Q with Tom Power

Michael Cloud Duguay and his collaborators toured rural towns in Newfoundland looking for something very specific to record: old organs in churches that are experiencing dwindling attendance. The result is a haunting album that serves both as rich sound art featuring the remaining organs of Newfoundland, but also as documentation of community, memory and faith — both religious and otherwise.

Zoe Whittall is constantly changing her writing. She’s written novels, short story collections, memoir, and TV. And now she’s switching genres again — to romance. But her first romance novel, Chasing Summer, comes with another change: her name. Zoe wrote this book under the pseudonym Frankie Scott. Tom Power talks to Zoe about how she’s constantly changing her writing style, her name, and even her life.

Andy Hines talks to Tom Power about his feature film Little Lorraine, based on a true story about a drug smuggling ring in 1980s Nova Scotia. He gets into why it was important for his first movie to take place in the Maritimes (where he’s from), and how he got Colombian singer J Balvin involved — and all the way to Cape Breton Island.

It’s André Sills’s biggest season yet at Ontario’s Stratford Festival. The award-winning actor is taking on two of Shakespeare’s most iconic roles: Oberon, the King of the Fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the title role in Othello, one of Shakespeare’s most powerful and controversial tragedies. André joins Tom to talk about travelling to Italy, Cyprus and Morocco to prepare for Othello, and how a church production first set him on the path to a career in theatre.

Mae Martin has made us laugh with their stand-up comedy, made us cry in shows like Feel Good, and now they're being honoured with the Creative Voice Award at the Banff World Media Festival. Before the big honour, Mae sat down with Tom Power for a fast-paced round of Getting to Know Q, answering everything from Banff-inspired hiking questions to their karaoke pick and which Canadian TV show they'd reboot.

Carole Pope is one of Canada’s first queer female rock stars. In the ’70s and ’80s, Carole’s band Rough Trade was known for their political outspokenness, sexually charged lyrics and bold live performances. Rough Trade broke new ground and faced both censorship and acclaim. Now, a new documentary traces Carole’s story from shy, bookish adolescent to international queer icon. Carole tells Tom Power about her early days performing with Rough Trade in Toronto, their hit song High School Confidential, paving the way for artists like k.d. lang and Peaches, and why she’s so outspoken about the challenges of being an artist today.

Evanescence has released their sixth studio album, Sanctuary, and some fans are calling it their best work since their breakthrough record in 2003. Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee tells Tom Power about finding new creative energy within the band, taking artistic risks at this point in her life, and learning to fall in love again with the music that changed everything for her 23 years ago.

A new Canadian play is reimagining the ancient Greek myth of Medusa and giving the gorgon a voice. Oyin Oladejo is playing the snake-haired lead in the Toronto production of Medusa. Oyin joins Tom in the studio to talk about the play, and why this show stares deeply into female fury.

Jack Innanen has tapped into the zeitgeist with his viral TikTok sketches, earning him the title of “the internet’s boyfriend.” His millions of followers have since watched him make the leap into acting with roles in comedies like Adults and Big Mistakes. As Jack tells Tom Power in a special interview in Banff, Alberta, it’s collaborating with fellow Canadians on projects with deeper meaning that brings him the greatest personal satisfaction.

Gail Maurice wrote and directed her latest film, Blood Lines, with her hometown of Beauval, Saskatchewan, in mind. Some of the film's dialogue is spoken in Michif — a Métis language spoken fluently by fewer than 2,000 people — so Gail cast family and friends from her 700-person village, creating a deeply personal portrayal of her culture. She joins Tom Power in studio to discuss what it was like working in her language and casting her own mother to act alongside her.

Anna Lambe almost walked away from acting before landing her starring role in North of North. She had headed to Ottawa to study international development, deciding to focus less on acting and more on her activism for Indigenous rights. But it was the pull of North of North’s characters — with their genuine depth and nuance of Indigenous experiences — that finally brought her back to the screen. And as she explains to Tom Power in a special interview from Banff, none of her projects have felt more personal than this show and its current success. 

Vancouver duo True Mountain Laurel introduces their debut album’s title track, Angel So Bad, in Q’s recurring New Music segment. The album is out everywhere on August 28.

In November, we took the show on the road all the way to Tom Power’s hometown of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador! This special live taping of Q took place at the historic St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre, featuring performances and interviews with musician Alan Doyle formerly of Great Big Sea, opera singer Deantha Edmunds, comedian Rick Mercer, actors Allan Hawco and Joséphine Jobert, and many more. 

