This year indie rapper Rollie Pemberton aka Cadence Weapon released his fourth album. This self-titled record was four years in the making and is intended to be his "creative rebirth" after a period where he debated giving up being Cadence Weapon.

I had some beers with Rollie when he was in Vancouver for Juno Fest. We talked about his roots in Edmonton, his time as a DJ in Montreal and his current hometown Toronto, which he is finding, tough but invigorating. Yes this episode will be very Canadian.

Why did Rollie become an ordained minister and how did it lead to him nearly falling to his death into Topanga Canyon? Which Kaytranada beat did Anderson Paak steal away from Rollie? What role did Montreal play in Rollie's existential crisis? How is Cadence Weapon's music a reaction to the nihilism dominating mainstream hip hop? What forced competition gave Rollie an unlikely lifelong friend and older brother in music? What does Rollie think about streaming services compared to releasing an album? You'll have to listen to find out!

Tracks played on the podcast edition of the show...

1) Cadence Weapon, Cadence Weapon (2018) "Infinity Pool" (ft. Casey MQ)

2) Cadence Weapon, Cadence Weapon (2018) "My Crew (Woooo)"

3) Cadence Weapon, Cadence Weapon (2018) "Soju"

4) Cadence Weapon, Cadence Weapon (2018) "Destination" (ft. Deradoorian)

5) Cadence Weapon, Cadence Weapon (2018) "Don't Talk To Me"

6) Cadence Weapon, Cadence Weapon (2018) "High Rise"

ALL songs CANCON

Most people noticed Meg Remy's U.S. Girls project when she released her last two records, Half Free (2015) and In a Poem Unlimited (2018) on the powerhouse 4AD record label, but she's been releasing records since 2008. The American-born Remy makes a home in Toronto and has done an amazing job of harnessing that city's native talent. I describe Remy as the ringleader of U.S. Girls--which she says is accurate--because she harnessed the talent the more than 20 friends and musicians who worked on her current record, In a Poem Unlimited. We hung out in her tour van as she waited to go on stage at Vancouver's Biltmore Cabaret.

Why is Meg the only person in her eight person touring band who hasn't bought any vinyl during the tour? Which president inspired her song "Mad As Hell"? (It's not the one you think.) What's it like for a pacifist to write a song about two women planning to murder their abusers? What does Meg call Basia Bulat? Which Toronto based artist would Remy like to sing the "That Boy Is Mine" duet with? Which track from In a Poem Unlimited does the band not play live and why? You'll have to listen to find out!

Tracks played on the radio edit of the show...

1) U.S. Girls, In a Poem Unlimited (2018) "Pearly Gates"

2) U.S. Girls, In a Poem Unlimited (2018) "Mad As Hell"

3) U.S. Girls, In a Poem Unlimited (2018) "Velvet 4 Sale"

4) U.S. Girls, Half Free (2015) "Damn That Valley"

5) U.S. Girls, U.S. Girls on KRAAK (2011) "State House (It's a Man's World)"

6) U.S. Girls, U.S. Girls on KRAAK (2011) "The Boy Is Mine" (Brandy/Monica cover) **

7) U.S. Girls, In a Poem Unlimited (2018) "Incidental Boogie"

ALL songs CANCON except **

Post-punk band Ought was born when three Americans and an Australian came to Montreal for school and got caught up in a whirlwind of friendship, music and protest. I climbed into the tour van with Tim Darcy (vocals, guitar) and Matt May (keyboards) from Ought and we talked about the band's latest record Room Inside the World.

How did the 2012 Montreal protests kickstart the band? Which Ought song was inspired by Bruce Springsteen? What was included in the vision board the band shared before writing the newest record? What place does protest and politics have in Ought's music and lyrics? Was Tim Darcy's solo record the beginning of something new for Ought? What about Matt's solo project? Which song from Room Inside the World does the band still not play live? You'll have to listen to find out.

Tracks played on the radio edit of the show...

1) Ought, Room Inside The World (2018) "Desire"

2) Ought, Room Inside The World (2018) "Disgraced in America"

3) Ought, More Than Any Other Day (2014) "The Weather Song"

4) Tim Darcy, Saturday Night (2017) "Joan, Pt. 1, 2"

5) Countrywide, Ownership (2013) "you are the river, I am the swimmer"

6) Ought, Room Inside The World (2018) "Brief Shield"

ALL songs CANCON

Post-punk band Ought was born when three Americans and an Australian came to Montreal for school and got caught up in a whirlwind of friendship, music and protest. I climbed into the tour van with Tim Darcy (vocals, guitar) and Matt May (keyboards) from Ought and we talked about the band's latest record Room Inside the World.

