

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

Jun 7, 2024 • 23min
Kiesza: Her massive hit Hideaway and the traumatic brain injury that halted her career
Kiesza is the Canadian singer behind the massive dance hit “Hideaway,” which launched her career back in 2014. That song took her from being an unknown artist to performing at London’s Wembley Stadium, appearing on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” and winning three Juno Awards. But everything came to a halt in 2017 when Kiesza was in a car accident that left her with a traumatic brain injury. She joins Tom in studio to tell us the story behind “Hideaway” and how she learned to make music again after her accident.

Jun 7, 2024 • 28min
Jessi Cruickshank: Why getting real about motherhood is good for some laughs
The Canadian comedian Jessi Cruickshank first rose to prominence as the co-host of MTV Canada’s “The Hills: The After Show.” Now, she’s releasing her first one-hour comedy special, “Minivan Money,” which explores her experience raising three kids. Jessi joins Tom to tell us how comedy helped her cope with some of the toughest parts of motherhood, why she asked her audience to throw their old bras at her, and why she made the decision to pump breast milk on stage.

Jun 6, 2024 • 27min
Huey Lewis: How to make a radio hit, hearing loss, and his new Broadway musical
The singer-songwriter Huey Lewis is one of the most iconic voices of the ‘80s. With his band Huey Lewis and the News, he made mega hits like "The Power of Love" and “If This is It.” Now, the band’s music will be featured in a new Broadway musical called “The Heart of Rock and Roll.” Huey joins Tom to tell us what it takes to write countless radio hits, why he had to teach himself a new way to write a song, and how he feels watching someone else singing his music.

Jun 6, 2024 • 12min
Quick Q: Bibi Club on their creative and romantic partnership
Bibi Club is the musical project of Adèle Trottier-Rivard and Nic Basque, who are partners in life and music. Their first album, “Le soleil et la mer,” was longlisted for the 2023 Polaris Prize and now they're back with a new record, “Feu de garde.” Adèle and Nic join Tom to talk about their partnership and what their band name has to do with the three kids they have running around their house.

Jun 5, 2024 • 24min
Devery Jacobs: Her path to acting, storytelling as activism, and her grueling years as a gymnast
Devery Jacobs (Reservation Dogs, Blood Quantum) always dreamed of being an actor, but it never seemed possible. Now, she’s built a successful career as an actor, director and producer, with starring roles in several acclaimed movies and TV series. Recently, Devery was honoured with the Radius Award from the Canadian Screen Awards in recognition of her global impact. She sits down with Tom to talk about her journey to this moment, plus her new film “Backspot,” which is about a gymnast who’s fighting her body and mind as she takes her place in an elite cheer squad.

Jun 5, 2024 • 26min
Arooj Aftab: The allure of the night, pioneering Pakistan’s DIY music movement, and her new album
When the singer and composer Arooj Aftab released her 2021 album “Vulture Prince,” she gained fans like Barack Obama, Elvis Costello and Caroline Polachek. That album also earned her a Grammy for best global music performance. Now, Arooj is back with her fourth studio album, “Night Reign.” She joins Tom to tell us about her journey in music, her fascination with the night, and what it was like going viral before that was really a thing.

Jun 4, 2024 • 23min
Dan Brown: His journey from failed musician to bestselling author of The Da Vinci Code
Before he became known as the massively successful writer of “The Da Vinci Code” and other novels, Dan Brown dreamed of being a singer-songwriter. He moved to Los Angeles and landed a record deal, but ultimately his music career didn’t work out. Now, music is back in his life as he prepares to perform with a youth orchestra in New Brunswick later this month. Dan joins Tom to share his story of failure, his relationship with music, and the wisdom he’d like to impart to young people.

Jun 4, 2024 • 25min
Billy-Ray Belcourt: His debut short story collection and writing about queer, Indigenous love
The award-winning Canadian writer Billy-Ray Belcourt is back with his fifth book and first collection of short stories, “Coexistence.” Following characters with gently intersecting lives, the stories deal with themes of love, loneliness and belonging. Billy-Ray sits down with Tom to talk about putting Indigenous, queer love at the centre of this book, and the freedom that comes when you don't have to explain everything to a non-Indigenous audience.

Jun 3, 2024 • 24min
Denis Villeneuve: Dune 2, his vision for the sci-fi epic, and how the film reflects issues in the world today
This past weekend, Denis Villeneuve received the Icon Award at the Canadian Screen Awards, naming him as one of the premier filmmakers working today. He spoke with Tom about “Dune: Part Two” when he was in Montreal for the film’s Canadian premiere earlier this year. In this conversation, Denis discusses his vision for the second installment, the challenges of shooting in the intense heat of the desert, and how politics and religion in Quebec play into the film more than you might think.

Jun 3, 2024 • 31min
Matt Johnson: BlackBerry, what happens when an outsider filmmaker goes mainstream, and the future of Canadian film
The big winner at this past weekend's Canadian Screen Awards was the film “Blackberry,” which you can watch now as a series on CBC Gem. We revisit Tom’s conversation with director Matt Johnson about his path from guerilla filmmaker to Hollywood darling, how the story of Blackberry is the story of Canada, and why his mission in life is to inspire young filmmakers to stay in Canada and make great films.