Hidden Track: Recent Episodes
CKUA Radio Network
We all remember the moment we discovered that secret song on one of our favourite albums. Often, those hidden gems provide a revealing peek behind-the-curtain, leading us to new insights about the artists and recordings we thought we knew.
CKUA’s Hidden Track podcast aims to do the same, by bringing you stories that change the way you experience music. Any given week, we’ll get to the heart of the song with the musician who wrote it, reflect on a landmark recording with the producer and engineer who helped shape it, or examine the legacy of a musical icon with the critic, biographer or industry player who knows them best. Whoever the guest may be, each episode will provide a moment of discovery you won’t soon forget.
A few years ago, Calgary musician Reuben Bullock invited the band the Bullhorn Singers to the stage at the Calgary Stampede. This sparked a collaboration which led the musicians to form Reuben and the Bullhorn Singers.
Now they have debut album called All These Roads.
In this episode of the Hidden Track podcast, they will share music and stories, and you’ll hear a performance recorded live at the Beresh Arts Den at CKUA's Edmonton building.
The Hidden Track podcast is a CKUA production, made possible by the generosity of our donors. Thank you for your support!
CREDITS
Host: Grant Stovel
Associate Producer: Scott Zielsdorf
Executive Producer: Arianne Smith-Piquette
Senior Producer: Jasmine Vickaryous
Mixing/mastering: Brendan Cross
Music: Doug Hoyer
Amy Millan is a Montreal-based artist who has been working at a full-on sprint pace with her main band Stars for more than two decades. She's also kept herself busy as a prolific contributor to Broken Social Scene. He musical life includes numerous collaborations. But this spring, at long last, Amy Millan released her first solo album in fifteen years, I Went to Find You.
In this Hidden Track Story, find out how friends and collaborators have helped this talented artist find harmony and use her voice in new ways.
CREDITS
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Host: Grant Stovel
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Associate Producer: Scott Zielsdorf
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Executive Producer: Arianne Smith-Piquette
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Senior Producer: Jasmine Vickaryous
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Theme Music: Doug Hoyer
Special thanks to the CKUA Events & Marketing Teams!
The Hidden Track Podcast is a CKUA production made possible by the generosity of our donors. Thank you for your support! Learn more about Hidden Track at ckua.com/hiddentrack.
Rose Cousins is an artist who seems to possess amazing access to pure feeling. She is capable of heartbreaking tenderness one moment, and side-splitting hilarity the next. On her new album, Conditions of Love Vol. 1, she explores a full range of emotions, and she re-connects with the piano, an instrument she first played as a child.
In the newest episode of the Hidden Track podcast, Rose Cousins talks about creativity, love, and the human condition. She also shares beautiful performances of three songs from the album: “Borrowed Light,” “K’s Waltz,” and “I Believe in Love (and it’s very hard).”
CREDITS
- Host: Grant Stovel
- Associate Producer: Scott Zielsdorf
- Executive Producer: Arianne Smith-Piquette
- Senior Producer: Jasmine Vickaryous
- Sound Recording: Brendan Cross
Special thanks to the CKUA Events & Marketing Teams!
The Hidden Track Podcast is a CKUA production made possible by the generosity of our donors. Thank you for your support! Learn more about Hidden Track at ckua.com/hiddentrack.
Looking back on 30 years of Captain Tractor's hugely successful, beloved classic album East of Edson, practically everything about it seems unlikely. They came together as a bunch of theatre and music school kids, and became known all over Canada. With the release of that record, the band also hit upon a signature song that remains a buzz track to this day. Enjoy their chat with CKUA’s Grant Stovel in this episode of the Hidden Track Podcast.
Learn more about Hidden Track at ckua.com/hiddentrack.
CREDITS
- Host: Grant Stovel
- Associate Producer: Scott Zielsdorf
- Executive Producer: Arianne Smith-Piquette
- Senior Producer: Jasmine Vickaryous
Special thanks to the CKUA Events & Marketing Teams, and Brendan Cross for recording this conversation.
The Hidden Track Podcast is a CKUA production made possible by the generosity of our donors. Thank you for your support!
Cold Bones Fest was the site of this edition of the Hidden Track podcast, and Lethbridge band Starpainter takes centre stage.
Starpainter is a favourite on the CKUA airwaves, and they have been outspoken about their support of the CKUA community. Their latest album, Rattlesnake Dream, has received international acclaim, with one of its tracks being named #1 Song of the Year by Americana and UK. They also had the opportunity to tour Japan for the first time.
Enjoy this edition of the Hidden Track podcast, which was recorded live at the Drumheller Legion during Cold Bones Fest.
CREDITS
- Host: Grant Stovel
- Associate Producer: Scott Zielsdorf
- Executive Producer: Arianne Smith-Piquette
- Senior Producer: Jasmine Vickaryous
Special thanks to the CKUA Events & Marketing Teams and a big thank you to Cold Bones Festival!
The Hidden Track Podcast is a CKUA production made possible by the generosity of our donors. Thank you for your support! Learn more about Hidden Track at ckua.com/hiddentrack.
Canadian icon Alan Doyle shares his fascinating musical journey in this episode of the Hidden Track podcast. From his humble beginnings in Petty Harbour to performing on global stages, Doyle's narrative is filled with heartfelt reflections and vibrant storytelling. He discusses his evolution with Great Big Sea, his solo career, and his ventures into theatre and writing.
