Q: The Podcast From Cbc Radio

Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk is known for her distinct voice and gift for writing songs rooted in honesty and vulnerability. It’s a talent that’s earned her a Grammy and multiple Junos. But you might not know that beyond her career as a successful solo artist, Chantal has also penned songs for some of the world’s biggest artists, including Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Gwen Stefani and Kelly Clarkson. Now, she’s reimagining those songs on her new cover album, In My Own Voice. Last fall, Chantal joined Tom Power at the piano in the Q studio to talk about the hits that made her a star in Canada, and why she wanted to reclaim some of the songs she’s written for others.

Amanda Peet plays a character maybe a little bit too close to home in her new film Fantasy Life. The film brings up questions about aging, art and relevancy — all things on Amanda’s mind — alongside the complicated debate around cosmetic surgery. Amanda tells Tom Power about how the search for validation can lead you down some dark paths.

When Adam Sturgeon was walking around his neighbourhood in London, Ont., he kept seeing all these construction signs saying “big changes are coming,” which got him wondering if those changes would be good ones. So he wrote some new music to process his feelings about it. You can hear those songs on his band Status/Non-Status's latest album called Big Changes. Adam joins Tom Power in the Q studio to talk about his band’s new record, and how he went from a life in professional hockey to being an artist and community worker who uses music to heal.

Canadian actor Shamier Anderson leads the new mockumentary series Hate The Player: The Ben Johnson Story. He and his brother, fellow actor Stephan James, founded Bay Mills Studios, the production company behind the series. Shamier stops by the Q studio to talk about why he wanted to portray the controversial athlete, and why he calls the comedy series “chocolate-covered vitamins.”

Rolling Stone has called Charlotte Cornfield “Canada’s best kept secret.” But now, with the release of her sixth record featuring artists like Feist and Buck Meek of Big Thief fame, it’s safe to say the secret’s out. Charlotte talks to Tom about writing her first record since becoming a mom, collaborating with one of her favourite artists, Feist, and why she’s feeling optimistic in her songwriting these days.

The Canadian electronic quartet Holy F has spent the last 20 years committed to making experimental music out of anything they can find, from toys to old film editing equipment. Their new album Event Beat continues to showcase their dedication to this approach. Holy F’s Brian Borcherdt and Graham Walsh stop by the Q studio to talk about their new record, and how they went from an indie Toronto outfit to touring with international artists after just a few shows as a band.

Marlene Ginader’s new play is hoping to get more inclusion for minorities in a predominantly white space: serial killing. She tells Tom all about her motivations for writing and starring in the new production Canadian Psycho, and how she hopes her satirical solo theatre show will challenge the Asian model minority myth.

Sterling K. Brown’s role as Randall in the beloved series This is Us practically made him a household name. But the actor went to Stanford to study economics with the intention of working in finance. As you’ll hear in Tom Power’s conversation with Sterling, the pull of acting was too strong and he eventually transitioned to doing it full time. They discuss how he went from finance to acting, his mother’s impact on him and his role as a secret service agent on the series Paradise. 

Leading up to the 55th Juno Awards in Hamilton, Ont., host Tom Power hosted a special live audience taping of Q at the historic Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton. Yesterday’s show featured live on-stage interviews and performances with Begonia, Jade LeMac, Sister Ray, and comedian Adam Christie. TOBi, Jully Black and Saukrates also performed their Juno-nominated single Who's Driving You? together for the first time, followed by a chat. Plus, the cast of It’s a Good Life if You Don’t Weaken, a new musical based on the music of The Tragically Hip, performed a song from the show in a special world premiere. 

Critically acclaimed comedian, actor, writer, musician and podcast host Mae Martin will host the 2026 Juno Awards in Hamilton this Sunday. They sit down with guest host Talia Schlanger in the Q studio to talk about how they’re preparing for Canada’s biggest night in music, their hit Netflix mystery thriller series Wayward, and why taking the uncomfortable route is sometimes the most fulfilling.

Carl (A.C.) Newman has led the Canadian indie rock supergroup The New Pornographers for more than two decades. Their upcoming 10th studio album, The Former Site Of, explores big ideas like loss, uncertainty and acceptance. The milestone comes after a turbulent year for the band, following the arrest of their former drummer on serious criminal charges — a moment that forced a difficult rupture and a period of reflection. Carl joins Tom Power from New York to reflect on that upheaval, re-recording with rock and roll legend Charley Drayton, and what it means to slow down and savour the moment.

