Feb. 12 marked the tragic death of Cayden Carfrae, better known to local hip-hop fans as Caid Jones . He was only 24 years old. While I didn't know Caid well, I had the chance to talk to him on the podcast back in April of 2021 -- at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic -- and I found him to be a very passionate, insightful, inspiring artist, who was also very involved in activism and advocacy for the local Indigenous community. If I could have picked any of the up-and-coming artists I've intervi...
Feb 24, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 874
Good times on this one talking to multidisciplinary artist and musician Leigh Lugosi about the Góra project, making ‘ambient country’ music, being inspired by wolves (werewolves as well as just regular wolves) on the new tape, The Quivering Green Music of Animals , and so much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon . You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want to...
Feb 21, 2024•46 min•Season 1Ep. 873
Long-running local hard rockers Ash and the Arsonists sat down to talk about their upcoming single (Feb. 23!) and EP, a gig at Festival du Voyageur , shredding and the comeback of the guitar, making a 'big ol' potpourri' of sounds, and much more! (Note: sometimes when I have this many people on the show at once, a few guests' voices can get a bit warbly, depending on their connection, but it definitely doesn't take away from the quality of the conversation) This episode brought to you by our pal...
Feb 17, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 872
I caught up with Dusty From and Dylan Buchkowski of long-running blues project D.B. + the Deadbeats for a quick chat about the writing for their next release, 'three chords and the truth, upcoming shows -- including back-to-back blues festivals in Regina and Winnipeg and a local benefit show later this month -- and much more! Need more Deadbeats in your life? Check out episode #759 (Jan. 2023). This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports ...
Feb 14, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 871
Juno-nominated local folk duo Burnstick are set to release the follow-up to their acclaimed debut this spring. Here's our conversation about the upcoming record, writing cinematically, playing intimate shows vs larger festivals, further honing their sound as a duo, and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon . You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want to th...
Feb 10, 2024•43 min•Season 1Ep. 870
She’s relatively new to the local music scene, but indie-folk-pop singer-songwriter Jennifer Machado has packed a lot into just a few years. Here's our chat about her debut EP (‘ The Retrospective Heart ’, recorded at House of Wonders ), high-profile gigs including the Winnipeg Folk Festival's young performers' program, loving concept albums, and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon . You can help ...
Feb 07, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 869
Alt-rock four-piece Toy Sun are ostensibly a new band, but although they’ve only played a handful of shows in their current guise, the members have almost 15 years of experience perfoming together on the covers circuit. Here's our conversation about launching the project during the pandemic, playing original music vs being a cover band, their upcoming gig Feb. 9 at Park Alleys (with, um, themselves as the opening act), and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Compan...
Feb 03, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 868
I caught up with experimental guitarist Curran Faris to talk about his latest release as Greenhouse , ‘ Sacrifice Zones ’ — which was one of my favourite local records of 2023 — and more! Here's our chat about his current projects, including a collaboration with Cole Peters as Seracs, as well as reflecting emotion through atmosphere, approaching the guitar as a 'sound source' rather than an instrument, and much more. Need more Greenhouse? Check out episode #393 (June 2019) This episode brought t...
Jan 31, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 867
It was great to catch up with vocalist and educator Adele M. Wilding for another chat on the podcast — this time focusing on her upcoming ‘ Music of the Caribbean ’ vocal workshop at the Manitoba Conservatory of Music and Arts for Black History Month! Stay tuned for a conversation about her own roots, the impact the music of the West Indies (reggae, calypso, soca, ska, and beyond) has had internationally, and so much more! Need more Adele? Check out episode #765 (Feb. 2023) This episode brought ...
Jan 27, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 866
Good chat on this episode with indie rock/post-punk/shoegaze/'genre salad' artist Tired Cossack about his new(ish) ‘ I Know, I Guess ’ album and its sonic and thematic shifts from its predecessor, songwriting, “janky guitars”, and so much more! Need more Tired Cossack in your life? Check out his previous appearance on episode #652 (Jan. 2022) This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon . You can help out for as litt...
Jan 24, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 865
Local rap-rockers Pure Entry are set to release their debut EP, Shifting Gears , so we sat down to talk about the record, their alt-rock meets hip-hop vibe (it ain’t nü metal), and much more! Give it a listen before you head down to the Taphouse for their release show Jan. 20 (tomorrow, if you're listening right when this comes out) alongside past podcast guests Northern Royals and Matt Cory ! This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports t...
