Episodes

  • JoJo: The trauma of child stardom & how she lost control of her career
    Nov 5 2024

    After signing a major recording contract at age 12, Joanna "JoJo" Levesque shot to the top of the pop charts with hits like “Leave (Get Out)” and “Too Little, Too Late.” She was on track to become one of the biggest pop singers of the 2000s — and then she seemingly disappeared overnight. In this interview with Tom Power, JoJo opens up about the betrayals she endured as a child star, the label issues that derailed her promising career, and why she’s telling her story now in a new memoir called “Over the Influence.”

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    36 mins
  • k-os: The 20th anniversary of his iconic album Joyful Rebellion
    Nov 4 2024

    The Canadian rapper, singer-songwriter and producer k-os is kind of like the Forrest Gump of popular music — he’s been everywhere. On the 20th anniversary of his smash hit album “Joyful Rebellion,” k-os sits down with Tom Power to share some wild stories from his life and career, like the time he hung out with Prince and how he has Shaquille O'Neal to thank for his first hit in the U.S.


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    35 mins
  • Tia Wood: Finding her own sound in her musical family
    Nov 4 2024

    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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    17 mins
  • Lindsay Ell: Authentic songwriting, fusing genres & playing guitar for Shania
    Nov 1 2024

    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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    32 mins
  • Tegan and Sara: On the catfishing scheme that’s haunted them for 15 years
    Oct 31 2024

    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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    32 mins
  • Brendan McLeod: On honouring the soldiers who fought at Vimy Ridge
    Oct 31 2024

    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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    14 mins
  • Jenny Slate: How her new book tackles motherhood and self-criticism
    Oct 30 2024

    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.

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    21 mins
  • William Stanford Davis: His 40-year path to Abbott Elementary
    Oct 30 2024

    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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    23 mins