Q with Tom Power

On his album Pray for Me, Toronto-based R&B singer RAAHiiM straddles the line between his religious upbringing and a musical style that feels true to who he is. Back in February, he talked to guest host Garvia Bailey about the breakout year he’s had since being named Apple Music Canada’s Up Next Artist, and how he honours both his family roots and his creative identity through his music.

Andrea Martin is known for her work in Godspell (1972), SCTV, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and her Tony-winning performances in Pippin and My Favourite Year. She is now being honoured with the ICON Award from The Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada. She joins Tom Power in-studio to look back on her long career.

Hardcore punk godfather Joe Keithley (a.k.a. Joey Shithead) of D.O.A. fame is the focus of a new documentary called Something Better Change. The documentary covers his impact on punk and his political work. Since 2018, Joe has been a city councillor in his hometown of Burnaby, B.C. He tells Tom Power about pioneering the hardcore sound, his life in politics, and what it means to truly be a punk.

Katie Dippold created a new TV series that puts a comedic spin on classic horror tropes. Widow’s Bay is about a small island town off the coast of New England whose mayor is desperately trying to turn it into a tourist destination — despite the locals’ belief that the island is cursed. Katie mainly comes from a comedy background, having written the Ghostbusters remake and The Heat, as well as for Parks and Recreation. She joins Tom Power to talk about how she’s always been a fan of horror and why her comedy roots helped her write a scary show. 

After reading Ariana Harwicz’s novel, Die, My Love, in his book club, Martin Scorsese sent a copy to Jennifer Lawrence, telling her he imagined her as the main character. The Oscar-winning actor then starred alongside Robert Pattinson in the film adaptation of the novel, directed by Lynne Ramsay. The story follows a young mother struggling with her mental health after the birth of her first child. As a new mother herself, Jennifer decided this was the right project for her to jump back into acting following a break from Hollywood. Back in November, she joined Tom Power to tell him how she mentally prepared for this harrowing role, how she doesn’t let her teen fame past define her, and why she stepped away from the spotlight after she started feeling more like a celebrity than an actor.

Casper TNG has been making waves in Toronto’s underground hip-hop scene for many years. But as his music career was taking off, he was getting more and more involved in organized crime, which landed him in prison for three years. Now that he’s out, he has a new perspective on his music, especially after becoming a father. His new single, The Market, is racking up millions of views on YouTube and TikTok, and has just gone gold in Canada. Casper joins Tom Power in-studio to talk about his journey and getting to this moment. 

Italian-Irish comedian Vittorio Angelone was just in North America touring his new show, you can’t Say Nothing any more. It’s a look at whether comedians have a responsibility to speak out on topics and issues of the day. People have called Vittorio both a “woke snowflake” and a “right-wing edgelord.” Vittorio tells Q guest host Garvia Bailey why he likes that ambiguity around his comedy.

As a kid, Kane Parsons liked to 3D animate YouTube short films. When he stumbled upon a creepy image online called The Backrooms, it inspired him to create a short film about this spooky, liminal space in a vacant furniture store. His short caught the attention of A24, who hired Kane to direct the feature film, Backrooms, about this strange space. At 20-years-old, Kane is the youngest director in A24 history. He joins Tom Power in-studio to talk about making his feature debut and how he got here.

Paul Gross is taking on Samuel Beckett’s Waiting For Godot this year at Ontario’s Stratford Festival. You may know Paul as Mountie Constable Benton Fraser from Due South, or from his roles in Slings and Arrows, Republic of Doyle and Passchendaele. The Governor General’s Award-winning actor and director joins Tom Power in the Q studio to talk about Waiting for Godot and why he wanted to take on the co-leading role of Vladimir. Paul also discusses why he thinks that this Beckett play is one of the single greatest creative achievements in human history. 

Canadian singer-songwriter Daniela Andrade introduces her new song, Cohete, in Q’s recurring New Music segment. Daniela’s new album, Oda, is out now.