Fionn (Alanna & Brianne Finn Morris) sit down for an honest, unfiltered conversation about building a music career from childhood.

From nearly losing their first audition to extortion pressure, to busking with their own speakers, to finally earning their first-ever Billboard #1 plaque, this episode breaks down the realities of artists people don't see online.

They talk about:

• The night someone tried to cancel their audition unless they were paid
• Why people often expect female artists to be bad before they play
• Bringing their own speakers to a record label audition
• Why it really takes 10 years to build a music career
• Embarrassing early TikToks and learning the hard way
• How Canadian radio still changes careers
• Going from living together their entire lives to finally living apart This episode is about patience, growth, gender bias, and surviving the long middle of a creative career. 🎧 This episode is available on Youtube in video form. Subscribe to IHS for more biweekly nostalgic music interviews. Likes & comments help us out big time. Thank you to everyone who feeds back! 🎤 Guest: Fionn (Alanna & Brianne Finn Morris) 🎙️ Hosted by Jonathan Simkin

Danny Craig and Dave Benedict of Default join Jonathan Simkin for a brutally honest breakdown of how the band really got started — and what almost ended it.

From Chad Kroeger discovering the band and early Vancouver showcases, to Greenhouse Studios, Nickelback tours, and the chaotic rise of Wasting My Time, this episode pulls back the curtain on how fast success actually works — and how fragile it is.

They break down:

• Why TVT Records failed them at distribution

• The feeling watching Dallas' success after Default

• Radio spins vs real album sales

• Touring with Nickelback, Bush, and arena crowds

• The financial reality behind "platinum" success

• Business mismanagement, unpaid taxes, and lost revenue

• Why Default disappeared — and how close they were to staying massive

This episode is also available on all audio podcast platforms and in video on YouTube. Subscribe to I Hate Simkin for bi-weekly deep dives into iconic Canadian music stories, behind-the-scenes label moments, and artist career turning points. Likes, comments, and feedback help massively — thank you for supporting the show.

In this episode of I Hate Simkin, Jonathan Simkin sits down with Tyler Connolly and Dean Back of Theory of a Deadman for a brutally honest conversation about record labels, ownership, and what it actually means to be a rock band in today's music industry.

They break down why major label deals stopped making sense, the most exciting moments of their career, and the "old-but-new" sound they're chasing in their next chapter. From masters and short-term deals to cancel culture, social media backlash, and the illusion of success, this episode pulls back the curtain on what longevity in modern rock really looks like.

The conversation also dives into early Vancouver days, Greenhouse Studios, Juno politics, international touring, and why simplifying the business side of the band became the key to staying sane — and independent — after 25 years.

00:00 – The tweet controversy and why they left 604 Records 05:25 – Why they'll never sign to a label again 09:57 – How Nickelback changed their perspective 13:09 – Chris Baseford, production, and the direction of the new music 18:46 – The most exciting days of Theory of a Deadman 23:25 – What their kids listen to and getting in "under the wire" 32:40 – Why touring is better than ever and what's next

This episode is available on all audio podcast platforms.

Subscribe to I Hate Simkin for bi-weekly, behind-the-scenes conversations with iconic rock artists, industry veterans, and the people who shaped Canadian music. Likes, comments, and feedback help the show massively — thank you for supporting.

In this episode of I Hate Simkin, Jonathan Simkin sits down with Tyler Connolly and Dean Back of Theory of a Deadman to tell the full, unfiltered origin story of the band — from basement showcases and water delivery jobs to label bidding wars, major record deals, and multi-platinum hits.

They break down the exact moments that changed everything: how Default and Nickelback unexpectedly shaped Theory's early trajectory, the chaos of early music videos, recording Gasoline with Howard Benson, navigating label politics, surviving the Napster era, and the creative risks that helped Theory of a Deadman outlast an entire generation of rock bands.

This is a candid, behind-the-scenes conversation about longevity, mistakes, and why playing the long game in the music industry actually works.

They talk through (in order):

– "I was actually nervous about this one"

– How the band got signed and launched 604 as a record label

– All or Nothing nostalgia

– How RX & Napster changed everything for Theory

– Being drawn into the Nickelback push back

– Gasoline & the big change in Theory's tunes & lyrics

– The complicated relationship with drummers & managing money early on

– Why the long game works in music

Part 2 drops January 21. This episode is also available on all audio podcast platforms and YouTube in video.

Subscribe to I Hate Simkin for bi-weekly deep dives into iconic Canadian music stories, behind-the-scenes label moments, and artist career turning points. Likes, comments, and feedback help massively — thank you for supporting the show.

What really happens when a band suddenly explodes? Jonathan Simkin sits down with legendary Canadian manager Jeff Rogers (Crash Test Dummies, The Pursuit of Happiness, Rusty) to break it down.

