Q with Tom Power

By CBCSociety & Culture

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Q with Tom Power episodes

March 03, 2023 Christian McBride + Tate McRae
Eight-time Grammy-winning bassist Christian McBride on what happened when he met his hero James Brown, and why he wanted to write a suite for four civil rights legends: Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali and Rosa Parks.
Plus, singer-songwriter Tate McRae (40:27) sets up a song for us off her debut album “i used to think i could fly.”
48 min
March 02, 2023 Rick Rubin + Barbara Brandon-Croft
Prolific music producer Rick Rubin (Beastie Boys, Lady Gaga, Johnny Cash, Run-DMC) on staying true to yourself, his musical inspirations and what it was like working with Johnny Cash in the ‘90s.
Plus, cartoonist Barbara Brandon-Croft (33:18) on rejection, growing up with a famous cartoonist father and how she’s breaking barriers with her comic strip “Where I’m Coming From.”
48 min
March 01, 2023 Ali Hassan + SYML
Comedian Ali Hassan on being a late bloomer, rebelling with pepperoni pizza and how 9/11 changed the trajectory of his life.
Plus, SYML (37:30) on losing his father and how that experience shaped his record “The Day My Father Died.”
54 min
February 28, 2023 David Harrington + Rakhee Morzaria
David Harrington on 50 years of making music with The Kronos Quartet, receiving an overdue apology and his love for Sesame Street.
Plus, actor and comedian Rakhee Morzaria (Run The Burbs) (37:21) on her comedy, the tension of being both a writer and actor on the same show, and what she thinks Tom should say to internet trolls.
52 min
February 27, 2023 Lakecia Benjamin + Lindsay Wong
Saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin on playing for revered artists (Missy Eilliot, Stevie Wonder), the time she snuck her way past security to play sax at a Prince concert and how a near-death experience inspired her latest album, “Phoenix.”
Plus, author Lindsay Wong (32:55) on the stigma around mental illness, growing up with “ghosts,” and what inspired her new book of short stories, “Tell Me Pleasant Things About Immortality.”
52 min
February 27, 2023 Remembering Gordon Pinsent
Gordon Pinsent, one of Canada's most prolific and iconic actors, has died. He was 92. We revisit Tom's conversation with the legendary actor from 2017.
19 min
February 24, 2023 Jay Ellis + Adrien Morot
Jay Ellis (Insecure, Top Gun: Maverick) on his career, his favourite rom-coms and why he started a podcast about racism in the U.S. criminal justice system.
Plus, the critically acclaimed film “The Whale” stars Brendan Fraser as a 600-pound man. Canadian makeup artist and prosthetic designer Adrien Morot (26:34) created the prosthetics that transformed the actor and made his performance so believable. He tells Tom about the challenge and how it feels to receive an Oscar-nomination for his work.
49 min
February 23, 2023 Rebecca Black + Hannah Alissa Richardson
At 13 years old, Rebecca Black became infamous for her viral song, “Friday.” Now, more than a decade later, she’s back with her debut album, “Let Her Burn.” Rebecca joins Tom Power to talk about the infamy of “Friday,” and what it’s like now making music on her own terms.
Plus, when Hannah Alissa Richardson (26:16) first saw the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre in Toronto as a young girl, she saw a glimpse into her future. Starting tomorrow, Hannah is dancing in her inaugural season with the company as their 65th anniversary tour kicks off in Toronto. Hannah tells Tom what it feels like when your dream comes true.
46 min
February 22, 2023 Hayley Williams + Emma Mackey
If you grew up in the mid-to-late 2000s, there's a good chance you know the band Paramore. Hayley Williams has fronted the pop-punk band for nearly 20 years. She tells Tom Power about the band's history, the advice she’d give her younger self and what inspired Paramore’s new album, “This Is Why.”
Emma Mackey (32:38) stars in “Emily,” a film about the life of Wuthering Heights author Emily Brontë — a reclusive, free-spirited woman and an outsider in conservative 19th century England. She sat down with Tom Power during the Toronto International Film Festival to talk about the film.
50 min
February 21, 2023 Sheku Kanneh-Mason + Monica Heisey
What was it like to play at Harry and Meghan’s royal wedding? The acclaimed cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason knows. You’ll hear him tell Tom Power about that experience and what you can expect from his latest album, “Song.”
Plus, last month, the TV writer Monica Heisey (Schitt’s Creek, Baroness Von Sketch Show) released her highly anticipated debut novel, “Really Good, Actually,” which follows the devastating and often absurd journey of a 28-year-old going through the first year of her divorce. Hear Monica open up about navigating divorce at a young age, and how she found humour in heartbreak.
42 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.