Q with Tom Power

By CBCSociety & Culture

Favorites
579
Followers
Typical duration
24 min
per episode
If it hooks
72%
finish an episode

Based on Podcast App listening data

Q with Tom Power episodes

May 11, 2023 Herb Alpert on how art is all about feeling + Doug Paisley’s new song
Eight-time Grammy winner Herb Alpert (Spanish Flea, This Guy’s In Love With You, Ladyfingers) on his successful and expansive career, founding the powerhouse record label A&M records, and his friendship with Karen Carpenter of the Carpenters (whom he signed to his label).
Plus, Canadian singer-songwriter Doug Paisley (36:21) tells you the story behind his song “Wide Open Plain” from his new album, “Say What You Like.”
47 min
May 10, 2023 Glenn Howerton on Blackberry and It’s Always Sunny + Terence Blanchard’s new boxing opera
Glenn Howerton on starring in the new movie, “Blackberry,” how “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” came to be, and what it’s like to be in the longest-running live action television comedy in U.S. history.
Plus, Grammy-winning trumpet player Terence Blanchard (24:30) on how a 1962 welterweight world championship boxing match inspired his latest work for New York’s Metropolitan Opera.
48 min
May 09, 2023 Tom Hanks wants you to know the magic behind moviemaking
Two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, Philadelphia, A League of Their Own) on his new novel “The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece,” the insecurities he’s felt throughout his career, and what drives his passion for filmmaking when it feels like “the odds are stacked against you.”
53 min
May 08, 2023 Aurora James on pushing for change through fashion + Ocean Vuong’s poetry
New York-based Canadian fashion designer Aurora James on founding her label Brother Vellies, her new memoir “Wildflower,” and the story behind creating Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s famous “tax the rich'' dress she wore at the 2021 Met Gala.
Plus, poet Ocean Vuong (35:25) on his New York Times bestselling poetry collection “Time Is a Mother,” expressing grief through art, and why he calls death “the truest thing.”
51 min
May 05, 2023 Iconic drag queen Sasha Velour + Emm Gryner on her new song
Sasha Velour on the famous lip synch that won her “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 9, her new book, “The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag,” and what drag queens are talking about with one another during a time when their livelihoods are being threatened.
Plus, Juno-nominated singer-songwriter Emm Gryner on finding love during the pandemic, her fondness of Steely Dan, and the story behind her new song, “Loose Wig.”
53 min
May 04, 2023 The Mandalorian’s Paul Sun-Hyung Lee + The National’s Matt Berninger
Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Kim’s Convenience) on his lifelong love of “Star Wars,” the unusual story behind how he got the role of Captain Carson Teva in “The Mandalorian,” and what the franchise needs to do better when it comes to Asian representation.
Plus, Matt Berninger (26:00) on The National’s latest record, why he thought the band would never make a new album again, and their collaboration with Taylor Swift.
52 min
May 02, 2023 The Bangles’ Susanna Hoffs + Crown Lands on Rush and their new album
The Bangles co-founder and lead singer Susanna Hoffs on her debut novel, “This Bird Has Flown,” how she looks back on the height of the band's fame, and the story behind her hit song “Eternal Flame.”
Plus, the prog-rock duo Crown Lands (35:00) on their new album, “Fearless,” their love of Rush, and how their band name is an act of reclamation for Indigenous sovereignty.
50 min
May 02, 2023 Remembering Gordon Lightfoot
Q’s Tom Power and Commotion’s Elamin Abdelmahmoud co-host this special tribute in remembrance of Gordon Lightfoot (Rainy Day People, Sundown, If You Could Read my Mind). The acclaimed singer-songwriter died on Monday night at age 84, ending a career that spanned more than five decades, and included honours such as the Order of Canada and an induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Tom and Elamin talk to some of his closest friends and listen to his legendary music.
1 hr 16 min
May 01, 2023 Brad Mehldau on The Beatles + Kevin Alves on starring in “Yellowjackets”
Grammy-winning jazz pianist Brad Mehldau on interpreting the music of The Beatles for his new album, “Your Mother Should Know.”
Plus, Kevin Alves (26:49) on starring as Travis Martinez on the Emmy-nominated series “Yellowjackets,” how being a professional figure skater helped him as an actor, and what it was like climbing a 40-foot tree for the show.
47 min
April 28, 2023 Comedian Murray Hill just wants to be himself + Roger Reeves on how poetry is for everyone
Legendary New York comedian Murray Hill on finally getting his primetime moment in the HBO series “Somebody Somewhere,” how he created a version of himself to survive his adolescence, and his best Don Rickles story.
Plus, Roger Reeves (37:21) on his 2023 Griffin Poetry Prize shortlisted poetry collection, “Best Barbarian,” how anybody can be a poet, and the lesson he learned about art from his daughter.
51 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.