Myles From Home

To me, Laurie Brown is an icon. Since I was kid I’ve felt like I’ve known her. She has been a VJ on MuchMusic, was the host of The Signal on CBC Radio 2 for over a decade and now has one of the most interesting podcasts out there called “Pondercast”. I’m a huge fan of Laurie Brown and, in many ways, she has been there as a guide for me towards great music throughout most of my life. Plus I love her voice and her style as a broadcaster. So needless to say, I was super pumped to have this...

Aquakultre - This is part 2 of my conversation with Lance Sampson (Aquakultre). As I said before, this one was just too good to cut short and it deserved to be a two parter. Whereas in the first one we focused a lot on the power of music to bring people together, this part focuses on community. Any conversation, any project that involves Lance involves the community. It’s fundamental to how he understands who is and what he does artistically. I love that. I learned a lot from this one and I’v...

Aquakultre - This conversation with Lance Sampson, the artist behind the project Aquakultre, was so expansive, so interesting and full of wisdom that I decided I had to split it into two parts. Aquakultre is, to me, one of the most dynamic artists making music in Canada. I’m a huge fan. He can rap, he can sing and he’s exploding with creativity. But this conversation went deeper than just the music. We talked about his time in prison, the importance of community and, most importantly, the pow...

One of my absolute favourite stories in Canadian music over the last couple years has been the meteoric rise of Neon Dreams in South Africa. Neon Dreams is one of the most successful pop acts to ever come from the east coast. Over the last decade, they’ve built a wildly loyal fan base and have released a bunch of radio hits in Canada. However, during the pandemic something new took place. What started with a song, turned into a video, turned into a tour, which turned into playing shows to ove...

Jim Bryson - One of my earliest buds in the business. I love Jim so much. He’s an incredible songwriter (who just put out his 7th solo album called “Country Wifi”), an amazing guitarist (who has played with Kathleen Edwards for years) and is now producing some of the best records being made in Canada. Above all this, Jim is an extraordinarily honest, humble, and interesting person to get to hang with. I knew this was going to be a real one and it was. I appreciated the time with him so ...

Tim Baker - I’m a legit fan of Tim Baker. I love Hey Rosetta! and I love his solo stuff. In fact, I became an even bigger fan when I saw how well he morphed into a solo artist after being in such a successful band and how clear his vision seemed. His musicality is deep and his voice is an instrument of crazy range. Like McCartney he can sing as sweet as a bird or let loose with total abandon and really scream it out without it losing the focus of the emotion. It’s special. He just put out a g...

Jah’Mila - I recently saw Jah’Mila live and I was totally blown away. Amazing presence on stage, confidence and musicianship. You could really tell she knew what she was doing and she’d be doing it for a long time! And the crowd was feeling it. She’s sung and toured with the Wailers and now calls Halifax her home. Her roots in Reggae run deep. Her father, Earl “Chinna” Smith toured with Bob Marley, played on a ton of seminal Reggae recordings and even recorded on “The Miseducation of La...

I met The Bros Landreth years ago when we shared a workshop stage at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. They blew my mind. You could tell right away they were lifelong musicians. From their feel and ease, you could tell they had been playing for years and were fully engaged with the craft of extraordinary musicianship. I’ve been a big fan ever since. And they just keep getting better. It was a real pleasure to get to chat with Joey and Dave Landreth. We talked about their brand new record “Come Morn...

Matt Andersen - If you’ve ever seen Matt live, you know. You know that he’s got one of the most incredible voices you’ll ever hear and leaves absolutely everything on the stage night after night. In fact over the past 20 years he’s toured more than almost any artist in Canada. And in so doing, has built up an insanely successful touring career selling out venues all over the world (often performing solo!). He’s humble, super down to earth and extraordinarily hard working. He recently pu...

Ria Mae has been a force to watch over the last number of years. She’s jumped from being an independent solo singer songwriter to one of Canada’s most successful pop artists. And it’s been amazing to see. Especially because she has done it without ever compromising who she is. Throughout the journey she has remained honest and humble and it’s super inspiring. And she’s not stopping! Ria just put out a brand new record called “Therapy”. Super glad we got a chance to catch up and grateful...