Deborah Cox is one of the most celebrated voices in music, with a career that spans chart-topping hits, Grammy nominations, acclaimed performances on screen and on stage. She’s back on Broadway in the Tony-nominated hit Titaníque, playing the Unsinkable Molly Brown. The story is a funny retelling of James Cameron’s Titanic, told through the perspective and music of Céline Dion. Deborah joins Tom Power to talk about why the role is a full circle moment — from singing backup for Céline in the early ’90s, to singing one of her most powerful hits, All by Myself, on stage.

Vancouver’s bbno$ has racked up millions of followers across platforms for his funny raps and witty commentary on internet culture today. After going viral in 2019, he’s managed to keep the success going with a string of hits that have landed him two Juno Awards, a slot on Jimmy Kimmel Live and the ability to tour the world. bbno$ joins Tom Power in studio to talk about how a rugby injury led to him starting his music career, the cost of being online all the time, and why he thinks his work resonates with audiences. 

The Canadian comedian Tom Green has been a huge presence in the comedy world for decades — from his cable-access days doing The Tom Green Show, to his almost 20 years in Los Angeles with his late-night at-home talk show, to his many stand-up tours and his movie Freddy Got Fingered. Now, Tom has a new series on Crave called The Tom Green Farm, where he interviews guests on his farm in rural Ontario. Tom (Green) joins Tom (Power) in the Q studio to talk about his long love of talk shows, getting back into skateboarding in his 50s, and what it takes to gain a mule's trust. 

Carley Fortune says she had one firm line when it came to the Amazon Prime adaptation of her debut novel: it had to stay in Canada. In the end, the series Every Year After stayed rooted in the same country as her books. In a special interview from Banff, Alberta, Tom Power sits down with the bestselling author behind Every Summer After and Our Perfect Storm to talk about why the setting is never just a backdrop in her love stories, and what it’s like watching the worlds she imagined on the page come to life on screen.

Tillie Walden is a prolific and award-winning American graphic novelist. Her 2017 graphic memoir, Spinning, won the prestigious Eisner Award. Now, she’s back with her 15th publication, Charity and Sylvia, which takes readers into rural Vermont in the early and mid-1800s to tell the story of one of the oldest documented queer relationships in America. Tillie tells Tom Power about the true love story of Charity Bryant and Sylvia Drake, how their story made her reflect on her own life, and what it’s like to draw 240 pages in just eight months.

Clarification: The headline on this story has been edited for clarity and precision.

Diljit Dosanjh has become the face of a global Punjabi music wave. From the Met Gala to the Billboard charts, he's taking the language, culture, and sound of Punjab to the biggest stages in the world. In a rare English conversation, Diljit joined Tom Power to reflect on his journey from singing hymns at his local gurdwara in Punjab to becoming the first Punjabi artist to sell out Madison Square Garden. They talk about his ambition, faith, and how he always knew he'd be famous.

Celebrated academic and Indigenous historian Georges E. Sioui introduces a new song, The Eyes of a Child, in Q’s recurring New Music segment. His debut album, For All Tomorrows, is out now.

After 20 years on Broadway, Caissie Levy has finally won her first Tony Award. The Canadian actor and singer has made a name for herself both in New York and on the West End after starring in productions such as Frozen, Ghost, and Next to Normal. Fresh off her big win, she joins Tom Power to talk about her award-winning performance in Ragtime, and what it felt like to finally achieve a lifelong dream.

Klô has gone through some big changes since being shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize in 2021. She wrote her latest album, Abracadabra, after becoming a mother for the first time, which completely changed her relationship to music and the world. Klô joins Tom Power to discuss how she’s rediscovering herself as an artist. Plus, she sets up a song, Lettre à une jeune poète, and talks about the challenges of being a francophone musician in Canada. 

Lara St. John was sexually assaulted by her aged instructor when she was a teenager at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. After she went public in 2019, Lara was inundated with messages from others who said they had suffered similar abuse in the classical music world. Now she’s telling their stories in a new documentary, Dear Lara. She joined Tom Power in the Q studio to talk about this darker side of classical music and the changes she hopes her film can help make. 

In Q’s recurring New Music segment, Nigerian Canadian R&B and soul musician, THEHONESTGUY, introduces his new song, Sugar Water. His new album, Don't Disturb the Groove, comes out in July.

Jack Antonoff is one of the most successful producers working today. Known for his work with Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Lorde and Sabrina Carpenter, he has crafted some of the biggest songs of the 21st century. As his career gets bigger and bigger, Jack has felt the need to chronicle his origin story to keep track of where he came from. Everyone for Ten Minutes is the new album from his band, Bleachers, that looks at his lineage and how leaving home at 15 to tour the country in a van impacted him. Jack joins Tom Power in the studio to talk about the new album and his production work.