He talks about his educational background, influences such as Ron Hynes, and his new introspective album, Welcome Home. Listen for an engaging tale of music, humility, and gratitude, and enjoy a bonus acoustic performance of "Hard Old Hands," live in CKUA's Studio A.
CREDITS
- Host: Grant Stovel
- Associate Producer: Scott Zielsdorf
- Executive Producer: Arianne Smith-Piquette
- Senior Producer: Jasmine Vickaryous
Special thanks to the CKUA Events & Marketing Teams!
The Hidden Track Podcast is a CKUA production made possible by the generosity of our donors. Thank you for your support! Learn more about Hidden Track at ckua.com/hiddentrack.
Caity Gyorgy and Mark Limacher are a formidable musical duo known for their brilliance and creativity on and off stage. Caity, a two-time JUNO Award-winning singer and songwriter, and Mark, a versatile composer and pianist, share a unique bond that enhances their collaborative performances. Their ability to blend their talents creates an enchanting experience for audiences, whether they are performing music or engaging in conversation.
Recently, they reunited in Alberta for holiday performances before heading to Japan for a series of shows at The Cotton Club.
Their visit included a special session at CKUA, where they shared their inspired music and insights with fans.
CREDITS
- Host: Grant Stovel
- Associate Producer: Scott Zielsdorf
- Executive Producer: Arianne Smith-Piquette
- Senior Producer: Jasmine Vickaryous
- Theme Music: Doug Hoyer
Mixing and mastering for this Hidden Track Session was provided by Brendan Cross.
Special thanks to the CKUA Events & Marketing Teams!
The Hidden Track Podcast is a CKUA production made possible by the generosity of our donors. Thank you for your support! Learn more about Hidden Track at ckua.com/hiddentrack.
MOONRIIVR is a band known for creating lush, cinematic, and atmospheric music inspired by timeless classics, yet uniquely personal in style. Comprised of seasoned musicians Gavin Gardiner and "Champagne" James Robertson, the duo brings a wealth of experience from the Southern Ontario music scene, blending indie rock, folk, jazz, and country influences.
Their debut album, Vol. 1, and its follow-up, The Tascam Sessions, showcase their musical alchemy and innovative expression. We're treated to a sample of that magic in this Hidden Track Story, as the duo shares a bonus pair of live performances with us as part of this episode!
The Hidden Track podcast is a CKUA production made possible by the generosity of our donors. Thank you for your support!
Subscribe to the Hidden Track podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.
Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Graphics: Craig Taffs | Music: Doug Hoyer
After releasing a captivating debut single called "Dancing with Sue" in June of 2020, Wyatt C. Louis created a stir that saw them gain fans across Alberta, Canada, and beyond.
But it would be nearly four years until Wyatt's debut full-length album was released. The album Chandler, released on May 27, 2024, shot straight to #1 on CKUA’s weekly Top 30 chart.
Their songs are pensive, deeply felt, and slow burning, while their supple voice and guitar work express wonder and vulnerability. The candid solo performances that Wyatt shared with us in CKUA's Studio A are intimate and beautiful.
This live session took place in December 2024 — just as CKUA's music library team had crunched the numbers and determined that Wyatt's album, Chandler, had become the most played on CKUA’s airwaves for the entire year. As a special bonus, we had the opportunity to surprise Wyatt with the joyful news that they were #1 for 2024! It's a moment of pure joy, alongside Wyatt's blissful music and conversation.
The Hidden Track podcast is a CKUA production, made possible by the generosity of our donors. Thank you for your support!
Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Graphics: Craig Taffs | Music: Doug Hoyer
Recording/Mastering for this Session provided by Brendan Cross.
We've got a live one here!
This is a live session with the celebrated Canadian artist Tony D, who for decades has been known as an electrifying guitar talent, equally expressive in styles ranging from blues to swing to acid rock to flamenco! Tony has travelled the world playing music, and has a trophy case worth of awards; but somehow his new record Electric Delta is the first proper new Tony D solo offering of original material in a couple of decades! And the album release party for this long-awaited new record is what we hear in this highly celebratory live CKUA Hidden Track Session.
Between his solo projects, the celebrated Canadian band MonkeyJunk, and plenty of other musical activities, he's toured everywhere from Memphis to Italy, and all across Canada! He's even performed in the northernmost continuously inhabited place in the world — Alert, Nunavut.
Alberta has long been a kind of second home to Tony D; and these days he's actually a part-time resident of this part of the world, when he isn't on the road, as his partner and family live in the province.
In this final episode of Hidden Track Season 5, we hear the electrifying Tony D performing in front of a rapt audience at CKUA's Live Performance Space in Edmonton, joined by his longtime bass player Joe Hawkins, as well as two superb Edmonton-based musicians: keyboardist Rooster Davis and drummer Jamie Cooper.
The sparks really fly between these four musicians and the audience, as they perform a diverse set of original material — a Tony D classic called "Argentinian Surf Tango", plus two standouts from the new album, "Highway 7" and the rousing opening salvo: a dynamic instrumental workout entitled "NAS".
Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Graphics: Craig Taffs | Music: Doug Hoyer
Recording/Mastering for this session provided by Brendan Cross.
