

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)
Aug 9, 2024 • 21min
Clarence Maclin: From 15 years in Sing Sing to starring in a movie about it
Clarence Maclin spent 15 years as an inmate in Sing Sing Correctional Facility, one of America’s most notorious prisons. Now, he plays himself opposite Colman Domingo and Paul Raci in “Sing Sing,” a new film based on his experience in prison and the transformative theatre program that changed his life. Clarence joins Tom to discuss what it was like stepping back into a prison uniform, how acting helped him find his voice and his purpose, and how he hopes the film will change what you think you know about prisoners.
%3BResize%3D(3000).jpg&w=360&h=360&output=jpg)
Aug 9, 2024 • 17min
Kenzie Allen: Her complex relationship to figures like Pocahontas
The Haudenosaunee poet Kenzie Allen has a complex relationship to stereotypical Indigenous figures like Tiger Lily and Pocahontas. But in her debut book of poetry, “Cloud Missives,” she doesn’t completely reject these figures outright. Kenzie joins guest host Vivek Shraya to talk about the collection, which is set to come out later this month. She also reads a poem for us, titled “In Which I Become (Tiger Lily).”

Aug 8, 2024 • 29min
Shakira: Going to hell and back for her new album
Shakira is back with her first new album in seven years, “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,” which details her tumultuous breakup with her ex-partner and the father of her two children. She sits down with Tom for a revealing interview about vulnerability, survival and what really matters in her life.

Aug 8, 2024 • 18min
Alan Doyle: Welcome Home, Great Big Sea’s early days & 30 years in music
Newfoundland’s own Alan Doyle is one of Canada’s great songwriters. He sits down with Tom to celebrate the release of his 20th album, titled “Welcome Home,” and reflects on the early days of his band, Great Big Sea.

Aug 7, 2024 • 32min
Anne Michaels: Her new novel Held & the unexpected reason she’s so private
Anne Michaels is an award-winning Canadian poet and novelist whose long-awaited third novel, “Held,” has just made the Booker Prize longlist. The story spans 115 years and deals in themes familiar to her work: history, grief and the power of love. Anne tells Tom why it took nearly 15 years to write the novel, why she’s so interested in writing about war, and why she chooses to live an intensely private life.
%3BResize%3D(3000).jpg&w=360&h=360&output=jpg)
Aug 7, 2024 • 10min
Quick Q: Bye Parula shares the story behind Q's theme music
If you listen to this podcast regularly, you might be familiar with our theme music. But it's not a track we commissioned for the show, it's actually a song titled “Still Got the Spirit” by the Montreal band Bye Parula. Singer Loïc Calatayud joins Tom to share the story behind the song that's kind of become the soundtrack to our show.
%3BResize%3D(3000).jpg&w=360&h=360&output=jpg)
Aug 6, 2024 • 34min
Orville Peck: Feeling like an outsider & finding his home in country music
The Canadian country singer Orville Peck has been steadily on the rise since the release of his debut album, “Pony,” in 2019. With the release of his latest album, “Stampede,” Orville sits down with Tom to discuss his career, his decision to take a step back from fame for a bit, and what it was like singing a duet with Willie Nelson.
%3BResize%3D(3000).jpg&w=360&h=360&output=jpg)
Aug 6, 2024 • 13min
Quick Q: Zehra Naqvi reads from her debut poetry collection
This past spring, the Canadian writer Zehra Naqvi released her debut poetry collection, “The Knot of My Tongue.” She tells guest host Talia Schlanger about her work, why she’s fascinated by the themes of language and displacement, and how her writing was deeply influenced by the 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan.

Aug 5, 2024 • 33min
Jasmeet Raina: Overnight internet fame, his Sikh faith & his new show Late Bloomer
From 2009 to 2018, Jasmeet Raina was known online as Jus Reign. His viral videos about being a first generation Indo-Canadian millennial amassed more than 160 million views on YouTube and more than a million fans on Facebook. But one day, with no explanation, Jasmeet decided to walk away from the spotlight. Now, he’s back with a comedy series on Crave called “Late Bloomer.” Jasmeet talks to Tom about his hiatus, representing his Punjabi Sikh culture and faith on screen, and what his relationship with the internet is like now.
%3BResize%3D(3000).jpg&w=360&h=360&output=jpg)
Aug 5, 2024 • 12min
Quick Q: Hana Shafi on the power of everyday interactions with strangers
Hana Shafi is a Canadian illustrator, essayist and poet whose new book, “People You Know, Places You've Been,” takes readers on a journey from public transportation to antique stores to waiting rooms, looking at the connections we create with total strangers as we go about our daily lives. Hana speaks with guest host Talia Schlanger about the book and the power of those seemingly mundane interactions. Plus, she reads a poem from the collection.


