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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Nov 4, 2024 • 17min
Tia Wood: Finding her own sound in her musical family
A few years ago, the musician Tia Wood moved to Los Angeles from her home of Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta. Though she comes from a musical family (her mom is in a drum group, her sister is a Juno winner, and her dad is a founder of the award-winning group Northern Cree), Tia has managed to find her own sound. Now, she’s the first Indigenous woman to be signed to Sony Music Canada, and she’s just released her debut EP, “Pretty Red Bird.” She sits down with Tom Power to set up a song from the record.
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Nov 1, 2024 • 32min
Lindsay Ell: Authentic songwriting, fusing genres & playing guitar for Shania
When the Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist Lindsay Ell moved from Calgary to Nashville, she found success, but she didn’t feel like she was being her authentic self. So she took a risk, left her record label and started getting more personal in her music, opening up about her experience as a victim of sexual assault and her recovery from an eating disorder. Now, she’s released her new EP, “love myself,” which exudes joy and self-acceptance. Lindsay sits down with Tom Power to talk about her journey, from getting discovered by Randy Bachman as a teenager to breaking the boundaries of country music and finding her authentic voice.
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Oct 31, 2024 • 32min
Tegan and Sara: On the catfishing scheme that’s haunted them for 15 years
The Canadian pop duo Tegan and Sara Quin have been in the public eye for more than 25 years, during which they’ve released 10 studio albums and sold more than a million records. But for nearly 15 years, they’ve been quietly grappling with an elaborate catfishing scheme that’s changed their lives, careers and relationships. Now, they’ve decided to go public about it in a new documentary, “Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara,” which explores fandom, parasocial relationships and celebrity. Tegan and Sara join Tom Power to share their story.
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Oct 31, 2024 • 14min
Brendan McLeod: On honouring the soldiers who fought at Vimy Ridge
A few years ago, the Canadian musician Brendan McLeod and his band The Fugitives wrote a collection of songs inspired by the real-life experiences of soldiers who fought at the Battle of Vimy Ridge during the First World War. Now, The Fugitives are getting ready to perform those songs in a new stage show, “Ridge,” at the Firehall Hall Arts Centre in Vancouver. Brendan joins Tom Power to talk about the project and the significance of Canada's sacrifice at Vimy Ridge.
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Oct 30, 2024 • 21min
Jenny Slate: How her new book tackles motherhood and self-criticism
The actor, writer and comedian Jenny Slate (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Obvious Child) isn’t afraid to bare it all in projects that are vulnerable, frank and touching. In her whimsical new book of essays, “Lifeform,” Jenny writes about meeting her husband and having her first child during the pandemic. Jenny joins Tom Power to talk about the book and her thoughts on motherhood. Plus, she reads one of her essays for us.
Oct 30, 2024 • 23min
William Stanford Davis: His 40-year path to Abbott Elementary
William Stanford Davis is a veteran actor who waited 40 years until his dream of becoming a series regular finally became a reality. He’s the breakout star of the hit sitcom “Abbott Elementary,” on which he plays the school’s enigmatic janitor Mr. Johnson. William joins Tom Power to share how he landed the role at 70, what his story can tell us about persistence, and how he managed to keep the faith for decades while waiting for his big break.
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Oct 29, 2024 • 26min
Riley Keough: Finishing her mom Lisa Marie Presley’s memoir
Before her sudden death in 2023, Lisa Marie Presley was working on a memoir with the help of her eldest daughter, Riley Keough. After her passing, Riley took it upon herself to finish her mother’s project, relying on hours of audio tapes that Lisa Marie left behind. The result is the posthumous memoir “From Here to the Great Unknown,” which looks at what it was like to grow up in the whirlwind of celebrity around Elvis Presley and Graceland. Riley joins Tom Power to explain why she felt so strongly about finishing her mother’s story, plus, she reflects her own legacy as Elvis’ eldest granddaughter.
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Oct 29, 2024 • 22min
Elle Mills: YouTube burnout, social media’s shelf life & her pivot to directing
Elle Mills doesn’t want her life to be the product anymore. She was just a kid when she started posting zany videos about her life on YouTube, racking up millions of views in the process. But by 19, she was burnt out and tired of playing a character. By 24, she quit. Now, Elle has found a new love in directing. Her first short film, “Reply,” is up now on her YouTube channel (@ElleOfTheMills). She joins Tom Power to talk about the project, the real-life demands of virtual fame, and how to live a better life online.
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Oct 28, 2024 • 40min
Matty Matheson: His journey as a chef, from culinary school to The Bear
When the Canadian chef Matty Matheson was growing up, first in Nova Scotia and later in Ontario, he liked going to punk shows, he didn’t do particularly well in school, and he didn’t think he was athletic or cool like his brothers. But once he moved to Toronto to study cooking, he discovered what he was great at. With no big plan or ambition, Matty became one of the best-known chefs and restaurateurs in the world. Not only are his restaurants packed every night, but his YouTube videos have hundreds of millions of views, he’s one of the executive producers of the Emmy-winning series “The Bear,” and he’s just released his third bestselling cookbook, “Soups, Salads, Sandwiches.” In a conversation with Tom Power recorded in front of a sold-out live audience, Matty shares his story and what he thinks you might be able to learn from it.
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Oct 25, 2024 • 20min
Paul Gilligan: How his childhood fear of Jaws inspired his new graphic memoir
When Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” came out nearly 50 years ago, the Toronto cartoonist Paul Gilligan (Pooch Café) remembers cowering in the theatre and having recurring nightmares about the movie’s animatronic shark. He was only 10 at the time, but his fear left him with countless questions about what it means to be a man. Ahead of the film’s 50th anniversary, Paul has released a new graphic memoir, “Boy vs. Shark.” He joins Tom Power to talk about the book, what he hopes anxious kids might get out of it, and how “Jaws” transformed an entire generation’s definition of manliness.
