The Q Interview

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Ke Huy Quan was a movie star that disappeared. Now he’s back. Here’s why Jun 15, 2022

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Forty years ago, Ke Huy Quan was plucked from obscurity into movie stardom when he found himself co-starring with Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom. Still not even old enough to drive, he found even greater fame as part of the ensemble cast of the legendary film The Goonies. But after all that success in Hollywood and a career that most people would give anything for, Ke Huy Quan disappeared — until now. In this interview, he’ll explain where he’s been for the past few decades and how he’s been enticed back into acting by the new movie Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Hannah Gadsby didn’t care about making a successful standup special, but success came anyway Jun 06, 2022

Show notes

Back in 2018, a standup special called Nanette turned the world of comedy on its head. It was written and performed by a relatively unknown comic at the time named Hannah Gadsby. Ever since that special came out, Tom Power has hoped he’d get the chance to speak with Hannah. Now, that time has finally come. In a rare Canadian interview, she told Tom all about her new memoir, Ten Steps to Nanette, and how growing up queer and neurodivergent in rural Tasmania shaped her comedic voice.

Don Was has figured out what all the great musicians have in common Jun 01, 2022

Show notes

Don Was has worked with some pretty incredible artists. Here's just a few: Bob Dylan, Garth Brooks, The Rolling Stones, Aaron Neville, John Mayer, Iggy Pop, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson and Carly Simon. He's also the president of Blue Note Records, one of the most prestigious record labels in the world, and he wrote and performed that song Walk the Dinosaur. So after you talk to Don Was about his career, you're left with a few questions: what were those artists like to work with? How do you make sure your fandom doesn't get in the way of making a great record? And most importantly, what do all of those legendary artists have in common? Don Was has answers for all those questions.

Ben Schwartz’s career took off in a big way — right in time for the pandemic May 25, 2022

Show notes

Ben Schwartz is a really busy guy. Right now, he stars in the Apple TV+ murder mystery The Afterparty as well as the comedy Space Force alongside Steve Carell. He's also currently filming Renfield — a take on the Dracula story, starring Nicolas Cage as Dracula. Ben told Tom Power how his background in improv helps him as an actor, plus how Jean-Ralphio — the character he played on Parks and Recreation for five years — changed everything for him.

Jack White wants you to revere the art you love May 18, 2022

Show notes

The way you listen to music is always changing, but Jack White wants to go back to basics. From The White Stripes to The Raconteurs to his solo work, he’s always been extremely intentional with how his music is taken in, which is something you can really sense with his love of vinyl and no-phone policy at his shows. Here’s the thing, these aren’t gimmicks for Jack — he simply wants you to have reverence for the art you love. Tom Power flew down to Jack’s Third Man Records warehouse in Nashville to talk about his new albums, what reverence for art looks like to him and what you might be able to gain by listening to your next album with a similar reverence.

Charlotte Cardin lost the biggest reality singing show in Quebec. Here’s why that was a good thing May 10, 2022

Show notes

Charlotte Cardin’s journey to becoming the most-nominated artist at this year’s Juno Awards wasn’t a typical one. She grew up in a family of scientists and started writing songs when she was young. Eventually, she made it onto La Voix, the biggest reality singing show in Quebec. Spoiler alert: she didn’t win. But she’d be the first to tell you that losing La Voix was a blessing in disguise. As a former model, Cardin also had a lot to say about the lack of control you can feel in that industry, versus being able to tell your own story through music. While her path to becoming the most celebrated artist at this year’s Junos wasn’t always linear, it says a lot about the persistence it takes to find your audience in 2022.

Deborah Cox is being inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame decades after the industry closed its doors to her. Here’s how she feels about it May 04, 2022

Show notes

When most kids were mowing lawns or babysitting for some extra cash, Deborah Cox was doing session work and getting paid to sing at only 12 years old. The fact that she is who she is today — a platinum-record-selling artist and actor — is no surprise. But what might come as a surprise to some people is that Cox had a tough time getting her career off the ground at home in Canada. Even though her talent was so clear, she was rejected by almost every major label in the country. It wasn’t until she moved to the U.S. that her career really took off and she became a legendary artist in R&B and beyond. Now, she’s being inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. She told Tom Power her story, about being honoured by Canada and how you hold the present with the past.

Phoebe Bridgers writes sad songs — and she has some thoughts on why we like them Apr 27, 2022

Show notes

For the last two years, Phoebe Bridgers has been everywhere. Maybe you saw her at last year's Grammys where she was up for four awards, or caught her smashing her guitar on Saturday Night Live a few months back. She’s also the founder of her own label, Saddest Factory Records. If you’re not familiar with Bridgers, just know that she makes music that can be devastating, gut-wrenching and also strangely funny. But more than anything, her music feels both deeply personal and universal at the same time. It’s something that’s earned her millions of fans all over the world and one of the top spots at this year's Coachella music festival. Phoebe Bridgers has been called one of the voices of her generation and it was a pleasure to get to talk to her.

How Adam Scott found his dream job in the dystopian workplace of Severance Apr 20, 2022

Show notes

Adam Scott has taken on a lot of roles that mean a lot to different people. Whether it's the despondent artist/caterer in the cult hit sitcom Party Down, the nerdy romantic Ben Wyatt in Parks and Recreation, or belting out Sweet Child o' Mine with his family in Step Brothers, Scott tends to build intense fandoms everywhere he goes. Now, he stars in the new Apple TV+ series Severance as a man whose memories from his professional and personal lives are surgically divided. He told Tom Power why the role (if not the job) is his dream come true — and why that still didn't stop him from sleeping in for one of the biggest days of filming. He also talked about the intense fandoms of his work, and why as an intense fan himself, he understands where it comes from.

How Camila Cabello found true happiness by going back to her Familia Apr 12, 2022

Show notes

Camila Cabello is one of the biggest pop stars in the world. She started out in the girl group Fifth Harmony in 2012, went solo in 2016 and hit number 1 in 2017 with her massive single Havana. In this conversation, Cabello discussed something you almost never hear a pop star of her stature talk about — the day Havana hit number 1, she didn’t feel the happiness she thought she’d feel. Her new album is called Familia and, true to its name, it's about her coming home to her family, to her roots and to the music she listened to in the kitchen as a kid. She spoke about the real-life pressures of being a pop star, and how she realized prioritizing her own happiness is the key to her success.

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