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Artwork for Q with Tom Power

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.

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  • 34 episodes
  • Avg 25 min
  • English
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • Yesterday · 24 min

    You may not know her name, but you’ve definitely heard her voice

    <p>Though she may not be a household name, Darlene Love is a true musical icon. You know her voice from the timeless holiday anthem Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), but her legendary vocals also power classic hits like Monster Mash, Monday, Monday, Frank Sinatra's That’s Life, and Sam Cooke's Chain Gang. For years, Darlene provided uncredited lead and background vocals while under contract to Phil Spector — the famously abusive producer who systematically kept her from getting her due. A new d

  • Yesterday · 20 min

    J Stevens is making queer comedy for everyone

    <p>Long before they were directing television, J Stevens was convinced they were going to be the next Serena Williams. But when they picked up a camcorder in high school, everything changed. Today, J is an award-winning filmmaker and one of the first openly non-binary filmmakers in the Directors Guild of Canada. They’re also one of the co-creators of Slo Pitch — a mockumentary series about a “loveable, queer, beer league softball team” that grew from a web series into a half-hour show on Crave.

  • Thursday · 24 min

    Ed Helms is heartbroken the world isn’t a nicer place

    <p>Ed Helms (The Office, The Hangover) is an actor, comedian, musician, writer and podcaster. This year, he stars in two Canadian films that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival: Smudge the Blades and The Stunt Driver. While in town for TIFF, Ed joined Tom Power to talk about playing a hot-headed hockey coach in Smudge the Blades — a fresh take on the underdog sports genre centring on an Indigenous hockey team in Northern Alberta. He explains why playing a “mean” character doesn’

  • Thursday · 27 min

    Emma Pennell used to sing to trees. Now, they’re singing on Canada’s largest opera stage

    <p>Emma Pennell has come a long way as a singer. When they were a kid, the trees of Northern Ontario were their audience. Now, the two-spirit Indigenous soprano is singing for thousands with the Canadian Opera Company in a new production of Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata.&nbsp;Emma joins Tom Power to discuss their journey in opera, the hurdles they’ve overcome along the way, and why they see music as medicine. </p>

  • Wednesday · 33 min

    Anna Lambe thought TV was superficial until she found its power

    <p>Anna Lambe almost walked away from acting before landing her starring role on North of North. She had headed to Ottawa to study international development, deciding to focus less on acting and more on her activism for Indigenous rights. But it was the pull of North of North’s characters — with their genuine depth and nuance of Indigenous experiences — that finally brought her back to the screen. Earlier this year, she joined Tom Power for a special interview in Banff, and shared why none of he

  • Wednesday · 19 min

    Looking for a sign to chase your dreams? Aysanabee is it

    <p>In just four years since Aysanabee left his day job to pursue music, he’s played more than 400 shows, toured all over the world and was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize. He also made history as the first Indigenous artist to win Juno awards for both alternative album of the year and songwriter of the year. This past spring, Aysanabee joined Tom Power in the Q studio to talk about his new EP, Timelines, his recent Juno wins, and the moment that made him quit his day job and pursue a car

  • Tuesday · 24 min

    Majid Jordan’s secret to surviving 15 years as a duo

    <p>The Canadian duo Majid Jordan is best known as one of the pillars of Toronto’s R&amp;B sound. This past August, they released their fifth studio album, Two Roads. On the day of their hometown stop in the 6ix, Majid Al Maskati and Jordan Ullman joined Tom Power to talk about some of the first music they ever loved, what they think the best song they’ve ever written is, and the secret behind what’s kept them working together for 15 years.&nbsp;</p>

  • Tuesday · 32 min

    Oscar Peterson’s family offers a personal glimpse of a Canadian icon

    <p>A new box set celebrates the late Canadian jazz icon Oscar Peterson. It’s called Oscar Peterson: World Tour, and it features live concert recordings from around the globe spanning 1969 to 1996. Oscar’s wife, Kelly, and daughter, Céline, join Tom Power to recount stories from the road with the legendary Montreal pianist — from his quiet vulnerability to his reputation as a prankster. Plus, they share some of his personal poetry.</p>

  • Monday · 37 min

    Kardinal Offishall on family, legacy and working with Idris Elba

    <p>Kardinal Offishall is back with Firestarter Vol. 2: Everyday, Sometimes — the long-awaited follow-up to one of Canadian hip-hop's most iconic records of the early 2000s. He joins Tom Power to reflect on why now was the right moment for the sequel, what it was like collaborating with Idris Elba, and what continues to drive his creativity more than 30 years into his legendary career.</p>

  • Monday · 13 min

    New Music: Thunder Queens

    <p>Being a teenager comes with serious pressure to make big decisions about the future. That’s something Violet Bruneel, Lola Good, and Clara Magnan of the teen rock trio Thunder Queens know all about. Their latest album, Deep Below, gets into the realities of growing up, from navigating major life shifts to learning how to let go. Thunder Queens join Tom Power to share what life is like when you’re both a high school student and a professional musician. Plus, they set up a song called Falling R

