My guest on NSTS this week, singer Stacey Kay, is no stranger to the spotlight. She's advanced to the final rounds of America's Got Talent, performed live at Massey Hall with k.d. lang, and has been praised by the likes of Fergie and David Foster. She's also a proponent of positive body image and speaks on the topic at schools. During our chat, Stacey tells some great stories about going viral with a rap in a Walgreen's aisle, how she really feels about Bob Dylan's voice, what an 11 o'clock numb...
Apr 02, 2019•51 min
Juno-nominated jazz songstress Barbra Lica joins me in the NSTS studios this week for show number 101. CBC Radio 2 recently called Barbra one of Canada's top female jazz singers, and you'll see why after listening to her perform at the end of this episode. Barbra brings with her a fine assortment of tasteful songs, some of which I've added to my own personal playlist. I've also been playing her single "You're Fine" lately, which comes highly recommended. Enjoy! Lica's playlist: Corinne Bailey Ra...
Mar 26, 2019•27 min
I thought it would be prescient to celebrate the one hundred episode milestone with a look back at some of the great moments that took place on the way to getting here. Of those there were many, and while I regret not being able to include them all, I did gather a good number of them for this special retrospective. There are laughs, tears, insights, insults, interesting facts, and some incredible conversation compliments of the wide array of guests I've been lucky enough to have - Stephen Stanle...
Mar 12, 2019•1 hr 36 min
NSTS episode 99 features Ashley Jane and Timor Wientzek of folk pop duo In The City. It's always a treat to have organic musicians on the show, and these two did not disappoint. They were good enough to perform their current single "Best Time", a moving song about loss. During their visit, we chatted about Ryan Adams covering Taylor Swift, Jon Bon Jovi's mp3 dilemma, Tragically Hip lyrics, Timor's emotional reaction to Joni Mitchell, the pros and cons of streaming, and why Ashley called me 'ever...
Mar 05, 2019•30 min
The happiest person on planet Earth, singer Suzi Kory, returns to the NSTS studios this week to chat about all sorts of fun things. It's always a pleasure to host Suzi, and during this episode she catches us up on everything she's currently doing - her foray into country music, the video shoot for her latest single Pretty Little Things, learning to play guitar, and who her girl crush is. Bonus: I tell Suzi a deep dark secret about Dolly Parton from my childhood. Kory's playlist: The Dixie Chicks...
Feb 26, 2019•29 min
This episode is definitely for the low-fi indie rock crowd. I travelled to Seattle late last year and chatted with co-founder of premier indie label Barsuk Records Barry Gordon at the Starbucks Center. My good pal Kevin 'Wyatt' Reid also drops in for a few laughs. Barry's music IQ is deep and sophisticated, and we talk about his role in discovering Death Cab for Cutie, watching Arcade Fire ascend to fame, loving The Smiths and Rush simultaneously, how to play 'guess-the Pitchfork-score', The Str...
Feb 19, 2019•35 min
This week on No Sleep 'til Sudbury we welcome Canadian Folk Music nominee and super cool lady Andrea Ramolo. She's currently touring her newest record Homage, a collection of Leonard Cohen songs, and she was good enough to take a few minutes to chat with me about the songs that make her skin vibrate. Andrea is a self-proclaimed 'lover of the darkness' in music, and her playlist reflects it. We have an extended chat about Fleetwood Mac's drug of choice, the story behind her very personal album Nu...
Feb 12, 2019•45 min
Friend of the show and Brighton Rock guitar slinger Greg Fraser returns to NSTS this week, with quite a different batch of songs - this time around, it's all rock. It's always fun chatting with Fraze, he's a great guy and he and I love a lot of the same music. We cover off the important stuff - his favourite KISS song, watching Poison's bass player get punched in the face, Eddie Van Halen's Frankenstein approach to building guitars, Buffalo's 97 Rock, how Brighton Rock's hits were written, Mick ...
Feb 05, 2019•48 min
Audra Santa caused something of a sensation on the internet recently. The video for her latest single "Afterglow" was censored by Facebook for 'failing to uphold advertising standards'. Of course, you can watch the video and decide for yourself. Audra is a fantastic conversationalist with a strong female voice, and our chat continued long after the episode wrapped. What was captured on the actual show, you ask? The brilliance of Johnny Cash's "Hurt", sexual empowerment, Portishead's "Dummy", Thu...
Jan 29, 2019•38 min
Here's something different for you this week. Something I've thought about doing for a while now. It's a privilege for me to have guests of No Sleep 'til Sudbury play their music on the show, and there have been some really special musical performances across the 90+ episodes we've done so far. So I figured, why not assemble a few of them and make a unique live music playlist of my own? And so I have. Join me as I look back on some of my favourite NSTS performances, stripped-down versions of gre...
