Mickey Acorn is an actor, comedian, songwriter, musician, writer, teacher . . . the list goes on. Since we acted together at UPEI in the late 90's, I've been admiring his work from far away (he's been living in Japan for 18 years). I don't think I've laughed this much in any other episode. We talked about his method of "wri-cording" (writing music while recording it), what lessons you learn on stage and what it means to be an artist. You can find Mickey online on Tiktok, YouTube, and probably many other places.

• Producer, editor and host: Drea Macdonald
• Podcast theme song - "If you let it" by Drea Macdonald produced by Adam Gallant
• Podcast logo/artwork by Birdmouse
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I just love Daniel Baylis' poetry collections and so when he began releasing music over the last year, I was overjoyed. His music is like his poetry - insightful, raw, beautiful and very true. I'm delighted that he agreed to join me on the podcast. We talked about the benefits of traveling as artists (and as humans in general), how he loves the challenge of adding music to his poetry, and how taking risks can be an important part of art-making. If you want to buy his books, visit here. If you want to listen to his music, it's streaming all over. You can view the lyric videos he's made on YouTube. His general website is here.

• Producer, editor and host: Drea Macdonald
• Podcast theme song - "If you let it" by Drea Macdonald produced by Adam Gallant
• Podcast logo/artwork by Birdmouse
• Follow the Podcast on Instagram
• Tip me on Ko-fi to help support this podcast!

Email: [email protected]

The art that Renee has been making over the past several years is compelling, engaging and tells a story. There's a reason for that! We talked about how she's inspired to paint these days, how she made the move to making art full-time (and how much healthier she is because of it), her oracle deck and readings, and so, so much more. You can find out more about Renee, and see/buy her work, on her website.

• Producer, editor and host: Drea Macdonald
• Podcast theme song - "If you let it" by Drea Macdonald produced by Adam Gallant
• Podcast logo/artwork by Birdmouse
• Follow the Podcast on Instagram
• Tip me on Ko-fi to help support this podcast!

What fun to interview a fellow MRHS alumni, Megan Aho - a singer-songwriter, author and children's entertainer using the stage name Molly Whuppie. We talked about so many things, including where her stage name came from, how the concept of "play" goes hand in hand with allowing space for inspiration, her love of the folk music style, and why Prince Edward Island is such a great place for artists to live. You can find her music on streaming sites and on Bandcamp, and she posts regularly on Instagram and other social media sites. Look for her at festivals this summer in Summerside and Rollo Bay, PEI.

• Producer, editor and host: Drea Macdonald
• Podcast theme song - "If you let it" by Drea Macdonald produced by Adam Gallant
• Podcast logo/artwork by Birdmouse
• Follow the Podcast on Instagram
• Tip me on Ko-fi to help support this podcast!

If you regularly see live music in PEI, you've likely seen James on the stage. He's a killer guitarist and one of my favorite songwriters. I finally got him out to the house to record a chat about how he got started playing guitar and writing songs, what he loves about performing and being a recording engineer, and how him and music are so intertwined it would be impossible to break them apart. You'll find him teaching music during the days and on various stages at night, and you can hear his guitar playing on my latest album, "Lucky".

*My apologies for the few seconds of static at the end of the episode.

• Producer, editor and host: Drea Macdonald
• Podcast theme song - "If you let it" by Drea Macdonald produced by Adam Gallant
• Podcast logo/artwork by Birdmouse
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• Donate to help me feed my cats

Julie Bull is poet/writer, mentor, performer and community-builder based in PEI. We got into why they left behind an academic career to focus on creating full-time and have built a practice and a career out of making art and helping others to do the same. There are some great tips in here for getting started, moving past creative blocks, and how bravery can keep you going. You can find their books locally at The Gallery Cafe and The Bookmark in Charlottetown, and at the Black and White Cafe & Bistro in St. Peter's Bay. You can also buy their books on their website and find out about workshops and mentoring opportunities there as well.

• Producer, editor and host: Drea Macdonald
• Podcast theme song - "If you let it" by Drea Macdonald produced by Adam Gallant
• Podcast logo/artwork by Birdmouse
• Follow the Podcast on Instagram
• Donate to help me feed my cats

I met Rozalind years ago when both of us were younger and totally fine with touring on a nothing budget and sleeping on floors. It was great to reconnect because I’ve been noticing all of the super cool ways she’s using her talents and helping people recognize theirs. We talked about how being a kid with asthma led to a life-long affair with playing the flute, why she finds the people of Newfoundland so grounding and empathetic, and her new film and music project (Push & Pull) that shows off the raw beauty of Twillingate. You can find her info and music on her website, and follow her on Instagram for project updates.

• Producer, editor and host: Drea Macdonald
• Podcast theme song - "If you let it" by Drea Macdonald produced by Adam Gallant
• Podcast logo/artwork by Birdmouse
• Follow the Podcast on Instagram
• Donate to help me feed my cats

Nikkie Gallant does many creative and artistic things, and we only touched on a few of them in this episode. She's one of my favorite people to sing with, and we've added vocal tracks to each other's recordings (as well as a bunch of our friend's albums). She has also been dealing with long-COVID, and it was impressive to hear how she was able to keep the creative juices flowing while dealing with a debilitating illness. You can find out more about her music and pottery on her website.

• Producer, editor and host: Drea Macdonald
• Podcast theme song - "If you let it" by Drea Macdonald produced by Adam Gallant
• Podcast logo/artwork by Birdmouse
• Follow the Podcast on Instagram
• Donate to help me feed my cats

I met Matt Epp years ago as he toured through PEI playing shows and I was glad to share the stage with him several times. We've always had great talks about music and life and art and I'm really glad I could get him on the show. He is a singer-songwriter, father, carpenter/handyman and a bit of a nomad. We talked about God and songwriting and Emmylou Harris and touring in Europe and so many other things. Matt will be on tour in Germany when this episode airs, so please check out his website for tour dates if you are in that area.

• Producer, editor and host: Drea Macdonald
• Podcast theme song - "If you let it" by Drea Macdonald produced by Adam Gallant
• Podcast logo/artwork by Birdmouse
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• Donate to help me feed my cats

Welcome to Season 3! Coincidentally, this episode is #33. Interesting. I’m so happy that I was able to get Catherine MacLellan out to the house for a very nice and long-overdue chat. We talked about growing up with a famous songwriter as a dad, practices for good mental health, and some of our very early, 1980’s musical influences. She’ll be releasing a new record in the future and has some shows coming up on PEI and abroad in 2026. You can find out where she will be by visiting her website.

• Producer, editor and host: Drea Macdonald
• Podcast theme song - "If you let it" by Drea Macdonald produced by Adam Gallant
• Podcast logo/artwork by Birdmouse
• Follow the Podcast on Instagram
• Donate to help me feed my cats