Really interesting conversation on this episode with Good + Plenty Arts Collective's Amber Neufeld and Mckye Hildebrand, all about the upcoming ‘Music Cocoon’ show at the West End Cultural Centre (Nov. 16)!The event, which features performances by local artists (and past Witchpolice guests) Ila Barker and Two Crows for Comfort, is a family- and sensory-friendly matinee. We talk about the show, creating inclusive, all-ages opportunities within the local music scene, some of Good + Plenty’s other initiatives, and much more! Because of the time-sensitivity of the upcoming show, this episode jumped the queue and is coming out now! 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 throw some change in the guitar case! Shoutout to our latest patron, Chris!As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening.  

Country singer-songwriter Chris Micheal was on a path to success a few years ago, until the momentum he had built was suddenly derailed and he all but disappeared from the music scene.  Tune in to our conversation about the way back from health problems and addiction, and his newfound vulnerability as a songwriter and a human being. This is the first in-person interview I've recorded for the podcast in quite some time, and it it includes a couple of live performances! Need more of Chris? Hear his previous appearances on the podcast on episode #388 (June 2019) and #590 (May 2021). 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 throw some change in the guitar case! As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening.  

Gettin' spooky on this one (just in time for Halloween) with Trevor and Mike from Omens!Check out our interview about the (deliberately) slow roll-out to their second album, navigating the world of streaming and weird Google censorship, emerging from the Jet Set Satellite shadow, Halloween songs, and much more!Need more Omens in your life? Hear Trevor on episode #904 (June 2024). 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 throw some change in the guitar case! As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening.  

One of the coolest things about doing the show for eleventy trillion years is I get to watch interviewees’ careers grow and develop, and in some cases — like with JayWood — I get to see that hard work pay off with well-deserved critical acclaim and success. JayWood sat down for a fifth Witchpolice interview (six if you count his appearance at a 2017 live event) and we talked about his new ‘Leo Negro’ LP, musical nebulousness, all roads leading back to Winnipeg -- where the album will be released Oct. 20 at the WECC -- and much more.Note: A battery issue meant about halfway through the interview I had to switch to my backup recording, but it's not really all that noticeable. Hooray for technology!Need more JayWood in your life? Check out episodes #824 (Sept. 2023), #708 (July 2022), #589 (May 2021), #308 (Aug. 2018), and #255 (Nov. 2017). 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 throw some change in the guitar case! As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening.  

It's a return appearance on the podcast by singer-songwriter Doug McArthur! Tune in for a great conversation about collaborating with other writers, shifting his sound away from the alt-rock thing, unconventional ways to promote his new single, and much more!  Note: early on in the episode there are a couple of weird artifacts -- sounds almost like a weird computer voice muttering some gibberish. No idea why that's there, but it doesn't take away from the conversation and is very brief. Need more Doug? Check out episode #830 (Sept. 2023)  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 throw some change in the guitar case! As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening.  

Caught up with the fellas in Car287 to talk all about the new record, ‘Through the Lens’, the band’s recent upward trajectory, navigating acoustic versions of their songs, and much more! Note: this was recorded a couple of weeks back, so some of the things they mention have already happened... like the new record, which has already been released. Get it now! Need more Car287? Check out their previous appearances on episodes #757 (Jan. 2023) and #931 (Sept. 2024). 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 throw some change in the guitar case!As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening. 

Great sitdown on this episode with the big homie Jeff Darichuk of new Portage la Prairie folk-punk outfit Chucky and the Cheapskates! Tune in for a chat about getting back into the game in your 40s, the imminent new Cheapskates record, three chords and the truth, his old band the Naked Midgets, and much more! Need more Chucky? He was on episode #561 (Feb. 2021) with the Naked Midgets! 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 throw some change in the guitar case!As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening. 

I sat down with BreakOut West executive director Michael Dawson to talk about the festival/awards show/music industry conference, which will take over Winnipeg beginning later this week!Tune in for all the details! 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 throw some change in the guitar case!As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening. 

I caught up with all-Ha(i)ley classic rock/pop/alt-rock trio The Haileys to talk about the band’s upward trajectory, collaborating with outside writers, the dad crowd, their first time at the Royal Albert, and much more!  Need more Haileys in your life? Check out their appearances on episode #796 (May 2023) and episode #590 (May 2021)!  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 throw some change in the guitar case! Shoutout to the latest patron, Andrew!  As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening. 

Andrew Ritchot, a/k/a Lifte, is back on the show to talk all about 'How Strength Creates Tolerance', his new and deeply personal record that closes out a series based on his experiences as a caregiver for his late wife.  Tune in for our conversation about music as catharsis, the future of this project (if there is one), and much more!  Need more from Andrew? Check out his appearance on episode #760 (Jan. 2023), as a member of Boss Logan on episode #345 (Dec. 2018), and his spot as a guest host on episode #939 (Oct. 2024). Also give a listen to his podcast Head Full of Radio and his UMFM show, Alphabet Soup.  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 throw some change in the guitar case!  As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening. 

It's here! Episode 1,000! Who knew this silly podcast would have lasted so long?This, probably unsurprisingly, isn't a regular episode of Witchpolice Radio. It's a conversation -- led by my friends and fellow podcasters Sean and Todd McGinity (and shoutout to Ron Moore for his contributions as well) -- about the show's history, podcasting in general, the local music scene... and much more! On this episode, I respond to questions from listeners, friends, family and general well-wishers -- all of which I'm hearing for the first time. Some of them are serious, some of them are funny, some are deep-cut in-jokes, but all are greatly appreciated. A huge thank you to everyone who got the podcast this far. I love you all. Big shoutout to Jamie Fougere for this creepy-cool cover art! Back to your regularly-scheduled programming next week.  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 throw some change in the guitar case!  As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening. 