Canadian Folk Music Award winner AHI performed his new song, Chosen, on stage at the FIFA World Cup 2026 countdown concert in Toronto. And if that moment wasn’t special enough for the lifelong soccer fan, he got to do it with one of his idols, Wyclef Jean. AHI stopped by the studio to chat with guest host Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe about what it was like collaborating with the Fugees rapper.

One night, Jenn Harper had the most vivid dream of three smiling Indigenous girls covered in colourful lip glosses. That dream, along with her newfound sobriety, led her to launch the company Cheekbone Beauty, which aims to bring positive representation of Indigenous folks into the beauty space. Lauded as a trailblazer in both sustainability and diversity, Jenn is now one of the cosmetics industry’s most influential Canadians, and her groundbreaking beauty brand is sold in Sephora locations across the country. Back in December, Jenn sat down with Tom Power to talk about her long, hard road to success, why Indigenous joy is the cornerstone of her business, and why representation is at the forefront of everything she does.

After 45 years together, the Canadian band Rheostatics decided they needed a new challenge. So they enlisted the help of Rush’s Alex Lifeson, who joined them for four hours as they improvised music and spoken word pieces inspired by the Great Lakes. The only problem is they forgot to hit record. Dave Bidini and Kevin Hearn of Rheostatics sat down with Tom Power back in December to tell us what happened next, and how it all led to their new album, The Great Lakes Suite.

Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade is one of the most influential voices in modern Latin music. She tells Tom Power about the life-changing moments that shaped her career — from the robbery that led her to pick up a guitar, her time living in Canada, and how a song she wrote a decade ago became an anthem for anti-ICE protesters. 

Pharis and Jason Romero are a folk/bluegrass duo behind both their Juno Award-winning music and their wildly in-demand banjos. In their workshop in the tiny, remote B.C. town of Horsefly, they make highly sought-after banjos, so coveted there are years-long waitlists for them. Pharis and Jason talk to Tom about raising their little family in the wilderness, the workshop and recording studio where the magic happens, and how a love story that started with music is now raising a sixth generation in a very special place. 

It’s an understatement to say Tatiana Maslany has range. She’s known for playing 17 characters in the 2013 show, Orphan Black. Since then, she’s acted in Marvel’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, a couple Broadway plays, and a host of animated projects, horror films and other genre-bending works. Now, she stars in the dark comedy thriller, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, as a mother embroiled in a sex work scam turned murder investigation.

You might not know the name Annie Mumolo but chances are you have seen her work. She’s co-written films with Kristen Wiig, including Bridesmaids and Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. Annie has been writing and performing all her life, but it’s her latest breakout role in the HBO show Rooster that’s got people talking. Annie sat down with Tom Power to talk about how much fun she had making that show, what it’s like to act with Steve Carell, and her thoughts on the Bridesmaids phenomenon.  

Toronto-born MICO introduces his new song, DREAMBOY, in Q’s recurring New Music segment. His debut album, When the lights turn on, is out June 26.

Country music legend Vince Gill had more than a hundred unreleased songs stock-piled. When the Country Music Hall of Fame star realized that it’s been 50 years since he began his career, it felt like the perfect time to share this music with his fans. Now, he’s in the middle of a year-long project called 50 Years From Home, which involves releasing a new EP every month. He joins Tom Power to talk about what it’s been like to reminisce as all these songs are put out into the world.

If you watched TV in the ’90s in Canada, chances are you’ve seen Heritage Minutes. They are those 60-second dramatizations of Canadian history that would pop up like public service announcements during commercial breaks. From 2012 to 2021, Davida Aronovitch produced them. She has also edited the Canadian Encyclopedia and worked for the Department of Canadian Heritage. All this work inspired her new web series, Pioneer Girl. She tells guest host Garvia Bailey about the satirical show and how it has a lot to say about the way Canada constructs its history.

In the 1880s, journalist Nellie Bly faked insanity to reveal the treatment of women in an American asylum, and how many of the patients were not sick at all, but just trapped in a misogynist system. Now, a new opera is bringing that story to the stage and Governor General’s Award-winning playwright Hannah Moscovitch is the librettist. She joins Tom Power to talk about the Luminato Festival production, and why Nellie Bly’s story still resonates in the 21st century. 

Dan Mintz has played Tina Belcher on Bob’s Burgers for the last 16 seasons and counting. But before there was Tina, Dan worked primarily as a writer and stand-up comedian. This month, Dan is back with his first stand up special in over a decade, Dan Mintz: Well Rounded Entertainer. Dan talks to Tom Power about finding his voice in stand-up, his love of one-line comedy, and what it’s like to voice a 13-year-old girl as a man in his 40s. 