The Hidden Track podcast is a CKUA production, made possible by the generosity of our donors. Thank you for your support!
When you consider that the Yukon's population density is estimated to be roughly 0.07 people per square kilometre, it's kind of amazing the cultural imprint that the territory has made — both in terms of Canadian and global culture!
The majestic, dramatic land made world-famous in classics ranging from The Cremation of Sam McGee to The Call of the Wild has long inspired artists of all kinds, and it’s truly become a haven for musical creatives. From the territory's living Indigenous musical traditions, to the fabled folk songs of the Klondike, to the incredible people making original music today ranging from bluegrass to hip-hop, the story of Yukon music is a vibrant, diverse, and ever-evolving one — as we hear in this episode, the thrilling conclusion of our first-ever Hidden Track two-parter!
Just as in Part One of our Music Yukon/Hidden Track collab, we’re treated to some truly thrilling live performances by artists from that vast territory, and we get a sense of how the Yukon impacts their lives and art practices.
While Edmonton, Alberta is sometimes referred to as the most northerly large city in the Americas, with metropolitan population of more than one million people, you've got to make a roughly 2,000 kilometre-long trip southeast to get from the Yukon's capital city of Whitehorse to Edmonton! So, it was a pretty big deal when a whole troop of Yukon musicians made the big trek down south to perform as part of the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival in August 2024. This was thanks to the support of Music Yukon and a really cool partnership with the Edmonton Fringe.
While they were here, CKUA was lucky enough to host a whole bunch of them for Hidden Track sessions in our Studio A in Edmonton. They shared stories and songs with us that evoke the unique natural beauty, highly personalized sense of expression, and vibrant community feeling that make the Yukon such a magical place for music.
In Part 2, we hear from Alex MacNeil (leader of the outsider power-pop favourites Alex MacNeil and the Revenants, accompanied here by Hendika), the idiosyncratic punk-inspired stylings of Cryptozoologists, and the spirited soulful beauty of Bria Rose N' Thorns.
Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Graphics: Craig Taffs | Music: Doug Hoyer
Recording and mastering for this episode by Brendan Cross.
The Hidden Track Podcast is a CKUA production made possible by our incredible donor community. Thank you for your support!
Joel Plaskett first came to fame in the beloved rock band Thrush Hermit, a group who came together as teenagers in Halifax and barnstormed across Canada and beyond throughout the '90s with a dynamic stage show, plus an actual neon sign reading "Rock and Roll". In fact, last time Joel visited CKUA's Edmonton studios was five years ago during a Thrush Hermit reunion tour, and he told us about keeping that "Rock and Roll" sign in storage for many years.
For his autumn 2024 tour, he certainly wasn't in need of the iconic "Rock and Roll" sign. It was just himself and his guitars (plus a reclining armchair and photo projector) for an album launch tour to celebrate his stunningly intimate acoustic album One Real Reveal.
He's an artist who's been known to challenge himself to ever-greater thematic journeys in his solo work. There's his well-loved 2009 release Three— his third solo outing - a triple album which was largely made up of songs with triple-barrelled titles. Then there was 44, released the day before he turned 45, consisting of four albums of eleven songs each. He's come up with maybe an even more daunting creative challenge this time, scaling the process all the way down to the number one — a record made with a single microphone, created almost entirely by Joel alone. Except for one very notable exception, which he'll reveal to us in this conversation.
An unparallelled storyteller and an artist of remarkable candour and curiosity, Joel Plaskett shared very generously with us about the serendipitous musical moment that sparked this whole album, how it represents a return to his roots in somewhat surprising ways, how spoken word suddenly introduced itself as part of his artistry, and the importance of embracing the presence, spontaneity, transience, and cyclical nature of music, art, and life. This is a Hidden Track Story: Joel Plaskett | Four Tracks and the Truth.
Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Graphics: Craig Taffs | Music: Doug Hoyer
The Hidden Track Podcast is a CKUA production made possible by the generosity of our donour community. Thank you for your support!
For this special episode, Hidden Track is doing something utterly different. This isn’t a feature on one artist, song, or album. It casts a spotlight on a whole scene—on a whole Canadian Territory, in a sense!
Yukon is a Canadian territory that’s bigger than most countries on Earth, but its nearly half-million square kilometres are inhabited by only about 40,000 people.
In partnership with both Music Yukon and The Edmonton Fringe, CKUA invited five acts into CKUA’s Studio to share some of their music and their story with us. In Part 1 of this unique collaboration, we hear from Ellorie McKnight and her longtime musical collaborator Brigitte Jardin, touring veterans Diyet & the Love Soldiers, and the incredibly soulful Elijah Bekk (and band).
The Hidden Track Podcast is a CKUA production, made possible by the generous contributions of our donors. Thank you for your support!
Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Graphics: Shaun Friesen | Music: Doug Hoyer
Associate Producer: Aajah Souter
Recording and mastering for this Session provided by Brendan Cross.
She's a musician whose artistic vision and songwriting are every bit as distinctive and expressive as that spectacular voice of hers. Frazey Ford's trademark tremulous croon first became well-known as part of the vocal blend for globally-renowned Vancouver folk music mainstays The Be Good Tanyas. While that band's aesthetic leaned toward the folky and jazzy, Frazey's own instincts have always been strongly inclined toward a classic soul music feel.