Jan 22, 2019•31 min
Barney Bentall is an incredible songwriter and a terrific man. It was a real pleasure hanging out with him, capped with an unplugged performance of a song of his I've loved since my teens, "Something To Live For". Talk about skin vibration. Barney and I cover a lot of stuff - his four-night stand at Hugh's Room in Toronto as part of a Gordon Lightfoot tribute, the sabbatical he took from music to chase cows in minus 20 weather, Springsteen's Nebraska, the very first record he ever owned, Ron Mac...
Jan 15, 2019•32 min
Happy New Year, NSTS is back! We kick off the year by hosting former Sting guitarist Jeffrey Lee Campbell. Jeff toured the world with Sting in 1987 on his Nothing Like The Sun tour, and he details that whirlwind period of his life in his new book, Do Stand So Close: My Improbable Adventure as Sting's Guitarist . Jeff obviously has some incredible stories, and he shares some of them on the show - headlining Madison Square Garden with Sting, his years with the Broadway smash Mamma Mia!, and what i...
Jan 08, 2019•35 min
Here's the second and final portion of my time spent with the great Rik Emmett, going over the Christmas songs most special to him. Our first episode from last week was a massive success, earning the most downloads of any NSTS show in 2018. Hope you enjoy this one just as much. This week Rik once again provides tremendous insight into the writing of some of our favourite holiday tunes, all while playing portions of them on guitar. He also shares some personal details about the playlists the Emme...
Dec 18, 2018•30 min
Time to get into the Christmas spirit, friends. And who better to help us do that than Triumph guitar wiz and Christmas music guru Rik Emmett? Rik has once again graciously invited me into his home, this time to record two special NSTS episodes featuring his favourite Christmas songs (Rik insisted it be two episodes - there was simply too much ground to cover). In addition to sharing an immense amount of fascinating musical knowledge and enthusiasm, Rik also takes down one of his electric guitar...
Dec 11, 2018•53 min
This week on No Sleep 'til Sudbury I'm joined by former Sportsnet sportscaster and current Outta The Park podcast host Barry Davis. Barry's a big music fan (and the frontman of a Tom Petty cover band!), and we had a really terrific chat. Among the topics covered by Barry and I are obscure Beatles facts, the future of Van Halen, what Barry's calf tattoo says, Sam The Record Man, Bowie's diet of milk and red peppers, and how Don Felder blew it. Great discussion. Davis' playlist: The Beatles – In M...
Dec 04, 2018•32 min
She's a meteorologist. She's an author. And she's a big music fan. This week it's my pleasure to welcome my pal Amy Sweezey to the show to talk about our mutual love for 80s hair bands! Amy and I have a terrific chat about the power of nostalgia, the pressures associated with forecasting the weather, Ron MacLean, suicide, KISS dress ups, Hee Haw, the Vietnam War, music therapy, and how a Tom Cochrane song found its way onto her radar. Sweezey's playlist: Def Leppard – Pour Some Sugar On Me AC/DC...
Nov 27, 2018•37 min
This week's NSTS guest needs no introduction. Canadian broadcaster Alan Cross returns to the show to talk tunes! As always, Alan and I have a great musical chat. Highlights include the future of rock, his new gig with Q107, his first impression of U2's "Vertigo", his days as a DJ, some great Beatles recording stories, and what's buried very, very deep in the mix of Pearl Jam's "Alive". U2 - Vertigo Nine Inch Nails – Head Like A Hole Pixies – U Mass The Beatles – Hey Jude Rush – 2112 Pink Floyd –...
Nov 20, 2018•32 min
Radio and television broadcaster Todd Miller is my guest on NSTS this week, and he brings with him songs from a wide array of musical genres. I do love when that happens. In this episode Todd and I chat about the career twists and turns of Judas Priest, radio playlist secrets, the dulcet tones of jazz artists Weather Report, the AC/DC song he never needs to hear again, and why Monty Python is good for you. Miller's playlist: Judas Priest – A Touch of Evil Gary Moore – The Messiah Will Come Again...
Nov 13, 2018•27 min
This week we're doing something a little different. My guest is Toronto Tabla Ensemble artistic director Ritesh Das, in to talk about his new album Bhumika that launches November 9. Ritesh has performed with The Tea Party's Jeff Martin, Loreena McKennitt, and other notable musicians, and he takes me through the history and cultural significance of the tabla, a percussion instrument originating in the Indian subcontinent. Das' playlist: Bhumika Sare Nau Faceoff Casual Sare Panch Regenesis New Rou...
Nov 06, 2018•25 min
This year's Halloween episode guest is former Spoons and Honeymoon Suite keyboardist Rob Preuss. Rob took me to a studio on 72nd Street in New York City so he could play the spooky songs that make his skin vibrate on piano. Rob is a ridiculously talented musician and an insightful mind. Rather than go through a specific list of songs, we go over some of the songs you'd expect and some you may not. And I learn a few things in the bargain - like the fact that the theme song from The Simpsons is ba...
