Podcast appearances and mentions of Tom Power

It's been more than 25 years since the Swedish hardcore punk band Refused released their seminal album, “The Shape of Punk to Come.” Their most famous song from that album, “New Noise,” has been called a political anthem and a protest song. It's been used in the Palme d'Or'-winning film “Triangle of Sadness” as well as in the hit show “The Bear.” Last year, frontman Dennis Lyxzén of Refused joined Tom Power to tell us how “New Noise” became a global hit after the band had already called it quits.

The Montreal band Ribbon Skirt just released their debut album, “Bite Down.” Lead singer Tashiina Buswa joins Tom Power to tell us how the record was inspired by grief and reconnecting with her Indigeneity, how her first exposure to music was in the church, and the difference between knowing you're free and actually feeling free. Plus, she tells the story behind her new song, “Off Rez.”

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. The renowned actor was recently honoured with the Equity in Entertainment Award at The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Canada gala in Toronto. She joins 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. In case you missed it, you might also enjoy Tom's interview with Canadian icon Graham Greene, whom Tantoo shared the screen with in “Dances with Wolves.”

The Oscar-winning Canadian animator and director Domee Shi (Bao, Turning Red) is back with a new Disney-Pixar movie, “Elio.” It's about an 11-year-old who's obsessed with getting abducted by aliens. Domee joins guest host Talia Schlanger to share how her own childhood inspired aspects of the film, why the theme of alien abduction is a great way to explore loneliness, and why it's nearly impossible for her to write a one-dimensional mother figure. If you enjoy this conversation, make sure to check out Tom Power's interview with Domee about her last film, “Turning Red.”

The Calgary-born comedian Malik Elassal has already been getting noticed on the stand-up circuit, but with a starring role on the new FX and Disney+ series “Adults,” a lot more people are going to start hearing about him. Malik sits down with Tom Power in our studio to talk about the show, his journey in stand-up, and why he says you can talk about anything in comedy — as long as the joke is good.

In 1993, Counting Crows' debut album, "August and Everything After,” went multi-platinum, selling more than seven million copies in the U.S. alone. Lead singer Adam Duritz joins Tom Power for a wide-ranging conversation about “Mr. Jones” (the song that started it all), how there's no going back after becoming famous, and what it was like playing his cover of “Big Yellow Taxi” to Joni Mitchell herself. Plus, he shares what was on his mind when he created Counting Crows' latest record, “Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!”

Canadian icon Graham Greene (Dances With Wolves, The Green Mile, Wind River) is one of the most recognizable Indigenous actors in North America. Recently, he was honoured with a Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award from the Governor General's Awards, which recognizes his prolific career on stage and screen. In this career-spanning interview, Graham joins Tom Power to talk about the incredible work ethic he developed during his early days as a roadie, how he learned Lakota for “Dances With Wolves,” his Oscar nomination and his advice to up-and-coming actors.

Country artist Robert Adam is Calgary's self-proclaimed “Dream Angel Cowboy.” But they say celebrating queer identity isn't always easy in their home province of Alberta or in Nashville, where they made their upcoming full-length album, “Governed by the Seasons.” Robert joins guest host Gill Deacon to talk about finding their musical community, making country music on their own terms and why their album tour won't include any stops in the U.S. Plus, they set up their bold and totally irresistible new single, “Denim on Denim.” If you like this chat, check out Tom Power's conversation with Canadian singer-songwriter Bells Larsen on why he cancelled his U.S. tour.

Acclaimed Canadian theatre maker Robert Lepage is back at the Stratford Festival with a new take on Shakespeare's “Macbeth.” This new production tells the same classic story of greed, betrayal and murder, but it's set during the brutal Quebec biker wars of the ‘90s. Robert joins Tom Power to talk about putting a new spin on this Shakespearean tragedy, his unique approach to theatre and his incredible decades-long career. If you're looking for more conversations about Canadian theatre, check out Tom's chat with esteemed stage actor Tom Rooney on what it takes to play a dog.

Alessia Cara has a unique talent for capturing the inner life of someone growing up in the digital age as they deal with love, acceptance and rejection. On the Grammy-winning Canadian singer-songwriter's fourth and latest album, “Love & Hyperbole,” she opens up about her feelings of being an introvert in an extrovert's industry. Earlier this year, Alessia sat down with Tom Power to talk about the record and how it reflects her growth as an artist.

