
Witchpolice Radio
Acclaimed Manitoba-centric music interview podcast. Hosted by Winnipeg journalist and massive record nerd Sam Thompson. Music talk radio, broadcasting from 2012 'til forever. DIY or die.
Witchpolice Radio · Samuel Thompson
Show overview
Witchpolice Radio has been publishing since 2012, and across the 14 years since has built a catalogue of 1,000 episodes, alongside 6 trailers or bonus episodes. That works out to roughly 890 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a weekly cadence.
Episodes typically run thirty-five to sixty minutes — most land between 40 min and 1h 1m — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. The publisher flags most episodes as explicit, so expect adult themes or strong language throughout. It is catalogued as a EN-CA-language Music show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 2 days ago, with 16 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2023, with 104 episodes published. Published by Samuel Thompson.
From the publisher
Acclaimed Manitoba-centric music interview podcast. Hosted by Winnipeg journalist and massive record nerd Sam Thompson. Music talk radio, broadcasting from 2012 'til forever. DIY or die.
Latest Episodes
View all 1,000 episodesCrooked Ice (with guest hosts Sean and Todd McGinity)
Greg Rekus
Serge Paul
Mise en Scene

S1 Ep 1029Poison Suckers
EI’ve been doing this podcast for eleventy trillion years and somehow — despite enjoying many of their various projects for the past three decades — I’ve never had either member of Poison Suckers on the show. That changes now! Tune in for a chat about their brand new 7" EP ('Charmer') on Transistor 66, Winnipeg trash, pro wrestling, watermelons, the power of the train whistle, and more!Plus you get to hear me prattling on (again) about how much I love the Quiffs, in light of the upcoming reunion show with the Suckers on the bill. It’s a hoot. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want to throw some change in the guitar case! As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening in the podcast's 13th year (and it will continue forever because I can't stop).

S1 Ep 1028Jacob Brodovsky
ESinger-songwriter Jacob Brodovsky is set to release ‘Tell the Kids We Tried’, his new LP, later this year. He came back for an interview on the podcast to talk about the record, changing artistic (and life!) priorities, and much more. Need more Jacob in your life? Check out episodes #371 (April 2019), #687 (May 2022), and an even earlier appearance on episode #314 (Sept. 2018) as a member of the band Kakagi. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want to throw some change in the guitar case! As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening in the podcast's 13th year (and it will continue forever because I can't stop).

S1 Ep 1027Two Crows for Comfort
EDogs and Winnipeg Beach and writing folk songs, oh my! It has somehow been five whole-ass years (!) since the fantastic Two Crows for Comfort were on the podcast, so we caught up about their touring adventures, new (and old) music, and much more. Need more Crows in your life? Check out episodes #330 (Oct. 2018), #573 (March 2021), and a live performance they did in my backyard for #404 (July 2019). This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want to throw some change in the guitar case! As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening in the podcast's 13th year (and it will continue forever because I can't stop).

S1 Ep 1026Chandler Pretty
ETrying something new on this one: you're probably used to my show's titles starting with the episode number (this one is #1026), but apparently that hampers a show's ability to be found be potential new listeners on certain platforms, so this time we're testing the guest's name alone.Here's my chat with local indie-pop artist Chandler Pretty about getting into the music scene backwards, the cinematic sound of her debut EP ('Act V: Bloom'), bringing dark motifs to an otherwise bright genre, and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want to throw some change in the guitar case! As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening in the podcast's 13th year (and it will continue forever because I can't stop).

S1 Ep 1025WR1025: Dog Pops
EWhen Dog Pops were last on the podcast, they were a brand new band. Fast-forward to today, and they have the excellent ‘Good Pudding’ long-player out in the world and are playing their jangly little songs about animals and food all over town.Tune in for my conversation with Top Pop Marshall Birch, right here and ready for your earholes! Need more Dog Pops in your life? Check out episode #713 (Aug. 2022). Marshall was also on the show way back on episode #59 (Jan. 2014) as a member of the Unbelievable Bargains. This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want to throw some change in the guitar case! As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening in the podcast's 13th year (and it will continue forever because I can't stop).

