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
Nov 18, 2025 • 31min
Robert Plant isn’t precious about the past
A few years ago, Robert Plant thought he was done making records. But the former lead singer of Led Zeppelin discovered he still had at least one more left in him. His new album, “Saving Grace,” is named after the band he’s been performing with for the last six years. It’s a collection of 10 musical interpretations and covers of songs by a variety of artists. Robert joins Tom Power to talk about finding new inspiration in old music, why he's not precious about the past — including his time in Led Zeppelin — and this great quote he has about Bob Dylan: “Dylan didn’t tap me on the shoulder, he hit me between the eyes.”
Nov 18, 2025 • 17min
Julianna Riolino is leaning into her confidence as an artist
After a period of personal growth, loss and change, Canadian singer-songwriter Julianna Riolino is bringing some hard-won confidence to her sophomore album. It’s called “Echo in the Dust” and it’s out now. Julianna sat down with Tom Power to talk about the record and to set up a song titled “Be Good To Your Mother.”
Nov 17, 2025 • 24min
How Kathy Reichs changed the face of crime fiction
For three decades, crime writer and forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs has been writing novels that bring the science behind solving crimes to the fore. She’s the bestselling author of the Temperance Brennan series, which are the inspiration for the TV show “Bones.” Now, Kathy is about to release the 24th novel in the series, “Evil Bones.” She joins Tom Power to tell us about the book and the surprising reason she started writing in the first place.
Nov 17, 2025 • 16min
Living Hour captures what yearning sounds like
The Canadian shoegaze band Living Hour just released their new album, “Internal Drone Infinity.” Many of the songs on the album are steeped in the life and landscape of Winnipeg — the band’s hometown. Lead singer Sam Sarty talks to guest host Talia Schlanger about how the band captured both the sounds of Winnipeg and the sounds of yearning on their new record. Plus, she sets up the song “Texting.”
Nov 14, 2025 • 52min
Q Live!
Last week, we took the show on the road all the way to Tom Power’s hometown of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador! This special live taping of “Q” took place at the historic St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre, featuring performances and interviews with musician Alan Doyle formerly of Great Big Sea, opera singer Deantha Edmunds, comedian Rick Mercer, actors Allan Hawco and Joséphine Jobert, and many more. Here’s a sample of some of the funny, heartfelt and wonderful moments that happened that night. Next week, we’ll share more from Q Live in St. John’s, including conversations with comedian Mark Critch and award-winning drag queens Tara Nova and Gravy, plus an incredible stand-up performance by comedian Trent McClellan of “This Hour Has 22 Minutes.”
Nov 13, 2025 • 22min
Elle Fanning calls herself a "nepo sibling”
Elle Fanning is an A-list actor who calls herself a "nepo sibling.” When she was just two years old, she appeared in her sister Dakota Fanning’s movie “I Am Sam,” playing a younger version of her character, Lucy. But for someone who’s been famous for nearly her entire life, there’s a bit of mystery surrounding Elle — and that’s intentional. During the Toronto International Film Festival in September, she sat down with Tom Power to talk about her latest film, “Sentimental Value,” which broke applause records when it premiered in Cannes earlier this year. She discusses the movie, her start in acting and why she wants to maintain some mystery around who she is.
Nov 13, 2025 • 16min
Amaarae’s new album is dedicated to kids who don’t fit in
Amaarae is one of the biggest new voices in music with a sound that blends Afrobeats, pop, house and rap. In the past few years, she’s gone viral on TikTok, she’s performed at Coachella, and she’s opened for Sabrina Carpenter and Childish Gambino. Amaarae joins Tom Power to talk about her new album, “Black Star,” how she got her start in music, and how a trip to Ghana led her to reconnect with her roots.
Nov 12, 2025 • 18min
Before acting, Sydney Sweeney considered becoming a professional boxer
Sydney Sweeney is one of this generation's biggest stars. Her new film “Christy” tells the story of the trailblazing boxer Christy Martin, who broke into the male dominated world of 1990s prizefighting and became one of the biggest stars in boxing. It may not seem like Sydney — star of the hit teen show “Euphoria” and rom-com “Anyone But You” — would have much in common with Christy. But they both come from small towns, broke into their respective industries without connections, and have backgrounds in combat arts. Sydney joins Tom Power to talk about taking on the role of Christy, the physical transformation she underwent, and how her own background in martial arts influences her life and career.
Nov 12, 2025 • 28min
Comedian Benny Feldman is his own heckler
Benny Feldman is a one-liner comedian who’s written thousands of jokes, including ones that poke fun at his own experience with Tourette Syndrome. Over the last few years, his career has been picking up steam after performing on Comedy Central and at the Netflix Is A Joke Festival. Even the great comedian and actor Patton Oswalt is a huge fan, saying that Benny is an “amazing joke writer and even better joke deliverer.” Benny stops by the Q studio to tell Tom Power about his new hour of stand-up “Butterfly Pavilion,” the art of one-liners, and being his “own heckler.”
Nov 11, 2025 • 40min
How a 2-second clip led to Stephan James's biggest role
Actor Stephan James (Homecoming, If Beale Street Could Talk) has made a name for himself playing major historical figures like runner Jesse Owens in “Race” and civil rights activist John Lewis in “Selma.” After working with legends like Julia Roberts and Laurence Fishburne, Stephan wanted to come back to his community in Canada and share his success. Earlier this year, Tom Power caught up with Stephan in front of a live audience to talk about his career and his plans to uplift young Black creatives.