Robi Botos is a Juno-winning Canadian jazz pianist who was hugely influenced by the late Oscar Peterson — one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time. He opened for Oscar in Switzerland and he even gave Oscar's daughter piano lessons. In celebration of the Canadian jazz legend's centenary (he would have turned 100 on Aug. 15), Robi sits down with Tom Power to talk about Oscar's musical legacy and what made his piano playing so exceptional. Plus, Robi plays a piece he wrote for his friend and hero.

Teddy Swims first won over the internet with his viral YouTube covers of hits like “You're Still The One” by Shania Twain and “I Can't Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt. But his success performing covers left him questioning whether he'd ever be capable of writing original songs that were just as good. Now, Teddy is one of the biggest artists in the world and he's just released his debut album, “I've Tried Everything but Therapy.” Teddy sits down with Tom Power for a career-spanning conversation about how he finally found success when he stopped trying so hard to be relatable.

Alicia Moffet grew up being told she was going to be the next big thing. She was 12 when her covers started going viral on YouTube, 14 when she won the Canadian singing competition show “The Next Star,” and 16 when she placed second on another singing competition show, “La Voix.” But during that time, Alicia learned that if you're not prepared for success, it can disappear just as quickly as it came. Now, she's taking control of her career with her new album, “No, I'm Not Crying.” Alicia joins Tom Power to tell us about her new sound, and what she learned from her experience as a kid who got a lot of exposure at a young age. If you like this conversation, check out Tom's chat with singer-songwriter Charlotte Cardin.

Bestselling romance writer Uzma Jalaluddin is switching gears. Her new novel, “Detective Aunty,” is a murder mystery, set in a fictional neighbourhood in Scarborough, Ont. Uzma joins Tom Power to talk about the overlap between writing a romance and a “cozy” murder mystery, how writing about love is similar to writing about murder, and why she always wanted to write a mystery.

Hannah Moscovitch is a Governor General's Award-winning Canadian playwright whose work often takes a sharp and uncompromising look at the internal lives of women. Her play “Red Like Fruit,” tells the story of Lauren, a journalist covering a high profile domestic violence case who starts to reexamine her own past experiences with men. Hannah tells Tom Power why she describes her work as “taking a knife” to herself, and why she viewed this play as an opportunity to uncensor parts of her own life.

Hailing from Saskatoon, Katie Tupper didn't have a big queer community to help her find herself. Now, she's embracing her bisexuality, and singing soulful songs about the kinds of love she always wanted. Katie Tupper sits down to talk to Tom Power about bi erasure, and how fans are responding to her music.

Cynthia Erivo discusses her vulnerable new record “I Forgive You”, and all the big musical theatre roles that built her career. From her childhood obsession with Brandy to her performance as Elphaba in the movie musical Wicked, Erivo talks to Tom Power about her life as a singer, and all the surprises she encountered along the way.

The Phoenician Scheme is Wes Anderson's latest feature film. And if you are a fan of deadpan screw ball humour, meticulously shot and edited behind a colour pallet of muted earth tones, you will not be disappointed. But for his thirteenth feature film, Wes is leaning a little more into action and even violence to tell his new father daughter comedy. He joins Tom Power to talk about the evolution of his singular way of telling family stories. 

Whenever life got tough, Savannah Ré's mom always used to quote a specific, motivational verse from the bible. Those words have now inspired Savannah's new album, “Formed.” She tells Tom Power about the creative turn she's taken on her new record, and the risks and rewards that come with going independent. Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

A few years ago, the cartoonist and writer Gabrielle Drolet developed a condition that made her unable to use her hands. It kept getting worse over time, and as Gabrielle searched for a diagnosis, she also had to find new ways to make art. Her new memoir “Look Ma, No Hands” is the story of an artist coming to terms with disability, adapting to the unexpected, and ultimately learning to express herself again. Drolet joins Tom Power to talk about those experiences that informed her memoir. Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

Dawn Macdonald is a poet based in Whitehorse, Yukon whose 2024 debut poetry collection “Northerny” takes an honest, raw and unsentimental look at growing up and living in Canada's North. Now, “Northerny” is the winner of this year's Griffin Poetry Prize, Canadian First Book Prize. Dawn tells Tom Power about growing up off the grid without running water or electricity and her relationship with the natural world. Plus, she'll read a poem from her collection titled “Wasp Summer.”Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