Jan 20, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 864
Selkirk rock n' roll lowlifes The Bloodshots are back on the show to talk about their big plans for 2024, starting with a trip to Hollywood later this month for a gig at the iconic Whisky A Go-Go Jan. 25! Tune in to our chat about the band’s longevity, upcoming new music, the Indigenous music scene, moonlighting as a Nirvana cover band, and much more! Need more Bloodshots in your life? Check out episodes #240 (July 2017) and #531 (Oct. 2020). This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shi...
Jan 17, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 863
On New Year's Day, local musician and filmmaker Jaimz Asmundson passed away. I didn't know Jaimz very well, but he was a guest on the podcast twice -- once in 2014 and once in 2021 -- as a member of synthwave duo Ghost Twin . As evidenced by this tribute from Winnipeg's iconic Dave Barber Cinematheque, Jaimz was an integral part of the local film community, who remember him far more eloquently than I ever could: https://davebarbercinematheque.com/in-loving-memory-of-jaimz-asmundson/ This episode...
Jan 12, 2024•1 hr 35 min•Season 1Ep. 862
If you didn't hear the previous three episodes , turn back now and check 'em out! This is part four (of four) in my rundown of my favourite local releases of 2023. Thanks. As I do every year, I've made a list of my favourite local albums of 2023. Did I miss albums? Absolutely. Did I immediately question my judgement after I finished narrowing it down to 20? Yuppers. But for good or ill, there are 20 releases by local artists I want to highlight. Continuing the tradition I began last year, I've r...
Jan 10, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 861
(Sizzling switch-endings... this isn't the finale of my best of 2023 series, is it? Don't worry, that's coming next week. For now, enjoy this time-sensitive interview episode!) Guitarist Keith Price has been living, working, and playing jazz in Auckland, New Zealand, over the past five years, but he’s (temporarily) back home in Winnipeg with a show Jan. 7! We talked about the cultural and musical differences between Manitoba and New Zealand, his new LacLu single and upcoming EP, and much more! G...
Jan 06, 2024•58 min•Season 1Ep. 860
If you didn't hear the previous two episodes, turn back now and check 'em out! This is part three (of four) in my rundown of my favourite local releases of 2023. Thanks. As I do every year, I've made a list of my favourite local albums of 2023. Did I miss albums? Absolutely. Did I immediately question my judgement after I finished narrowing it down to 20? Yuppers. But for good or ill, there are 20 releases by local artists I want to highlight. Continuing the tradition I began last year, I've rec...
Jan 03, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 859
If you didn't hear the previous episode , turn back now and check it out! This is part two in my rundown of my favourite local releases of 2023. Thanks. As I do every year, I've made a list of my favourite local albums of 2023. Did I miss albums? Absolutely. Did I immediately question my judgement after I finished narrowing it down to 20? Yuppers. But for good or ill, there are 20 releases by local artists I want to highlight. Continuing the tradition I began last year, I've recorded a series of...
Dec 30, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 858
As I do every year, I've made a list of my favourite local albums of 2023. Did I miss albums? Absolutely. Did I immediately question my judgement after I finished narrowing it down to 20? Yuppers. But for good or ill, there are 20 releases by local artists I want to highlight. Continuing the tradition I began last year, I've recorded a series of episodes counting down the records on my list, including interview clips and songs. This first installment covers albums I've unscientifically ranked fr...
Dec 27, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 857
Reggae and dancehall artist Black Lantern is on the show! Here's our conversation about his long family tradition of making music, his other creative outlet T-West Dance , reggae’s enduring international appeal, finding acceptance and collaboration in Winnipeg’s diverse music scene, and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon . You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the s...
Dec 22, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 856
I was pleasantly surprised the other day when I saw that Lounge FM — seemingly out of nowhere — had a new album. Here's a chat with everyone’s favourite “Friday night bath music” outfit about the phone-centric ‘ 1800CYA ’ record, “dialing back” some of the already chillest vibes around, their release show with Odd Outfit, and much more! Need more Lounge FM in your life? Check out episode #299 (July 2018) and the live episode #360 (Feb. 2019) This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shir...
