Q with Tom Power

At the height of her fame in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, Eve seemed to have it all: stadium tours, a clothing line, and collaborations with the likes of Prince, Missy Elliott and Gwen Stefani. But in her new memoir, “Who’s That Girl?,” she tells the story of what was actually going on behind the scenes. Eve joins Tom to talk about some of the major highlights of her career, the negative side effects of fame, and the hip-hop industry’s double standard.

Stephan Moccio is a Los Angeles-based Canadian pianist and songwriter who’s co-written tracks for artists like Miley Cyrus, the Weeknd and Celine Dion. Now, he’s back in Canada touring his new solo piano album, “Legends, Myths and Lavender.” Stephan drops by the Q studio to talk to Tom about the record, why he chose to make it in rural France, and the value of keeping things simple. 

After a crazy few years, Omar Apollo is back with his sophomore album, “God Said No,” which was inspired by a bad breakup. He sits down with Tom for the second time to talk about turning his sadness into music, making his acting debut in Luca Guadagnino’s film “Queer,” and launching a new hot sauce.

Jim Bryson is one of the most in-demand side musicians in Canada. He joins Tom to share a great story about briefly joining The Tragically Hip, which forced the band to finally rehearse. Plus, he sets up a new song, titled “Who’s There,” from his latest project, “Combinations.”

Acclaimed music video director Joseph Kahn has worked with everyone from the Backstreet Boys to Taylor Swift, but in 2004, he expanded into feature films. His new creature feature “Ick” is a horror-comedy that just had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Joseph joins Tom to talk about the movie, what inspired it, and his prolific career directing music videos.

Forty years ago, director Mick Jackson released a film titled “Threads” that’s been called the scariest movie ever made. But rather than featuring ghosts and monsters, it realistically and disturbingly portrays what would happen in the event of a nuclear apocalypse. Mick joins guest host Talia Schlanger to discuss the film's legacy, why he wanted to scare his audience with the truth, and how he went on to direct one of the biggest romances in movie history.

After more than 20 years in the music business, country superstar Miranda Lambert is coming home. Her new record, “Postcards from Texas,” is a love letter to the state she grew up in. She joins Tom to talk about the album, her musical homecoming, and why losing the reality singing competition show “Nashville Star” was a blessing in disguise.

T. Thomason is a singer-songwriter from Nova Scotia who has a lot to say about how the music industry treats trans artists. Now, he’s opening up with a new single called “True” off his forthcoming album, “Tenderness.” T. sits down with Tom to talk about the song, and how it’s opened up new conversations and made him feel empowered.

Kathryn Hahn got her start in film playing memorable supporting roles in comedies like “Anchorman,” “Step Brothers” and “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.” Now, she stars in the new Marvel series “Agatha All Along,” which sees her reprise her role as the powerful witch Agatha Harkness from “WandaVision.” Kathryn sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger in the Q studio to talk about that role and her hilarious life as a performer.

Twenty-five years after playing Little Victor in the 1998 coming-of-age drama “Smoke Signals,” Cody Lightning is all grown up and back with his directorial debut. It's a mockumentary, titled “Hey, Viktor!,” which follows a fictionalized version of himself trying to make a sequel to the cult classic film he acted in as a child. Cody joins Tom from Edmonton to talk about his gritty new Indigenous comedy, how his idea for the film began as a running joke with his friends, and how he looks back on his time as a child actor.

Kate Hudson was raised by Hollywood royalty: Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. When she was growing up, they told her that if she wanted to be an actor it had to be because of something deep inside her — not just for fame and fortune. Her latest role is in Max Minghella’s “Shell,” which is all about the extreme measures actors will take to stay young. Kate sits down with Tom for a conversation about that film, her Hollywood upbringing, her Oscar-nominated role in “Almost Famous,” and why these days she's making music.

The Canadian twin siblings Phoenix and Mercedes Arn-Horn went from playing in the super successful band Courage My Love to moving in an entirely different direction as Softcult. They sit down with Tom to set up a song from their latest EP, “Heaven.”

What’s the cost of being cool? Back in the ‘90s and early ‘00s there was no one cooler than Chloë Sevigny, the ultimate It Girl. She was an in-demand model and actor who was known for her unique eye for fashion as well as for starring in indie films that are now considered cult classics. Chloë sits down with Tom to talk about that time in her life and how being cool affected her career, plus her latest film, "Bonjour Tristesse,” which just had its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. 