Turning 70 this year, legendary punk-rocker turned MTV Icon Billy Idol is back with his ninth studio album. “Dream Into It” reflects his life and career, with songs documenting his early days, his massive breakthrough, his drug addiction, and finally his rebirth. He tells Tom Power about why he's looking back now.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

The Alberta folk singer-songwriter Sister Ray is known for writing songs about heartbreak and sadness. But they decided to try something different with their new album “Believer”— their latest record is all about love and connection. Ella Coyes of Sister Ray tells Tom Power about how “freeing” it is to write about joy, how growing up around Métis art influenced their love of music, and why they think the embarrassing parts of being human is what connects us most. 

In Sook-Yin Lee's film, “Paying For It,” a couple whose romantic attraction is waning decide to open up their relationship. While Sonny explores dating, her introverted boyfriend, Chester, opts to hire sex workers. The story is based on Sook-Yin's real-life former relationship with Canadian cartoonist Chester Brown, who released a bestselling graphic memoir of the same name in 2011. It reflects on intimacy, connection, the rights of sex workers, the boundaries we put around relationships, and Toronto in the ‘90s. Sook-Yin joins Tom Power to talk about the movie and what she learned in the process of making it. Plus, she discusses her early work as a MuchMusic VJ, and how she struggled to deal with the slow cultural shift from alternative music to boy bands.

Jennifer Archibald is one of North America's busiest and most in-demand choreographers. At the end of May, she'll debut her first piece for the National Ballet of Canada called “Kings Fall,” one of nine world premieres that she'll go on this season. Archibald tells Tom Power about the commonality between chess and dance, and the ‘documentary ballet' genre she's become known for. 

Courtney B. Vance is known for playing men of power and purpose — from Johnnie Cochran in “The People v. O.J. Simpson,” to Uncle George Freeman in “Lovecraft Country,” Vance now takes on Cobra Bubbles in the live action remake of Lilo & Stitch. He joins Tom Power to talk about the emotional depth of Bubbles in the new remake, how growing up as a Black actor in Detroit during the 1967 uprising shaped him, and why he didn't watch a single video of the late Johnnie Cochran before playing him in "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story."

What happens when you let go? Dan Mangan found out when he stopped trying to make the best record of his career — and he ended up with one of the best records of his career. The Juno-winning singer-songwriter says it all goes to show that surrendering control might be the key to making something great. Dan sits down with Tom Power to tell us how a trip into the woods laid the foundation for his new album, “Natural Light,” and why he wrote a song about letting your kids know you love them no matter what they do. If you enjoy this conversation, take a listen to Tom's chat with Max Kerman of Arkells.

Sarah Levy comes from a pretty funny family. Her dad is the comedy legend Eugene Levy, her brother is Dan Levy, and all three of them were on the Emmy-winning show “Schitt's Creek.” But Sarah says the funniest one of them all is her mom, who's also the person in her family who's had the biggest influence on her comedy. Sarah joins Tom Power to talk about stepping out of the shadow of “Schitt's Creek” to carve her own path with “SurrealEstate,” which is now in its third season. If you like this conversation, check out Tom's interview with Sarah's brother, Dan Levy.

What do you do when the world around you is anything but calm? For the Juno-winning Indigenous blues artist Crystal Shawanda, the answer was to go inward. She joins Tom Power to talk about her powerful and deeply personal new track “This Peace,” which channels her family's strength, her culture and her own journey of self-discovery to find calm in the midst of life's storms.

In 2021, Japanese Breakfast's Michelle Zauner got everything she'd ever wanted: her memoir “Crying in H Mart” became a surprise New York Times bestseller, and her band's breakthrough album “Jubilee” received multiple Grammy nominations. But all of that success came at the cost of her mental and physical health, so she moved to Seoul to regroup. Now, Japanese Breakfast is back with a new album, “For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women),” which explores that time in Michelle's life. She sits down with Tom Power to talk about the grief that shaped her, the moment she realized she needed to walk away from it all, and how moving to Seoul helped her find her voice again.

Canadian actor Noah Lamanna stars as Kat in the new season of the hit HBO show “The Last of Us.” Noah joins Tom Power to talk about the moment they found out they'd be on one of the biggest shows on TV, what it's like working with Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, and how the film and TV industry has evolved for non-binary actors.

