Topic: interviews

How Jordan Peele's go-to composer is helping diversify Hollywood scores

Michael Abels knows filmmakers want to be inclusive — that's why he created the Composers Diversity Collective.

How Tegan and Sara learned to love their younger selves

The Canadian sister duo transform shame and self-hatred into acceptance on their latest projects.

Helen Reddy and the original feminist anthem: new film will share untold story

I Am Woman made its world premiere at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.

Glasgow provides an unexpected backdrop for the new country music film Wild Rose

TIFF rising star Jessie Buckley plays an ex-convict with Nashville dreams.

Queering the Canadian music industry

How Rae Spoon, Witch Prophet and other LGBTQ2SIA artists are radically reimagining the business of music.

Louis Lortie on work–life balance, figuring out Fauré and avoiding Netflix

The Canadian pianist, who turned 60 in April, is on a hot streak.

Is Alexandra Stréliski pop or classical? You decide

“I don't pretend to be doing classical music,” she says, and yet she's burning up the classical charts.

Jarred Dunn: 5 things I learned from pianist Maria João Pires

"Freedom to explore comes first, formats and rules second."

'It's a piece of me that was missing': how Tyler Shaw discovered his Chinese heritage

The 2019 Juno nominee opens up about digging deeper into his background, visiting Hong Kong for the first time and how his personal experiences inspire his music.

Arkells' Max Kerman shares the last great things he's read, watched and bought

Find out which best-selling book the Hamilton rocker "blew through" recently.

Meet Tao-Ming Lau, the woman changing the face of Canadian music

How the 'music business nerd' went from working at major labels to making space for marginalized artists.

Charles Richard-Hamelin: 5 pieces that changed my life

What music has shaped the personality of the hot young Montreal pianist?

'We prayed at the altar of Britney': The inspiration behind Schitt's Creek's spoof hit

Created in the vein of "Work Bitch", "A Little Bit Alexis" both loves and targets pop songs from the mid-aughts.

Love expert Mandy Len Catron on the 7 best Canadian love songs

Cuddle up with music by the Weeknd, Céline Dion, Ron Sexsmith and k.d. lang this Valentine's Day.

A day in the life of Emily Lazar, Grammy-winning mastering engineer

The first woman to win a Grammy in her field, Lazar has been mastering music on her own terms for more than two decades. We find out what that life looks like.

'It's like a religion': listen to Jimi Hendrix describe his music in this 1969 CBC interview

The three members of the Jimi Hendrix Experience describe their work — and what audiences are like in Canada.

Nikki Yanofsky on her new single, 'Big Mouth,' and the power of being a loud woman

"Who are you to say what I should do with my body? Last time I checked, I don't belong to nobody."

Why Safia Nolin's dark folk songs are the cathartic release you need right now

We talk to the Quebec City-born, Montreal-based artist about her raw songs, her growth as an artist, online trolls and meeting Céline Dion.

Arkells' Max Kerman's advice to music students: perform with New Orleans swagger

The band has not one but two tunes on the official song list for the 2018 Canadian Music Class Challenge.

How will people react to Rufus Wainwright's new opera?

"I have to gird myself," says the acclaimed singer-songwriter/composer. Hadrian opens Oct. 13 at the Canadian Opera Company.

How Christina Petrowska Quilico finds the flow in Ann Southam's music

On Soundspinning, the celebrated pianist continues her project to champion Southam's solo piano works.

Metric: the art of being a rock band in 2018

After 20 years on the scene, Toronto rock band Metric is stronger than ever on its new album, Art of Doubt.

'I have low expectations': Ryan Hemsworth on staying grounded amid all the hype

The Halifax-born, Toronto-based DJ releases his third solo album, Elsewhere, this month.

'I never regretted leaving': Simone Denny looks back on the 20th anniversary of Love Inc.'s debut

The powerhouse vocalist behind "Broken Bones" and "You're a Superstar" opens up about walking away from Canada's most successful dance band.

The Beastie Boys look back on the evolution of their career in special House of Strombo interview

Ad-Rock and Mike D reflect on their 39-year career, discuss their work outside of the group and reveal how they feel about Eminem's new album.

How one couple's dream is coming true at the Metropolitan Opera

For Canadian baritone Etienne Dupuis and his wife, soprano Nicole Car, work and life converge in Puccini's La bohème.

'Shania did everything': how the record-breaking singer shaped Canadian country music

Jess Moskaluke, Tim Hicks, Brett Kissel, Madeline Merlo and more talk about how Shania Twain's work has influenced them.

