Q: The Podcast From Cbc Radio

It’s been more than 25 years since the Swedish hardcore punk band Refused released their seminal album, “The Shape of Punk to Come.” Their most famous song from that album, “New Noise,” has been called a political anthem and a protest song. It’s been used in the Palme d'Or'-winning film “Triangle of Sadness” as well as in the hit show “The Bear.” Last year, frontman Dennis Lyxzén of Refused joined Tom Power to tell us how “New Noise” became a global hit after the band had already called it quits.

In 2015, Misty Copeland became the first Black woman to become principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre. Her heartfelt memoir “The Wind at My Back” pays tribute to her mentor and fellow dance pioneer Raven Wilkinson, who performed in the segregated South as a member of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in the 1950s. A few years back, Misty joined guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about Raven's incredible life and legacy.

The Montreal band Ribbon Skirt just released their debut album, “Bite Down.” Lead singer Tashiina Buswa joins Tom Power to tell us how the record was inspired by grief and reconnecting with her Indigeneity, how her first exposure to music was in the church, and the difference between knowing you’re free and actually feeling free. Plus, she tells the story behind her new song, “Off Rez.”

Acclaimed Canadian filmmaker Celine Song (Past Lives, Materialists) is back with a new movie that takes a candid look at the inhumanity of matchmaking and modern dating. As it turns out, Celine used to be a matchmaker herself. She sits down with guest host Gill Deacon to talk about her experiences in the field, why she says her “drug of choice is people,” and how our weight, height, salaries and hairlines all contribute to the blunt math of dating.

It’s been five years since the Grammy-nominated musician Lido Pimienta made waves with her breakout album, “Miss Colombia.” Now, she’s back with “La Belleza,” which takes an entirely new musical direction. Canadian composer Owen Pallett co-produced the album, which was recorded with help from the Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra. Lido and Owen sit down with guest host Gill Deacon to talk about their collaboration, and how in the process of making “La Belleza,” Lido ended up learning that classical music is not her enemy.

For more than five decades, Canadian acting legend Tantoo Cardinal (Dances with Wolves, Killers of the Flower Moon) has worked tirelessly to bring nuanced Indigenous stories to the stage and screen — and she says there’s no turning back. The renowned actor was recently honoured with the Equity in Entertainment Award at The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Canada gala in Toronto. She joins Tom Power to reflect on her remarkable career, and why she’ll never stop advocating for authenticity and accuracy when it comes to Indigenous representation. In case you missed it, you might also enjoy Tom’s interview with Canadian icon Graham Greene, whom Tantoo shared the screen with in “Dances with Wolves.”

Steve Lawrence and Alexandra MacLean are the stars and co-creators of the Bell Fibe series “0-60 Driving Academy.” They speak to guest host Talia Schlanger about creating a show based on Steve’s real-life experiences running a driving school, and why they wanted to see a Black Nova Scotian family on the screen.

The Oscar-winning Canadian animator and director Domee Shi (Bao, Turning Red) is back with a new Disney-Pixar movie, “Elio.” It’s about an 11-year-old who’s obsessed with getting abducted by aliens. Domee joins guest host Talia Schlanger to share how her own childhood inspired aspects of the film, why the theme of alien abduction is a great way to explore loneliness, and why it’s nearly impossible for her to write a one-dimensional mother figure. If you enjoy this conversation, make sure to check out Tom Power’s interview with Domee about her last film, “Turning Red.”

There's a reason why the British theatre maker Tim Crouch doesn't want his actors to hear this podcast — it’s because they’re not supposed to know anything about their role until an hour before the show. This year, Tim’s award-winning play “An Oak Tree” turns 20. It’s one of the strangest and most influential theatre experiments in history, and it’s currently being staged at the Luminato Festival in Toronto. Each performance is completely unique, shaped by the presence of a different guest actor, including past celebrity guests like Frances McDormand, Mike Myers and Alan Cumming. Tim sits down with guest host Gill Deacon to talk about the risk in live performance, the power of not-knowing, and why this show still resonates 20 years on.

Joshua Jackson rose to fame more than 20 years ago as a teen heartthrob on the show “Dawson’s Creek.” But his latest role relies solely on the power of his voice. The Vancouver-born actor joins guest host Gill Deacon to talk about narrating the suspenseful Canadian audio series “Oracle 3: Murder at the Grandview,” embracing his Canadian roots, and how he made the tricky transition from child star to adult actor.