Great chat with award-winning singer-songwriter Stephanie Westdal, all about balancing bold, vulnerable lyrics about serious issues with danceable pop songs, the upcoming Goddess Series of events celebrating creative women, and much more! This one is jumping the queue because it’s a little time sensitive and I’m working around the big 1,000th episode coming soon...  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 throw some change in the guitar case!  As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening. 

This isn't a regular episode of Witchpolice Radio. It's an abridged audio version of a two-hour(!) conversation I had with the host of video podcast Peg City Soundoff on his show.  We talked all about podcasting (including my upcoming 1,000th episode and his one-year anniversary), local music -- of course -- and all sorts of other stuff.  You can find the full video chat on Peg City Soundoff's Facebook or YouTube. Always very nice to see other people getting into this podcast thing. DIY or die. 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 throw some change in the guitar case!  As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening. 

Fun conversation on this one with Jayda of Portage la Prairie punks (or as the band describes itself, “queercore meets riot grrrl meets unhinged bitch-fit fury”) Ticked Off!Listen up a chat about Ticked Off’s new EP, 'Act Your Rage', plus ‘lead bass’, the importance of songs with a message, punk in Portage, 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 throw some change in the guitar case!  ...and don't forget, we're closing in on 1,000 episodes, so please get your questions in to witchpolice1000@gmail.com. More details here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Iz8TPM5gGt0 As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening.

Even though Paul Hodgert has been involved with various Witchpolice things over the last little while, I had never personally sat down and interviewed him — until now. Here's our conversation about the vinyl release of his excellent ‘Paul is Dead’ album, his new grief-informed single, his fixation with a particular series of classic wrestling matches, and much more.  Need to hear more from Paul? He was on episode #920 -- incidentally one year to the day from this episode's release -- with guest host Greg Soden, and he recorded a live session in my dining room for #960 (Dec. 2024). 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 throw some change in the guitar case!  ...and don't forget, we're closing in on 1,000 episodes, so please get your questions in to witchpolice1000@gmail.com. More details here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Iz8TPM5gGt0 As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening.

Making his fourth appearance on the podcast, rapper/producer Kitz Willman sat down to talk about his new tape, ‘A Moon on the Verge of Everything That You Wanted’!  Check out our chat about sonic experiments, defining ‘prairie rap’, future projects, and much more! Need more Kitz Willman? Tune in to episodes #574 (March 2021), #811 (July 2023), and #853 (with Rob Crooks, Dec. 2023). 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 throw some change in the guitar case!  ...and don't forget, we're closing in on 1,000 episodes, so please get your questions in to witchpolice1000@gmail.com. More details here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Iz8TPM5gGt0 As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening.  

If you’re familiar with Project: Constellation at all, it’s likely as a North Dakota-based husband-and-wife folk duo with Winnipeg connections.They’re still all of those things, of course, but they have this interesting side gig performing Scandinavian songs — from traditional stuff to Swedish and Norwegian pop hits — at libraries and cultural events all over their region of the U.S.They were in town a few weeks back and played some stuff at my house... which now exists in live session form! I had originally intended on doing one of these a month, but so far this is only the third. Gotta pick up the pace! Need more Project: Constellation? Hear 'em in regular interview form on episodes #292 (June 2018) and #356 (Feb. 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 month if you like the show and want to throw some change in the guitar case!  ...and don't forget, we're closing in on 1,000 episodes, so please get your questions in to witchpolice1000@gmail.com. More details here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Iz8TPM5gGt0 As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening.

Anyone involved in the local music scene (and beyond) in Winnipeg is probably aware of the tragic accident on Canada Day that led to the death of Royal Canoe bassist Brendan Berg and his partner Olivia Michalczuk. Brendan (along with Royal Canoe drummer Derek Allard) was on a very early episode of Witchpolice Radio back in fall 2014, so this is a reissued version of that episode for those who want to remember him. I've had a lot of good feedback from people who have listened to previous 'in memoriam' episodes, saying they appreciate the opportunity to hear the person being remembered's voice again... but I hate that I ever have to do these at all. I knew Brendan a little bit. Great guy, incredible musician. And Olivia, who I didn't know super well, was involved in our local podcasting community early on as the co-host of Paper Cut Podcast. Big loss for the local arts community on both fronts. Royal Canoe announced this week that a celebration of life for Brendan and Olivia is taking place Tuesday, July 15 at the Burton Cummings Theatre, with a traditional funeral happening Monday at Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Cathedral.  Positive vibes to Brendan and Olivia’s family and friends, and to everyone connected to Royal Canoe. This is a big loss and I can’t even imagine what you’re dealing with right now. Love to all of you. Here's what we originally said about the Royal Canoe episode back in fall 2014:  Coming off a 2014 Juno nomination for their critically-acclaimed Today We’re Believers record and a jam-packed, festival-heavy summer of touring, Winnipeg’s Royal Canoe are headed back out on the road before hunkering down and working on a follow-up.  The group’s rhythm section — our pals Brendan Berg and Derek Allard — stopped by the basement to reminisce about old times, share road stories, and get passionate about their hometown. R.I.P.

Here's an interview all about the soul, sound and signature of R&B-tinged Afrobeats artist Olisae!It's a fun conversation about his forthcoming new single, perceptions on Winnipeg crowds, focusing on musical energy, 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 throw some change in the guitar case!As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening.

A fun conversation on this one with the duo behind electronic project Peacocking!We talk about their upcoming EP (which drops July 18), the science of ‘beat week’, expanding beyond drum and bass, glockenspiel, 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 throw some change in the guitar case!As always, if you like the podcast, please tell a friend or 20! Rate and review on your podcast player of choice! Word of mouth is still the main way Witchpolice Radio reaches new ears. Thanks for listening.