'She didn't really think she had talent': one filmmaker's quest for the real Maria Callas

Filmmaker Tom Volf talks to us about the making of Maria by Callas, showing Sept. 10 and 13 at TIFF.

Terri Clark gets real about her 20-plus years in country music

Ahead of her induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, the Juno Award-winning trailblazer looks back at her journey from Prairie hopeful to Nashville royalty, and the challenges she's still facing today.

Former Braids member Katie Lee opens up about band's 'performative allyship'

Katie Lee departed from Braids in 2012. Six years later, she's finally ready to open up about her experiences in the band for the first time.

'The music industry is to blame': Chromeo demands mental health resources for musicians

The Canadian funk-pop duo opens up about why musicians need more resources for mental health and why it cancelled some upcoming tour dates.

How Colin Stetson broke all the rules and created this year's scariest film score

Canadian musician Colin Stetson teamed up with director Ari Aster to create the score for the new horror film, Hereditary.

How Cœur de pirate broke the cycle of trauma on her new album

The Montreal singer-songwriter almost didn't make this new record — but in the end, it's her boldest, most personal one to date.

What would Grimes do if she wasn't a musician?

"AI development to overthrow the politicians."

Meet Melody McKiver, the Anishinaabe musician changing the way we think about the viola

McKiver's debut EP, Reckoning, is nominated for a 2018 Indigenous Music Award for best instrumental album.

From Drake to Cadence Weapon, FrancisGotHeat is one of Toronto's hottest producers right now

Meet the 21-year-old producer and beat maker who has landed hit records with Drake, Big Sean, Roy Woods, Cadence Weapon and more.

The Sorority: The feminist future of hip-hop

"People are literally taking the pledge to stand with us in our sisterhood and in our mission to promote safe spaces, unity and feminism."

Marc-André Hamelin: 'This CD almost means more to me than everything I've ever done, combined'

The star pianist has finally released his first Schubert album, and it's awesome.

'I survived it all': Jann Arden on writing through the most difficult time in her life

"A lot of these songs came out of a really difficult time. But they're very triumphant to me. Coming out of the other side of that has been liberating."

'How do we move forward?': Marion Newman brings truth and reconciliation to classical music

"Truth is ugly and I think it can lead to a better place if people will just take it on."

Dangerous woman: A conversation with the formidable Lila Downs

"I love to break the expectations." — Lila Downs

MILCK: a candid Q&A about trauma, silence, activism and the power of sisterhood

"I just felt like I was a messed-up, broken person and so why even try to fight for myself — until I started having some girlfriends, some sisterhood." — MILCK.

'I want the freedom to be myself': Margo Price on breaking down country music's mould

"I'm just trying to make good music — I'm not concerned with the mainstream perception of it."

'It's a miracle to me': Johannes Moser on Dvořák's Cello Concerto

Even though he's played it more than 200 times, it never fails to give the Canadian-German cellist goosebumps.

'My brain just exploded with ideas': July Talk's Leah Fay and Peter Dreimanis on directing new Born Ruffians v

July Talk's Leah Fay and Peter Dreimanis team up with their friends in Born Ruffians for an exciting trilogy of music videos.

'I was just burnt out': Klara Söderberg on First Aid Kit's forced break

The Swedish sisters broke out when Klara, the youngest, was just 15. After eight years of touring and recording, the sisters needed to break apart before they could make more music.

The heart-on-sleeve success of Montreal's Milk & Bone

After a buzzy debut album, Camille Poliquin and Laurence Lafond-Beaulne have ramped up their sound (and confidence) for their second release. But at its core, this duo is all about heart.

A primer on Marc-André Hamelin's new Stravinsky album

He teams up with Leif Ove Andsnes for a two-piano romp through some of Stravinsky's best scores.

Lara Ciekiewicz: 5 pieces that changed my life

The soprano took a break from rehearsals for Calgary Opera's Eugene Onegin to tell us about the music that has shaped her.

How Philip Glass's Etudes changed pianist Jenny Lin's life

"Sometimes I pinch myself," says Lin, who's been touring the world playing Glass's Etudes with the composer himself.

Bahamas is here to remind us that there's still some good in the world

Musician Afie Jurvanen, a.k.a. Bahamas, on how he defeated writer's block and what he learned from working with members of D'Angelo's band, the Vanguard, on his new album.

The rebirth of Cadence Weapon: how the rapper is making his biggest shift yet

Rapper Rollie Pemberton opens up about his comeback and how teaming up with other artists helped him acheieve his most "autobiographical" work yet.