Audrey Hobert got her start co-writing massive hits with her best friend Gracie Abrams. It inspired Audrey to launch her own solo career with her debut album, Who’s the Clown? Audrey joins Tom Power in-studio to talk about writing for others, the moment she realized she wanted to be an artist, and writing songs about struggling with your self-image and learning to love yourself. 

Joseph Kidney is the 2026 recipient of the Canadian First Book Prize, handed out each year by the Griffin Poetry Prize for an outstanding first collection of poetry by a Canadian author. Joseph speaks to Tom Power about what that recognition means to him, as well as reads from his now award-winning collection, Devotional Forensics.

Broken Social Scene is back with a new album, Remember The Humans. Founding members Kevin Drew and Charles Spearin reflect on their early days making music as a loose collective of friends, and talk about why 2026 felt the right time to reunite and release new music.

Halifax’s Wintersleep introduces their new song, Gale, in Q’s recurring New Music segment. The band’s new album, Wishing Moon, is out now.

Boi-1da is a Canadian producer who has found massive success all over the world crafting hits for the likes of Drake, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Eminem and so many more. He talks to Tom Power about teaming up with Nelly Furtado, The Tragically Hip, Alessia Cara, AP Dhillon and more Canadian icons for What If It All Goes Right, a collaborative record to support the youth organization, Canada Soccer.

Montreal band Bye Parula introduces their new song, Quand vient le soir, in Q’s recurring New Music segment. The band’s new album, Something Out Of Nothing, is out now.

Behind movies like The Wedding Planner, A Walk to Remember and Hairspray (2007) is the director Adam Shankman. This June, Adam’s back with a campy comedy starring RuPaul and Drag Race alumni called STOP! THAT! TRAIN! What sets his latest film apart from his previous work is that it’s his first time, as a queer director, directing an entirely queer-led cast. Adam stops by Q to talk about his love of “stupid” comedy, why STOP! THAT! TRAIN! deserves to be seen in theatres, and what it means to him to finally direct a movie led by queer actors. 

Juno Award winner Divine Brown is giving flowers to one of her heroes, Minnie Riperton. Divine’s live concert stage show, Lovin' You: The Minnie Riperton Story, is coming to Toronto’s Luminato Festival this month. Though Minnie Riperton died when she was just 31, Divine tells Tom Power how the five-octave range singer was still able to make such an important impact on music, one that stretches right through to today.

Abel Selaocoe has been redefining the sound of the cello. The South African cellist and singer was in Canada recently, playing with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He joined Tom Power in the Q studio to talk about blending African and classical sounds, and why he thinks music has the ability to destroy the idea of time. 

Canadian music legend Joel Plaskett introduces his new song, Fill in the Blanks, in Q’s recurring New Music segment. The song marks the 20th anniversary of his band, The Joel Plaskett Emergency.

After more than 30 years on screen, Katherine LaNasa is finally having a breakout moment with her Emmy-winning role on The Pitt. But the road wasn't easy. As she was preparing to take on the hit medical drama, she was also undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Back in February, Katherine sat down with guest host Garvia Bailey in the Q studio to talk about that health scare, her hard-fought early years as an actor, and what it means to reach a new level of recognition at this stage of her career.

On his album Pray for Me, Toronto-based R&B singer RAAHiiM straddles the line between his religious upbringing and a musical style that feels true to who he is. Back in February, he talked to guest host Garvia Bailey about the breakout year he’s had since being named Apple Music Canada’s Up Next Artist, and how he honours both his family roots and his creative identity through his music.

Andrea Martin is known for her work in Godspell (1972), SCTV, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and her Tony-winning performances in Pippin and My Favourite Year. She is now being honoured with the ICON Award from The Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada. She joins Tom Power in-studio to look back on her long career.

Hardcore punk godfather Joe Keithley (a.k.a. Joey Shithead) of D.O.A. fame is the focus of a new documentary called Something Better Change. The documentary covers his impact on punk and his political work. Since 2018, Joe has been a city councillor in his hometown of Burnaby, B.C. He tells Tom Power about pioneering the hardcore sound, his life in politics, and what it means to truly be a punk.

Katie Dippold created a new TV series that puts a comedic spin on classic horror tropes. Widow’s Bay is about a small island town off the coast of New England whose mayor is desperately trying to turn it into a tourist destination — despite the locals’ belief that the island is cursed. Katie mainly comes from a comedy background, having written the Ghostbusters remake and The Heat, as well as for Parks and Recreation. She joins Tom Power to talk about how she’s always been a fan of horror and why her comedy roots helped her write a scary show. 