Matthew Rankin is a Canadian director whose new film “Universal Language” has just been selected as Canada's pick for best international feature film at the 2025 Oscars. It’s set in an alternate version of Winnipeg where Canada’s two official languages are French and Farsi, not English. Matthew drops by the Q studio to chat with Tom about his vision for this film that he directed and starred in.

The Tragically Hip have been called the most Canadian band in the world. Now, a new four-part documentary series called “The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal” gives the most extensive look into the band ever put on screen. It’s directed by filmmaker Mike Downie, who’s the older brother of The Hip’s late frontman, Gord Downie. The series kicked off the Toronto International Film Festival in advance of its Prime Video debut next week. Mike along with band members Johnny Fay and Gord Sinclair sit down with Tom to talk about it.

Caity Gyorgy is a Juno-winning jazz singer who’s originally from Calgary. Earlier this month, she released a new album, titled “Hello! How Are You?” Caity joins Tom in the Q studio to talk about the record and her love of scatting, plus, she sets up a song for us.

The Canadian jazz pianist Oliver Jones turns 90 today. Tom visits Oliver at his home in Montreal to talk about his legacy in Canadian music, his relationship with his hero and role model Oscar Peterson, the time he played for Nelson Mandela, and what the secret is to continuing to play music in your 90s. 

In the new film “Out Come the Wolves,” all of our greatest fears about being stranded — and hunted — in the wilderness come to life. The Canadian writer, director and actor Enuka Okuma wrote the screenplay. She joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about tapping into fear to create this movie.

Yann Martel’s Booker Prize-winning novel “Life of Pi” has been adapted into a Tony award-winning play that’s on stage now in Toronto. The bestselling Canadian author joins Tom to reflect on how the story came to be, his discovery about art and religion that brought him “back to life,” and why he wants to push you to be a bit less reasonable.

Since releasing his critically acclaimed album “Boat Songs” in 2022, the singer-songwriter MJ Lenderman, also known as Jake Lenderman, has been getting a lot of attention. Now, he’s back with his much-anticipated fourth solo album, “Manning Fireworks.” MJ joins Tom to talk about the record and what it’s like to deal with the heightened expectations that come with success.

In the late ‘80s, Paula Abdul helped define what a pop star could be, from dance to music to performance. If you were watching music videos at that time, you would have seen her on your screen. If you weren’t around for that, you may remember her as one of the original judges on “American Idol” from 2002 to 2009. Paula sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to reflect on how she was discovered by the Jackson family, what it was like choreographing for some of the biggest superstars in the world while she was still a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers, and her philosophy as a mentor.

Though she’s been called Canada’s original cowboy punk, k.d. lang has had a long and complex relationship with country music. When she got her start as a singer in Edmonton, she didn’t fit the mold of who people thought a country artist should be. Now, k.d. is being inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. She sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to reflect on her history with the genre, from her early days channelling Patsy Cline to her thoughts on country music today.

As a visionary director and self-professed loner, Tim Burton has spent decades channelling the angst and loneliness he felt as a child into hit movies like “Edward Scissorhands” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” But it was his outlandish 1988 movie “Beetlejuice” that set his career into motion and proved to Hollywood that being weird was an asset, not a problem. Now, 36 years after the original “Beetlejuice,” the film’s long-awaited sequel, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” has finally hit theatres. Tim joins guest host Talia Schlanger to discuss the new movie, how it helped him rediscover his love of filmmaking after a creative slump, and his on-again, off-again relationship with Disney.

Thirty-six years ago, Catherine O'Hara stepped onto a movie set and fell in love with a production designer who would later become her future husband. The movie was a dark fantasy comedy called “Beetlejuice,” directed by a then-fledgling filmmaker named Tim Burton. After the film’s release, both she and Burton became household names. Now, a sequel called “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” has just hit theatres. Catherine joins guest host Talia Schlanger to reflect on how the original film changed her life, what it was like reprising her role as the eccentric Delia Deetz in the new sequel, and the similarities between Delia and her iconic “Schitt's Creek” character Moira Rose.

Dame Evelyn Glennie is the only deaf musician to ever win a Grammy (which she’s done twice) and the first person to create and sustain a full-time career as a solo percussionist. Her new album, “Another Noise,” is a collaboration with the Jamaican British poet Raymond Antrobus, who’s also deaf. Evelyn talks to Tom about the record, how she learned to listen with her whole body, and why it’s her life mission to teach the world to listen.

Amber-Sekowan Daniels is the creator of the new Crave series “Don't Even,” which follows two best friends in late ‘90s Winnipeg as they face uncertain futures after high school. Amber joins guest host Vivek Shraya to reminisce about the ‘90s, talk about what inspired the show, and what advice she’d give her younger self.