How did the 2012 Montreal protests kickstart the band? Which Ought song was inspired by Bruce Springsteen? What was included in the vision board the band shared before writing the newest record? Which Ought song did New York composer Arthur Russell inspire? What place does protest and politics have in Ought's music and lyrics? Was Tim Darcy's solo record the beginning of something new for Ought? What about Matt's solo project? Which song from Room Inside the World does the band still not play live? You'll have to listen to find out.

Tracks played on the podcast edition of the show...

1) Ought, Room Inside The World (2018) "Desire"

2) Ought, Room Inside The World (2018) "These 3 Things"

3) Ought, Room Inside The World (2018) "Disgraced in America"

4) Ought, More Than Any Other Day (2014) "The Weather Song"

5) Tim Darcy, Saturday Night (2017) "Joan, Pt. 1, 2"

6) Countrywide, Ownership (2013) "you are the river, I am the swimmer"

7) Ought, Room Inside The World (2018) "Brief Shield"

ALL songs CANCON

Edmonton's Jessica Jalbert started Faith Healer because she wanted to be in a band rather than be known as a just singer-songwriter. I shared a few beers with Faith Healer's Jessica Jalbert and Renny Wilson in the lobby of Vancouver's Patricia Hotel . It was a stressful day for Faith Healer. Their tour van had a broken and this was a problem on a February tour.

Why did Jessica not want to be known as a singer-songwriter? How did Montreal producer and fellow Mint Records artist Renny Wilson join the band? What's it like working in a record store in 2018 and what does this mean to Jessica's music? You'll have to listen to find out!

Tracks played on the radio edit of the show...

1) Faith Healer, Try ;-) (2017) "Try ;-)"

2) Renny Wilson, Sugarglider (2013) "Could've It Been Me?"

3) Faith Healer, Try ;-) (2017) "Waiting"

4) Faith Healer, Try ;-) (2017) "Sufferin' Creature"

ALL songs CANCON

Edmonton's Jessica Jalbert started Faith Healer because she wanted to be in a band rather than be known as a just singer-songwriter. I shared a few beers with Faith Healer's Jessica Jalbert and Renny Wilson in the lobby of Vancouver's Patricia Hotel . It was a stressful day for Faith Healer. Their tour van had a broken and this was a problem on a February tour.

What's the difference between an emoticon and an emoji? Why did Jessica not want to be known as a singer-songwriter? How did Montreal producer and fellow Mint Records artist Renny Wilson join the band? What were those nights like in Montreal while recording the record, staying up late smoking pot and listening to records in Renny's basement? What is Jessica and Renny's working relationship like? Which personality traits in each balance each other out? How will they fix the van? What's it like working in a record store in 2018 and what does this mean to Jessica's music? You'll have to listen to find out!

Tracks played on the podcast edition of the show...

1) Faith Healer, Try ;-) (2017) "Try ;-)"

2) Renny Wilson, Sugarglider (2013) "Could've It Been Me?"

3) Faith Healer, Try ;-) (2017) "Waiting"

4) Faith Healer, Try ;-) (2017) "Might As Well"

5) Faith Healer, Cosmic Troubles (2015) "Canonized"

6) Faith Healer, Try ;-) (2017) "Sterling Silver"

7) Faith Healer, Try ;-) (2017) "Sufferin' Creature"

ALL songs CANCON

I found all three members of LA indie folk band Magic Giant behind Vancouver's Fox Theatre completing another interview while their crew skateboarded in the alley. Magic Giant make crowd clapping, toe-stomping, sing-along type music and spending some time with Austin, Zambricki and Zang was just as energetic and infectious as their live show. These three are non-stop charm, wit and laughter. It was a really fun interview.

What ritual does Magic Giant perform before every show? What was the last concert that got the members of Magic Giant to sing along to the set? Does the band's tour van have solar panels on the roof and why? What is the touching story behind the band's song "Jade"? How does the band write together? How does the band democracy get tested? What does the band look for in a potential producer? What was it like to soundtrack a yoga class? What are the pitfalls of recording songs outdoors? Which song was inspired by "Forever Young" by Bob Dylan? You'll have to listen to find out.

Tracks played on the radio edit of the show...