After reading Ariana Harwicz’s novel, Die, My Love, in his book club, Martin Scorsese sent a copy to Jennifer Lawrence, telling her he imagined her as the main character. The Oscar-winning actor then starred alongside Robert Pattinson in the film adaptation of the novel, directed by Lynne Ramsay. The story follows a young mother struggling with her mental health after the birth of her first child. As a new mother herself, Jennifer decided this was the right project for her to jump back into acting following a break from Hollywood. Back in November, she joined Tom Power to tell him how she mentally prepared for this harrowing role, how she doesn’t let her teen fame past define her, and why she stepped away from the spotlight after she started feeling more like a celebrity than an actor.

Casper TNG has been making waves in Toronto’s underground hip-hop scene for many years. But as his music career was taking off, he was getting more and more involved in organized crime, which landed him in prison for three years. Now that he’s out, he has a new perspective on his music, especially after becoming a father. His new single, The Market, is racking up millions of views on YouTube and TikTok, and has just gone gold in Canada. Casper joins Tom Power in-studio to talk about his journey and getting to this moment. 

Italian-Irish comedian Vittorio Angelone was just in North America touring his new show, you can’t Say Nothing any more. It’s a look at whether comedians have a responsibility to speak out on topics and issues of the day. People have called Vittorio both a “woke snowflake” and a “right-wing edgelord.” Vittorio tells Q guest host Garvia Bailey why he likes that ambiguity around his comedy.

As a kid, Kane Parsons liked to 3D animate YouTube short films. When he stumbled upon a creepy image online called The Backrooms, it inspired him to create a short film about this spooky, liminal space in a vacant furniture store. His short caught the attention of A24, who hired Kane to direct the feature film, Backrooms, about this strange space. At 20-years-old, Kane is the youngest director in A24 history. He joins Tom Power in-studio to talk about making his feature debut and how he got here.

Paul Gross is taking on Samuel Beckett’s Waiting For Godot this year at Ontario’s Stratford Festival. You may know Paul as Mountie Constable Benton Fraser from Due South, or from his roles in Slings and Arrows, Republic of Doyle and Passchendaele. The Governor General’s Award-winning actor and director joins Tom Power in the Q studio to talk about Waiting for Godot and why he wanted to take on the co-leading role of Vladimir. Paul also discusses why he thinks that this Beckett play is one of the single greatest creative achievements in human history. 

Canadian singer-songwriter Daniela Andrade introduces her new song, Cohete, in Q’s recurring New Music segment. Daniela’s new album, Oda, is out now. 

Colm Tóibín is one of Ireland’s most renowned living authors. Novels like Brooklyn, The Master and Nora Webster have firmly placed him on the literary map. Now, he is back with a new short story collection, The News from Dublin. He joins Tom Power in the Q studio to talk about how the loss of his father at age 12 prompted him to write, and why he needs to start a story with an image. 

Andrew Phung is hosting this year’s Canadian Screen Awards, the country’s version of the Oscars. He is an eight-time CSA winner for his roles on Kim’s Convenience and Run the Burbs. Andrew joins Tom Power to talk about what he’s most excited for as CSA host, and to play a little game of Getting to Know Q.

Julie Kim gave up life in the corporate world to follow her comedy dreams. Now, the Vancouver comedian has toured with Ronny Chieng and Rick Mercer, and written for shows like Kim’s Convenience and Run the Burbs. She also penned Simu Liu’s famous “I am Canadian” parody speech at the 2022 Junos. Julie joins Tom Power in the Q studio to tell him why she doesn’t regret pursuing her comedy career, despite the very dodgy advice she received when she was first starting out.

Jera Wolfe is a Canadian dancer and choreographer whose world premiere mainstage production, Kismet, will open with The National Ballet of Canada later this month. Jera speaks with Tom Power about the themes of destiny and ambition in Kismet, what he looks for in the music he works with, and why it’s okay if audiences don’t fully “get” contemporary ballet.

For someone who was resistant to host a game show in the first place, Howie Mandel has risen the ranks as one of the most popular and long-standing judges on both America’s Got Talent and Canada’s Got Talent. He talks to Tom Power about what he sees in these performers and how he is trying to encourage them to find joy on stage, even when it feels messy.

Nova Scotian musician Laura Roy introduces her new song, Author, in Q's recurring New Music segment. Laura’s new album, Late Bloomer Season, is out now. 