As a founding member of the legendary rap crew Wu-Tang Clan, RZA revolutionized hip-hop with his ear for experimentation — not to mention raw lyricism, grimy beats and countless kung-fu references. Though he didn’t initially think of himself as a composer, RZA has leaned into the title in recent years, scoring movies like Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” and Jim Jarmusch's “Ghost Dog.” He talks to Tom about his first album of orchestral music, “A Ballet Through Mud,” and gaining the confidence to call himself a composer.

Boman Martinez-Reid went viral on TikTok for his funny and pointed parodies of the Kardashians and other reality TV stars, but he always dreamed of being an actor. On his new Crave original series, “Made For TV,” he finally takes a step toward realizing that dream. Each episode sees Boman try out a new genre of reality TV (including dating, drag, cooking and even sports broadcasting) to find out which one fits him. He sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the show and what makes reality TV so memeable.

Earlier this year, the father-daughter duo Ethan and Maya Hawke teamed up for the film “Wildcat,” which follows the life of writer Flannery O'Connor while she was struggling to publish her first novel. We revisit Tom’s conversation with Ethan and Maya about their collaboration.

The Canadian band Valley has racked up more than a billion streams, a couple Juno nominations and a few viral hits on TikTok. But somewhere along the way, the band started to feel that authenticity was taking a back seat in their music. Valley’s Karah James and Rob Laska sit down with Tom to talk about tapping into their true selves for their latest record, “Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden.”

For his debut feature film, Dan Levy wrote and directed a story about grief, aptly titled “Good Grief.” We revisit Tom’s conversation with Dan about the real-life grief that inspired the film and how he pushed through the negative voice in his head.

You may know Priyanka as the winner of “Canada’s Drag Race” Season 1 or, if you grew up in Canada, you may remember her as kids show host Mark Suki on YTV’s “The Zone.” Priyanka has just released her debut full-length album, “Devastatia,” which she calls a love letter to anyone who feels like they don’t fit in. She sits down with guest host Vivek Shraya to talk about the record and learning to believe in herself.

We revisit Tom’s conversation with Grammy-winning pop superstar Dua Lipa. A few months ago, he joined her in New York to discuss her latest album, “Radical Optimism.” In this special conversation, Dua talks about shifting her sound and her mindset, music as therapy, and turning bad dates into catchy pop songs.

A woman who’s been wrongly accused of murder — and is sentenced to be executed — curses the town that did it to her. This is the story told in the play “Snow in Midsummer,” directed by Nina Lee Aquino. Nina joins guest host Vivek Shraya to tell us why she was drawn to this 13th century play and why it still resonates today.

We revisit Tom’s conversation with “Blackberry” director Matt Johnson. He talks about his path from guerilla filmmaker to Hollywood darling, why the story of Blackberry is so Canadian, and why his mission in life is to inspire young filmmakers to stay in Canada and make great films.

The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb is back with her latest children’s album, “That's What It's All About,” which is a collaboration with the family-friendly folk band The Hollow Trees. Lisa joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the record, how it’s inspired by her own childhood, plus, 30 years of the song that first put her on the map — “Stay (I Missed You).”

Ten years after immigrating to Canada from India, the rapper and singer Karan Aujla made history as the first Punjabi artist to ever win a Juno Award. But he was a global superstar well before then, topping the charts with his blend of Punjabi music over hip-hop and trap beats. Now, Karan has dropped his latest EP, “Four Me,” and Apple Music has named him the latest addition to its global Up Next program. Karan talks to Tom about his rise to fame, why Canada is a hub for Punjabi hip-hop, and the childhood losses that pushed him towards songwriting.

There’s a new podcast and radio show coming to CBC Books. It’s called “Bookends” and it’s hosted by Mattea Roach, the Canadian “Jeopardy!” champion who held a 23-game winning streak a few years ago. They sit down with Tom to talk about the new show and what they’re most looking forward to, plus, the correct strategy for wagering on a Daily Double.

Sheryl Crow has sold more than 50 million albums, won nine Grammy Awards, and inspired countless songwriters and artists to follow in her footsteps. Earlier this year, she released her 11th studio album, “Evolution.” Sheryl joins Tom to share her concerns around artificial intelligence and how they inspired the title track on her new album, why she uses her music to raise awareness for global issues, and the story behind her massive hit “All I Wanna Do.”

