Q with Tom Power

If you looked at Nicole Ariana’s career, you might be surprised to hear that she was feeling a bit like an imposter. Nicole was traveling all over the world as an award-winning songwriter and collaborating with big names in the music industry, but deep down she was facing a lot of self-doubt. So she wrote a song about the moment she decided to face her inner demons. Nicole joins Tom Power to talk about her new song, “Return to Sender.”

Tom Kenny has been the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants since 1999 and he still thinks it's the greatest job in the world. As the Bikini Bottom crew embark on a new adventure, “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants,” Tom joins Tom Power to reminisce on 26 years of SpongeBob.

Grammy and Oscar-winning composer Hildur Guðnadóttir (Joker, Chernobyl, Tár) is behind some of the most interesting film and TV scores in recent years. But now, Hildur is back with a new solo album, “Where to From,” which is her first in more than a decade. Hildur joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the unique inspirations for this record, plus, she shares the stories behind some of her most successful film scores. 

Leon Thomas has been working in the entertainment industry since he was just a kid. He got his start on Broadway, performing in “The Lion King” when he was eight. He then landed a starring role on the hit Nickelodeon show “Victorious” with Ariana Grande. But behind the scenes, Leon was quietly building his music career, writing and producing songs. Now, he’s one of the most nominated people at this year’s Grammys, with six nods, including one for album of the year. Leon sits down with Tom Power to talk about his journey from Broadway to Nickelodeon to R&B superstardom.

After director Rian Johnson finished making “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” he didn’t really know how to follow it up. So he decided to bang out a really quick murder mystery script. The result was his 2019 film “Knives Out,” which led to the 2022 sequel “Glass Onion,” which has now led to the third film in the series, “Wake Up Dead Man.” Rian sits down with Tom Power to discuss his latest “Knives Out” movie, the genius and influence of mystery writer Agatha Christie, and how he thinks his religious upbringing has helped the success of his films.

For her sophomore release, Mexican singer-songwriter Silvana Estrada intended to write an album that showcased her sense of humour. But after experiencing immense personal loss and tragedy, she instead made a record that examines love, grief and humanity. It’s called “Vendrán Suaves Lluvias” (or “Soft Rains Will Come” in English) and it’s out now. Silvana sits down with Tom Power to talk about her acclaimed new album and the difficulties she faced while making it.

It’s been a banner year for Yungblud, the English rock star who just released a joint EP with Aerosmith, titled “One More Time.” He also recently picked up his first Grammy nominations for his solo album “Idols,” as well as for his emotional performance of Black Sabbath’s “Changes” at their farewell show in Birmingham over the summer. Yungblud joins Tom Power to talk about his breakout year in music, the personal toll it’s had on him, and what he most remembers from singing at Ozzy Osbourne's last show. 

Canadian photographer Kayla Isomura has a question for you: if you were forced to quickly leave your home with only one day’s notice, what would you bring with you? That’s the question at the heart of their powerful photography series “The Suitcase Project.” Kayla is a fourth-generation Japanese Canadian whose ancestors, like so many other Japanese Canadian families, were forcibly removed from their homes during the Second World War and relocated to internment camps. For “The Suitcase Project,” Kayla asked more than 80 other fourth and fifth generation Japanese North Americans to pack up their belongings on short notice, and then shot portraits of them with their suitcases. Kayla joins Tom Power to talk about their family history, and how making “The Suitcase Project” helped them connect with their cultural identity.

In 1968, Jack Kerouac called Canadian poet bill bissett one of the greats. At the time, bill was an icon of the counterculture movement in Vancouver. Fast-forward six decades, and he remains one of Canada’s most influential and prolific poets and artists. Now in his late 80s, bill has authored more than 70 books of poetry — his latest, “th book uv lost passwords 1,” came out earlier this fall. bill sits down with Tom Power to talk about his pioneering work in concrete poetry and sound poetry, and his rejection of conventional spelling and punctuation. Plus, he reads a couple pieces from his new collection.

Choclair was a high school student in the ’90s when he started spending his nights making hip-hop music with future stars like Kardinal Offishall, Jully Black and Saukrates. Together, they helped grow Toronto’s hip-hop scene into the behemoth it is today, despite limited support from the domestic music industry. Now, at 50, Choclair is setting out with a new album, “Transit Music,” which is his first full-length record in more than 20 years. He joins Tom Power to talk about the record, his climb to success, and the obstacles he faced trying to put Toronto hip-hop on the map.

For Noah Reid (Schitt's Creek, Outer Range), there’s nothing better than singing with a big group of people. The actor and musician sits down with Tom Power to chat about his upcoming live show at Massey Hall in Toronto, “Christmas Hour.” He also reflects on his big year on tour and what it was like performing at the World Series.

