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
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Mar 19, 2025 • 12min
Nobro is one of Canada’s best punk bands
The Montreal punk band Nobro is up for rock album of the year at the Junos Awards later this month. Lead singer and bass player Kathryn McCaughey joins Tom Power to share the story behind Nobro’s song “Where My Girls At” off their Juno-nominated album.
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Mar 18, 2025 • 23min
Leif Vollebekk literally dreamt up his latest album
Back in 2020, the Canadian singer-songwriter Leif Vollebekk found himself with a lot of extra time to think about the direction of his life and music. During that time, he allowed himself the space to dream — both literally and figuratively. Those dreams became the foundation of his new album, “Revelation,” which is now nominated for a Juno. Last fall, Leif joined Tom Power to talk about the record and what he learned from reading Carl Jung’s book “Memories, Dreams, Reflections.”
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Mar 18, 2025 • 23min
The nearly forgotten story of Calgary blues legend Ellen McIlwaine
Director Alfonso Maiorana’s new documentary, “Goddess of Slide,” tells the story of Ellen McIlwaine, a pioneering singer-songwriter and slide guitarist who should have been a household name. Born in Nashville and raised in Japan, Ellen played with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter and Taj Mahal before ultimately settling down in Calgary where she worked as a school bus driver in the last decade of her life. Now, she’s finally receiving her rightful place in music history. Alfonso joins Tom Power to tell us more about her remarkable life and legacy.
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Mar 17, 2025 • 23min
Emma Portner is subverting ballet’s gender norms
Emma Portner is a celebrated Canadian dancer and choreographer who’s known for her distinctive style. She’s choreographed for the likes of Justin Bieber, Maggie Rogers, the Norwegian National Ballet, and the National Ballet of Canada. Now, the National Ballet of Canada is nominated for two Olivier Awards (the highest honour in British theatre) for a show that includes Emma’s piece “Islands”. The nominations are for best new dance production and outstanding achievement in dance. Last year, Emma joined Tom Power over Zoom to talk about “Islands,” which defies traditional ballet conventions and does away with tutus.
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Mar 17, 2025 • 21min
What if Hamlet was set in Grand Theft Auto?
Sam Crane is the director and star of “Grand Theft Hamlet” — a documentary that follows how he and a friend mounted a full production of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” inside the video game “Grand Theft Auto Online.” Sam joins Tom Power to talk about the project, what the process of making it looked like, and why Shakespeare translates so well to the ultra-violent world of “Grand Theft Auto.”
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Mar 14, 2025 • 31min
Sandra Oh wants to know what you’d sacrifice to save the planet
Sandra Oh (Killing Eve, Grey’s Anatomy) is back in a new film, “Can I Get a Witness?” It’s set in a not-too-distant future when climate change has been solved. But there’s a catch: all humans are required by law to end their life at 50. The Ottawa-born actor joins Tom Power to talk about the movie and why it spoke to her. Plus, she reflects on her journey as an actor, from finding her passion at eight years old to becoming one of Hollywood’s most accomplished stars.
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Mar 14, 2025 • 19min
Why are there grocery flyers and lawn chairs in this art gallery?
Nico Williams is an award-winning Canadian artist known for creating soft sculptures out of intricate beadwork. In Canada, beading has a long artistic and cultural history among Indigenous people who’ve been using glass beads to decorate moccasins and clothing for generations. But Nico takes that a step further by beading everyday objects like J-cloths, grocery store flyers and lawn chairs. He talks to Tom Power about taking the traditional practice of beading to a new frontier, winning the 2024 Sobey Art Award, and why beading can be meditative.
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Mar 13, 2025 • 37min
Rick Astley doesn’t have an attitude about Rickrolling — anymore
In the 1980s, Rick Astley became a global superstar with hits like “Never Gonna Give You Up” and “Together Forever.” But then, at age 27, he quit the business. That could have been the end of the story, but then the Rickroll meme of the mid-2000s brought him back to the world’s attention. Now, Rick has released a new memoir, “Never,” in which he opens up about his strange and incredible life. He joins Tom Power to share some of those stories.
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Mar 13, 2025 • 15min
Are you ready to be nostalgic for the 2000s?
Karen Knox’s new film “We Forgot to Break Up” tells the story of The New Normals, a fictional indie rock band on the rise in the early 2000s. Their songs are hard, their relationships are fraught and they’re trying to make it in an industry that wants to shape them into something else. The Canadian director drops by our studio to talk to Tom Power about this coming-of-age story and why she wanted to tell it.
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Mar 12, 2025 • 36min
Boi-1da is the Canadian producer behind some of Drake’s biggest hits
The Grammy-winning Canadian producer Boi-1da has found massive success by crafting hits for the likes of Drake, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Eminem and more. Ahead of being honoured with the International Achievement Award at this year’s Junos, Boi-1da sits down with Tom Power for a rare conversation about his career, what Canadian artists need now more than ever, and how his dad playing a certain couple of tapes in the car led to one of his biggest hits.
