I’ve been on a serious Ken Yates kick lately. Been listening to his songs non stop. They are so good. Something about the way he takes his time, leaves room, makes the most of every lyric and every verse that totally draws me in. His latest record “Cerulean” is tremendous as is the record before called “Quiet Talkers”.  I was so curious to talk about his process, his education at Berklee School of Music (one of the most prestigious music schools in the world) and his love of the outdoors.  Also, I really just wanted to get nerdy about the craft of songwriting. We got into all of that and more. Really enjoyed this one. Check out all things Ken Yates at www.kenyates.com.  

To me, Laurie Brown is an icon. Since I was kid I’ve felt like I’ve known her. She has been a VJ on MuchMusic,  was the host of The Signal on CBC Radio 2 for over a decade and now has one of the most interesting podcasts out there called “Pondercast”. I’m a huge fan of Laurie Brown and, in many ways, she has been there as a guide for me towards great music throughout most of my life. Plus I love her voice and her style as a broadcaster. So needless to say, I was super pumped to have this chat and it lived up to my expectations in every way. We talked about imagination, creativity, meditation and the importance of space, in life, music and in broadcasting.  I was honoured to get to have this chat with Laurie and I’m thrilled to be sharing it with you. For more info on her podcast go to www.pondercast.ca.  

Aquakultre - This is part 2 of my conversation with Lance Sampson (Aquakultre). As I said before, this one was just too good to cut short and it deserved to be a two parter. Whereas in the first one we focused a lot on the power of music to bring people together, this part focuses on community. Any conversation, any project that involves Lance involves the community. It’s fundamental to how he understands who is and what he does artistically. I love that. I learned a lot from this one and I’ve been inspired by it ever since having it. I hope you enjoy it!

Aquakultre - This conversation with Lance Sampson, the artist behind the project Aquakultre, was so expansive, so interesting and full of wisdom that I decided I had to split it into two parts. Aquakultre is, to me, one of the most dynamic artists making music in Canada. I’m a huge fan. He can rap, he can sing and he’s exploding with creativity. But this conversation went deeper than just the music. We talked about his time in prison, the importance of community and, most importantly, the power of music to bring people together. His newest record is called “Don’t Trip” and it’s excellent. You should check it out. But for now, enjoy my chat with Lance Sampson. 

One of my absolute favourite stories in Canadian music over the last couple years has been the meteoric rise of Neon Dreams in South Africa. Neon Dreams is one of the most successful pop acts to ever come from the east coast. Over the last decade, they’ve built a wildly loyal fan base and have released a bunch of radio hits in Canada. However, during the pandemic something new took place. What started with a song, turned into a video, turned into a tour, which turned into playing shows to over 4,000 people consistently. All within a couple years! It’s amazing. I was so grateful to get a chance to catch up with Frank Kadillac and Adrian Morris and get the scoop on how this all took place, how they maintain such a close relationship with each other and their fans, and what kind of “inner work” they do to keep all this moving forward while staying mentally and spiritually fit. Really enjoyed this.

Check https://www.neondreams.ca/ for everything else you need to know about Neon Dreams.

Jim Bryson - One of my earliest buds in the business. I love Jim so much. He’s an incredible songwriter (who just put out his 7th solo album called “Country Wifi”),  an amazing guitarist (who has played with Kathleen Edwards for years) and is now producing some of the best records being made in Canada. Above all this, Jim is an extraordinarily honest, humble, and interesting person to get to hang with. I knew this was going to be a real one and it was. I appreciated the time with him so much. Check jimbryson.org for everything else you need to know about Jim.

Tim Baker - I’m a legit fan of Tim Baker. I love Hey Rosetta! and I love his solo stuff. In fact, I became an even bigger fan when I saw how well he morphed into a solo artist after being in such a successful band and how clear his vision seemed. His musicality is deep and his voice is an instrument of crazy range. Like McCartney he can sing as sweet as a bird or let loose with total abandon and really scream it out without it losing the focus of the emotion. It’s special. He just put out a great new single called “Lucky Few” and has a new record (which was largely recorded on Fogo Island) coming out in the fall. Check out timbaker.net for all the touring info.  Big thanks to Tim for taking the time to chat.

Jah’Mila - I recently saw Jah’Mila live and I was totally blown away. Amazing presence on stage, confidence and musicianship. You could really tell she knew what she was doing and she’d be doing it for a long time! And the crowd was feeling it. She’s sung and toured with the Wailers and now calls Halifax her home.  Her roots in Reggae run deep. Her father, Earl “Chinna” Smith toured with Bob Marley, played on a ton of seminal Reggae recordings and even recorded on “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill”. Jah’Mila knows what she is about, which is so refreshing. I really dug this conversation and I really learned a lot. Go see Jah’Mila live if you get the chance!  Check out www.jahmilamusic.com.

I met The Bros Landreth years ago when we shared a workshop stage at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. They blew my mind. You could tell right away they were lifelong musicians. From their feel and ease, you could tell they had been playing for years and were fully engaged with the craft of extraordinary musicianship. I’ve been a big fan ever since. And they just keep getting better. It was a real pleasure to get to chat with Joey and Dave Landreth. We talked about their brand new record “Come Morning” (out May 13th), having written the lead the single off of Bonnie Raitt’s newest album, and the war of attrition that is maintaining a fulfilling and sustainable career in the music business. Loved it. They are hitting the road on tour staring June 3rd.  Check thebroslandreth.com for details.

Matt Andersen - If you’ve ever seen Matt live, you know. You know that he’s got one of the most incredible voices you’ll ever hear and leaves absolutely everything on the stage night after night. In fact over the past 20 years he’s toured more than almost any artist in Canada. And in so doing, has built up an insanely successful touring career selling out venues all over the world (often performing solo!).  He’s humble, super down to earth and extraordinarily hard working. He recently put out a stripped down album called “House to House” which is beautiful and has another full band album in the can! We chatted about all this and more. I loved every minute. Check out his site at www.stubbyfingers.ca.