Comedian Robby Hoffman’s career keeps growing, with her memorable roles in hit shows like Rooster and Hacks. When Tom Power spoke to Robby in 2025, she was just nominated for an Emmy for her role in Hacks, and her Just For Laughs show in Montreal had sold out. But Robby hasn’t had a conventional path into comedy. From leaving an ultra-Orthodox Hasidic community in Brooklyn as a kid to living in Montreal with her nine siblings, Robby tells Tom Power about how she forged her own path.

Sheng Wang is a comedian and writer from Houston who has spent 20 years quietly refining his craft at comedy clubs in San Francisco. His second Netflix special, Purple (directed by longtime friend Ali Wong), is a collection of jokes about the small, mundane parts of life that most people don't give a second thought. He talks to Tom Power about his comedic inspiration, the process of writing a good joke and his love of a botanical garden.

Boots Riley is a writer, director, rapper and the frontman of the legendary Oakland hip-hop group The Coup. His new film I Love Boosters follows a crew of retail thieves, a.k.a. Boosters, trying to take down a fashion mogul. He talks to guest host Garvia Bailey about why he doesn’t just make art to entertain, but to inspire a revolution.

Devin Cuddy is a Toronto-based singer-songwriter and the son of Blue Rodeo front man Jim Cuddy. His roots-driven sound draws from country, blues, jazz and classic North American songwriting traditions. He recently released his fifth project, Livin’ Hard Ain’t Easy. He talks to Tom Power about his new project, why he wants more songs about Winnipeg and how he grew to love the piano.

Antoni Cimolino is beginning his final season as the artistic director of Ontario’s Stratford Festival, the largest repertory theatre company in North America. Antoni started working at Stratford as an actor in 1988, eventually becoming a director at the festival, and then moving up to the role of artistic director in 2012. He joins Tom to talk about his life in theatre, the challenges he’s faced along the way, and why he’s chosen The Tempest as his Shakespearean swan song. 

Louisa Levy had never even been to a hockey game when she was offered the job to showrun Off Campus, a steamy hockey romance TV show. Before that, she had been a writer and producer on other critically acclaimed shows like The Flight Attendant, Stumptown, and Death and Other Details. Louisa tells guest host Gill Deacon how she developed a love of hockey and why she thinks the hockey romance genre — made popular by Heated Rivalry — has suddenly exploded. 

Canadian content creator Jasmeet Raina is back with the third season of Late Bloomer, a half-hour comedy series inspired by his own life as a turban-wearing Punjabi Canadian millennial. He talks to Tom Power about learning the world of television, how he’s evolved from feeling like an “imposter” in the industry, and what it’s like to receive over a dozen Canadian Screen Award nominations for a show he fought to make happen.

Arizona O’Neill is a Montreal-based writer and illustrator whose work has appeared in numerous magazines and outlets. In her debut graphic novel Opioids and Organs, she takes a deep dive into the history and ethics of organ donation and transplantation. Arizona tells Tom Power about how her father’s death and subsequent organ donation a decade ago led her down the path to making this book. She also discusses the creative influence of both her parents and how the process of creating Opioids and Organs helped her process her grief and anger.

Since the 1960s, Bruce Allen has been one of the key architects of this nation’s music industry. His management roster reads like a history of Canadian popular music: Bryan Adams, Anne Murray, Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Michael Bublé. As he receives a Lifetime Achievement Award at Toronto’s Departure Festival this month, Allen tells Tom Power about his journey from Vancouver club booker to industry titan, as well as his reputation as an outspoken agitator that’s generated his share of controversies.

Chloe Tang began her music journey as a classically trained pianist and vocalist. But the Canadian musician yearned to be the next Avril Lavigne. When she moved to L.A. to pursue her pop music dreams, her parents weren’t supportive. But the risk paid off: Dua Lipa asked Tang to open for her. Now, Tang is a fully independent artist with over 10 million streams of her music. She joins Tom Power to talk about opening for Dua Lipa, embracing who she really is in her music, and being highlighted by the Departure Festival as one of their 2026 Rising Sound Artists.

Machel Montano is known as the King of Soca, and is widely credited with bringing Soca music to the global stage. In 2025, the Trinidadian singer, songwriter and producer became the first Soca artist to perform on NPR’s Tiny Desk, garnering over a million views. But he also took time off from his music career to get a master's degree in Carnival Studies from the University of Trinidad and Tobago, and has a wealth of knowledge on the history of Soca. His new documentary, Like Ah Boss: Journey of a Soca King, follows his illustrious 40-year career from child star in Trinidad to global icon. Machel joins Tom Power to discuss the history of Carnival and what’s next for his career, as well as settle some Caribbean food debates.