Her 2010 debut album Obadiah began to chart her own unique artistic course, which she further developed with 2014's Indian Ocean, and 2020's U Kin B the Sun.
In this free-wheeling conversation, we'll learn about the rather stunning experiments in creativity that led to her beautiful latest release; as well as the nearly stranger-than-fiction story behind Indian Ocean, which turned 10 years old in October of 2024. Those sessions took place in Memphis, in the studio where many of her all-time favourite soul songs were recorded in the 1970s – with the very musicians who helped to craft them.
And as a special bonus treat (and a meta experience of sorts) – we conclude this episode of Hidden Track with an actual hidden track! One that appears at the end of the streaming version of Indian Ocean. This is a Hidden Track Story from a dressing room at the Arden Theatre with the wonderful Frazey Ford.
Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Graphics: Craig Taffs | Music: Doug Hoyer
The Hidden Track Podcast is a CKUA production made possible by the generosity of our donor community. Thank you for your support!
In many ways, Frank is the perfect name for this well-loved singer-songwriter, producer, and eternal punk rock firebrand.
Kind of like the many tattoos that adorn his arms, Frank Turner wears his heart right on his sleeve. Always unstintingly honest in all his artistic endeavours, Frank's music carries a candour and conviction that's incredibly powerful – devastating, even. Frank always manages always to have the ability to connect directly with the human heart – whether sharing tenderly of his own life's journey through his songs, or pushing back with snarling ferocity against fascism and injustice, his music resounds with urgency, authenticity, and humanity. No matter if you're talking about the all-out sonic assault of his fearsome band, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, or – equally powerfully – when Frank is in the intimate solo acoustic mode that we experience on this episode.
As we'll hear during this Hidden Track Session, Frank Turner is an astoundingly intelligent and acute observer of the human condition, a seemingly tireless road dog, a devoted music nerd of the very highest order, and a truly humble soul.
He carved out some time between shows to join us in CKUA Live Performance Space in Edmonton, as he passed through on a relentless world tour celebrating his triumphant 2024 release, Undefeated. The record arrives on the heels of his 2022 album FTHC (for Frank Turner Hardcore) which – 15 years into his solo discography – saw this folk-punk troubadour shoot all the way up to Number One on the British Album Chart! For context, other artists to score UK Number One albums that year were people like Ed Sheeran, Beyonce, and Taylor Swift.
But rather than try to repeat that formula for success, Frank decided to take the opportunity to instead to make this new album without a major label; and for the first time in his ten albums to date, to produce it entirely himself, in his own home studio.
And as Frank tells us, the songs on Undefeated are mostly derived from stories drawn from his own life journey. In conversation, Frank is a fount of wonderful stories, insights, jokes, and esoteric music trivia – while as a songwriter and performer, he distills all of his brilliance down to a razor-sharp point. Along with a characteristically brilliant conversation with Frank, we're treated to an absolutely exquisite, heartfelt performance of three songs from Frank's new album, solo acoustic in CKUA studios: "Letters", "Girl from the Record Shop", and one of his most beautiful compositions to date, "Somewhere in Between".
Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Recording/Mastering: Brendan Cross | Music: Doug Hoyer
As an artist, she's always been a bit of a shapeshifter.
Over the course of her wildly diverse career, she's touched on numerous different genres, been signed to a series of major record labels, and made music under several monikers.
Her journey has taken her from a tiny community on Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island, to the bright lights of Los Angeles at age 20, to the City of Light – Paris, France.
Her latest work sees her returning to Canada, coming back to her musical roots in many, taking ownership of her art and her story, and reverting to her real nickname and surname, Goldie Boutilier.
We were lucky enough to catch up with Goldie during a breathless 2024 tour which saw her paired up for a run of dates across the continent with Orville Peck. And this autumn sees her rolling back through these parts – this time on her debut North American headlining tour, to celebrate the release of her brilliant new album, out September 27th – The Actress.
Her latest music is inspired by some of the music she grew up hearing – ranging from Tammy Wynnette to Fleetwood Mac, Alison Krauss to the Twin Peaks soundtrack. The songs are informed by the transformations and heartbreaks she's undergone over the years and by her profoundly disturbing real-life experience -- living out the youthful dream of signing a major label deal and moving to L.A. As we'll hear, show business can be a cold, cruel, predatory enterprise; one that many artists only triumph over by reclaiming their narrative and artistic selves, on their own terms.
That's what Goldie has done in her recent evolution, beginning with her arresting 2022 EP Cowboy Gangster Politician, carrying on through 2023's Emerald Year, and now The Actress. If Goldie's wild career arc were a Hollywood screenplay, it might seem a little too far-fetched to be believable. But, as Goldie sings on the title track to her new EP:
"I am the actress, and you're in my movie."
Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Graphics: Craig Taffs | Music: Doug Hoyer
Mixing for this session provided by Brendan Cross.
Michael Bernard Fitzgerald is an artist who’s always expressed what’s most important to him through his songs. He's also been incredibly meticulous throughout his career, taking care to build a unique and heartfelt connection to his audience and striving to create an unforgettable live setting for his music.
He’s elevated the sharing of live music to a high art in itself — whether it’s inviting Calgary Folk Fest goers to join him at picnic tables to eat pie in the sun, taking to the stage with 300 backing singers at the Jubilee Auditorium or, as we hear him in this particular setting, going into his Farm Tour mode to immerse audience and performer alike in a whisper-quiet, impossibly intimate moment of musical expression.