Jeff dives into:

🎵 How ignoring "industry rules" helped his career 🎵 Why Canada's music scene pushes bands coast-to-coast instead of down to New York 🎵 Booking DIY tours before social media 🎵 The moment Crash Test Dummies started selling 80,000 albums a week 🎵 How MTV, Letterman, SNL, and KROQ changed everything 🎵 The wild truth about sudden success: new relationships, burned bridges, and massive pressure 🎵 Touring with Elvis Costello, parties at Donald Trump's house, Carly Simon on stage, and navigating the biggest opportunities of his career 🎵 The darker side of having a global hit (and the NDAs that come with it)

Jonathan shares his own parallel experience with Call Me Maybe, comparing the highs, lows, and long-term impact of having a song take over the world.

This is a rare, honest look at fame, artist development, radio politics, risk-taking, and the parts of the music industry you never see.

Episode out now — hosted by Jonathan Simkin.

Jonathan sits down with longtime former CBC Director of Music Steve Jordan to dive into his full journey. Steve tells never-before-shared stories about:

• His early days running incorrect weather forecasts on radio

• Being the first person to play The Tragically Hip on radio • Launching local Kingston bands and building a true DIY music scene

• Crossing paths with Sarah Harmer, The Inbreds, Mahones & more

• Everything wrong he saw with award shows that inspired Polaris

• What label life was really like in the 90s and 2000s and why his dream was not reality

• Why most A&R scouting was painful ("90% of bands you check out aren't good")

• The truth about discovering commercial acts vs. music you love

• How the industry has completely changed — and why nobody knows what it is anymore

You'll hear a ton of behind-the-scenes music industry history, wild anecdotes from the early days of Canadian rock, and honest insight about signing artists, surviving label politics, and building long-term careers.

The full episode is available on Youtube if you prefer video. If you enjoy the podcast please rate/review us it helps us a lot! If you care about Canadian music, A&R stories, or the evolution of the industry — this episode is a must-watch/listen. New episodes of I Hate Simkin every second week. Hosted by Jonathan Simkin. Powered by 604 Records.

Grant Lawrence joins Jonathan for one of the most revealing, funny, and brutally honest conversations about the Canadian music industry you'll hear. Grant is a longtime CBC host, author, musician, and one of the most recognizable voices in Canadian music culture. He and Jonathan go deep into: CBC's Top 20 and how radio formats keep mutating 28 years inside the CBC and surviving the chaos of the music industry Mint Records stories from the Dominion Building days The ugliest parts of award-show politics The truth about diversity optics at award shows Why 54-40 has zero Junos Why Jonathan will never win the Walt Grealis Award How reputation, longevity, and grudges shape the Canadian music industry Stories involving Sarah McLachlan's early records, Skinny Puppy, Gob, and more The legendary "hirsute" moment with Jonathan's wife And how an immigration lawyer accidentally became a major entertainment lawyer This episode is full of Canadian music history, unbelievable industry stories, and the kind of behind-the-scenes honesty that makes I Hate Simkin what it is.

What really happened behind the scenes of North America's biggest pop wave? Jonathan Simkin sits down with Louise Burns to unpack her journey being thrown in the deep end of the music industry as a teenager — from being signed by Madonna to navigating the intense experience of record labels pressuring teenagers to lose weight.

Louise reveals never-before-heard stories from the early 2000s pop machine with Lillix, a forgotten album that never came out, and what it was really like to grow up inside the Canadian music industry while the rest of the world was watching.

This episode blends nostalgia, insight, and raw honesty about the realities of success, creative control, and the business of making it big in music.

🎧 I Hate Simkin is where 604 Records founder Jonathan Simkin shares unfiltered conversations with the artists who shaped Canadian music — from massive pop moments to the scenes that never made the headlines.

The full video episode is available on Youtube too. If you're enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating/review, it helps us big time!

In this episode of I Hate Simkin, Jonathan Simkin (604 Records) sits down with Dave Genn (54-40) to look back on the wild early days of Vancouver's rock scene — from Dead Surf Kiss (DSK) and 24 Gone, to Holly McNarland, Matthew Good Band, and beyond.

They revisit the chaos, the friendships, and the heartbreak that defined the 90s Vancouver music era — including a Detroit radio hit they never even knew about, record deals that almost happened, and how creative relationships can implode under pressure.

👉 You can watch the full episode now on Youtube (@IHateSimkin) — it's a crash course in Canadian music history, told by two people who lived it.

If you're enjoying the podcast please leave a rating/review, it helps us big time!

This interview went on for a while, so we're doubling up with a part 2 this time next week! Dave Genn of 54-40, formerly of Matthew Good Band, and producer of many albums including Marianas Trench's Fix Me sits down with Jonathan Simkin to look back on decades shared in the Canadian music industry.

Dave gives us the inside track on how one of the biggest bands in Canada was doomed from the start despite so much popularity, why you shouldn't expect your favourite bands to stay together, and a look back on the Armchair Cynics new music 20 years after their big push to make it in the industry.

They also reflect on the chaos of Canadian rock in the 2000s, and laugh through stories of the records that almost never saw the light of day.

The full episode is available in video on Youtube, and part 2 is out this time next week.

If you're enjoying the podcast please leave a rating/review as it helps us reach more people who want insider info on the biggest acts in Canada across the last 30 years!