Q with Tom Power

The Hello Crows have never just been a band. The Indigenous collective from Fredericton, New Brunswick formed after its members connected at an Indigenous songwriters’ circle. Through sharing their stories about their lives and collaborating on stage, the musicians realized that they could form both a band and a safe space for them to re-approach their Indigenous heritage. The Hello Crows members Quinn Bonnell and Dylan Ward join Tom Power to discuss their debut album, how they’re reconnecting to their culture and winning song of the year at the Music New Brunswick Awards.

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. Now, the Oscar-winning actor stars alongside Robert Pattinson in a new 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. She joins Tom Power to tell us 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.

In the groundbreaking play “The Comeuppance” by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, old wounds rise to the surface when a group of friends reunite 20 years after their high school graduation. The Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright wanted to shine a light on the elder millennial demographic — the kids that came of age alongside Columbine and the Sept. 11 attacks. Now, a new Canadian production of “The Comeuppance” is opening at Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre. Branden joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the play and how it looks back on the events that shaped a generation.

Afie Jurvanen, also known as Bahamas, is back with a new record, cheekily titled “My Second Last Album.” Whether or not it’ll live up to its title is still undecided. Afie made it on the fly with his buddy Joshua Van Tassel and nobody else. He sits down with Tom Power to talk about their collaboration and why he says letting go of control makes most things better. Plus, he sets up a song for us.

When Audrey-Anne Bouchard was a teenager, she found out she had a rare degenerative eye disease. Now, she creates immersive theatre performances for blind and partially sighted audiences, turning her experience living with a visual impairment into a professional strength. Her latest show, “Fragments: celle qui m'habitait déjà,” engages audience members through all the senses but sight. If you can see, you’re asked to wear an eye-shade during the performance. Audrey-Anne talks to Tom Power about how she approaches storytelling beyond the visual, and how that brings people together in unexpected ways.

Rochelle Jordan is a Canadian singer whose new record, “Through The Wall,” was recently named one of the best new albums by Pitchfork. It explores the roadblocks she’s dealt with in her career after years of self-doubt and insecurity. Rochelle joins Tom Power to talk about bouncing back from that, fighting as a Black artist to make pop music, and how her new album pays tribute to her brother.

Years before she made a splashy debut with her award-winning graphic novel “Stone Fruit,” the Montreal-based cartoonist Lee Lai spent years working in cafes and restaurants. That experience got her thinking about some big questions, like what does it mean to be of service? What happens when someone is used to giving but never receiving? And when you change your life for the better, will your friends and relationships support your personal growth? Those questions form the core of Lee’s new graphic novel “Cannon,” which follows a line cook who has trouble asserting herself and setting boundaries. She joins Tom Power to talk about it.

Over the last few years, Canadian singer-songwriter Elijah Woods has surpassed one billion streams, been nominated for four Juno Awards, and sold out tours across Canada and Asia — all before the release of his debut album. Elijah joins Tom Power to talk about his early brush with success on a reality music competition show, the dissolution of his band Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine, and starting over with a solo career.

Winnipeg’s Alexa Dirks, better known by her stage name Begonia, is one of the coolest voices in alt-pop with a bombastic, technicolour sense of style. On her new album, “Fantasy Life,” she pushes the boundaries of her sound, her visuals and, most importantly, her amazing voice. She sits down with Tom Power to talk about the record, her critical acclaim, and the difference between Begonia the flamboyant performer and Alexa the songwriter (spoiler: they’re not too different at all).

Twenty years after the release of his debut album, “When This Is Over,” Shad has firmly cemented himself as one of the great Canadian voices of our time. Now, the beloved Canadian rapper is marking the milestone with a new record, “Start Anew,” which is all about embracing change, facing loss, and moving into uncertainty with hope. He sits down with Tom Power to talk about his journey from being a curious teenager in London, Ontario, to an award-winning broadcaster and one of the best hip-hop artists in the country.

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