Ebril is an Iraqi Canadian artist who blends a range of influences into her music. Her debut album, In Copula, took six years to complete because she taught herself to produce, sing and write songs by watching YouTube tutorials. But it paid off: the opening track, Stranger in You, has taken on a life of its own, surpassing one billion views on TikTok. Ebril talks to Tom Power about her personal growth journey, learning how to play several instruments and her song’s viral moment.

Mac Barnett did something he said he never would: he wrote a book for adults. Make Believe is the award-winning children’s author’s newest book about how kids' books deserve a grown-up conversation. Mac joins guest host Gill Deacon to talk about writing for adults, why children’s fiction deserves more respect, and why he has such a problem with didacticism in kids’ books. 

When the Nova Scotian writer Graeme Bezanson sat down to write his new collection of poetry about boyhood and toxic masculinity, he drew inspiration from two unlikely sources: the changing positions of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites and an interview transcript between manosphere influencers Tucker Carlson and Andrew Tate. Graeme sat down with Tom Power to discuss his debut poetry collection Ultra Blue, how he examines the emotional lives of boys and men, and raising a son in a culture of toxic masculinity.

For three decades, crime writer and forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs has been writing novels that bring the science behind solving crimes to the fore. She’s the bestselling author of the Temperance Brennan series, which is the inspiration for the TV show Bones. Back in November, Kathy released the 24th novel in the series, Evil Bones. She joined Tom Power to tell him about the book and the surprising reason she started writing in the first place.

Sandy Pandya is a music industry veteran who has managed musicians like Serena Ryder and Jully Black. At this year’s Junos, she was honoured with the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award for shaping the Canadian music industry. She joins Tom Power to talk about growing up in Regina, running a café which became a hub for artists in the city, and founding ArtHaus, a multi-purpose live-work space and record label where artist mental health and career longevity is the goal.

Arlo Parks is a Grammy-nominated artist from London, whose career launched after she submitted her demos to the BBC. Since then, she’s opened for artists like Billie Eilish and Harry Styles, and even co-wrote a song for Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter record. Life has been busy for Arlo thanks to all the success, but she knew she needed to take a step back to enjoy being a 20-something. So she did, and her latest album was inspired by the experiences she had during that time. Arlo Parks joins Tom Power in the Q studio to talk about how diving into the world of dance music and club culture helped her create her new album, Ambiguous Desire.

In just four years since Aysanabee left his day job to pursue music, he has played over 400 shows, toured all over the world and was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize. He also made history as the first Indigenous artist to win the Juno awards for both alternative album of the year and songwriter of the year. Aysanabee joins Tom Power in the Q studio to talk about his new EP Timelines, his recent Juno wins and the moment that made him quit his day job and pursue a career in music.

Acclaimed Canadian stage actor Peter Fernandes is making his directorial debut at this year’s Shaw Festival, with a remount of the play Sleuth. This Tony Award-winning show, and later Oscar-nominated film, is a work that both has a lot of love for the mystery genre, and picks apart many of its tropes. Peter joins Tom in the Q studio to talk about why he wanted to take on this project, and how it feels to wear the director’s hat.

Country musician Owen Riegling went from playing the local pub in his hometown of Mildmay, Ont. for his buddies, to hitting the stage at iconic venues like the Grand Ole Opry and Massey Hall in just a couple years. His new album contends with that feeling of hitting the stratosphere, while also missing home — and the people who make it home — at the same time. He sits down with Tom Power to talk about what his own small town means to him and his music.

In a long-awaited catch-up, singer, songwriter and actor Josh Groban stops by the Q studio to talk about his upcoming album Cinematic. The record is a tribute to the iconic soundtracks of some of his favourite films, from The Lion King to James Bond. He tells Tom about his touching collaboration with his father on the record, what it was like to play Sweeney Todd on Broadway given his lifelong love of Stephen Sondheim, and his spontaneous cameo at this year’s Oscars.

On their new song Had It, Toronto indie-rock trio Dumb Crush tell the story of a modern-day guy who’s dealing with the pressures of hyper-individuality and the feeling of never being good enough. Owen Hooper, a bass player and singer in the band, joins Tom to talk about the inspiration behind the song, and how the band feels about the constant pressure to maximize your potential.

Arkells are at a stage of success where they can easily sell out large amphitheatres across Canada. But with their new record Between Us, the band has chosen to do something different with the tour: city takeovers. Instead of booking large venues for one night, the boys are spending multiple days in Canadian cities, playing smaller stages and more intimate shows. Arkells frontman Max Kerman and guitarist Mike DeAngelis tell Tom Power why they wanted to replicate what it felt like in the early days, and what both they and the fans get out of small, up-close-and-personal shows.