S1 Ep 1024WR1024: Adele M. Wilding
EFebruary is Black History Month, and among the many events happening across Winnipeg is Adele M. Wilding's ‘Steal Away: Songs of Hope and Resilience’, a concert focused around the tradition and history of African-American spirituals. Tune in for my conversation with Adele about honouring her West Indian roots, the way traditional Black music continues to show up in unexpected places even into the 21st Century, the importance of accurately preserving music history, and much more!‘Steal Away’ takes place Feb. 21 at Crescent Arts Centre and includes a star-studded cast of local players.Need more from Adele? Check out episodes #765 (Feb. 2023) and #866 (Jan. 2024), as well as her recent live performance at my day job (worlds are colliding). This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want to throw some change in the guitar case! As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening in the podcast's 13th year (and it will continue forever because I can't stop).

S1 Ep 1023WR1023: Yaadies
EGreat conversation on this episode with Neville Hamilton from Steinbach reggae outfit Yaadies! We talk about coming to Canada and bringing Jamaican music to a very unlikely location, getting his kids involved in the family band, spreading Caribbean culture across Manitoba through IRAL Music & Arts Festival and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want to throw some change in the guitar case! As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening in the podcast's 13th year (and it will continue forever because I can't stop).

S1 Ep 1022WR1022: Len Bowen
ENow with repaired audio! Veteran Winnipeg MC Len Bowen has been steadily releasing inspired hip-hop since his early days as a member of local icons Shadez. In our latest (of many over the years) interview, we talk about his new record ('If You Don't See Me, You Saw Me'), representing Winnipeg on a larger stage, getting recognition for his efforts, his songwriting process, and much more!(Note: there was some weird echo/distortion on one half of of the conversation, so if you downloaded this when it first came out and haven't listened yet, go with this version instead. Thanks.) Need more Len Bowen in your life? Check out episodes #805 (June 2023), #647 (Dec. 2021), #475 (April 2020), #207 (Nov. 2016) and episodes #355 (Feb. 2019) and #101 (Nov. 2014) with Shadez. This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want to throw some change in the guitar case! As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening in the podcast's 13th year (and it will continue forever because I can't stop).

S1 Ep 1021WR1021: Solaire
EI listen to a pretty wide variety of music, so it’s rare that I get stumped on a genre, but J-Rock was a new one on me!Tune in for my conversation with locals Solaire about anime and video game music, Paramore tribute sets, their upcoming EP release (Feb. 7 at the Handsome Daughter), and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want to throw some change in the guitar case! As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening in the podcast's 13th year (and it will continue forever because I can't stop).

S1 Ep 1020WR1020: Kris Rendina
EThis episode features an interview with singer-songwriter Kris Rendina, who you may recognize from previous projects like Gold Mountain! We talk about his imminent solo full-length, The Moonflower Express (which will be released Feb. 5 at Sidestage), as well as peaks and valleys in songwriting, deciding to come back to music in an uncertain time, and much more. Need more from Kris? Check out his appearances on the podcast with Gold Mountain: WR104 (Dec. 2014), WR264 (Jan. 2018), and WR498 (June 2020). This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want to throw some change in the guitar case! As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening in the podcast's 13th year (and it will continue forever because I can't stop).