Although his brand-new album Horizon Lines contains colossal hooks, massive production flourishes, and the trademark sense of pop music maximalism that has always made MBF’s work so exhilarating. Although, the heart of his songcraft, as ever, lies in his voice and his guitar. That’s the sensibility that he foregrounds during his very intimate Farm Tours, which is the very mode in which we caught up with him for this Hidden Track Session in CKUA’s Live Performance Space in Edmonton.
Just ahead of the September 27th release of Horizon Lines, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald played beautifully hushed, solo acoustic renditions of the title track, first single “After a While”, and MBF staple “Good Plates”. He also shared some insight behind where the songs mugs come from, the inspiration he draws from his burgeoning family, and just exactly what a Farm Tour is all about.
Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Graphics: Craig Taffs | Music: Doug Hoyer
Mixing assistance for this Session provided by Charlotte Carr.
The Hidden Track Podcast is made possible by the generosity of our donor community. Thank you for your support!
Kaia Kater has learned her craft through the influence of a diverse group of musical heroes, ranging from Herbie Hancock to Rhiannon Giddens. She recently turned her lens simultaneously inward and outward, to confront difficult truths and injustices – personally, historically, societally, and made them into album titled Strange Medicine.
CKUA’s Grant Stovel caught up with Kaia shortly after the album's release, as she was entering the summertime festival season. And she's very much a child of the Western Canadian folk festival experience.
Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Graphics: Craig Taffs | Music: Doug Hoyer
The Hidden Track podcast is a CKUA production and made possible by the generosity of our donors. Thank you for your support!
Subscribe to the Hidden Track podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.
The joy in the everyday, the continuous arc of life's changes and the way a simple shift in perspective can utterly transform one's experience...
Ellen Doty's new album is a kind of musical meditation, a collection of songs that aims to bring some gentle joy to the listener's heart. Every Little Scene is gorgeous set of songs that relate how if you pay mindful attention, small moments and subtle shifts can bring about great beauty and peace.
It's interesting that Ellen herself was undergoing just about the biggest life change that there is, as she was crafting these songs. In this episode, we hear all about how these songs were created in parallel with a transition into parenthood. We'll also hear stunning renditions of three songs from the new album, "Kaleidoscope", "Coming Back to Me", and the title track to Every Little Scene, as performed with her band.
Reflecting the gracious, spacious beauty of the songs themselves, the musical setting is spare and poetic. Ellen's voice is in dialogue with the lyrical keyboard playing of Devin Hart, and the painterly textures of drummer Peter Hendrickson. Their instruments combine together with a kind of graceful, crackling energy that seems to imbue every note with richness and resonance. There's a roominess to the sound of this trio that creates space for that magical, transcendent quality that the songs invoke.
This is Ellen Doty, as seen on Hidden Track Sessions. You can check out the video version of this episode on CKUA's YouTube channel!
Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Graphics: Craig Taffs | Music: Doug Hoyer
The final mix for this session was provided by Brendan Cross.
The Hidden Track Podcast is made possible by the generosity of CKUA’s donour community. Thank you for your support!
A couple of seasons back, Hidden Track released a big Cadence Weapon special. We spoke with Rollie Pemberton (Cadence Weapon) himself, along with some key family, friends and collaborators. A whole lot has happened for Cadence Weapon since that episode’s release. So, we felt it was time to catch-up during his brief visit back to Edmonton during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It’s certainly been an exciting two years for Cadence Weapon! The major headline being that, in 2022, he won the Polaris Music Prize, the biggest and most illustrious music award there is in Canada! And, that same year, he released his greatly-acclaimed memoir, Bedroom Rapper. Jumping forward to 2024, he's recently put out an incredible new record, ROLLERCOASTER.
Another noteworthy development brought Cadence Weapon back home to Edmonton somewhat unexpectedly. In early June 2024, the hockey team he's been cheering for all his life made a storybook run, from the bottom of the National Hockey League standings at the start of the season, all the way to the Stanley Cup Championship.
Seized by sudden inspiration, Cadence Weapon created a new version of his anthem for Edmonton Oilers' sensation star centre and captain, Connor McDavid. Cadence Weapon released the first version in 2017 at the beginning of McDavid's NHL career, and he felt called to update it for this momentous occasion.
Ever the hometown man, Cadence Weapon made time during his Edmonton playoff visit to chat with CKUA’s Grant Stovel for this episode of Hidden Track Stories. Here's our first in-person visit in many a long year with Cadence Weapon, who was very much in championship form.
CREDITS
Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Graphics: Craig Taffs | Music: Doug Hoyer
Special thanks to Cadence Weapon for allowing us to include the opening instrumental to My Computer in this episode of Hidden Track.
The Hidden Track Podcast is made possible by the generosity of CKUA’s donour community. Thank you for your support!
DakhaBrakha combines traditional folk and punk, drawing inspiration from their Ukrainian homeland with a global sensibility.
Melodies from the ancient past collide with future sounds. They like to describe their style as “ethno-chaos.”
At CKUA, we were treated to a visit from touring dignitaries DakhaBrakha while they were on tour. It was the full four-piece band in all their full, distinctive instrumentation, in full regalia and in all their glory.