When Alberta filmmaker Jody Wilson was working on visual effects for CSI Miami, she didn’t know the Hollywood gig was also laying the groundwork for her future in filmmaking. From The Avengers to The Last of Us, her on-set observations all came in handy when she finally decided to make her own feature film, The Bearded Girl. It’s a coming-of-age story with a twist and, as Jody tells Tom Power, its extremely niche main character is what makes the story universal.

For nearly 40 years, Ziggy Marley has built a legendary career across music, writing and philanthropy. Now, the eldest son of reggae icon Bob Marley returns with Brightside, his ninth studio album, which was produced entirely by him and his brother Stephen. He chats with Q’s Tom Power about what happens when he records with instruments tuned to a lower frequency, the spiritual place he seeks out when he makes music, and the first song he ever dedicated to his late father.

Best known for her tapestries and textile paintings, Paulina Constancia’s latest series, MOMents, reflects the early days of motherhood, celebrating the small, special moments that happen when you become a parent. Speaking with Q guest host Gill Deacon, Paulina gets into her own experience as a mother, why she urges parents and caregivers to stay present, and what it’s like being a self-taught “naïve” artist.

After winning the prestigious Polaris Music Prize for a second time, Jeremy Dutcher decided to do something he’s never done before: score a film. He composed music for the Canadian thriller At The Place of Ghosts, which follows two estranged Mi'kmaq brothers who become haunted by a malevolent spirit and must reunite to face their demons. Jeremy sits down with Tom Power to discuss the importance of keeping language alive, and what it was like working with film director Bretten Hannam.

Riz Ahmed is an Oscar and Emmy-award winning actor and rapper, known for pushing for more nuanced portrayals of South Asians, and especially Muslims, on screen. In his most recent projects, he’s shaking the foundations of British cultural mythology by taking on two roles that have long been definitive for white actors: James Bond and Hamlet. He joins Tom to talk about his new series Bait, where he plays an actor chasing the role of 007, and why he wanted to strip down Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy into something more contemporary for his film Hamlet.

During the pandemic, Kashus Culpepper learned to play the guitar on YouTube, and soon enough was performing covers for his fellow sailors in the United States Navy. Now, after sharing some of his covers online and moving to Nashville, Kashus’s soulful blend of Southern sounds has caught the attention of music veterans like John Mayer and Elton John. He joins Tom Power to talk about his unique journey to becoming a full-time musician, touring with Darius Rucker, and his debut album Act 1.

Brittany Allen has been a working actor and composer for over 15 years. Her breakout role as Marissa on the long-running soap All My Children earned her a Daytime Emmy Award. Now, she’s getting a lot of critical acclaim for her role as a cancer patient on the second season of the hit show The Pitt. She joins Tom Power to talk about her acting journey, and how playing a cancer patient has impacted her sense of mortality.

The Big Five answers the most pressing question of our time: what are the “Big 5” of any given category? Not the best 5. Not the top 5. Not anyone’s favourite 5. But objectively, the Big 5. In each episode, Donovan Woods, Tom Power, and a celebrity guest tackle new topics and debate things like: what are the Big 5 farm animals? Types of hats? Slang terms for “butt”? Ways to cook a potato? Guys named Paul? Guests in this season include Vivek Shraya, Jordan Canning, William Prince, Lindsay Ell, Elamin Abdelmahmoud and more!

More episodes of The Big Five are available wherever you get your podcasts, and here: https://link.mgln.ai/TB5xQ

Canadian songwriter Cat Clyde, known for blending rockabilly with modern Americana, just released her fourth full-length album, called Mud Blood Bone. She joins Garvia Bailey to talk about what inspired her new song off the album, Man’s World, which tackles the frustrating limitations of living in a patriarchal society.

Eight-time Grammy winner Kacey Musgraves is back with her seventh album, Middle of Nowhere. The record looks at where she’s from, transitions and being comfortable alone. Kacey joins Tom Power in the Q studio to chat about the new album, what it was like growing up in Texas, and her breakthrough fourth album Golden Hour.

Without Tiga, the vibrant dance party scene in Montreal wouldn’t exist. The DJ and record producer pioneered the first club, first parties and the overall EDM explosion in that city. Tiga tells Tom Power about his new record, his early childhood sneaking into raves in Goa, India, and what it’s like to see the world through its nightlife.

For decades, Parisa Karimi Molan was banned from singing publicly in her homeland of Iran because she was a woman. But, Parisa found her voice in Canada, and now she’s released her debut album Unveiled. She tells Tom about the secret singing she undertook in her homeland, and what it meant to sing in public for the first time after moving to Montreal.