated singer-songwriter whose music blew up on TikTok during the pandemic. Now, they've released their sophomore album, “I Can See The Future,” which sees them embracing radical optimism to envision a better world. Leith sits down with Tom Power to talk about building community even when it's hard, and why they opted for a quieter life in Winnipeg after getting their big break.

On the 30th anniversary of Blue Rodeo's best selling album “Five Days in July,” bandmates Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor join Tom to recall how they found refuge in Greg's Ontario farmhouse to create a Canadian masterpiece.

Natalie MacMaster is a virtuoso Canadian fiddle player from Cape Breton who's brought traditional East Coast music to the rest of the world. She was nine when she got her first fiddle, but she felt like she already had nine years of experience at that point because she had been surrounded by fiddle music from the time she was born. Now, Natalie has released a new memoir, “I Have a Love Story,” which traces her incredible life in music. She sits down with Tom Power to talk about that first fiddle she got at nine, the advice Santana gave her when she broke a string on stage, and how to get your kids to practice the fiddle (she has seven children herself).

For nearly three decades, Boston's Dropkick Murphys have been the loud, proud voice of working class punk. They're the kind of band that's stood for something since day one. But these days, even their crowds aren't immune to the polarizing divides running through America. Knowing full well it might turn some fans away, frontman Ken Casey has been speaking out from the stage. Following the release of the band's 13th studio album, “For the People,” Ken joins Tom Power to talk about the history of Dropkick Murphys, their longevity and why he refuses to stay quiet.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

What do you do after you've released three albums that have all been nominated for or won the biggest music prize in your home country? Well, for the English rock band Wolf Alice, they decided to wander down a path leading to Laurel Canyon. On their beautiful and expansive new album, “The Clearing,” Wolf Alice drop (some of) the guitars and venture into a multi-harmonic landscape alongside Greg Kurstin, one of the biggest pop producers in the world. Lead singer Ellie Rowsell and bassist Theo Ellis sit down with Tom Power to reflect on their career and what it was like opening for Harry Styles.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

What does it mean to be a descendant and a future ancestor at the same time? In her latest book of poetry, “Procession,” Katherena Vermette aims to answer that question for herself — and she just might inspire you to think about it, too. Katherena is an award-winning, critically acclaimed Michif (Red River Métis) writer from Winnipeg, whose work spans poetry and fiction, but almost always takes on themes of family, intergenerational relationships, and the ties that bind us together. She joins Tom Power to talk about her new collection, and how parts of it were inspired by looking at old family photos.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

Two years ago, Rush frontman and bassist Geddy Lee joined Tom Power to talk about his memoir, “My Effin' Life.” He discussed his experience as the son of Holocaust survivors, dropping out of high school, and what he remembers about the late Neil Peart's audition to be the band's drummer.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, Ted, American Dad!) is a man of many voices. For more than 25 years, he's voiced Peter and Stewie Griffin, Brian the dog, and their neighbour Quagmire on “Family Guy,” the adult animated sitcom he created back in 1999. But when Seth's not recording a character for TV and film, he's recording music. Now, the five-time Grammy-nominated vocalist is back with his ninth album, "Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements.” Seth joins Tom Power to talk about finding a treasure trove of unrecorded Sinatra songs, learning how to sing like Sinatra, and how he feels about the situation between Jimmy Kimmel and the FCC.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

Canadian film mogul Robert Lantos has spent his career bringing Canadian movies and TV shows to the screen. In fact, some say he kick-started the whole industry. Producing films for the likes of Atom Egoyan, David Cronenberg and Sarah Polley, Robert has truly shaped Canadian cinema over the last 50 years. He sits down with Tom Power to talk about his latest project, “Rise of the Raven,” which is a historical drama about the Hungarian army battling the Ottomans. Robert also tells us how his first film nearly caused a riot when the censors ordered a sex scene to be cut, and what his mother said when he made a movie about her family's past.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

What if the bad guy in your nightmare didn't chase you, but tried to tickle you to death? That's just one of the Inuit legends reimagined by the throat singing duo PIQSIQ on their haunting new album, “Legends.” Back in the summer, sisters Tiffany Ayalik and Inuksuk Mackay of PIQSIQ joined Tom Power to talk about the record and why they're embracing Inuit traditions in non-traditional ways. Plus, they set up their new song, “Mahaha: Tickling Demon.”Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

Comedian Alex Edelman has had an exciting past couple of years. He won a Tony and an Emmy for his acclaimed Broadway show “Just For Us,” which then became an HBO comedy special. It recounts his experience as a Jewish man covertly attending a meeting of white nationalists in New York, and it earned him a spot on Time Magazine's list of the 100 most influential people of 2024. Now, Alex stars and writes on the new series “The Paper,” which is a loose spin-off of the hit sitcom “The Office.” He joins Tom Power to talk about his work and why joking about something doesn't mean you don't take it seriously. Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

Maggie Andrew is one of the most exciting artists coming out of the East Coast right now. She drops by our studio to set up the title track off her new EP, “How To Sing For Money.” Plus, she talks about the tension between art and commerce, and how to keep the magic of making music alive. Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer, Peaky Blinders) doesn't like to do a lot of interviews — that's what people say. The Oscar-winning Irish actor now stars in the new Netflix movie, “Steve,” which follows a head teacher at a last-chance reform school. It's set in the mid-1990s, over the course of one critical day in the life of a student named Shy. During this year's Toronto International Film Festival, Cillian sat down with Tom Power to talk about the film, doing right by overworked teachers and why he's reluctant to talk about his work.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

Alyson Stoner is one of the most recognizable former child actors of the mid-2000s. They got their big break starring as “the little white girl” in the music video for Missy Elliott's “Work It,” before eventually appearing in successful film franchises like “Cheaper by the Dozen” and “Camp Rock.” But in their new memoir, "Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything," Alyson exposes the dark realities of child stardom, from working 80 hours a week at age eight, to learning how to distinguish fan mail from kidnapping plots, to eating disorders. They join Tom Power to talk about rebuilding their life.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

Celebrated filmmaker and actor Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems, Oppenheimer) did something outside his comfort zone when he made his latest film, “The Smashing Machine” — he directed it without his brother, Josh. Starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Emily Blunt, the film tells the true story of former wrestler and mixed martial artist Mark Kerr. During this year's Toronto International Film Festival, Benny sat down with Tom Power to talk about his first foray into directing on his own two feet, what it was like working with The Rock, and why mixed martial arts is more than just pure aggression.

Back in 1967, Igor Stravinsky, the legendary classical composer, ignored his doctors' advice and conducted the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in what would turn out to be his final public performance ever. Now, the TSO is honouring that concert and Stravinsky's legacy with a new recording of his 1920 ballet, “Pulcinella.” Gustavo Gimeno, the orchestra's music director, joins Tom Power to tell us about the record and why it was such a big deal for Stravinsky to do this performance.

For more than five decades, Canadian acting legend Tantoo Cardinal (Dances with Wolves, Killers of the Flower Moon) has worked tirelessly to bring nuanced Indigenous stories to the stage and screen — and she says there's no turning back now. Back in June, Tantoo joined Tom Power to reflect on her remarkable career, and why she'll never stop advocating for authenticity and accuracy when it comes to Indigenous representation.