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
%3BResize%3D(3000).jpg&w=360&h=360&output=jpg)
Mar 11, 2025 • 32min
Ikky wants Canadians to open their minds to Punjabi music
Ikky is a Canadian musician and producer who’s bringing Punjabi music to the world — and putting the spotlight on Canada in the process. The international hitmaker has racked up billions of streams and worked with artists both at home and in India. Now, he’s back with a new single, “Tell Me,” which is a bilingual collaboration between OneRepublic and Karan Aujla. Ikky sits down with Tom Power to tell us how that track came to be, how his work fuses traditional Indian music with influences from his upbringing in Toronto, and why he feels more Canadians need to open their minds to Punjabi music.
%3BResize%3D(3000).jpg&w=360&h=360&output=jpg)
Mar 11, 2025 • 12min
A tribute to jazz’s unsung women
Kris Davis is a Canadian pianist whose new album, “Run the Gauntlet,” has been getting a lot of attention. She joins Tom Power to tell us why she wanted to dedicate the record to six female jazz pianists who’ve influenced her throughout her career, and how she went about composing new pieces of music in their honour. Plus, Kris sets up the title track from the album.
%3BResize%3D(3000).jpg&w=360&h=360&output=jpg)
Mar 10, 2025 • 23min
Dan Stevens watched hours of MAGA podcasts to play a conspiracy provocateur
In Netflix’s new political thriller “Zero Day,” Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey, Legion) plays Evan Green, a brash, outspoken and wildly popular political commentator who streams his government conspiracies to millions of viewers. Evan’s number one target is the country's former president, played by Robert De Niro. The British actor joins Tom Power to tell us how he developed his character, what he learned from watching hours of conspiratorial media, and what it was like going up against De Niro in this role.
%3BResize%3D(3000).jpg&w=360&h=360&output=jpg)
Mar 10, 2025 • 22min
This might make you appreciate your dad’s music taste more
When the Canadian singer-songwriter Basia Bulat was a kid, she felt embarrassed by the Polish disco music her dad listened to. But now that she’s a parent herself, she’s found a new appreciation for her parents’ taste in music. It even inspired a tune on her latest album, “Basia's Palace.” Basia joins Tom Power to talk about the album, the Polish music that soundtracked her childhood, and how she also drew inspiration from video games.
%3BResize%3D(3000).jpg&w=360&h=360&output=jpg)
Mar 7, 2025 • 19min
Bong Joon Ho is back with Mickey 17
After his huge success with “Parasite” in 2019, Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho is back with a new film, “Mickey 17.” The title character, Mickey (played by Robert Pattinson), is an “expendable” — a disposable crew member on a space colony who undertakes dangerous missions and laboratory tests. Whenever he dies, his body and memories can simply be “reprinted” by his employer. Director Bong joins Tom Power to talk about the film, what he wanted to say about authoritarianism and bad politicians, and the appeal of reprinting Robert Pattinson.
%3BResize%3D(3000).jpg&w=360&h=360&output=jpg)
Mar 7, 2025 • 21min
Don’t call Jan Lisiecki a child prodigy
Calgary’s Jan Lisiecki was only nine when made his orchestral debut as a classical pianist. While most of us were still figuring out cursive, he was playing sold-out recitals — so, of course, he was called a child prodigy. But Jan has complicated feelings about that term. He joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about his new album, “Preludes,” why he’s been resistant to being called a child prodigy, and what he’s looking forward to as he turns 30 later this month.
%3BResize%3D(3000).jpg&w=360&h=360&output=jpg)
Mar 6, 2025 • 20min
Amanda Seyfried had something to prove after Mean Girls
Amanda Seyfried was 17 when she landed her breakthrough role as Karen Smith in “Mean Girls.” But as fun as the movie was, she didn’t want to get pigeonholed as “the ditzy blonde” forever. Amanda says her first true departure was her starring role in Atom Egoyan’s erotic thriller “Chloe,” which established her as a serious actor who was willing to take a risk. Now, she’s teamed up with the Canadian director once again on his new film, “Seven Veils.” Tom Power caught up with Amanda to talk about her latest role and how she looks back on the trajectory of her career.
%3BResize%3D(3000).jpg&w=360&h=360&output=jpg)
Mar 6, 2025 • 16min
How a chance encounter at a truck stop got AHI into songwriting
You never know who you might meet at a Canadian gas station. AHI sits down with Tom Power to tell us how a chance encounter at a truck stop in Thunder Bay inspired him to pursue music full-time. He also sets up a song off his new album, “The Light Behind the Sun.”
%3BResize%3D(3000).jpg&w=360&h=360&output=jpg)
Mar 5, 2025 • 29min
Comedian Mae Martin moves into music
You may know the Canadian comedian and actor Mae Martin from their hit stand-up special “SAP,” their semi-autobiographical comedy series “Feel Good,” or their popular “Handsome” podcast, which they co-host with Tig Notaro and Fortune Feimster. But what you might not know is that Mae is also a musician. Mae drops by our studio to talk to Tom Power about their debut album, “I’m A TV,” and how it feels to pivot from performing comedy to getting on stage with their guitar.
%3BResize%3D(3000).jpg&w=360&h=360&output=jpg)
Mar 5, 2025 • 12min
Why aren't there more love songs about friendship?
There are countless songs about romantic love, but when Georgia Harmer sat down to write her new single, “Can We Be Still,” she had platonic love on her mind. Georgia says the song is an ode to friendship that she wrote for an old friend as they began to drift apart. The Canadian singer-songwriter joins Tom Power to tell us more about “Can We Be Still” and what inspired her to write it.