For this episode of Hidden Track Sessions, the band set up in CKUA’s Edmonton performance space and shared a scorching set of three epic songs, as well as a very rare English language interview.
Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Graphics: Craig Taffs | Music: Doug Hoyer
Mixing for this session provided by Brendan Cross.
The Hidden Track podcast is a CKUA production and made possible by the generosity of our donors. Thank you for your support!
Inspired by the energy, the soul and the message of classic ska, The Slackers have truly become legends themselves over the past 33 years.
They first came together in New York City back in the early '90s, and studied at the feet of the masters, including members of Jamaican ska originators the Skatalites, who had relocated to the States.
The Slackers rose to prominence alongside a wave of ska-oriented artists who came to fame in that decade, in what became known as "Third Wave Ska".
However, long after Third Wave hitmakers like The Mighty Mighty Bosstones had sort of faded away, The Slackers remained true to their roots, and have continued to craft vibrant, original and important music for the past 33 years and counting.
Lead singer/ lyricist/ multi-instrumentalist Vic Ruggiero and sax player David Hillyard have been doing this a long time. So, it's remarkable how much freshness and sense of purpose they perpetually bring to everything they do.
The band's now legendary series of livestream concerts from New York during the early days of the pandemic are a great example of how they continue to lead the musical charge with imagination, originality and a sense of community. That run of livestreams eventually led to the Billboard chart-topping album Don't Let the Sunlight Fool Ya, along with a series of reissues of their past discography via Pirates Press Records – also home to punk and ska luminaries like Rancid, the Aggrolites, and Subhumans.
Long after the days of those global livestreams, The Slackers continue to connect globally with fans across the world. Alberta is a shining example of this. The band is very well-loved here, and both Vic and David have plugged into the scene here for music projects of their own, performing and/or recording with Albertan luminaries like Jory Kinjo and Audrey Ochoa. But there hadn't been a proper Slackers tour through Alberta in seven years! At least, not until June of 2024, when they played sold-out shows in Edmonton and Calgary- which represented the last of the tour dates they had to postpone back in 2020.
Befor playing those shows though, they kicked off their Alberta tour with a stop at CKUA studios for this epiosde of Hidden Track Stories!
They shared an insightful, fun, heartfelt conversation about their roots, their latest record, and what drives them to create meaningful music about... stuff.
The Hidden Track Podcast is made possible by the generosity of our donour community. Thank you for your support!
Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Graphics: Craig Taffs | Music: Doug Hoyer
For our first-ever live Hidden Track Session in front of an audience, we really lucked out!
We wanted to do something special that brought artists together with members of the CKUA community for a spontaneous, in-the-moment experience – an intimate and exciting live musical performance alongside a conversation that takes us deeper into the music.
We were hoping to find an artist with deep roots in the community, a vibrant onstage musical presence, oodles of charisma, and some new music to share with the world. And yes, we lucked out huge! We ended up with good vibes, incredible music, a tremendous sense of togetherness, and Major Love.
While they certainly would be considered a supergroup of Alberta talents, Major Love has a sound and an identity that goes far beyond what the sum of these parts can account for.
Drummer Shea Connor, bass player Murray Wood, and guitarist Trevor Mann have been playing together since they were kids. For the past 15 years, they’ve been a band called Scenic Route to Alaska – taking their name from a well-known sign near their hometown of Edmonton..
The four members of Major Love joined us at CKUA’s Edmonton studios, in our Live Performance Space, alongside a room full of CKUA supporters for a session that had our crowd dancing, crying and laughing in turns. In this episode, we hear from this insightful and ever-charming group of friends – both in conversation, and in the live performance of music from their long-awaited brand-new album Live, Laugh, Major Love. We’ll hear three beautiful selections: "One Woman", "Time", and "The More I Know/Mountain Standard Time". This is Major Love - Majorly Live!
The Hidden Track Podcast is a CKUA production made possible by the generosity of our donor community. Thank you for your support!
Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Graphics: Craig Taffs | Music: Doug Hoyer
Audio captured by Nick Adkisson
Sound mixing by Brendan Cross
Special thanks to the CKUA live events team for their help with this Hidden Track Session!
Ever the masterful crafter of musical stories, Corb Lund has just released his eleventh album El Viejo — a new collection that weaves together inventive narratives and introduces us to some compelling characters. On this record we encounter: a veteran card sharp dealing out hard-won wisdom, a down-on-his-luck journeyman MMA fighter, a speed addict trying to kick the habit on the family farm, and on the album’s title track, a true-life heartfelt tribute to the recently departed country great Ian Tyson, known to some friends as “El Viejo” — or “The Old Man”.
Listen closely, and you’ll hear lots of Corb’s own story, too — there are a few tales of adventures and misadventures on the road, and the song “I Had It All” in which he muses about having a “cowboy past and a speed metal future”.
Corb’s professional life in music began with a stint in jazz college, followed by a dozen years in a celebrated band who played a blend of psychedelic rock, hardcore punk, and speed metal -- not exactly a textbook beginning to a fruitful career in roots country music.
Corb Lund initially embarked upon his career as a singer-songwriter as an acoustic side project - one that stood out in sharp contrast to the decidedly heavier stylings of his internationally renowned rock band, The Smalls. It allowed Corb to develop his personal sense of expression and storytelling, while also connecting with the roots music that he heard growing up in the rural foothills country of Southern Alberta.
