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Q with Tom Power

Author: CBC

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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.

1151 Episodes
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After a decade away from music, Hilary Duff is back with Luck… or Something — a new album that dives into the messy, vulnerable and raw parts of life she’s now navigating in her late 30s. Hilary sits down with guest host Garvia Bailey in the Q studio to discuss her comeback album, child stardom, and her complicated relationship with Lizzie McGuire. 
Jully Black, Canada’s Queen of R&B Soul, is currently on tour, but not the kind of tour we’re used to. She’s performing at small venues across the country for what she’s calling the Jully Black Live Experience. Guest host Garvia Bailey catches up with the R&B powerhouse to talk about why she wanted to get up close and personal with her fans. Plus, Jully reflects on how a song she recorded more than 25 years ago has earned her a new Juno nomination — and a spot at Q Live at the Junos, taking place in Hamilton on March 26.
Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett — the architects of the Grammy-winning, multi-platinum band Gorillaz — are back with their ninth studio record, The Mountain. It might be the group’s most personal record yet, as it follows a fictional story inspired by real events. After Damon and Jamie both lost their fathers, they decided to travel to India where they gained a new understanding of death and family. The Mountain was the result of that journey. Damon and Jamie join guest host Talia Schlanger to open up about the album and the personal loss that fuelled it.
The Montreal hip-hop trio Muzion were pioneers of the Quebec rap scene in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The group was known for bringing their Haitian roots to the world stage, mixing French, English and Haitian Creole into their music. For Black History Month, Canada Post recently unveiled special edition postage stamps to honour Muzion and other Canadian hip-hop artists that have helped shape the genre. Two of the members of Muzion — siblings Jenny Salgado and Stanley Salgado (better known as Imposs) — join guest host Garvia Bailey to tell us why this moment means so much to them, and to talk about Muzion’s enduring influence.
Candi Staton has been a gospel prodigy, a Southern soul powerhouse and a disco icon. Now, at 85, she’s back in the spotlight with her Grammy-nominated album Back to My Roots, which marks her return to the gospel music where it all began. From segregated Alabama churches to ’90s dance floors, her career includes timeless hits like Young Hearts Run Free and You Got the Love. But it’s also a journey marked by hardship, heartbreak and long stretches of being overlooked. Candi joins guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about finally getting her flowers — and what it means to keep singing after seven decades in music.
Canadian rapper Alexander Gumuchian, better known as bbno$, is up for three Junos next month. A few years ago, he sat down with Tom Power in the Q studio to talk about his unconventional path to success, from a bored college kid making music for fun to a viral TikTok star and mainstream hitmaker.
Leroy Sibbles is one of the biggest names in reggae history. Known as the undisputed king of the reggae bassline, Leroy first rose to fame as the lead singer of The Heptones. He was also an integral part of Jamaica's Studio One record label, which is often described as “the Motown of Jamaica.” In the early ’70s, Leroy left Jamaica for Canada, where he helped build Toronto’s fledgling reggae scene. In this conversation with guest host Garvia Bailey, he talks about his incredible life and career.
When artist Jesse Mockrin looks at Renaissance paintings, she can't help but see the gender-based violence in them. Her new exhibit, Echo, at the Art Gallery of Ontario, reimagines these works from a feminist perspective — shifting focus to the women whose stories have long been overlooked or erased in historical art. Jesse joins guest host Garvia Bailey to discuss the inspirations behind her work, why she often crops her paintings, and her fascination with hands.
Oliver Laxe is the director of the Oscar-nominated film Sirāt, which is up for best international feature (representing Spain) and best sound at this year’s Academy Awards. Set against vast stretches of desert, the film follows a father searching for his missing daughter after she disappears at a rave deep in the mountains of southern Morocco. Oliver spent more than a decade making Sirāt, paring the script down to just 50 pages and letting its deep techno score, movement and imagery drive the story. In this conversation with guest host Garvia Bailey, he talks about his singular approach to storytelling, and the surprising role the dance floor played in his own healing.
After years working behind the scenes as a songwriter and producer, followed by a nearly decade-long hiatus in the corporate world, Koladae made the decision to finally release his own music. But then, a little over a year ago, he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. He wrote his latest single, Keep Rolling, just two weeks before his surgery. Koladae talks to guest host Garvia Bailey about what this difficult experience taught him about life, and about making music. 
Suzy Eddie Izzard is a Tony-nominated actor, stand-up comedian, multi-marathon runner and one-time political candidate. Now, she’s performing a solo adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet at the CAA Theatre in Toronto, in which she plays all 23 characters. Suzy joins guest host Garvia Bailey to tell us about the challenges of doing Hamlet solo, why she was especially keen to breathe new life into Shakespeare's female characters, and why conventional beauty is like winning the acting lottery.
Zochi is a Regina-based, Nigerian-born artist who’s just released a new single called What You Want. It showcases her smooth vocals and vulnerable storytelling, diving into feelings of unrequited love. She joins guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about being honest in her music, how moving to Canada changed her life, and why she’s never giving up on love.
If you’re shocked by a few songs full of dirty words, try watching the news — that’s the challenge laid out by Peaches on her first album in more than 10 years, No Lube So Rude. On the new record, the Canadian electro-punk legend uses her brand of raunchy wordplay and danceable beats to sound off on everything from the reversal of Roe v. Wade to Elon Musk’s Starlink. Peaches joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the spirit of joyful rebellion behind her confrontational lyrics, what she learned performing for kids, and how aging has transformed her as an artist. 
Actor and writer Scott Turner Schofield has spent his career quietly reshaping what transgender visibility looks like on screen. He was the first openly trans actor on daytime television with The Bold and the Beautiful, the first openly trans man nominated for an Emmy, and a consultant on HBO’s Euphoria. Now, after moving to Canada amid rising anti-trans legislation in the U.S., Scott is telling his own story in an autobiographical film called Becoming a Man in 127 Easy Steps. Captured over years and across different stages of his transition, the film blends humour and memory to reflect on what it means to keep becoming yourself. Scott sits down with guest host Garvia Bailey to tell us more.
Canadian comedian Dave Foley (The Kids in the Hall) is a lifelong Toronto Maple Leafs fan. He’s always had a love of the game — even when it felt like the game didn’t love him back. Now, he’s hosting a new docuseries, Hockey Fanatics, which explores hockey fandom across North America. In the show, Dave visits NHL teams and their biggest and most notable fans, including Wynonna Judd (a Nashville Predators fan), Party of Five star Scott Wolf (a Utah Mammoth fan), and Canada’s own Jay Baruchel (a Montreal Canadiens fan). Dave drops by the Q studio to talk to guest host Garvia Bailey about all things hockey. Plus, he shares some exclusive knowledge about the origin of Canada’s latest catchphrase, “elbows up.”
Winnipeg-based musician Liam Duncan, also known as Boy Golden, is back with a new record, Best of Our Possible Lives, which can only be described as a balm for the uncertain times we’re living in. He sits down with guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about the record, the power of having an alter ego, and why he thinks softness and vulnerability are the countermeasures to grief and suffering.
Canadian jazz singer and pianist Laila Biali recently caused a stir after her album Wintersongs received a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, alongside Lady Gaga, Jennifer Hudson, Brandi Carlile and Elton John, Laufey, and Barbra Streisand. She sits down with guest host Garvia Bailey to tell us about the unexpected recognition, and what it was like to go to the Grammys ceremony in Los Angeles.
Award-winning composer Kris Bowers is the man behind the musical scores for films like Green Book, King Richard, The Color Purple, and The Wild Robot, as well as TV series like Bridgerton, Mrs. America, and Dear White People. His latest score is for the new animated movie Goat, which follows a small goat named Will who has big dreams about joining the pros to play roarball — a high-intensity sport that’s a lot like basketball. Kris joins guest host Garvia Bailey to tell us how he brought some advice from the late Kobe Bryant to the project, why he wasn’t worried about writing “serious film music,” and how this movie helped him honour his family roots.
Laura Ramoso is bringing her most personal material yet to her new comedy tour. It’s called The Calm Down Tour, and she’s launching it this month at Just For Laughs Vancouver. Laura is best known for the viral character impressions she posts on social media. Some of her most popular characters — including “German Mom,” “Italian Dad,” and an airline worker named Chiara — have racked up millions of views online. That success has led to sold-out shows around the world and opening slots for the likes of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Ahead of her first show in Vancouver, Laura joins guest host Garvia Bailey in the Q studio to tell us what it’s like sharing the stage with comedy legends, what her earliest comedic influences were, and why her new material is her most personal yet.
Canadian actor and playwright Natasha Mumba has described her debut play, Copperbelt, as an “African Succession.” It centres on the Kasubas, a wealthy Zambian mining family. After the family patriarch falls ill, he summons his adult children home to help run the business. But long-simmering tensions rise and relationships fracture, forcing the family to confront its legacy — and its future. Natasha sits down with guest host Garvia Bailey in the Q studio to tell us more about the play and why she wants to change how theatre tells African stories.
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Comments (14)