When novelist Maggie O’Farrell learned that Shakespeare had a son who died just a few years before he wrote “Hamlet” — and that history books barely mentioned it — she wanted to find out more. That led her to write the bestselling novel “Hamnet,” which has now been adapted into a new film starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley. Maggie joins Tom Power to tell us how her Hamnet story came to be, what Shakespeare might have been trying to tell us by naming his play after his son, and why she waited until her own son was past the age that Hamnet was when he died to start writing her novel.

The Governor General’s Award-winning playwright Michael Healey (The Master Plan, The Drawer Boy) is putting a Canadian corporate drama front and centre in his new play, “Rogers v. Rogers.” The story, which feels like a Canadian version of the hit HBO show “Succession,” is about the real-life family battle for control of Rogers Communications — one of the big three telecommunications and media giants in Canada. Michael joins Tom Power to tell us why he wanted to bring this story of corporate chaos to the stage, and why he opted to make it a one-actor play, starring Tom Rooney.

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

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

When author Dav Pilkey was in the second grade, he started drawing cartoons in his notebook. He ended up naming them “Captain Underpants” and “Dog Man.” Those two characters would end up becoming his life’s work. Together, they’ve led to nearly 40 graphic novels, two Hollywood movies and a TV series. Dav sits down with Tom Power to talk about being misunderstood as a kid with ADHD and dyslexia, how drawing gave him confidence, and why he thinks graphic novels are a great way to introduce kids to reading. 

On her seventh and latest album, “Cavale,” the award-winning Quebecois artist Cœur de pirate explores her longest and most toxic relationship — with anxiety. She sits down with Tom Power to talk about the record, the cost of fame, and how being “scared of everything” inspired her to write her first new song in two years.

This year, musician Con O’Brien is celebrating 35 years with his band the Irish Descendants. They’re local legends in Newfoundland and Labrador, but they’re also part of a wave of modern traditional music that swept across the country in the ’90s. As the Irish Descendants embark on their annual cross-country Christmas tour, Con joins Tom Power to talk about their journey — from the 1992 cod moratorium to their interpretation of Otto Kelland’s song “Let Me Fish Off Cape St. Mary's” and beyond.

Walter Mosley has been writing Easy Rawlins detective novels for more than 40 years now. The National Book Award-winning author joins Tom Power to talk about his 17th and latest book in the series, “Gray Dawn: An Easy Rawlins Mystery.” Walter opens up about his beloved character, why he says Easy’s role is to testify about Black history in America, and why this time he’s done something he almost never does: written an introductory author’s note. 

Earlier this year, violin virtuoso Joshua Bell gave a TED Talk asking the question, do we still need classical music? Joshua is performing in Canada this year and next as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s Spotlight Artist. On a rare day off in his schedule, he sits down with Tom Power to make the case for why we need classical music in our lives now more than ever. He also explains why his Stradivarius violin is so special to play, aside from the multi-million dollar price tag.

For more than 20 years, Canadian ballet dancer Heather Ogden has been performing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in the enduring Christmas classic “The Nutcracker.” Last December, Heather sat down with Tom Power to talk about the magic and opulence of this production at the National Ballet of Canada — and what makes the Sugar Plum Fairy’s solo so tricky. 

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. Jenn sits 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 sit down with Tom Power to tell us what happened next, and how it all led to their new album, “The Great Lakes Suite.”

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

After helping make some of the most successful TV shows out of Canada ever — “Letterkenny” and “Shoresy” — Jacob Tierney figured he was done telling stories about hockey. But then he read a steamy romance novel about two hockey players who fall in love, and he realized that was the story he needed to tell. His new show, “Heated Rivalry,” comes out tomorrow. Jacob sits down with Tom Power to tell us why he thinks so many bestselling romance novels are about hockey players, and how he managed to get a “joyfully smutty” TV show greenlit.

In the new film “Meadowlarks,” four Cree siblings separated at birth as a result of the Sixties Scoop reunite for a week in Banff, Alberta. Tasha Hubbard, the award-winning director behind the film, joins Tom Power to tell us about the real-life family that inspired the story, and her own experience as a Sixties Scoop survivor.

When the filmmaker Nia DaCosta (Candyman, The Marvels, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple) was growing up, she says she only saw Black women portrayed in one of two ways: either as harmful stereotypes or as noble figures who became one-dimensional in their wisdom and perfection. Nia has dedicated her career to presenting complex and nuanced portrayals of Black women on-screen. Her new movie, “Hedda,” is loosely based on Henrik Ibsen’s classic 1891 play “Hedda Gabler,” which features one of literature’s most controversial characters. But in this new adaptation, the title character is reimagined as a biracial and bisexual woman in 1950s England. Nia joins Tom Power to talk about the film and what happens when we let people be imperfect. 