In her new memoir, Even the Good Girls Will Cry, Canadian musician Melissa Auf der Maur pulls back the curtain on the alternative and grunge scene of the ’90s. She tells Tom Power about the chaotic, often destructive dynamics within Hole — and how, through it all, frontwoman Courtney Love emerged as one of rock’s most powerful feminist voices. With both her bass and her camera as constant companions, Melissa made it through the decade not only intact, but stronger. The Montreal-born musician and artist joins Tom Power to share the whirlwind story of how it all came to be.

A few months ago, Stephen Spencer, a New York-based music professor from Ottawa, started posting videos on TikTok and Instagram accompanied by music he made with his three-year-old daughter. Their original songs include Apple Man, The Christmas Cat, and Funchy the Snowwoman. What started out as a fun project to share with his mom and her book club quickly became viral. Now, Stephen has amassed hundreds of thousands of followers and millions of views on his videos. He joins Tom Power to talk about the unexpected success of this project, the importance of truly listening to a child, and what it means to have “creative innocence.”

Next week, the Toronto indie band Good Kid is releasing their debut album, Can We Hang Out Sometime? They’ve built a massive online fanbase by embracing internet culture — from gaming streams to Discord communities — and letting fans help shape the band’s creative world. Nick Frosst and Jacob Tsafatinos of Good Kid join Tom Power to talk about the new album and how it came together. Nick is also the co-founder of one of Canada’s most important AI companies, so they share their thoughts about AI’s place in music and whether it’s changing how artists create.

Many artists won’t talk openly about money and ambition, but Haitian Canadian singer-songwriter Tedy says the quiet part out loud. In 2025, he released his debut album, Scandalous. One of the album’s standout tracks, Rich, is blunt, catchy and unapologetic — a song about not wanting to work hard, just wanting to be rich. The irony is that Tedy is working harder than ever right now. He sits down with guest host Garvia Bailey in the Q studio to talk about his rising music career.

Thirty years ago, legendary Cree playwright Tomson Highway wrote a musical called Rose that was never professionally produced, though it was occasionally staged by students. One of those productions took place at the University of Toronto, where singer and actor Patricia Cano played the lead. What began as a student-teacher relationship between Tomson and Patricia eventually grew into something more like family. Now, Rose is finally getting its first professional production at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, with Patricia once again in the starring role. Tomson and Patricia join guest host Garvia Bailey to share the story behind the musical and their decades-long creative partnership.

Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street) are two college friends with a gift for turning “unfilmable” ideas into box office gold. From the cult favourite series Clone High to the high-concept chaos of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, they’ve built a career on big swings and absurd humour. Now, the Oscar-winning duo is heading into deep space with their new sci-fi blockbuster Project Hail Mary. Lord and Miller join guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about adapting a beloved novel, being fearless in an industry that seems allergic to risk, and what it takes to keep your friendship and creative partnership alive in Hollywood.

Calgary's Tate McRae is tied with Justin Bieber for the most nominations at this year’s Juno Awards, with six apiece. Last year, she talked to Tom Power about her skyrocketing career, growing up on social media, and how she’s learning to slow down and appreciate the present moment.

Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom, Won't You Be My Neighbor?) is turning his attention to Paul McCartney in a new film, Man on the Run. It explores Paul’s life after the breakup of The Beatles, tracing the personal and creative journey that led him to form the band Wings. Morgan joins guest host Garvia Bailey to discuss his conversations with Paul, and why he says the musician wanted to speak so candidly about this pivotal chapter in his life.

There’s something abuzz in the classical music world — something 300 years in the making. It’s a new recording from a 300-year-old manuscript of Bach’s Leipzig cantatas, but with a surprising twist: the works aren’t by Johann Sebastian Bach, but his distant cousin, Johann Ludwig Bach. Renowned conductor Johanna Soller is the driving force behind the album, titled Johann Ludwig Bach: The Leipzig Cantatas. She joins guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about recording these pieces for the first time, and why they matter today.