House of Crouse

On this week's Richard Crouse Show Podcast we meet Jamaican-American reggae musician, singer and DJ Shaggy who is here to talk about his new reggae-themed holiday album "Christmas in the Island."

Next is Harnarayan Singh, host of the Punjabi-language broadcast of Hockey Night in Canada and the author of a fascinating new memoir called One Game at a Time: My Journey from Small-Town Alberta to Hockey's Biggest Stage. In this interview we talk about the FIRST memoir he wrote… when he was six years old, what it was like growing up as a Sikh kid playing hockey in rural Alberta and much more.

Then, think you’ve got problems with the family? Robert Lacey’s book would be hard to top for stories of family disfunction. "Battle of Brothers: William and Harry – The Inside Story of a Family in Tumult" is the final word on the battle royale between the two famous brothers. Also, if you’ve been watching "The Crown," and who hasn’t been? You’ve seen his work. He’s the historical consultant on that popular Netflix show.

Finally, we meet "Soul" co-directors Pete Docter and Kemp Powers,

producer Dana Murray and Canadian story lead Trevor Jimenez.

This week on the Richard Crouse Show Podcast: Anthony Daniels, the actor behind C-3PO Zooms in from London to talk about the paperback release of his book "I Am C-3PO," sing a song and send a very special Christmas wish. Then, "The Star Wars Book" co-author Cole Horton swings by to talk about why "Star Wars" still resonates after more than four decades.

This week on The Richard Crouse Show Podcast we are joined by iconic musician and songwriter Elvis Costello. In an exclusive one-on-one Costello talks about life in lockdown, creativity in isolation and his 33rd album “Hey Clockface.”

This week on the Richard Crouse Show Podcast we answer the age old question, "What are you watching on television?" Culture journalist and co-author of "What to Watch Next," now in bookstores, helps you navigate pandemic viewing.

Then, award winning historian and author of "The Company," Stephen R. Bown, drops by to discuss one of the worst villains in Canadian history.

This week on the Richard Crouse Podcast we meet John Landis, director of some of the most popular movies of all time including The Blues Brothers, Trading Places, National Lampoon's Animal House, Three Amigos! And Spies Like Us, Coming to America.

His new project is "John Landis Presents The Library of Horror – Haunted Houses: Classic Tales of Doors That Should Never Be Opened," an anthology book featuring classic haunted house ghost stories. The selection includes tales of terror by Bram Stoker, H. P. Lovecraft, and Percival Landon; studies of creeping dread by Edgar Allan Poe and Henry James; short, sharp shockers by Ambrose Bierce, M.R. James and Lafcadio Hearn; and comedic masterpieces by Oscar Wilde and Saki.

Then we meet country star Jason Blaine. You know his hits like “Country Side” and “Friends of Mine” and he’s back with a new EP called "Go With Me," which promises to deliver many more hit songs.

This week on the Richard Crouse Show Podcast we meet Andrew Ferriss of INXS. In the 1980s and for much of the 1990s he wrote some of your favorite songs including "New Sensation," "Never Tear Us Apart" and "Elegantly Wasted." He’s put the new wave dance rock of his superstar band on hold to write a series of heartfelt songs with a country-roots edge for a new 5 song EP called "Love Makes the World," which is available now wherever you legally buy or download music. In this interview we talk about music during the pandemic, life in one of the biggest bands in the world and why he loves Nashville.

Then, journalist Justin Ling, author of “Missing from the Village: The Story of Serial Killer Bruce McArthur, the Search for Justice, and the System That Failed Toronto’s Queer Community” stops by. The book documents the tragic and resonant story of the disappearance of eight men–the victims of serial killer Bruce McArthur–from Toronto’s queer community.

This week on the Richard Crouse Show podcast we meet Ansley Simpson, a Toronto-based Anishinaabe singer-songwriter. Nominated for two Indigenous Music Awards and winner of “Best New Artist," on November 6 and November 12, she appears as part of the 13-episode AMPLIFY series on APTN. The show has a fascinating premise… invite an Indigenous songwriter to find a piece of Indigenous inspiration (whether it be a book, art piece, belief, etc.) and write a song about it.