The Barr Brothers are a Montreal band who are back with their first new album in eight years, “Let it Hiss.” Brad Barr joins Tom Power to share how getting sober gave him a new perspective on his life and career, and how that led to their most honest record yet. He also sets up a song called “Naturally.” 

Acclaimed bestselling horror writer Joe Hill (Heart-Shaped Box, NOS4A2, Locke & Key) is back with his first novel in nearly a decade, “King Sorrow.” He sits down with Tom Power to talk about writing scary stories, creating characters who are on different ends of the political spectrum, and what happened after fans figured out that his dad is Stephen King.

Today, we’re remembering Jamaican musician and trailblazer Jimmy Cliff, who has died at age 81. A few years ago, the Grammy-winning reggae legend joined Tom Power to talk about his incredible journey in music, what inspired his song “Many Rivers to Cross,” and why he thought reggae was able to find an audience around the world.

Gerry Dee was a Toronto high school teacher when he started moonlighting as a comedian more than a decade ago. Now, he’s the host of “Family Feud Canada,” he has a recurring role on the Fox sitcom “Animal Control,” and he’s just released a brand new Netflix stand-up special called “Funny You Should Say That.” Gerry sits down with Tom Power to talk about his journey in comedy, why his father is a main character in his act, and the key difference between being a “celebrity” and being a “Canadian celebrity.”

When she’s up on stage, Meredith Moon comes across as a confident, powerful performer. But when she was growing up, she struggled with stage fright. The Canadian singer-songwriter conquered her fear by busking on sidewalks from Halifax to Vancouver. Now, she’s released her third and latest album, “From Here to the Sea.” Meredith joins Tom Power to tell us about the record, and how it's the first without her late father and mentor, a Canadian music legend.

On his latest album, “Further From the Country,” William Prince moves away from his usual country sound into new sonic territory. Known for his intimate acoustic songs, the smooth-voiced Manitoban singer-songwriter from Peguis First Nation has now decided to add a rollicking band behind him. William sits down with Tom Power to discuss his bold new album and his performance at the Grand Ole Opry. Plus, he ranks iconic Winnipeg things, from slurpees to steakhouses to the Winnipeg Jets.

For decades, Tom Allen has been boosting the nation's knowledge of classical music. He’s the host of the CBC music show “About Time,” as well as a musician and concert host. But now, Tom has turned his attention to a new format: the almanac. His book “Tom Allen's Classical Musick Almynack” takes a look at classical music over the course of a calendar year, including key dates, facts and stories for each month, along with recipes, quizzes and musical activities. Tom sits down with Tom Power to tell us why he wanted to embrace this old calendar form, and why he’s so keen to spread the word when it comes to classical music. 

Even though she’s a descendant of the biggest wrestling family of all time — including legends like Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith and Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart — Nattie Neidhart (a.k.a. Natalya), charted her own course in wrestling to become a legend in her own right. It's not an exaggeration to say she helped usher in the biggest women’s wrestling revolution in history. Now, Nattie has released a new memoir, “The Last Hart Beating: From Dungeon to WWE,” which traces her incredible life and career. She joins Tom Power to discuss her book, her life in the ring, and the room in her grandfather's house called the dungeon.

Anyone in a band will tell you it’s like being in a family — a dysfunctional family. But somehow, against all odds, the Canadian rock band Yukon Blonde has managed to stay together for nearly 20 years. On their new record, “Friendship & Rock 'n' Roll,” they celebrate the love and music that’s kept them together all this time. Jeff Innes and James Younger of Yukon Blonde join Tom Power to talk about the album and why they find it so grounding to be in a band. Plus, they set up a new song called “Colours of My Dreams.”

Oscar-nominated actor Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey, Ragtime) is perhaps best known for her role as Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham on the acclaimed TV series “Downton Abbey.” Now, Elizabeth is in Canada with a new theatre production she wrote and stars in, “Ava: The Secret Conversations,” which sheds light on the life of Hollywood legend Ava Gardner. Elizabeth sits down with Tom Power to tell us the similarities between her life and Ava’s, how celebrity culture has changed (and not changed), and what it was like finally saying goodbye to “Downton Abbey” after 15 years.

This is the second half of “Q Live in St. John’s” (search for Part One if you missed the first half), which took place at the historic St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre earlier this month. This part features an incredible stand-up performance by comedian Trent McClellan, a conversation with award-winning drag queens Tara Nova and Gravy, and a hilarious chat with comedian Mark Critch.