When Yanic Truesdale was growing up in Quebec, he used to watch American TV with his grandmother — but he didn't speak any English, so she had to translate the whole show to him line by line. When he started getting cast in TV roles, no one was prouder of him than his grandmother. Since then, Yanic has become a beloved actor all over the world, particularly for his role as Stars Hollow's passive aggressive hotel concierge, Michel, on the hit show “Gilmore Girls.” Yanic joins Tom Power to talk about his early days as an actor, his life-changing audition for the show that put him on the map, and why he didn't want to have a French accent for his new role in “Étoile” — the latest series from “Gilmore Girls” creator Amy Sherman-Palladino.

The Canadian indie pop band and filmmaking collective shy kids consists of three multi-hyphenate friends: Matthew Hornick, Walter Woodman and Patrick Cederberg. They're musicians, but they're also filmmakers, animators, writers, directors and technology advocates. Matthew, Walter and Patrick sit down with guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about their new album, “a gathering of batteries,” and why diving into OpenAI's text-to-video model, Sora actually made them less afraid of the technology, despite receiving more than 40 death threats for their work. If you like this and you're looking for more from shy kids, check out Tom Power's conversation with Matthew from last year. 

For nearly 30 years, “The Lion King” musical has been captivating audiences, becoming the highest-grossing production of all time, in theatre or in film. But when creator Julie Taymor was approached to make the stage show, she had never seen the original animated Disney movie it's based on. Julie joins Tom Power to tell us the story behind the production, the one scene in the movie that seemed impossible to recreate on stage, and why she wanted to accept the challenge.

Bestselling Canadian writer Eliza Reid has written plenty of non-fiction, but she's just released her first novel, “Death on the Island.” It's a murder mystery involving diplomats in Iceland — a place that's quite familiar to her, considering she served as the country's first lady from 2016 to 2024. Eliza sits down with Tom Power to talk about her new book and the challenges she faced switching from writing fact to fiction.

After 26 years dancing with the National Ballet of Canada, Guillaume Côté will soon retire following his final performance on June 5. Last year, after announcing his decision to move on, the acclaimed Canadian dancer and choreographer sat down with Tom Power to talk about the physical demands of ballet, the “expiration date” that all professional dancers face, and what he's looking forward to most in his next chapter.

When you were growing up, did you get along with your sibling? When Leela and Jay Gilday were growing up in Northwest Territories, their dad wanted them to sing together more, but it wasn't until decades later that they did. Leela and Jay both have distinguished music careers on their own, but more recently, they've come together as the contemporary roots duo Sechile Sedare (“my younger brother, my older sister” in Dene). Earlier this year, they joined Tom Power to talk about their collaboration. Plus, they set up their new single, “Hold On.”

Award-winning composer Max Richter is arguably the most streamed classical artist in the world. His scores feature in acclaimed films like “Arrival”, “Ad Astra”, “Shutter Island,” and popular series such as “Black Mirror,” “Bridgerton” and “The Leftovers.” Currently on his first world tour, Max drops by our studio to talk with Tom Power about his acclaimed career and how he confronts today's polarized world through music that has no words.

For Mike Drucker, getting a Nintendo at three years old truly changed the course of his life. Since then, the Emmy-nominated writer and comedian has built an entire career influenced by video games. In his new memoir, “Good Game, No Rematch: A Life Made of Video Games,” Mike details how some of his most defining experiences were either accompanied or caused by video games. He joins Tom Power to share some of those stories, from showing the cast of “Saturday Night Live” how to play the Wii when he was an intern, to working at Nintendo, to bonding with Jimmy Fallon over video games before eventually joining the show as a writer

With viral hits like “Pretty Girl Era,” LU KALA has proven that she might just be the next big Canadian breakthrough artist à la Justin Bieber, Carly Rae Jepsen, The Weeknd or Shawn Mendes. Her catchy songs about loving yourself and knowing your worth have amassed millions of streams all over the internet. On the heels of her brand new EP, “No Tears On This Ride,” LU sits down with Tom Power in our studio to tell us her story, how she became more confident after being bullied as a kid, and what it felt like to see Serena Williams and her daughter lip sync to her music.