Junia T - I was so excited for this conversation. We’d been planning it for a while and it totally lived up to my hopes. Junia is one of my favourite producers making music today. His record “Studio Monk” is one of my top 10 from the last 5 years. It’s an insanely musical and fun record. He’s got a gift of bringing the best out in people he collaborates with and I was so curious to know how he does that. We got into that and a whole lot more. You’ll see right away that Junia is a special guy,...

Antonio (Tony) Delgado - Did you know that over 900 kids in New Brunswick get 15 hours of free music lessons a week?! It’s one of the coolest things going on in the province today and it is known as “Sistema”. Antonio Delgado is the music director of Sistema in NB and the conductor of the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra. He’s also one of the most energetic, passionate and committed musicians and educators I know. He has an amazing story. I’ve chatted with Tony many times over the last few...

Mo Kenney - Mo’s one of the coolest people I know. In the original sense of the word. Like James Dean cool. I’ve been lucky to know them for a while now and I always dig our time together. Mostly cause of their honesty. It’s so refreshing and it puts everyone around them at ease, whether on the stage or in a personal conversation. This chat was no different. We talked about their upcoming US tour with the Crash Test Dummies, their wicked new single “With You” and we got into it about sobriety...

Julie Doiron - Entering her fourth decade in Canadian Indie Rock, Julie is in the company of very few. Since joining Eric’s Trip in 1990, she has been a creative force putting out records in English, French and Spanish, doing two Tiny Desk Concerts (one with musician Mount Eerie) and winning a Juno for her collaboration with the Wooden Stars. Julie’s down to earth nature and honesty are at the core of both her songwriting and her personality. That’s what makes her so fun to listen to and to h...

PODCAST EXCLUSIVE - Jonathan Torrens - I was super stoked to chat with Jonathan. I grew up watching him on television (Street Cents, Jonovision, Trailer Park Boys, etc.) and in the few times we’ve hung out in the past, he’s been one of the funniest people I’ve ever encountered. He’s had a career in entertainment for over 3 decades, and he keeps taking risks and reinventing himself. It’s incredibly inspiring. This chat lived up to my high expectations in every way. It was both hilarious ...

PODCAST EXCLUSIVE - Begonia - Begonia has got one of my favourite voices in Canada. She can sing like crazy. I’m lucky to have a radio show on CKUA where I play Canadian music, and I find myself playing Begonia’s music a ton. It’s inventive, fun and performed at a super high level. We didn’t know each other at all before this chat so this was a real treat. She was hilarious, super insightful and had an awesome perspective on where she’s at in terms of making music, and making a home in Winnip...

PODCAST EXCLUSIVE - Sarah Harmer - When I finished this interview, I walked into my kitchen and my wife Nina said, “how’s my favourite songwriter doing?”. I answered “I’m doing great, the interview went really well” to which she responded “I don’t mean you, I mean Sarah Harmer!” Ha!! I should have known. We are giant fans of Sarah Harmer in our house. Have been for years. She’s a Juno winner, a dedicated environmentalist, and a super down to earth, cool person to chat with. I really enj...

PODCAST EXCLUSIVE - Steve Poltz - The only thing you can predict when you’re hanging with Steve Poltz is that it is gonna be a wild ride. He’s one of the most energetic, engaged people I know. And certainly one the best performers I’ve ever seen. We talked about his 40 year career, co-writing one of the biggest songs of the 90s, addiction, having a stroke on stage, and so much more. It was full on and I loved it. He even turned the mic on me, which I didn’t expect. For all things Steve Poltz,...

PODCAST EXCLUSIVE - Terra Lightfoot - is a musician’s musician; an awesome guitar player, singer and songwriter who has been making consistently great records (Juno nominated) for over a decade. This was the first time I’ve ever chatted with Terra and I loved it! I was really looking forward to it and it went in directions I didn’t expect. We talked about her honky tonk piano playing grandmother, her guitar “Veronica” and meditation. It was a blast. For more on Terra, check out he...

PODCAST EXCLUSIVE - Shad - The Guardian newspaper referred to him as “Canada’s nicest MC”. I’d agree, cause he is a darn nice dude, but I’d also add that he is one of Canada’s best MCs ever. His new record “TAO” is insanely good. It’s thoughtful, original and super profound! And you know what, chatting with Shad is the same. He’s not afraid to dig in to really big topics, with humour and humility. I love that. We get into it about God, connectedness and our shared passion for Basketball. This...

