Q: The Podcast From Cbc Radio

The new sitcom “North of North” follows a young Inuk mother named Siaja who’s on a journey to reclaim her life while living in the fictional Arctic community of Ice Cove — a town where everybody knows your business. Co-creators Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril say they made the place up to represent all Inuit communities across the North. Back in January, they joined Tom Power to talk about shooting the series in Iqaluit (where they both live) and how they’re changing the conversation around Inuit representation on-screen.

Alan Ritchson is best known for playing Jack Reacher, an ex-military nomad who negotiates suspicious and dangerous situations. But in his new film, “Ordinary Angels,” Alan plays a father whose brawn is of little use in the face of his young daughter’s illness. Last year, the actor joined Tom Power to talk about playing a dad desperate to save his child, what it’s like to do a scene with an Oscar winner when you can tell she’s not sure about you, and why he wrote a letter to Tom Cruise when he booked “Reacher.”

Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth, The Aviator, Tár) is one of the most respected actors of our time. She's an on-screen chameleon who transforms into whatever role she plays, taking on whatever accent is required of her — so much so that she says it’s easy to forget what she actually sounds like. Last year, Cate sat down with Tom for a thoughtful conversation about two of her most recent projects (the unique political satire “Rumours” and the psychological thriller series “Disclaimer”), plus, her voice work and how she chooses her roles.

They say never meet your heroes, but don't tell that to Brandi Carlile. The 11-time Grammy winner has teamed up with Elton John on a new album, “Who Believes in Angels?” The record’s title track is all about the realities of working with someone you admire. Earlier this year, Brandi joined Tom Power to introduce us to the song and tell us more about her collaboration with Elton.

The award-winning Canadian filmmaker and screenwriter Deepa Mehta has reshaped and redefined both Canadian and Indian cinema with her bold and groundbreaking films. Now, she’s being honoured with a career retrospective called “Through the Fire: The Films of Deepa Mehta” at TIFF in Toronto. It features screenings of 10 of her most prominent films of the past 35 years. Deepa sits down with Tom Power for a career-spanning conversation about her life and work, the backlash to some of her films in India, and why the last thing she wants to be called is a “controversial” filmmaker. If you enjoy this conversation, take a listen to Tom’s interviews with Canadian filmmakers Sarah Polley, Denis Villeneuve or James Cameron.

For 40 years, Dream Theater has been one of the biggest progressive rock bands in the world, if not the biggest. The driving force behind their music has been legendary drummer Mike Portnoy, but for more than a decade, he and the band were split. That all changed last year when Mike rejoined the band and they recorded their latest album, “Parasomnia.” He sits down with Tom Power to talk about reuniting with Dream Theater and Rush’s influence on the band. If you like this conversation, you’ll probably also enjoy Tom’s interviews with Geddy Lee or Alex Lifeson.

For years, the Toronto painter Gordon Shadrach has been making stunning oil portraits that investigate the way Black men are represented in society. But in his new exhibit, “the earth is always shifting, the light is always changing,” Gordon unpacks his cancer diagnosis and the year of isolation that followed it. He sits down with Tom Power to tell us how illness and recovery affected him and his art. You can check out a selection of Gordon’s paintings on our Instagram (@cbcq). If you’re interested in hearing more conversations with artists, take a listen to Tom’s interviews with Hangama Amiri, Wanda Koop or Geoff McFetridge.

Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s harrowing new film “Warfare” takes a realistic look at a platoon of Navy SEALs on a mission gone wrong in Iraq in 2006. It’s based on Ray's experiences as a real-life Navy SEAL, and it’s dedicated to his platoon member, Elliott Miller, who lost a leg and suffered a traumatic brain injury during the mission. Ray set out to make the film to help Elliott remember what they went through that day. In this conversation with Tom Power, Ray and the Canadian actor who plays him, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, talk about “Warfare” and why it was important to tell this story as true to life as possible. If you like this conversation, listen to Tom Power’s interview with Alex Garland on “Civil War.”

Craig Mazin is the showrunner behind HBO’s hit post-apocalyptic series “The Last of Us” — but he didn’t always write TV dramas. Much of his career was spent working on big comedy film franchises like “Scary Movie” and “The Hangover.” In this conversation with guest host Garvia Bailey, Craig breaks down why it takes a smart person to write dumb comedy, plus, what you can expect from Season 2 of “The Last of Us.” If you enjoy this conversation, check out Tom Power’s chat with director and producer Barry Sonnenfeld.

At 13, Nell Smith made headlines for releasing an album of Nick Cave covers with one of her favourite bands, The Flaming Lips. After that, the promising young singer from Fernie, B.C., started working on her debut solo album, “Anxious.” But this past October, at 17, Nell’s life was tragically cut short by a car accident. Now, her record has been released posthumously. Sage McBride and Tim Newton of the Fernie-based indie band Shred Kelly helped Nell write some of the music on the album. They join Tom Power to share their memories of her

The actor Jonathan Roumie is most famous for playing the role of Jesus Christ in the smash hit TV show, “The Chosen.” He joins guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about the show’s massive global impact, the unique pressures that come with the role, and why centuries later, there remains a great fascination with the life that Jesus lived.

The singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman made her voice heard in 1988 when she performed her song “Fast Car” for 90,000 people at a Free Nelson Mandela concert at Wembley Stadium. That song was off her self-titled debut album, which went on to win three Grammys and solidify her as an important American voice. Now, 35 years later, it’s still making an impact and it’s just been re-issued on vinyl. Tracy joins guest host Garvia Bailey to share her memories of making that record, why she thinks “Fast Car” means so much to so many, and how the years she spent busking on street corners taught her how to hold a crowd’s attention with just her voice and a guitar.

Next week, the Halifax singer-songwriter Joel Plaskett celebrates his 50th birthday. As a special surprise, 22 of his musical friends have come together to make a tribute album, “Songs from the Gang.” One of those friends, Sloan’s Chris Murphy, sits down with Tom Power to talk about his cover of Joel’s classic song “I Love This Town.”

For years, Rachid Badouri has been one of Quebec's biggest comedy stars. His shows have sold millions of tickets around the world, he has a Netflix stand-up special called “Les fleurs du tapis,” and he’s also a judge on “Quel talent!” (Quebec’s version of “Canada’s Got Talent”). But now, Rachid is ready to make a name for himself in the English-speaking world. He sits down with guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about his journey in comedy, what it’s like translating his French jokes into English, and how stand-up has helped him embrace his Moroccan heritage. If you like this conversation, check out Tom Power’s interview with Montreal comedian Sugar Sammy.

What do you think you know about Yoko Ono? That she broke up the Beatles? That she was just there, always in the background? David Sheff wants to set the record straight with his new biography, “Yoko.” He was the last journalist to interview John Lennon and Yoko before John’s murder in 1980, and after that tragedy, he stayed close with the Japanese artist. David joins Tom Power to share Yoko’s real story, her impact on modern art, and why he thinks instead of blaming her for breaking up the Beatles, we should be thanking her for keeping the Beatles together longer.

The new film “The Ballad of Wallis Island” tells the story of Charles, an eccentric lottery winner who uses his money to hold a private concert on the remote Welsh island where he lives. The band he hires is his favourite group of all time: the fictional folk rock duo McGwyer Mortimer. The only problem is they haven’t spoken in years — and the concert is just for Charles. British poet and comedian Tim Key stars as Charles and co-wrote the movie, which is based on a short film he made in 2007. He joins Tom Power to talk about the project and why it took 18 years to turn his short into a feature. Plus, he reveals how he persuaded Hollywood A-lister Carey Mulligan to get on board. If you like this conversation, listen to Tom’s interview with director Bong Joon Ho on “Mickey 17.”

In Karen Chapman's debut feature film, “Village Keeper,” a grieving single mother who’s grappling with violence in her past learns how to put herself first. Karen sits down with guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about the stigmas and stereotypes she aimed to challenge with this film, how she made “Village Keeper” in only 12 days while eight months pregnant, and why she feels that what happens behind the camera shows up on screen. If you’re looking for more conversations with Canadian filmmakers, check out guest host Talia Schlanger’s interview with “Morningside” director Ron Dias.

When Anoushka Shankar was in Goa two years ago, she wrote down four words: “Three chapters, three geographies.” That note has been the inspiration for a trilogy of mini-albums. With the release of the latest and final album, “Chapter III: We Return To Light,” the acclaimed sitar player sits down with Tom Power to tell us what was driving her creatively, how she wants to change perceptions of her instrument, and how she navigates her career in the shadow cast by her famous father, Ravi Shankar.

For the past 30 years, on the last Sunday of every month, Yuk Yuk’s in Toronto has hosted the Nubian Comedy Revue — one of the top showcases for Black and racialized comedians in Canada. Over the years, the show has been blessed by numerous appearances by top talent like Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart and Russell Peters. Comedian Kenny Robinson has been producing the show since founding it back in the ‘90s. Now, a new documentary, “People of Comedy,” is celebrating the show’s 30-year history. Kenny sits down with guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about the Nubian Show’s legacy, how Canadian comedy is defined by our multiculturalism, and what sets Canadian comics apart from American comics. If you enjoy this conversation, you might also like Tom Power’s interviews with comedians Sugar Sammy or Hassan Phills.

Mike Hadreas, better known as Perfume Genius, has been making music since 2010, when he released his debut album, “Learning.” Since then, he’s become known for writing vulnerable songs that still feel incredibly powerful and danceable. While the cliché is that artists make their best work when they’re struggling — or even under the influence of drugs or alcohol — that was not the case at all for Perfume Genius. He joins Tom Power to chat about his new album, “Glory,” which he says feels like a “culmination” of everything he’s learned in the years since he got sober and started making music. If you enjoy this conversation, check out Tom’s 2023 interview with singer-songwriter Sam Smith on their album, “Gloria.”