Scott wachter

cancon be damned, never talk about Drake.

Mar 13th
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Imperfectionist Podcast

ICON and fantastic human

Dec 12th
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Scott wachter

literally the plot of Slings and Arrows.

Jun 9th
Reply

Pattie Shirley

Prepare to meet your favourite performers. q has music, TV, movies, art, theatre, and comedy. Expect surprising insights. Q personalises arts and entertainment. https://wordle-unlimited.io

Aug 8th
Reply

Donna Lockey

I could listen to them talk for hours, but would occasionally love to add a story of my own to just see where they would go with it. Creativeness is always a collaboration - inspiration type thing which is so apparent between these two wonderful musicians! Glad you had a good time with the interview. I suspect you always have a good time, Tom. work is work, but loving your work!

Dec 16th
Reply

Gilgamesh

Research fail Q. Bojack Horsemans final season dropped months before Covid hit.

Jul 15th
Reply

Gilgamesh

Soft ball interview that doesn't call Bonnell out for her blatant racism nor does it call her out for using that racism as a marketing strategy.

Feb 21st
Reply

Shannon Thorpe

q

Nov 29th
Reply

Shannon Thorpe

q

Nov 29th
Reply

Estelle Hopper

I just got a second notification about this shite.! Thus achieving a "will never be listened to" status!

Oct 31st
Reply

Estelle Hopper

I love Castbox, but this new thing with the unwanted notifications about random rubbish of no interest to me, is a step too far...... Oh and Creepy AF too!

Oct 31st
Reply

Louis VXI

OK look I'll be honest I know why, but please stop activating suggested content every time I switch the fucker off

Oct 31st
Reply

Louis VXI

Why the fuck did Castbox notify me about this?

Oct 31st
Reply

Nicola Brown McLachlan

love this podcast. I'm living in Idaho and so miss my hometown of Toronto. thanks Tom fory daily dose of Canadiana!

Feb 19th
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