PODCAST EXCLUSIVE - Joel Plaskett - For over 20 years, Joel has been on the forefront of Canadian music. He’s an inspiration to spend time with. We made a record together over ten years ago and have been close friends ever since. I know very few people who work as hard and are as focussed on art as Joel is. He’s won Juno awards, been nominated for the Polaris prize, and runs one of the coolest studios on the east coast (Fang Recording). He also released a quadruple album in 2020 called “44”.&...

Lisa LeBlanc - is one of New Brunswick’s biggest selling artists ever! Her debut self titled record went platinum. It was in French. Then, right after, she made an English record that was nominated for a Polaris Prize. Insanely impressive. Her voice is like no other I know, she plays a wicked banjo, writes deadly songs in two languages and absolutely crushes the live show. This was a really fun conversation that first aired on YouTube live. We talk about her rise to fame in Quebec, bein...

PODCAST EXCLUSIVE - My Best Friend Jacob - From the first time I met Jacob Smith (ie. My Best Friend Jacob) I liked him. Everyone does. His enthusiastic spirit is totally contagious. He’s an optimist, who works like crazy and is always way ahead in how he thinks about the music industry. He’s worked with Kanye West, Travis Scott and Bryson Tiller. Jacob is a super inspiring guy I always love catching up with. Go to https://genius.com/artists/My-best-friend-jacob to hear stuff he’s made....

Alan Syliboy - Every time I get to chat with Alan Syliboy I feel like I learn so much. About substantial parts of life- big stuff, and I love that. I’ve been a huge fan of his art for many years (If you’ve watched the YouTube Live show, you’ve seen a drum or two of his on the wall). It’s magical art. Both completely contemporary feeling and rooted in a long deep sense of time. He’s an author, musician and visual artist. A true creative whose spirit never ceases to amaze me. Always worki...

PODCAST EXCLUSIVE - The Sheepdogs - Having the chance to sit down with Ewan Currie and Ryan Gullen of The Sheepdogs was a total blast. They’ve been going hard for over a decade. Now, they're one of the biggest touring bands in the country and it’s well deserved. They rule live. One of the best true rock n roll bands out there. I was pumped to catch up with them and talk about what it’s been like not to tour (for the first time in the band’s existence), tapping into that live energy when makin...

Alex Cuba - Alex Cuba is one of my favourite artists in Canada. Honestly, I’d say I listen to Alex’s music likely more than I listen to anyone else. I’m a huge fan. Plus, he’s a friend and I’m grateful for that. This conversation was a true delight. We talked about his Cuban upbringing and musical education, meeting his wife, making music from home and exporting it around the world from Smithers, BC (a town of just over 5,000 people). It’s a pretty remarkable story and I was honoured to...

PODCAST EXCLUSIVE - Quake Matthews - I love that I never know where these conversations are going to take me. Quake Matthews, one of the most respected hip hop artists in Canada, was awesome to chat with for exactly that reason. We chatted about his early days, the importance of rap music in his life but mostly we got into it about visualization, self actualization and all that great stuff. It was fascinating. Quake recently put out a wicked new record called The Myth X, check it out and ever...

Classified - One of the most successful Canadian hip hop artists of all time. And he built the whole thing from his house in Enfield, Nova Scotia. Classified is one of the most motivated, independent artists I’ve ever met. Likely no one has had such a profound effect on how I listen to and make music and he’s also one of my best friends in the industry. Having him on the show was a blast. We talked about how he came up in the industry, his dad’s band, his upcoming acoustic r...

PODCAST EXCLUSIVE - Rose Cousins - It’s not every chat that you get to dig into an artist’s overall purpose but this was the kind of conversation I got to have with the amazing Rose Cousins. She talked about what her life has looked like during the pandemic and how she foresees reentering the fray as things open up again. I loved this one. She’s a Juno winner, one of the best, most natural singers I’ve ever met and a dedicated and loyal friend.http://rosecousins.com

Jill Barber - Jill is one of my oldest friends in the business. Since meeting her over 15 years ago, I realized I had a life long friend and confidant. She is often the person I go to have conversations about life and career stuff so having her on the show was really special. She’s incredibly smart, hard working and is not afraid to embrace the stage. I admire that. We get into all this and more in this hour long chat. http://jillbarber.com

PODCAST EXCLUSIVE - Donovan Woods - I was really looking forward to this chat. Donovan’s got a cool career. He works a ton as a songwriter in Nashville, but also has a great career as a solo singer/songwriter in his own right. He’s managed do both super well, which is rare. Plus, if you’ve ever seen him in concert you know how insanely funny he is. This chat totally lived up to my expectations. He was hilarious and forthright and we got into it about collaboration, concerts that are too...