S1 Ep 1019WR1019: Favourite local releases of 2025
EIf you've been listening to this podcast for any length of time, you're probably familiar with my year-end rundowns of my favourite local (and local-adjacent) releases of the year. Usually it's this big, lengthy thing over multiple episodes, but this time I tried to keep it nice and concise. Here are just a few of the 2025 releases I really dug last year. Some are full-length albums, some are EPs, one, I guess, is technically a two-song single, and one is even a collection of songs recorded years earlier, but it's all really good stuff. Of course, I listened to way more local music in 2025, a lot of which is also fantastic, so this is just scratching the surface. Along with songs from each of the releases, you'll hear clips from interviews I did with the artists -- or relevant clips from other interviews -- from 2025 or earlier. If you need it in list form, my favourite records (from #1 to however many I did... I think nine?) were:Propagandhi - At Peace, Rob Crooks - Unhomely, JayWood - Leo Negro, Orelands - Secrets and Select Missions, INGIA - Genesis, Claire Morrison - Where Do You Go At Night?, Scott Nolan - Man on a Wheel, Irvin Miller - Make Room For..., and Uncle Sinner - Everybody Wants to Know How I Die. Dig deeper: Propagandhi (episodes #922, 624, 100)/ Greg Soden (988, 620); Rob Crooks (#1013, 968, 916, 853, 773, 657, 527, 346, 285, 189; JayWood (#1007, 824, 708, 589, 308, 255), Orelands (#965); INGIA (

S1 Ep 1018WR1018: Uncle Sinner
EBanjo-slingin’ death-song enthusiast Uncle Sinner is back with his first album in five years, the excellent ‘Everybody Wants to Know How I Die’. Listen up for a great chat about the record, taking cover photos the old-fashioned way, Manitoba’s influence on musical bleakness (and rebirth), and much more!Need more Uncle Sinner in your life? Check out episode #483 (May 2020) and episode #600 (June 2021), which is about his Star Thistle side project. This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want to throw some change in the guitar case! As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening in the podcast's 13th year (and it will continue forever because I can't stop).

S1 Ep 1017WR1017: Ben Stopfel
EFolk artist Ben Stopfel spent the majority of his musical career here in Winnipeg, before decamping to Nashville a couple of years ago and plying his trade as a songwriter in Music City. He’s back home for a show at Public Domain on Dec. 28 (which means this one is time-sensitive and jumped the queue).Here's our conversation about the two cities, coming back to Winnipeg, the differences between being a songwriter and a performer, and much more. This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want to throw some change in the guitar case! As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening in 2025 (and beyond)!

S1 Ep 1016WR1016: Fernanda
EJust over a year ago, folk singer Fernanda appeared on the podcast for the first time. We caught up to talk about her newly-released concept album, ‘Deer Trails’, the name change from her previous Julie Fern identity, working with field recordings, experimenting with new genres, and much more! Need more Fernanda? Check out episode #953 (November 2024). This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want to throw some change in the guitar case! As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening.

S1 Ep 1015WR1015: Kevin MKAI
EIt's another 'Manitoba-adjacent' episode! Shoegaze-inspired singer-songwriter Kevin MKAI may be based in Toronto these days, but he cut his teeth in Winnipeg’s music scene of the early ‘90s. Here's our conversation about his new music, his early experiences here in his hometown, poetry open-mics, having to change the spelling of his own name due to a DJ issuing a cease and desist, and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want to throw some change in the guitar case! As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening.

S1 Ep 1014WR1014: The Mouth-Bonus
EFor various technical reasons, no new interview episode this week... but I'm not gonna leave you hangin'. Instead, here's a bonus episode that was originally released exclusively on the Patreon page back in 2022: it's, essentially, the full discography of my old punk/noise/space music trio The Mouth-Boat, complete with my rambling recollections about the songs and recordings, etc. The Mouth-Boat was definitely not a successful band, per se, but it was a lot of fun. This Patreon bonus episode initially came out around the time of the Happy Days tape -- a collection of songs from all three Mouth-Boat EPs (and then some), remastered and re-released by Gimli cassette label Ancient Raven Records. Thanks to everyone who supports the show on Patreon, including the most recent patrons, Terrence and Maxfield, who signed up recently. There's all kinds of crazy bonus shit like this on there, plus you get advance versions of each interview and lots more. Back to regularly-scheduled interview episodes next week, and we'll close out the month with my traditional rundown of my favourite local records of the year. Thanks, as always, for listening!