Eventually, The Smalls broke up and Corb's solo project became his primary focus. True DIY success would soon follow with a series of gold records, international tours and meeting personal heroes like Ian Tyson. Throughout it all, he’s been determined to walk his own path and to keep his roots at the center of everything he does.
El Viejo takes Corb’s homespun philosophy to a whole new level. The first Corb Lund album since the 1990s to feature exclusively acoustic instruments, it was recorded in his own Southern Alberta living room, performed live off the floor in a circle with his bandmates.
The international El Viejo tour saw Corb Lund and the Hurtin’ Albertans take a spin through Corb’s home province, and he shared an intimate backstage conversation just ahead of soundcheck at his Edmonton show. He reflected on his journey, how he’s still bridging the metal/country divide, being outspoken in his advocacy for preserving the Rocky Mountain foothills, the long shadow of his friend and mentor Ian Tyson and finding new ways to be as personal as he can with the art that he creates.
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Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Graphics: Craig Taffs | Music: Doug Hoyer
The Hidden Track podcast is a CKUA production made possible by the generosity of our donors. Thank you for your continued support!
The Bros. Landreth return to Hidden Track for a Season 5 Session!
When they started their band, it was just an excuse to spend time together, given that the brothers David and Joey Landreth were often embroiled in their careers as top–call players in the Winnipeg music scene.
The brothers came together to write some original songs and their first album as The Bros. Landreth was born. Released independently without much fanfare, Let It Lie soon drew them an audience from across the world.
It's somewhat ironic that the album is titled “Let It Lie”, as it did anything but lay down - especially where the Bro’s musical careers are concerned! Ten years on, this beautiful album continues to resonate and do astonishing things in the world. For instance – it would have seemed impossible for David and Joey to believe in 2013 that a decade later, they could say that a song on this album has been recorded by one of their all-time heroes, Bonnie Raitt – and that it won a Grammy Award!
It says a lot about the work ethic of the Bros. Landreth that their way of celebrating the debut record's 10th anniversary was no mere victory lap. Instead, they created a whole new version of the album – featuring acoustic re-interpretations of all the songs on Let It Lie – and took it on the road for a gigantic tour. It was during that tour that the band found themselves with a couple days off in Alberta! Between their sold-out concerts, the Bros. Landreth elected to play a free Saturday covers set at a local pub and took a trip down to CKUA's Edmonton Performance Space for this beautiful Hidden Track Session.
Something of an intergenerational affair, this Session features David Landreth on bass (and some harmonica). Then, on acoustic guitars, we have: Joey Landreth, long-time collaborator Murray Pulver, (from hitmaking Winnipeg bands like Crash Test Dummies and Doc Walker); and the band's drummer, Roman Clarke, a great young multi-instrumentalist, who like everyone else in this session, is an absolute monster singer and musician – as well as a kind-hearted, down-to-earth, sincere, and hilarious human being.
This episode is a candid visit with the Bros. Landreth – in conversation, plus live performances of three songs from Let It Lie: "Nothing", "Where Were We", and that Grammy-winning song of theirs, "Made Up Mind".
Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Graphics: Craig Taffs | Music: Doug Hoyer Session recording: Scott Zielsdorf | Mixing: Duke Paetz | Video Editor: Jasmine Vickaryous.
The Hidden Track podcast is a CKUA production made possible by the generosity of our donors. Thank you for your support!
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The Rural Alberta Advantage's much-anticipated October 2023 album The Rise & the Fall - their first in a half-dozen years - is once again chock full of Albertan references. However, it has also managed to connect with fans from around the world! Renowned UK newspaper The Independent named it one of their Best Albums of 2023, alongside albums by Olivia Rodrigo and Lana Del Rey. Perhaps the most exciting part of this new album, and its subsequent world tour – is that it sees all three original members – and longtime great friends – back in action together.
They are Nils Edenloff (the Alberta expatriate who's the chief singer, songwriter and guitarist in the band), drummer extraordinaire Paul Banwatt and Amy Cole, who does pretty much everything else! Keyboards, bass pedals, harmony vocals – she's an orchestra unto herself! She took a break from the band back in 2016 and returned to the fold just in time for the new album and ensuing tour. Appropriately enough, the tour saw the band take a swing through Alberta, which included a visit to CKUA’s studios for this episode of Hidden Track Stories - and what stories they are!
In this episode, we hear all about the band's rich history, the Alberta folklore that's fascinated them and their fans for so long, how they keep themselves grounded with family and careers outside of being internationally-celebrated musicians, what it's like to play for 50,000 fans and several dozen NHL hockey players at this season's Edmonton Oilers/Calgary Flames Heritage Classic and - more than anything – the shared love, respect, and chemistry that's gotten them to this point.
Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Graphics: Craig Taffs | Music: Doug Hoyer Recording and mixing provided by Brendan Cross.
The Hidden Track podcast is a CKUA production and made possible by the generosity of our donors. Thank you for your support!
When you think about it, being a YouTuber isn't so different from being a singer-songwriter.
In each case, you need to dig deep, be original, authentic and often get incredibly vulnerable – all while the world is looking on.
