Q with Tom Power

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Q with Tom Power episodes

October 17, 2023 Paw Patrol’s Ron Pardo + new music from Laur Elle
Ron Pardo may not be a household name, but kids around the world will certainly recognize his voice. The Canadian voice actor and comedian plays Cap'n Turbot and Mayor Humdinger in “Paw Patrol,” one of the most popular franchises on childrens’ television. As another film in the franchise hits theatres, Ron talks to Tom about “Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie” and his unexpected journey to kids entertainment.
Plus, before her career in music, Alberta-born pop singer Laur Elle competed internationally as a professional gymnast. After being forced to retire at age 16, she threw herself into songwriting with the same discipline she applied to her sport. Laur Elle talks to Tom about her switch from athlete to artist, and tells the story behind one of her latest singles, “Easy Way Out.”
28 min
October 16, 2023 Jeremy Dutcher: Motewolonuwok, the sound of grief, and the intersection between queerness and Indigeneity
After winning the prestigious Polaris Music Prize back in 2018 for his debut album, “Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa,” Jeremy Dutcher is back with his long-awaited sophomore record, “Motewolonuwok.” Jeremy tells Tom about the pressure of writing your second record when your first was so successful, how he directed his trumpeter to “play grief,” and why he’s decided to sing partly in English on his new album.
36 min
October 16, 2023 Bob & Erin Odenkirk: Creativity, writing a children’s book together, and what a Zilot is
When the Emmy award-winning actor and bestselling writer Bob Odenkirk (Mr. Show, Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad) was raising his kids, he wanted them to know they could do and create anything — and one of the ways he taught them that was by getting them to write a poem every time they read a book together. Now, years later, those collections of poems are available in a children’s book called “Zilot & Other Important Rhymes,” illustrated by Bob’s own daughter, Erin Odenkirk. Bob and Erin join Tom to talk about the importance of flexing your creativity as a young person, and the difference it makes as you become an adult.
18 min
October 13, 2023 Joan Baez: Folk music, “Bobby” Dylan, and what it means to have an honest legacy
Few voices in folk music captured a time and place quite like Joan Baez’s. Now, her incredible life is on display in the new documentary “Joan Baez I Am a Noise.” It follows her career as she became one of the definitive singers of her generation, and reveals an intimate look at her life, loves, and traumas through diary entries, recordings and performances. She talks to Tom about her career, what it means to leave behind an honest legacy, and what she’s most proud of.
30 min
October 13, 2023 Ed Robertson: The story behind Barenaked Ladies hit song One Week
It’s been 25 years since Barenaked Ladies’ hit song “One Week” came out and topped charts all over the world. Frontman Ed Robertson tells Tom the stories behind some of the song's lyrics, what he remembers about “One Week” going to no. 1 in several countries (except in the band’s home country of Canada) and how they wrote it in a four-minute, freestyle session.
17 min
October 12, 2023 Lisa Moore: The Ocean Ranger tragedy, opera, and the complexity of grief
Lisa Moore’s novel “February” received international acclaim when it came out in 2009, earning nominations for both the Giller and Booker Prize. The novel is based on the tragic sinking of the Ocean Ranger oil rig off the coast of Newfoundland in 1982, with the loss of all 84 aboard. Now, Lisa has reimagined her book as an opera. Just before the world premiere of “February” the opera, she joined Tom in St. John’s, Newfoundland to talk about writing the novel, what she remembers about that fateful day in 1982, and what it’s like to retell the story as an opera.
23 min
October 12, 2023 Craig Shreve: The fascinating true story of Yasuke, the mysterious African samurai
Not much is known about Yasuke — an enslaved Black man from Africa who ended up working as a samurai in some of Japan’s most notable houses — but that didn’t stop Craig Shreve from writing about him in his new novel, “The African Samurai.” Craig tells Tom why he was drawn to the 16th-century story and the challenges he faced turning this forgotten history into a novel.
17 min
October 11, 2023 Pedro Almodóvar: Spanish cinema, creative freedom, and making movies under a dictatorship
Pedro Almodóvar (The Skin I Live In, Parallel Mothers) helped cement Spain’s place in cinematic history with bold films that are colourful, provocative and full of dramatic plot twists. But his defiant spirit and transgressive filmmaking style was hard-earned. Fresh off his second English-language project, “Strange Way of Life,” Pedro shares how growing up under a dictatorship shaped him as an artist, what it felt like to finally be “free” in his creative expression, and what he loves about working with actors like Antonio Banderas and Penélope Cruz.
35 min
October 10, 2023 Patrick Stewart: Star Trek, Shakespeare, and losing his Yorkshire accent
When Patrick Stewart was first cast as Captain Jean-Luc Picard on the hit TV series “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” the Los Angeles Times referred to him as “an unknown British Shakespearean actor.” But it didn’t take long for him to become a household name. Sir Patrick has just released a memoir, “Making It So,” about his life in acting. He joins Tom to talk about it and share stories from his career.
36 min
October 10, 2023 Sophie Dupuis: Drag queens, queer authenticity, and finding a sense of belonging
At this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, the best Canadian feature film award went to “Solo,” directed by Sophie Dupuis. Sophie tells Tom why she chose to tell a coming-of-age story in Montreal’s vibrant drag scene, and how building a queer community around the film's creation helped it not only be more authentic, but also helped her find confidence in her queer identity.
17 min