Dec 19, 2023•38 min•Season 1Ep. 855
The last time Ben Rüsch was on the podcast ( episode #553 , Jan. 2021), it was to talk about a record by his prog trio Providence . Since then, he’s been making industrial-tinged, synth-heavy solo electronic music as Neuroshock , with the release of his debut album, ' The Reactance Bias ' , earlier this month. Here's our conversation about live vs. programmed drums, Gary Numan, Star Trek, sci-fi soundtracks, and a whole lot more! This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. H...
Dec 15, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 854
Local rappers/producers Rob Crooks and Kitz Willman are back on the show — inna combination style — to talk about their new ‘ Gazogene ’ album, which -- if you're listening the day this comes out -- was just released on Bandcamp today! We talk about collaboration, the prolific 2023 they’ve each had, taking hip-hop out of its comfort zone and into immersive artistic experiences, and much more! Need more Crooks and Willman in your life? Rob was an original co-host on this podcast in the early year...
Dec 12, 2023•46 min•Season 1Ep. 853
Long-running local alternative rock trio WHY are back on the show, talking about their new single, “ Soul Declares ”, which came out Dec. 1. Here's our conversation about writing genuine songs, getting out of the way of your own creativity, and much more! Need more WHY in your life? Check out episode #389 (June 2019) This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon . You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a mon...
Dec 09, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 852
On this one: a good hang with Winnipeg blues/roots original Romi Mayes ! It's conversation about her upcoming record — the first in almost a decade(!) — and the ambitious fundraising campaign behind it. We also talk about navigating the post-COVID/streaming-era music biz, making loyal fans (who have become good friends) around the world, one show at a time, the evolution of the Romi Mayes sound, and more! Plus, hear a couple of voice-note recordings (courtesy of Romi) of songs that will, in thei...
Dec 06, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 851
Let's get experimental on this episode with a fascinating conversation with avant-garde chamber punk duo Savant Flaneur ! We talk about bringing the weird to the people, bringing the people to the weird, composing for (and improvising with) cello and violin, and an upcoming musical/architectural installation that will let listeners experience music in a unique way. This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon . You c...
Dec 02, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 850
Everyone’s favourite freak-rawk guitar wizard, Paige Drobot , is about to release her first full-length, but this one is extra-special. It’s a decade-in-the-works record of songs by her old band, the Psychics , finally getting the release it deserves (Dec. 1 via Transistor 66 )! On this episode, we catch up about the album, the Psychics' legacy (such as it is), and all kinds of other fun stuff! Need more Paige in your earholes? Check out episode #376 (April 2019). This episode brought to you by ...
Nov 28, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 849
Lots of faces (and voices) on this one! Alternative hip-hop collective Facetape includes a local Winnipeg member ( Mr. Introvert ), plus vocalists, producers and instrumentalists from all over the map, including Ontario, Michigan, Tennessee, California, and beyond! Here's our conversation about the logistics of putting together such a far-flung group for the new ‘ Rosebud ’ album, combining a wide range of styles and influences, and much more. This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Sh...
Nov 24, 2023•46 min•Season 1Ep. 848
With the release of their new full-length, ‘ Wild One ’, last month, local indie rock/pop/roots/etc. twang gang Neighbour Andy are ready to take over your, um… neighbourhood! Check out our conversation about the record, their ever-changing and maturing sound, finding vulnerability on slower songs, who the ‘most important’ (haha) band members are, and more! This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon . You can help o...
Nov 22, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 847
If you're listening to this episode right when it comes out, we're less than 24 hours away from this year's instalment of the Manitoba Loud Music Awards , happening Nov. 18 at the Park Theatre! I sat down with event founder Dag Aymont and fellow organizing team member Mike Dearman (of the band Ramskull ) to talk about the fan-driven celebration of all things local metal/punk/hardcore/rock/etc. We get into the awards’ history, this year’s event (feat. headliners Econoline Crush ), and much more! ...
Nov 18, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 846
Indie pop/freak folk artist Harper K. Smith is a recent transplant to Winnipeg, having moved here from Vancouver a few months back. Here's our conversation about getting into the local music scene as an outsider, DIY recording and her upcoming EP, intensely personal lyrics and the impact of isolation, and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company and by the Manitoba Loud Music Awards! Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon . You can help out ...
Nov 15, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 845
