Q with Tom Power
CBC
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 27, 2025 • 26min
Why Renée Fleming had her brain scanned while she imagined singing
It’s often said that laughter is the best medicine, but there’s an ever growing case that it might in fact be music. Over the last decade, Renée Fleming, the multi-Grammy-winning soprano, has been involved in spreading awareness about the health benefits of music. Last year, she edited a book titled “Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness.” Renée joins Tom Power to talk about the effect of music on our wellbeing, and how her own stage fright and somatic pain led to her interest in the issue. Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!
Oct 27, 2025 • 23min
50 years of Rocky Horror with Patricia Quinn
She’s ready to do the time warp again! Fifty years ago, Patricia Quinn played the maid Magenta in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” She joins Tom Power to reflect on five decades of the cult classic movie, its humble beginnings as a small stage musical, and the moment she realized it had become a cultural phenomenon.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!
Oct 24, 2025 • 26min
Christian McBride almost reunited The Police
Christian McBride is a nine-time Grammy-winning bassist and composer who’s known for his prolific career across jazz and other genres. His new big band album, “Without Further Ado, Vol 1.,” nearly reunited the beloved U.K. rock band The Police. Christian joins Tom Power to share that story and more, including his time going to high school with The Roots and playing with Miles Davis as a teenager. Plus, ahead of an appearance at the Oscar Peterson centenary celebration in Toronto, Christian talks a little bit about why the Canadian pianist was so important to him.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!
Oct 24, 2025 • 26min
Skye Sweetnam’s journey from teen pop star to hard rock frontwoman
As a teenager, Canadian singer Skye Sweetnam was on track to be a major pop star. She opened for Britney Spears before she'd even put out a record. But when people stopped buying music and started downloading MP3s her dream fell apart. Skye joins Tom Power to tell us how she picked up the pieces and built something better as the frontwoman of the hard rock band Sumo Cyco, which has just released a new album, “Neon Void.”Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!
Oct 23, 2025 • 40min
Steve Martin and Alison Brown on their love of the banjo
You might know Steve Martin as a comedy legend, but he’s also a serious musician. If you know his early comedy albums, like “A Wild and Crazy Guy,” you might even be familiar with his banjo playing. In recent years, he’s gotten a lot more serious about the banjo, joining bluegrass bands and releasing music. Now, he’s teamed up with Alison Brown — one of the best banjo players alive — on a new album, “Safe, Sensible And Sane.” Steve and Alison join Tom Power to talk about the record, how they both found their way back to the banjo and what makes their musical collaboration so special.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!
Oct 22, 2025 • 45min
Superstar producer Greg Wells on his hitmaking career
Greg Wells is a Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated record producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and mix engineer who was recently made a Member of the Order of Canada. He sits down with Tom Power to talk about his early days playing in k.d. lang’s band, producing and writing hits for artists like Adele, John Legend, Ariana Grande, Celine Dion, and Taylor Swift, and why he’s spent the last few years converting an old church in rural Newfoundland into a community music hub.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!
Oct 21, 2025 • 24min
Jafar Panahi was inspired by Tehran’s political prisoners
This year, Iranian director Jafar Panahi won the Palme d'Or at Cannes for his extraordinary new film, “It Was Just an Accident,” which he shot secretly in Tehran under great risk of serious harm. Jafar has been in prison twice on charges of “anti-government propaganda” as well as for protesting the imprisonment of other filmmakers. At this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, he joined Tom Power to tell us how “It Was Just an Accident” was shaped by his two experiences in Tehran’s Evin Prison.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!
Oct 21, 2025 • 20min
Tanveer Alam on what Kathak and ballet have in common
Tanveer Alam is a Toronto-based dancer and choreographer who specializes in Kathak, a style of Indian classical dance that traces back to the 18th century. Tanveer is one of the creative forces behind the “Kathak & Ballet” programme, which will be on stage as part of the Fall for Dance North Festival in Toronto this week. He sits down with Tom Power to talk about the history and hallmarks of Kathak dance, what Kathak has in common with ballet, and what’s needed to ensure that South Asian dance continues to thrive in Canada.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!
Oct 20, 2025 • 36min
Piano virtuoso Lang Lang on the teacher who didn’t believe in him
You don’t become one of the most successful pianists of our time without a lot of practice. That’s something Lang Lang knows all about. Six years after the release of his celebrated “Piano Book” record, the virtuoso Chinese pianist is back with a new album, “Piano Book 2.” It’s designed to inspire people of all ages, levels and backgrounds. Lang Lang sits down with Tom Power at the Glenn Gould piano in our studio to discuss the album and his life in music. He tells us about the teacher who didn’t believe in him, how he got past that early rejection, and how he found the right people to support him.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!
Oct 20, 2025 • 16min
Folk trio The Pairs don’t write songs with perfect endings
What happens when you start to feel anxiety and self-doubt in the middle of chasing your dreams? The Canadian folk trio The Pairs don’t necessarily have the answer, but they are working through these feelings on their new album, “Together on a Rock.” While their songs don’t come with perfect endings, the stories they tell are incredibly honest and vulnerable. Renée Coughlin and Hillary Watson of The Pairs join Tom Power to set up their devastating new track, “Past My Prime.”Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!