For more than 60 years, Canadian rock and roll legend Randy Bachman has been takin' care of business and working overtime. He co-founded not one but two of the most successful rock bands to come out of this country: The Guess Who and Bachman–Turner Overdrive. Randy sits down with Tom Power to look back on his incredible life in music, from leaving The Guess Who at the height of their success, to Neil Young helping him start his new band, all the way up to his new BTO single, which looks back at Winnipeg — the city that he says gave him everything.

Young punk upstarts PUP aren't so young anymore. In fact, the band that singlehandedly brought punk rock back to Canada in a big way is probably getting too old to mosh. On their fifth and latest record, “Who Will Look After The Dogs?” lead singer Stefan Babcock reflects on his evolution as a songwriter and getting older. He joins Tom Power in our studio to discuss the new album, his writing process and why he can't take a compliment. If you enjoy this conversation, check out Tom's chat with Densil McFarlane of The OBGMs.

Tunde Adebimpe made a name for himself fronting the art rock band TV on the Radio. Now, he's released his first solo album, “Thee Black Boltz.” Tunde joins Tom Power to talk about making music without his long-time band, the spirit of rebellion that runs through his new record, and how an album that's born out of some pretty tough stuff ended up sounding so dancey. Plus, he shares a pretty deep philosophical take on what punk rock has in common with Calvin and Hobbes.

On her new album, “Forever Is a Feeling,” Lucy Dacus sets the record straight on what love is — and isn't. The singer-songwriter sits down with Tom Power to tell us what she thinks is missing in modern love songs, what she's learned about love (spoiler alert: she's still searching for answers), and how she feels about the end of her Grammy-winning supergroup boygenius. If you like this conversation, you'll probably also enjoy Tom's chat with Phoebe Bridgers.

A few years ago, Mustafa released his critically acclaimed EP, “When Smoke Rises,” which chronicled the deaths of loved ones from his community of Regent Park in Toronto. So when he sat down to write his debut album, “Dunya,” the Juno-winning musician and poet wanted to explore other things, like love, faith and his relationship with God. Then his older brother died. Mustafa sits down with Tom Power for a wide-ranging conversation about his latest album, the devastating loss of his brother and why Toronto no longer feels safe for him.

When Nick Cave was in his early band The Birthday Party, he was angry and antagonistic toward his audience. The legendary Australian musician, writer and actor eventually grew out of his youthful contempt, but he remained consumed by his work, always putting it first before anything else. Then he lost two of his sons. In this wide-ranging conversation about grief, ambition, God and Johnny Cash, Nick tells Tom Power how he was forever transformed by his experience of unimaginable loss. He also discusses his new Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album, “Wild God,” and the mysterious origins of his songwriting.

When the Canadian indie rock band Casper Skulls got their start about 10 years ago, things were a little different. Firstly, band members Melanie St-Pierre-Bednis and Neil Bednis weren't married at the time, and now they're husband and wife. Secondly, they hadn't moved back to their hometown of Sudbury, Ont., and they didn't have a baby yet. Melanie and Neil join Tom Power to talk about making their latest album, “Kit-Cat,” through those major life changes — and why it might be their best record yet.

Twenty years ago, Dallas Green and his band Alexisonfire were making post-hardcore music when Dallas decided to release a soft acoustic album under the name City and Colour. It was a big risk, but that debut solo album, “Sometimes,” went on to receive critical acclaim and a Juno Award. It was also the catalyst for Dallas to start his own independent record label, Dine Alone Records. On the 20th anniversary of “Sometimes,” Dallas sits down with Tom Power to share the real story behind the album.

The Canadian singer-songwriter Lights grew up in a missionary family in Timmins, Ont., believing that her musical ability was both a gift and a responsibility. Some of her earliest work was Christian music. When Lights was just a teenager, she started posting her songs on Myspace, which ultimately set her career into motion. But during that time, she also started questioning her faith. Lights joins Tom Power to talk about the healing she did to sever her ties with religion, plus, her new album, “A6,” which was inspired by the sights and sounds of Berlin. If you like this conversation, check out Tom's interview with deadmau5 from last year.

On her latest record, “Conditions of Love Vol. 1,” Rose Cousins digs into all the complicated feelings that come with love, from falling in love, to keeping the romance going, to maintaining friendships. It also finds the Canadian singer-songwriter reuniting with one of her most important companions: the piano. Rose sits down with Tom Power to talk about the album and her song “K's Waltz,” which is an ode to a close friend she lost.