A few years ago, Robert Plant thought he was done making records. But the former lead singer of Led Zeppelin discovered he still had at least one more left in him. His new album, “Saving Grace,” is named after the band he’s been performing with for the last six years. It’s a collection of 10 musical interpretations and covers of songs by a variety of artists. Robert joins Tom Power to talk about finding new inspiration in old music, why he's not precious about the past — including his time in Led Zeppelin — and this great quote he has about Bob Dylan: “Dylan didn’t tap me on the shoulder, he hit me between the eyes.”

After a period of personal growth, loss and change, Canadian singer-songwriter Julianna Riolino is bringing some hard-won confidence to her sophomore album. It’s called “Echo in the Dust” and it’s out now. Julianna sat down with Tom Power to talk about the record and to set up a song titled “Be Good To Your Mother.”

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 are the inspiration for the TV show “Bones.” Now, Kathy is about to release the 24th novel in the series, “Evil Bones.” She joins Tom Power to tell us about the book and the surprising reason she started writing in the first place.

The Canadian shoegaze band Living Hour just released their new album, “Internal Drone Infinity.” Many of the songs on the album are steeped in the life and landscape of Winnipeg — the band’s hometown. Lead singer Sam Sarty talks to guest host Talia Schlanger about how the band captured both the sounds of Winnipeg and the sounds of yearning on their new record. Plus, she sets up the song “Texting.” 

Last week, 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. Here’s a sample of some of the funny, heartfelt and wonderful moments that happened that night. Next week, we’ll share more from Q Live in St. John’s, including conversations with comedian Mark Critch and award-winning drag queens Tara Nova and Gravy, plus an incredible stand-up performance by comedian Trent McClellan of “This Hour Has 22 Minutes.”

Elle Fanning is an A-list actor who calls herself a "nepo sibling.” When she was just two years old, she appeared in her sister Dakota Fanning’s movie “I Am Sam,” playing a younger version of her character, Lucy. But for someone who’s been famous for nearly her entire life, there’s a bit of mystery surrounding Elle — and that’s intentional. During the Toronto International Film Festival in September, she sat down with Tom Power to talk about her latest film, “Sentimental Value,” which broke applause records when it premiered in Cannes earlier this year. She discusses the movie, her start in acting and why she wants to maintain some mystery around who she is.

Amaarae is one of the biggest new voices in music with a sound that blends Afrobeats, pop, house and rap. In the past few years, she’s gone viral on TikTok, she’s performed at Coachella, and she’s opened for Sabrina Carpenter and Childish Gambino. Amaarae joins Tom Power to talk about her new album, “Black Star,” how she got her start in music, and how a trip to Ghana led her to reconnect with her roots.

Sydney Sweeney is one of this generation's biggest stars. Her new film “Christy” tells the story of the trailblazing boxer Christy Martin, who broke into the male dominated world of 1990s prizefighting and became one of the biggest stars in boxing. It may not seem like Sydney — star of the hit teen show “Euphoria” and rom-com “Anyone But You” — would have much in common with Christy. But they both come from small towns, broke into their respective industries without connections, and have backgrounds in combat arts. Sydney joins Tom Power to talk about taking on the role of Christy, the physical transformation she underwent, and how her own background in martial arts influences her life and career.

Benny Feldman is a one-liner comedian who’s written thousands of jokes, including ones that poke fun at his own experience with Tourette Syndrome. Over the last few years, his career has been picking up steam after performing on Comedy Central and at the Netflix Is A Joke Festival. Even the great comedian and actor Patton Oswalt is a huge fan, saying that Benny is an “amazing joke writer and even better joke deliverer.” Benny stops by the Q studio to tell Tom Power about his new hour of stand-up “Butterfly Pavilion,” the art of one-liners, and being his “own heckler.”

Actor Stephan James (Homecoming, If Beale Street Could Talk) has made a name for himself playing major historical figures like runner Jesse Owens in “Race” and civil rights activist John Lewis in “Selma.” After working with legends like Julia Roberts and Laurence Fishburne, Stephan wanted to come back to his community in Canada and share his success. Earlier this year, Tom Power caught up with Stephan in front of a live audience to talk about his career and his plans to uplift young Black creatives.

A few years ago, the Canadian musician Brendan McLeod and his band The Fugitives wrote a collection of songs inspired by the real-life experiences of soldiers who fought at the Battle of Vimy Ridge during the First World War. Last year, ahead of a performance of those songs in a stage show called “Ridge,” Brendan joined Tom Power to talk about the project and the significance of Canada's sacrifice at Vimy Ridge.

Alex Cuba is a Grammy-winning artist known for his joyful, genre-blending sound. But on his new album, “índole,” he taps into sorrow as a creative force. His songs also reflect his Afro-Latin roots, and he wrote his 11th studio album as a thank you to his ancestors and the African diaspora that gave Latin music its heartbeat. He joins Tom Power to talk about finding beauty in pain, gratitude in his ancestors, and the true nature of where his music comes from.