1) Magic Giant, In the Wind (2017) "Set On Fire"

2) Bleachers, Gone Now (2017) "Don't Take the Money" (partial)

3) Magic Giant, In the Wind (2017) "Jade"

4) Magic Giant, In the Wind (2017) "Great Divide" (background)

5) Magic Giant, In the Wind (2017) "Great Divide"

6) Magic Giant, In the Wind (2017) "Window"

7) Magic Giant, In the Wind (2017) "Shake Me Up"

NO songs CANCON

Will Wiesenfeld, the man known as electronic musician Baths, released his new record Romaplasm in late 2017 and he's on the road touring this record now. I hung out with Will backstage at Vancouver's Fortune Sound Lounge when he was on the last leg of touring his Ocean Death EP. At this point, he was anxious to get home and start writing the music for Romaplasm.

What Canadian treat does Will look forward to when spending a lot of time in the tour van? What was it like making a "weird" second record after a well-received "accessible" first record? How did a bad bout of E. coli food poisoning effect writing his second record Obsidian? How did Will's intense perfectionism shape the song "Phaedra"? Who is Canadian Morgan Greenwood (from defunct experimental-pop band Azeda Booth) and how did Morgan go from email-pal to bro to a touring member of Baths? Will Morgan ever find the correct place backstage to pee? You'll have to listen to find out!

Tracks played on the radio edit of the show...

1) Baths, Ocean Death EP (2014) "Ocean Death"

2) Baths, Obsidian (2013) "Miasma Sky"

3) Baths, Obsidian (2013) "Phaedra" (partial)

4) Baths, Ocean Death EP (2014) "Orator" (partial)

5) Baths, The Nothing / Nightly, Daily single (2011) digital release only "Sleepless"

NO songs CANCON

Will Wiesenfeld, the man known as electronic musician Baths, released his new record Romaplasm in late 2017 and he's on the road touring this record now. I hung out with Will backstage at Vancouver's Fortune Sound Lounge when he was on the last leg of touring his Ocean Death EP. At this point, he was anxious to get home and start writing the music for Romaplasm.

What Canadian treat does Will look forward to when spending a lot of time in the tour van? Which song from his critically-adored first record, Cerulean, is Will completely bored of? What was it like making a "weird" second record after a well-received "accessible" first record? How did a bad bout of E. coli food poisoning effect writing his second record Obsidian? How did Will's intense perfectionism shape the song "Phaedra"? Who is Canadian Morgan Greenwood (from defunct experimental-pop band Azeda Booth) and how did Morgan go from email-pal to bro to a touring member of Baths? Will Morgan ever find the correct place backstage to pee? You'll have to listen to find out!

Tracks played on the podcast edition of the show...

1) Baths, Ocean Death EP (2014) "Ocean Death"

2) Baths, Obsidian (2013) "Miasma Sky"

3) Baths, Obsidian (2013) "Phaedra" (partial)

4) Baths, Cerulean (2010) "Lovely Bloodflow"

5) Baths, Ocean Death EP (2014) "Orator" (partial)

6) Baths, The Nothing / Nightly, Daily single (2011) digital release only "Sleepless"

NO songs CANCON

If you ask Canadian musicians to name a band they especially admire, the name you'll hear the most will be Guelph's Constantines. Bry Webb fronted the Constantines until the band decided to go their separate ways in 2010. After a break from music, Bry returned with some solo records.

I hung out with Bry Webb for a bit in Vancouver "friend band" Ladyhawk's tour van. The Constantines were back together for a reunion tour and we chatted about the end of that band, what got him back into music, and the Constantines reunion.

Why did the Constantines decide to call it a day? Who inspired Bry's return to music and his solo work? What's it like to write music on a dad's schedule? What embarrassing thing is Bry afraid his son will find out when he googles his dad? What bizarre career did his grandmother want Bry to try? How is the Constantines reunion tour going? You'll have to listen to find out!

Tracks played on the radio edit of the show...

1) Constantines, Tournament of Hearts (2005) "Working Full-Time" (background)

2) Bry Webb, Free Will (2014) "Prove Me Wrong"

3) Bry Webb, Provider (2011) "Asa" (partial)

4) Bry Webb, Provider (2011) "Undertaker"

5) Constantines, Kensington Heights (2008) "Time Can Be Overcome" (partial)

6) Bry Webb, Free Will (2014) "AM Blues"

ALL songs CANCON