Oct 30, 2018•34 min
Country singer songwriter Kelsi Mayne drops by the NSTS studios this week, and she brings guitar player Annette Haas along to play her latest single "Woman Waiting" live. Kelsi and I chat about her favourite place to play in Nashville, what separates Nelly from other hip hop and rap artists, what she has to wear when she raps, who her famous 'home girl' is, and how alarmingly different audiences are to play for today. The internet is calling Kelsi Mayne Canada's next great country singer. Listen...
Oct 23, 2018•36 min
My pal Stephen Stanley is with me in studio this week, and I always love having him in. He was gracious enough to bring his guitar with him to play two songs from his excellent Jimmy & The Moon album - if you haven't heard it yet, you really must. Mister Stanley brings in a collection of songs representative of his band's recent European tour. Some I knew, some I didn't, but I liked 'em all. Stephen shares his tour experiences through the songs, and it makes for a really interesting conversa...
Oct 16, 2018•48 min
The very talented Christina Martin drops by the NSTS studios with her guitar player Dale Murray this week to play tunes and talk music. Christina's latest record Impossible To Hold is full of really fantastic songs, and she plays a couple of my faves live amidst chatting about Columbia House, Paul Westerberg, the night she became a vampire, what it was like to have Don McLean open for her, the power of Tom Petty's lesser known tunes, and the grading system her husband uses to rate her bottom. Ma...
Oct 09, 2018•42 min
This week on the show I welcome broadcaster and former educator Stephen Hurley to the NSTS studios. In addition to going through Stephen's skin-vibrating songs, our chat is centred around music education, and the fact that in schools, music is often a subject when it should instead be an experience. I love talking music with guys like Stephen, because he's an old soul that truly cherishes music for what can be learned from it, and what it can tell us about ourselves. The highlights of our chat i...
Oct 02, 2018•50 min
It doesn't get much better than this, folks. Coney Hatch frontman Carl Dixon comes back for his second episode, and who should turn up to sit in but our pal Canadian broadcasting icon Ron MacLean! I love hanging out with these guys, and this episode was a real treat for me to do. Lots of laughs and so many great music and sports stories...Lee Trevino's response to Tom Watson's open fly, Gord Downie's surprise answer when he was asked if he was a poet or a rocker, the song that triggered Phil Esp...
Sep 25, 2018•49 min
Fleet-fingered Brighton Rock lead guitarist Greg Fraser calls into the show this week to talk tunes. Greg is an incredible player and a great dude, and our conversation was a lot of fun. Topics of interest include technology's impact on today's music, our favourite Zeppelin tracks, the Sudbury-Soo rivalry, Al DiMeola, Steve Harris' favourite song, Michael Schenker's unique response to Greg's dinner invite, and hanging backstage at the Junos with Liona Boyd. Fraser's playlist: Elton John - Don't ...
Sep 18, 2018•38 min
The No Sleep 'til Sudbury podcast is back with the incredible and irrepressible Molly Johnson. She's got fire, she's got insight, and the lady has stories. What a discussion - Molly talks to me about the American civil rights movement, what Aretha smoked, Rick James' real name, the politics of tuna, where Jim Cuddy got his voice from, how The Police formed, the genius of Gord Downie, and what all the greatest singers actually have in common (it's not what you think!) Johnson's playlist: Mozart –...
Sep 11, 2018•39 min
If you're a fan of the show, this will be one of your favourite episodes. Singer and vocal coach Teresa Cirillo drops by the No Sleep 'til Sudbury studios for a very honest and personal chat about the music that makes her skin vibrate. Teresa is enthusiastic, genuine, upbeat, and she doesn't hold back one bit. We talk about the peculiar coterie of characters that comprised Michael Jackson's entourage, what happens to women when Chris Isaak sings, how many octaves Freddie Mercury could cover, Sim...
Aug 28, 2018•41 min
Ethnomusicologist, professor, and writer Gillian Turnbull is my guest on the show this week. Gillian is a fascinating woman with a powerful social voice, and she provides some great commentary with lots of laughs. Tune in to hear about her boozy encounter with Jim Cuddy, her theory as to why Billy Joel doesn't get as much respect as Springsteen, her love for Rush, and her affinity for Neko Case's scatological emphasis - the lady drops an F-bomb with style. Turnbull's playlist: Blue Rodeo - Cynth...
Aug 21, 2018•49 min
My pal Ron MacLean comes back to the No Sleep ‘til Sudbury studios again this week to chat about ten more songs that make his skin vibrate. It’s an absolute joy to hang out with Ron - he’s funny, whip smart, super gracious, and he knows his music. In this episode Ron and I discuss his ritual for listening to music in the car, his affinity for Tom Petty, Todd Rundgren, and Carl Dixon, his Olympics exploits, the bond we share through an old French Canadian folk song, Blue Rodeo and smoked sausages...
Aug 14, 2018•53 min