  • September 25 · 33 min

    Curry Barker fought for his ideas. Now we have Obsession

    <p>Last year, Curry Barker’s debut feature Obsession made movie history at the Toronto International Film Festival. After its midnight premiere, it was bought by Focus Features for roughly $15 million — one of the largest festival acquisitions ever. Since then, the sleeper hit has grossed more than $500 million worldwide, bringing the 27-year-old director back to TIFF this year for a special fan screening. Curry joins Tom Power in the Q studio to talk about his whirlwind rise, why staying ground

  • September 25 · 23 min

    Michael Dowse found his freedom as a broke filmmaker

    <p>Back in the ’70s, Canadian stuntman Ken Carter attempted to execute the boldest maneuver of his career: launching a rocket-powered car one mile across the St. Lawrence River from Ontario into New York State. It was a stunt rife with challenges and setbacks. Ken’s story is now the inspiration behind the new film The Stunt Driver, which recently made its world premiere at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. Director Michael Dowse (FUBAR, Goon) joins Tom Power to unpack Ken’s legacy

  • September 24 · 28 min

    How community theatre saved Jesse Eisenberg’s life

    <p>Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, A Real Pain) drew on his own roots in community theatre to write and direct his latest movie, The Debut. Starring Julianne Moore as a shy housewife-turned-actor and Paul Giamatti as a director pushing her to her limits, the film is inspired by the many unproduced musicals Jesse has penned over the years. He joins Tom Power in the Q studio to discuss The Debut, the relationship between art and anxiety, why some people hate musicals, and the role truth plays

  • September 24 · 20 min

    New Music: Mariel Buckley

    <p>Choosing to pursue a single passion can feel like a calling — until the reality of the grind hits. Albertan singer-songwriter Mariel Buckley explores the highs and lows of going after your dreams on her Juno-winning album, Strange Trip Ahead. She joins Tom Power in the Q studio to discuss a song off the album, how she went to culinary school before becoming a musician, and how k.d. lang took a chance on her when she was just starting out.</p>

  • September 23 · 24 min

    Noomi Rapace: ‘Movies were my escape and my oxygen’

    <p>Swedish actor Noomi Rapace has built a career playing deeply complex characters, starting with her breakout role as Lisbeth Salander in 2009’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. In her new film, In Alaska, she plays an FBI agent searching for a suicidal Inuk teen who accidentally pierces an oil pipeline with a bullet. Noomi joins Tom Power to talk about the film, her acting career, and how movies became her escape, her oxygen and her link to the world.</p>

  • September 23 · 22 min

    He used to drink a two-six a day. Now he releases two songs a week

    <p>Dillan King, also known as DillanPonders, is a Canadian rapper from Toronto. After surviving addiction and homelessness nearly a decade ago, he found a path to recovery and became an avid mental health advocate. Since then, he’s set a Guinness World Record by releasing an original single every week for 138 consecutive weeks, ran 100 marathons in 100 days for men’s mental health, and ran the length of Toronto’s Yonge Street (more than a double marathon) to raise funds for homelessness. Dillan

  • September 22 · 38 min

    Chad Smith joins Rush to honour Neil Peart

    <p>Neil Peart is one of the most celebrated and influential drummers of all time. In the new documentary Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple, his life and legacy are honoured by his Rush bandmates, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. Along with Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, they join Tom Power in the Q studio to discuss the film and share stories about their late friend, bandmate and musical legend.</p>

  • September 22 · 13 min

    New Music: summersets

    <p>As a solo artist in the 2010s, Kalle Mattson either won or was nominated for every major music prize in Canada. During the pandemic, he formed the band summersets with his childhood friend Andrew Sowka to explore Everly Brothers harmonies and to alleviate the weight of being a solo artist. Now, summersets has released a new album, Pine Trees in a Perfect Row, written “to be a (complicated) love letter to Northern Ontario and small town Canadian identity.” Kalle joins Q guest host Garvia Baile

  • September 21 · 20 min

    The original Widow's Bay script got this writer hired on Parks and Rec

    <p>Earlier this week, the hit horror-comedy series Widow's Bay made Emmys history with a record-breaking 14 wins, including best series. Katie Dippold, the show’s creator and showrunner, comes from a comedy background, having written the Ghostbusters remake and The Heat, as well as for Parks and Recreation. A few months ago, she joined Tom Power to talk about Widow's Bay, how she’s always been a fan of horror and how her comedy roots helped her write a scary show.&nbsp;</p>

  • September 21 · 18 min

    After a breakup, Ruth B had to learn to live her own story

    <p>Canadian singer-songwriter Ruth B first found fame writing songs in her childhood bedroom in Edmonton. Since breaking onto the charts in 2013, she’s gone on to amass nearly 10 billion streams. Now, five years after her last project, she’s returned with a new album, Peace To Make. Largely written in the aftermath of a breakup, the album finds Ruth looking back at her past while discovering new parts of herself in the process. She joins Tom Power to talk about Peace To Make, the vulnerability b

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