Tom Power- What’s it like to chat with one of Canada’s most famous interviewers? Pretty awesome actually. Sure I was a bit freaked about the idea at first but Tom is genuine dude who puts you at ease. It’s a big part of what makes him such a celebrated broadcaster as host of the landmark radio show Q on CBC. It was a real honour having this conversation with Tom. His honesty and wisdom at such a young age is astounding. Check out Q here www.cbc.ca/radio/q and check out Tom’s band, The Dardane...

PODCAST EXCLUSIVE - Erin Costelo - I feel like Erin Costelo and I are two peas in a pod. Total music nerds. I love chatting with Erin every time I get the chance and this conversation was no exception. She’s an amazing singer/songwriter with crazy chops for arranging and producing. She has a master’s degree in composition from North Texas (one of the most reputable music schools in the world) and, from what I can tell, is only getting started! We get to talk about creation in the time of the ...

Alan Doyle - If you’ve ever seen Alan Doyle on stage as either the front man of Great Big Sea or his own solo band, you know he loves his job! And because of that, he’s one of the hardest working, most positive people I know in the music business. Even during the pandemic, he hasn’t slowed down a bit. In fact, he wrote a hilarious brand new book called “All Together Now.” We talk about that, his work ethic and his love adventure on this episode. What a blast. Check out his website www.alandoy...

PODCAST EXCLUSIVE - Afie Jurvanen (Bahamas) - I’ve been fan of Afie’s music for a long time but over the last couple years we've become good friends. I admire and respect Afie a lot and I’m grateful to be able to go to him to have serious conversations about all sorts of things. So, naturally, getting to have this conversation was a real treat. We got into it about the importance of boredom, connecting to the eternal through art, being a motivated parent and more. Also, check out Afie’s new r...

PODCAST EXCLUSIVE - Jenn Grant - One of Atlantic Canada’s most prolific, consistent and interesting artists, Jenn Grant and I have been friends and colleagues for a long time now. Loved having her on the show. Her openness is amazing. She’s all spirit and I admire that so much about her. Check out Jenn’s website at www.jenngrant.com

PODCAST EXCLUSIVE - Adam Baldwin - Beloved by his fans, honest as heck, super smart and a really good hang. This was a really great one and convinced me why it was important to have these conversations. Check out Adam’s website at www.adambaldwin.ca

PODCAST EXCLUSIVE - Jennah Barry - Her last record, Holiday, was in my top 5 of 2020. I’m a huge fan and I think she’s one of the country’s most underrated songwriters. She’s also hilarious and a great person to chat with. Check out her website at iamjennahbarry.com

Sheree Fitch - An award-winning poet and author, Sheree was a like second mother to me as a child (her son was my best friend). This was so special to get to connect and talk deeply about life, love and loss. So much wisdom here from her. This conversation was first broadcast on YouTube Live as a Myles From Home special. Check out her website: www.shereefitch.com

Jeremy Dutcher - A once-in-a-generation artist with an extraordinarily keen intellect and incredibly open heart. His perspective on - and knowledge of - Indigenous culture, language and how they fit in the world today is amazing. Getting to have this chat was a real honour. This conversation was first broadcast on YouTube Live as a Myles From Home special. Check out his website at www.jeremydutcher.com

Matt Mays - One of the most charismatic people I know. I love spending time with Matt. His energy is infectious, he’s a deep thinker and his talent is extraordinary. This conversation was first broadcast on YouTube Live as a Myles From Home special. Check out his website at www.mattmays.com

Reeny Smith - It was such an honour to have this conversation with Reeny. I’ve played music with Reeny for many years and she’s definitely one of the most musically gifted people I’ve ever worked with. She’s also super smart and has a deep knowledge of African Nova Scotian history. I learned so much in this conversation. This chat was first broadcast on YouTube Live as a Myles From Home special. Check out Reeny’s website at www.iamreeny.com