

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)
Sep 4, 2024 • 21min
Boman Martinez-Reid: Why he’s testing out every genre of reality TV
Boman Martinez-Reid went viral on TikTok for his funny and pointed parodies of the Kardashians and other reality TV stars, but he always dreamed of being an actor. On his new Crave original series, “Made For TV,” he finally takes a step toward realizing that dream. Each episode sees Boman try out a new genre of reality TV (including dating, drag, cooking and even sports broadcasting) to find out which one fits him. He sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the show and what makes reality TV so memeable.

Sep 3, 2024 • 23min
Ethan and Maya Hawke: Flannery O'Connor, ambition & the writer's controversial legacy
Earlier this year, the father-daughter duo Ethan and Maya Hawke teamed up for the film “Wildcat,” which follows the life of writer Flannery O'Connor while she was struggling to publish her first novel. We revisit Tom’s conversation with Ethan and Maya about their collaboration.
%3BResize%3D(3000).jpg&w=360&h=360&output=jpg)
Sep 3, 2024 • 26min
Valley: Making their most authentic album yet
The Canadian band Valley has racked up more than a billion streams, a couple Juno nominations and a few viral hits on TikTok. But somewhere along the way, the band started to feel that authenticity was taking a back seat in their music. Valley’s Karah James and Rob Laska sit down with Tom to talk about tapping into their true selves for their latest record, “Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden.”

Sep 2, 2024 • 35min
Dan Levy: Living with self-doubt & breaking expectations after Schitt's Creek
For his debut feature film, Dan Levy wrote and directed a story about grief, aptly titled “Good Grief.” We revisit Tom’s conversation with Dan about the real-life grief that inspired the film and how he pushed through the negative voice in his head.
%3BResize%3D(3000).jpg&w=360&h=360&output=jpg)
Sep 2, 2024 • 17min
Queen Priyanka: The queen is back with her debut album Devastatia
You may know Priyanka as the winner of “Canada’s Drag Race” Season 1 or, if you grew up in Canada, you may remember her as kids show host Mark Suki on YTV’s “The Zone.” Priyanka has just released her debut full-length album, “Devastatia,” which she calls a love letter to anyone who feels like they don’t fit in. She sits down with guest host Vivek Shraya to talk about the record and learning to believe in herself.

Aug 30, 2024 • 36min
Dua Lipa: Radical Optimism, leaving bad relationships & music as a mantra
We revisit Tom’s conversation with Grammy-winning pop superstar Dua Lipa. A few months ago, he joined her in New York to discuss her latest album, “Radical Optimism.” In this special conversation, Dua talks about shifting her sound and her mindset, music as therapy, and turning bad dates into catchy pop songs.
%3BResize%3D(3000).jpg&w=360&h=360&output=jpg)
Aug 30, 2024 • 16min
Nina Lee Aquino: Her haunting new play Snow in Midsummer
A woman who’s been wrongly accused of murder — and is sentenced to be executed — curses the town that did it to her. This is the story told in the play “Snow in Midsummer,” directed by Nina Lee Aquino. Nina joins guest host Vivek Shraya to tell us why she was drawn to this 13th century play and why it still resonates today.

Aug 29, 2024 • 25min
Matt Johnson: BlackBerry & the future of Canadian film
We revisit Tom’s conversation with “Blackberry” director Matt Johnson. He talks about his path from guerilla filmmaker to Hollywood darling, why the story of Blackberry is so Canadian, and why his mission in life is to inspire young filmmakers to stay in Canada and make great films.
%3BResize%3D(3000).jpg&w=360&h=360&output=jpg)
Aug 29, 2024 • 25min
Lisa Loeb: Her new kids’ album & 30 years of Stay (I Missed You)
The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb is back with her latest children’s album, “That's What It's All About,” which is a collaboration with the family-friendly folk band The Hollow Trees. Lisa joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the record, how it’s inspired by her own childhood, plus, 30 years of the song that first put her on the map — “Stay (I Missed You).”

Aug 28, 2024 • 34min
Karan Aujla: Overcoming tragedy to become a history-making global superstar
Ten years after immigrating to Canada from India, the rapper and singer Karan Aujla made history as the first Punjabi artist to ever win a Juno Award. But he was a global superstar well before then, topping the charts with his blend of Punjabi music over hip-hop and trap beats. Now, Karan has dropped his latest EP, “Four Me,” and Apple Music has named him the latest addition to its global Up Next program. Karan talks to Tom about his rise to fame, why Canada is a hub for Punjabi hip-hop, and the childhood losses that pushed him towards songwriting.