Bibi Club is the musical project of Adèle Trottier-Rivard and Nic Basque, who are partners in life and music. Their first album, “Le soleil et la mer,” was longlisted for the 2023 Polaris Prize. Now, they're back with a new record, “Feu de garde.” Adèle and Nic join Tom to talk about their partnership and what their band name has to do with the three kids they have running around their house. 

Tom Selleck has been on Hollywood’s A-list since bursting onto “Magnum, P.I.” in the early ‘80s. By the end of that decade, he had reached a whole new level of fame with massive box office hits like “Three Men and a Baby.” More recently, he’s become known for his role as NYPD commissioner Frank Reagan on “Blue Bloods.” Now, Tom has released a new memoir called “You Never Know.” He joins Tom Power to talk about his journey in acting, the hurdles he faced and the lessons he learned on his way to stardom.  

In 1983, in the midst of the Cold War, Arthur Miller went to China to direct a Mandarin version of his famous play “Death of a Salesman.” Despite some hurdles, the production ended up being a touchstone moment in Chinese-American cultural relations. Now, a new play called "Salesman in China" tells the story of the American playwright's incredibly high-stakes collaboration with the Chinese artist Ying Ruocheng. Jovanni Sy, the director and co-writer of "Salesman in China," joins guest host Talia Schlanger to tell us more.

Anna Marie Tendler is a multidisciplinary artist known for her evocative self-portraits that explore grief and isolation. In 2021, following her high-profile divorce with comedian John Mulaney, Anna checked herself into a psychiatric facility, seeking treatment for self-harm and suicidal ideation. She details that experience in her new memoir, “Men Have Called Her Crazy,” which is her reintroduction to the world as an artist on her own terms. Anna joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about her mental health journey, how photography kept her grounded and why she chose to leave her ex-husband out of the book.

Luna Li is a Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who found fame during lockdown when videos of her bedroom jam sessions went viral. Now, she’s back with her second album, “When A Thought Grows Wings,” which tells the story of a transitional moment in her life. Luna joins guest host Talia Schlanger to reflect on her career, her latest record and what it was like performing on “Saturday Night Live.”

Josh Ramsay is the lead singer of the Juno-winning band Marianas Trench (one of Canada’s biggest musical exports during the pop-punk boom of the early aughts). He sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the band's new album, “Haven,” plus, what it was like co-writing Carly Rae Jepsen’s massive hit “Call Me Maybe.”

Kiesza is the Canadian singer behind the massive dance hit “Hideaway,” which launched her career back in 2014. That song took her from being an unknown artist to performing at London’s Wembley Stadium, appearing on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” and winning three Juno Awards. But everything came to a halt in 2017 when Kiesza was in a car accident that left her with a traumatic brain injury. She joins Tom in studio to tell us the story behind “Hideaway” and how she learned to make music again after her accident.

The Canadian country singer MacKenzie Porter grew up on a cattle and bison ranch near Medicine Hat, Alberta. When her brother won “Canadian Idol” in 2004, she learned a lot about the good and bad of the music industry. Now, she’s released a new album, “Nobody’s Born with a Broken Heart,” which explores her struggle to make it in Nashville. MacKenzie sits down with Tom in studio to talk about the record and some of the hard-won lessons she learned in the Music City.

Keysha Freshh has been a trailblazer in the Canadian hip-hop scene for 15 years, which is impressive considering she’s only 31. The Canadian rapper is a solo artist as well as a part of the all-female rap group The Sorority. Now, she’s released her latest solo album, “Pretty Boys Break My Heart,” which examines heartbreak in all its different forms. Keysha sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to reflect on her career, her new record and what it was like collaborating with her cousin Maestro Fresh Wes.

The Beaches are in a season of change. The Toronto-based band left their major label deal, hired a new team, and started embracing social media to reach new audiences. Now, they have a number one single, a viral hit on TikTok, and a brand new album, “Blame My Ex.” Jordan and Kylie Miller of The Beaches talk to Tom about what happens when you’re told “this is your make it or break it album,” how TikTok has expanded their audience, and how writing a breakup record felt like going to therapy with your best friends.

Lucky Daye is typically classified as an R&B musician, but one look at his wide-ranging discography shows that he isn’t so easily defined by genre. The Grammy winner is sought after by some of the biggest names in music, but his path to success wasn’t easy. He grew up in a strict religious household that didn’t allow him to listen to secular music, and at one point, he even ended up homeless. With the release of his new album, “Algorithm,” Lucky joins guest host Talia Schlanger for a career-spanning chat about how his struggles have shaped him as an artist, and how his music intentionally expands the confines of what we expect from R&B musicians.