Q: The Podcast From Cbc Radio

Ten years after immigrating to Canada from India, the rapper and singer Karan Aujla made history as the first Punjabi artist to ever win a Juno Award. But he was a global superstar well before then, topping the charts with his blend of Punjabi music over hip-hop and trap beats. Now, Karan has dropped his latest EP, “Four Me,” and Apple Music has named him the latest addition to its global Up Next program. Karan talks to Tom about his rise to fame, why Canada is a hub for Punjabi hip-hop, and the childhood losses that pushed him towards songwriting.

There’s a new podcast and radio show coming to CBC Books. It’s called “Bookends” and it’s hosted by Mattea Roach, the Canadian “Jeopardy!” champion who held a 23-game winning streak a few years ago. They sit down with Tom to talk about the new show and what they’re most looking forward to, plus, the correct strategy for wagering on a Daily Double.

Sheryl Crow has sold more than 50 million albums, won nine Grammy Awards, and inspired countless songwriters and artists to follow in her footsteps. Earlier this year, she released her 11th studio album, “Evolution.” Sheryl joins Tom to share her concerns around artificial intelligence and how they inspired the title track on her new album, why she uses her music to raise awareness for global issues, and the story behind her massive hit “All I Wanna Do.”

Bibi Club is the musical project of Adèle Trottier-Rivard and Nic Basque, who are partners in life and music. Their first album, “Le soleil et la mer,” was longlisted for the 2023 Polaris Prize. Now, they're back with a new record, “Feu de garde.” Adèle and Nic join Tom to talk about their partnership and what their band name has to do with the three kids they have running around their house. 

Tom Selleck has been on Hollywood’s A-list since bursting onto “Magnum, P.I.” in the early ‘80s. By the end of that decade, he had reached a whole new level of fame with massive box office hits like “Three Men and a Baby.” More recently, he’s become known for his role as NYPD commissioner Frank Reagan on “Blue Bloods.” Now, Tom has released a new memoir called “You Never Know.” He joins Tom Power to talk about his journey in acting, the hurdles he faced and the lessons he learned on his way to stardom.  

In 1983, in the midst of the Cold War, Arthur Miller went to China to direct a Mandarin version of his famous play “Death of a Salesman.” Despite some hurdles, the production ended up being a touchstone moment in Chinese-American cultural relations. Now, a new play called "Salesman in China" tells the story of the American playwright's incredibly high-stakes collaboration with the Chinese artist Ying Ruocheng. Jovanni Sy, the director and co-writer of "Salesman in China," joins guest host Talia Schlanger to tell us more.

Anna Marie Tendler is a multidisciplinary artist known for her evocative self-portraits that explore grief and isolation. In 2021, following her high-profile divorce with comedian John Mulaney, Anna checked herself into a psychiatric facility, seeking treatment for self-harm and suicidal ideation. She details that experience in her new memoir, “Men Have Called Her Crazy,” which is her reintroduction to the world as an artist on her own terms. Anna joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about her mental health journey, how photography kept her grounded and why she chose to leave her ex-husband out of the book.

Luna Li is a Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who found fame during lockdown when videos of her bedroom jam sessions went viral. Now, she’s back with her second album, “When A Thought Grows Wings,” which tells the story of a transitional moment in her life. Luna joins guest host Talia Schlanger to reflect on her career, her latest record and what it was like performing on “Saturday Night Live.”

Josh Ramsay is the lead singer of the Juno-winning band Marianas Trench (one of Canada’s biggest musical exports during the pop-punk boom of the early aughts). He sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the band's new album, “Haven,” plus, what it was like co-writing Carly Rae Jepsen’s massive hit “Call Me Maybe.”

Kiesza is the Canadian singer behind the massive dance hit “Hideaway,” which launched her career back in 2014. That song took her from being an unknown artist to performing at London’s Wembley Stadium, appearing on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” and winning three Juno Awards. But everything came to a halt in 2017 when Kiesza was in a car accident that left her with a traumatic brain injury. She joins Tom in studio to tell us the story behind “Hideaway” and how she learned to make music again after her accident.