Imagine taking your favourite family memories and spinning them into a full-length movie. That’s exactly what the Toronto filmmaker Seth Scriver has done with the animated documentary “Endless Cookie,” which he created over nine years with his half-brother Peter. Though Seth and Peter lead radically different lives (they’re separated by age, culture and geography), they say making a movie brought them closer together. They join guest host Talia Schlanger to tell us how they bonded through filmmaking.

Owen Wilson has played a misfit, a cowboy, a robber, a male model and now he can add pro golfer to that list. In the new sports comedy series “Stick,” Owen plays Pryce Cahill, an ex-pro golfer with a dark past who ends up coaching a troubled teen prodigy. Owen joins guest host Gill Deacon to talk about the show, how his carefree nature seeps into his work, and what he learned from some of his earliest mentors and role models, including his dad, his football coaches and legendary film producer James L. Brooks.

The Calgary-born comedian Malik Elassal has already been getting noticed on the stand-up circuit, but with a starring role on the new FX and Disney+ series “Adults,” a lot more people are going to start hearing about him. Malik sits down with Tom Power in our studio to talk about the show, his journey in stand-up, and why he says you can talk about anything in comedy — as long as the joke is good.

In 1993, Counting Crows’ debut album, "August and Everything After,” went multi-platinum, selling more than seven million copies in the U.S. alone. Lead singer Adam Duritz joins Tom Power for a wide-ranging conversation about “Mr. Jones” (the song that started it all), how there’s no going back after becoming famous, and what it was like playing his cover of “Big Yellow Taxi” to Joni Mitchell herself. Plus, he shares what was on his mind when he created Counting Crows’ latest record, “Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!” 

Canadian icon Graham Greene (Dances With Wolves, The Green Mile, Wind River) is one of the most recognizable Indigenous actors in North America. Recently, he was honoured with a Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award from the Governor General's Awards, which recognizes his prolific career on stage and screen. In this career-spanning interview, Graham joins Tom Power to talk about the incredible work ethic he developed during his early days as a roadie, how he learned Lakota for “Dances With Wolves,” his Oscar nomination and his advice to up-and-coming actors.

Reza Dahya helped shape the sound of Toronto hip-hop as the host of “OTA Live” on the iconic Canadian radio station FLOW 93.5. Now, he’s released his debut film, “Boxcutter,” which is a love letter to Toronto and all the young artists who are trying to find their place. Reza joins guest host Gill Deacon to talk about the movie and how it pays tribute to the city, its music culture and its aspiring artists.

Acclaimed Canadian theatre maker Robert Lepage is back at the Stratford Festival with a new take on Shakespeare's “Macbeth.” This new production tells the same classic story of greed, betrayal and murder, but it’s set during the brutal Quebec biker wars of the ‘90s. Robert joins Tom Power to talk about putting a new spin on this Shakespearean tragedy, his unique approach to theatre and his incredible decades-long career. If you’re looking for more conversations about Canadian theatre, check out Tom’s chat with esteemed stage actor Tom Rooney on what it takes to play a dog.

Country artist Robert Adam is Calgary's self-proclaimed “Dream Angel Cowboy.” But they say celebrating queer identity isn’t always easy in their home province of Alberta or in Nashville, where they made their upcoming full-length album, “Governed by the Seasons.” Robert joins guest host Gill Deacon to talk about finding their musical community, making country music on their own terms and why their album tour won't include any stops in the U.S. Plus, they set up their bold and totally irresistible new single, “Denim on Denim.” If you like this chat, check out Tom Power’s conversation with Canadian singer-songwriter Bells Larsen on why he cancelled his U.S. tour.

Alessia Cara has a unique talent for capturing the inner life of someone growing up in the digital age as they deal with love, acceptance and rejection. On the Grammy-winning Canadian singer-songwriter’s fourth and latest album, “Love & Hyperbole,” she opens up about her feelings of being an introvert in an extrovert’s industry. Earlier this year, Alessia sat down with Tom Power to talk about the record and how it reflects her growth as an artist.

Robi Botos is a Juno-winning Canadian jazz pianist who was hugely influenced by the late Oscar Peterson — one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time. He opened for Oscar in Switzerland and he even gave Oscar’s daughter piano lessons. In celebration of the Canadian jazz legend’s centenary (he would have turned 100 on Aug. 15), Robi sits down with Tom Power to talk about Oscar’s musical legacy and what made his piano playing so exceptional. Plus, Robi plays a piece he wrote for his friend and hero.