Then from his home in London , England via Zoom, New York Times–bestselling author Simon Beecroft joins us to talk about his latest, "The Peanuts Book: A Visual History of the Iconic Comic Strip." In this celebration of Schulz and his beloved work, explore rarely seen sketches, influential comic strips, and collectors’ artifacts. Pore over evolving artworks of Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and the gang. Chart the rich history of Peanuts as it grew to become the world’s favorite comic, and travel from 1950 to the present day, from California to Japan. Every page of this visual guide is an exhibition to treasure. Discover the enduring and nostalgic charm of Peanuts in this stunning anniversary book. With a foreword by Stephen Colbert.

This week on The Richard Crouse Show Podcast we are joined by Sam Roberts who joins us via Zoom from his home in Montreal. His band, the aptly named Sam Roberts Band has been nominated for fourteen Juno Awards, they’ve won six, including Artist of the Year twice. They’ve been very busy since the world pressed pause back in March.  The band’s song ‘We’re All in this Together’ became an anthem of sorts for various promos featuring frontline workers and Canadians alike. They put the finishing touches on their new album and played a part in each and every charitable opportunity they could to help artists and Canadians across the board.

Sam Roberts Band have a new album called ‘All of Us’, the first in 4 years

Then, Ethan Lou is a journalist whose work has appeared in in the Globe and Mail, the Guardian, the Toronto Star, the Walrus and the Washington Post.

He has broken stories about the Canadian spy agency’s secret briefing to parliament, the snubbing of Sri Lanka by the country’s prime minister and the possible non-depiction of the future King Charles on Canadian bank notes.

This year was supposed to see the publication of his first book, "Once a Bitcoin Miner: Scandal and Turmoil in the Cryptocurrency Wild West" but the pandemic pushed that release date into next year… but he still has a book in stores right now. It’s called Field Notes from a "Pandemic: A Journey Through a World Suspended" and was inspired by two articles he wrote for MacLeans magazine after a January visit with his ailing grandfather in Beijing allowed him to witness the very earliest stages of a COVID-19,  a virus he says, will forever change the world as we know it.

The book says that over decades, globalization has crafted a world painfully sensitive and susceptible to shocks such as this pandemic… and examines the virus's beginnings and how it spread and the unprecedented measures to contain it.  He also looks at past pandemics in other crises and how they shaped the world--and has an argument for why this one's different.

"Field Notes from a Pandemic: A Journey Through a World Suspended" is a timely look at how the virus has transformed the world.

This week on the Richard Crouse Show Podcast we meet Great Big Sea's Alan Doyle who stops by to talk about his new book "All Together Now" and tell us why St. John's has one of the best pub cultures in North America.

Then Jake Clemons, saxophone player for the E Street Band discusses his Uncle Clarence and working with Bruce Springsteen.

This week on the Richard Crouse Show Podcast: Chart topping songs like "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" and "Coming Around" and albums like album, "The Man Who," which spent nine weeks at number one on the UK Albums Chart, made Scottish rock legends Travis one of the most interesting bands of the last few decades. They are back with an emotionally charged & deeply heartfelt ninth studio album simply called "10 Songs." it’s a record about life’s challenges and how love can help weather those trials and tribulations. Joining me today is Travis lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Fran Healy on Skype. He’s been called one of the UK’s finest songwriting exports. 

Then "Aladdin" star Mena Mossaud stops by to chat up hius new book "Evolving Vegan."

Finally, Halifax-based Rich Aucoin’s fourth studio album, “United States,” is available now wherever you legally buy or download music on sites like bandcamp. He has been long-listed for the Polaris Music Prize twice and has built a reputation for putting on some of best live shows in Canada. So that’s where we began… by talking about the lack of live music in our lives right now.