The Canadian country singer MacKenzie Porter grew up on a cattle and bison ranch near Medicine Hat, Alberta. When her brother won “Canadian Idol” in 2004, she learned a lot about the good and bad of the music industry. Now, she’s released a new album, “Nobody’s Born with a Broken Heart,” which explores her struggle to make it in Nashville. MacKenzie sits down with Tom in studio to talk about the record and some of the hard-won lessons she learned in the Music City.

Keysha Freshh has been a trailblazer in the Canadian hip-hop scene for 15 years, which is impressive considering she’s only 31. The Canadian rapper is a solo artist as well as a part of the all-female rap group The Sorority. Now, she’s released her latest solo album, “Pretty Boys Break My Heart,” which examines heartbreak in all its different forms. Keysha sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to reflect on her career, her new record and what it was like collaborating with her cousin Maestro Fresh Wes.

The Beaches are in a season of change. The Toronto-based band left their major label deal, hired a new team, and started embracing social media to reach new audiences. Now, they have a number one single, a viral hit on TikTok, and a brand new album, “Blame My Ex.” Jordan and Kylie Miller of The Beaches talk to Tom about what happens when you’re told “this is your make it or break it album,” how TikTok has expanded their audience, and how writing a breakup record felt like going to therapy with your best friends.

Lucky Daye is typically classified as an R&B musician, but one look at his wide-ranging discography shows that he isn’t so easily defined by genre. The Grammy winner is sought after by some of the biggest names in music, but his path to success wasn’t easy. He grew up in a strict religious household that didn’t allow him to listen to secular music, and at one point, he even ended up homeless. With the release of his new album, “Algorithm,” Lucky joins guest host Talia Schlanger for a career-spanning chat about how his struggles have shaped him as an artist, and how his music intentionally expands the confines of what we expect from R&B musicians.

You might know Nava Mau as the breakout star of the hit Netflix series “Baby Reindeer,” for which she recently earned an Emmy nomination for outstanding supporting actress. That adds her to a very short list of trans actors to receive an Emmy nod. Nava joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about “Baby Reindeer,” how her work helping LGBTQ+ survivors of violence has made her nomination extra meaningful, and why trans representation is so important.

Sean Wang is an Oscar-nominated filmmaker who’s just released his debut feature film, “Dìdi.” It’s a coming-of-age story in the tradition of movies like “Stand by Me,” but told from the perspective of a young Asian American boy in Northern California. Sean talks to guest host Talia Schlanger about the film, and what he learned about himself and his immigrant mom while making it.

Mike Burkett, also known as Fat Mike, is the lead singer and bassist of NOFX, which is not only one of the most influential and successful punk bands of all time, but also one of the longest-serving. They’ve been together for 41 years, but in just a couple months, it will all come to an end when they wrap up the last few shows on their final tour. In this chat with guest host Talia Schlanger, Mike opens up about how it feels to say goodbye, what he regrets, and what he calls his “desperate need for validation.”

Michael Mabbott and Lucah Rosenberg-Lee are the directors of a new documentary about the late American R&B singer Jackie Shane. Jackie was a Black trans woman who became popular in Canada after moving to Toronto in the 1960s. She released a single called “Any Other Way” that charted across the country, but in the 1970s, she became a recluse and disappeared from the public eye. Michael and Lucah join Tom to discuss their film “Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story” and how an unreleased song was discovered in Jackie’s house after she passed.

Every time a new movie in the “Alien” franchise is released, there’s a ton of anticipation. The Uruguayan filmmaker Fede Álvarez has taken up the gauntlet with his new film, “Alien: Romulus.” Fede sits down with Tom to talk about the legacy of “Alien” and his approach to making this epic sci-fi horror thriller.

If you could go back in time and change one moment you regret, would you do it? On the new season of the CBC time-travel drama “Plan B,” Canadian actor Vinessa Antoine plays a Montreal police officer who’s faced with that choice. She joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the series and how she took care of herself after telling a pretty dark story.