About Q with Tom Power

From the publisher's feed

Five days a week, Tom Power brings you candid conversations with the artists shaping our culture. Whether he’s chatting with A-listers or rising stars, his disarming warmth and meticulous research…

always gets below the surface, bringing us deeper into the art and lives of today's most compelling musicians, writers, actors and filmmakers.

As a Canadian institution, Q has attracted the biggest names in the world. But it's never been about the fame. It's always been about the art.

Since becoming the host of Q in October 2016, listeners have come to know Tom for his in-depth interviewing style (asking founding Wu-Tang Clan member RZA what was inside his teenage notebooks), his mischievous sense of humour (jokingly chiding actor Catherine O'Hara for her parenting skills in Home Alone), and his genuine enthusiasm and fearlessness (singing a duet with Mavis Staples).

You’re just as likely to hear from celebrities and cultural icons as you are to hear from emerging artists at the beginning of their career. Tom gives each and every artist the space to tell their story in their own words. He also has a track record for interviewing artists on the precipice of stardom, like Lizzo, Billie Eilish and Daniel Caesar, who appeared on Q well before they hit the mainstream.

On Q, we cover arts and culture in all its forms, including music, movies, film, TV, comedy, painting, photography, theatre, cinema, Broadway, fashion, dance, opera, documentaries, books, fiction and memoirs.

Look to our archives to hear some of Tom’s award-winning artist interviews, including his moving and insightful conversation with the Canadian actor Michael J. Fox, which was awarded the prestigious gold medal for best interview at the 2021 New York Festivals Radio Awards.

In 2022, Tom spoke with Friends star Matthew Perry in front of a live audience. Their warm and frank conversation about the actor's struggles with substance abuse struck a chord, leading to millions views on TikTok and Instagram, while also being picked up by news outlets internationally, including Vanity Fair and CNN.

Tom’s impactful discussions with top talent have included Adele, Bono, Chappell Roan, Pamela Anderson, Cate Blanchett, Dua Lipa, Cher, Denzel Washington, Mick Jagger, Florence Pugh, Francis Ford Coppola, Kristen Stewart, Emma Stone, Jim Carrey, Billy Porter, Tom Hanks, Jerry Seinfeld, Tyler Perry, Alicia Keys, Alan Moore, Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton, Barbra Streisand, Darren Aronofsky, Harry Styles, Simu Liu, Sean Penn, Sandra Bullock, Michaela Coel, Ryan Reynolds, Katy Perry, Neil Young, Shakira, George Clooney, Ava DuVernay, Omar Apollo, Trixie Mattel, Orville Peck, Big Sean, Anil Kapoor, Jane Fonda, Robert DeNiro, Antonio Banderas, Elton John, Celine Dion, Kerry Washington, Chuck D, Steven Soderbergh, Mikey Madison, Cillian Murphy, Sean Baker, Steve McQueen, Paris Hilton, Taylor Tomlinson, Gwen Stefani, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Kylie Minogue, Stanley Tucci, Rufus Wainwright, Caroline Polachek, Hans Zimmer, Denis Villeneuve, Alex Garland, Alan Ritchson, Britt Lower, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, David Blaine, Brian Tyree Henry, Perfume Genius, Deepa Mehta, Tracy Chapman, Chloë Sevigny, Josh Hartnett and many more.