Canadian singer/songwriter Haley Blais has proven truly brilliant in both fields! This hit-YouTuber-turned-award-winning-musician shows us exactly why that is on her new album Wisecrack, and furthermore with the performance she shared with CKUA in this beautifully candid Hidden Track Session.
Haley has experienced a unique artistic evolution, to say the very least. Originally from Kelowna, BC, she started off her involvement in the arts as a classically trained opera singer, eventually making the move to Vancouver and cultivating a fruitful career as a content creator. But music has always been with her, and homespun musical performances proved to be hugely successful on her YouTube channel, including one ukulele-accompanied performance of an old pop song from the 1920s - which has received millions of views in the 2020s!
She has continued branching out into new adventures in music and her career as a singer, songwriter and recording artist kicked into high gear with her debut EP in 2016. In late 2023, she released her sophomore full-length album Wisecrack on Arts & Crafts. The album release tour saw her take a spin through Alberta in early 2024 and brought her to CKUA’s live performance space for an intimate, funny, heartbreaking and occasionally expletive-laden session on the Hidden Track Podcast.
Hidden Track is a CKUA production made possible by the generosity of our donor community. Thank you for your support!
Careful of Your Keepers, the sixth full-length album by This Is the Kit, ends with the mantra-like benediction of "Be Okay". It's a beautifully delicate place to land, after ten songs that navigate their way through a world full of actions, their equal and opposite reactions, and the inextricably linked, overwhelmingly human dance between beauty and pain.
It's an album that starts with a goodbye. Or more precisely, it starts with a track called "Goodbye Bite", which carries on with plenty of bite throughout. The lyrics and imagery are are full of teeth and clawing and chewing. As Kate Stables sings on the chorus to the song "Inside Outside" – quoting Ralph Wiggum's celebrated Valentine note to Lisa on an episode of The Simpsons – "Bite off as much as you can chew/ I chew chew choose you."
Kate Stables is the singer/ songwriter/ multi-instrumentalist/ banjo enthusiast at the heart of this project. She grew up and fell in love with music in Winchester, one of Old England's oldest cities. She then moved on to the magical music city of Bristol, also the birthplace of groundbreaking acts like Portishead and Massive Attack. It's been a couple of decades since she moved to the artists' mecca of Paris, along with her husband (and fellow musician/bandleader) Jesse Vernon.
She and her musical collaborators have quietly built a body of work that's seen This Is the Kit become one of the most revered and distinctive creative forces in folk music. Their much-acclaimed 2023 album builds on 20 years of creative evolution, and finds them collaborating with a hero of Kate's from back in her teenage years – Gruff Rhys, who came to fame as the frontperson for Welsh '90s indie rock deities Super Furry Animals.
During the course of a wintertime 2024 tour through Alberta, Kate Stables stopped off at CKUA's Calgary studios to share an illuminating conversation about the elliptical nature of reality, her musical beginnings and creative evolution, drawing inspiration from a century-old banjo discovered in someone's attic, her surprisingly robust connections with Canada and/or Canadian music, working with one of her heroes, and what she always carries in her handbag.
She's truly a study in contrasts – right from her chosen moniker, Sunny War.
Her story is an utterly extraordinary one, in terms of both her brilliant musical arc and her often-tumultuous life journey. She spent much of her teens and early 20s as an itinerant busker, living where she could, sometimes hopping trains around the States, experiencing trouble with the law, and battling drug and alcohol addiction. All along, Sunny War's lone constant companion – her true lifeline – has been her guitar.
The folk/ punk/ gospel/ blues artist was born Sydney Ward into a musical family in Nashville, steeped in rock, folk, and classical music, and started playing guitar as a child. Moving to L.A., she discovered punk rock in her early teens, which led her to a true DIY musical apprenticeship busking on the streets of Venice Beach. It was there that she began to develop her unique artistic voice, one that utterly transcends genre and era. She cites the influence of everyone from 1930s blues greats like Robert Johnson and Skip James, to 1980s reggae/punk firebrands Bad Brains and current experimental rap artist JPEGMafia.
Her 2022 album Anarchist Gospelwas mainly written in the wake of a devastating breakup, in the loneliest depths of the pandemic, just before she decided to pull up stakes and move back to Tennessee. There, she made this album with producer Adrija Tokic (who has worked on albums by folks like Alabama Shakes and Hurray for the Riff Raff) and with collaborators like roots music heavyweights Allison Russell and David Rawlings.
Anarchist Gospel draws on the sense of duality that's at the heart of her work – these are heart-rending songs about romantic pain, family strife, and doomy environmental woes, yet the album overall is somehow strangely uplifting.
We hear that in the songs she shares with us in this episode of Hidden Track: "New Day", "Whole", and "No Reason". She performed them solo in a breathtakingly intimate session, as she travelled through Alberta playing a pair of wintertime music festivals. Travelling solo, of course!
Hidden Track Sessions are produced by CKUA Radio and is made possible by the generous contributions of our donors. Find out how you can get involved at ckua.com/donate!
'Tis the season to be jolly!
This holiday season, CKUA's Hidden Track team busted out the stockings, tinsel and trees, festooned CKUA’s cozy music library with festive décor, and invited a few musical friends over for a special holiday episode!
Our guests brought with them some heartfelt reflections on the Yuletide season, some beautiful live performances of holiday songs ranging from ancient to brand-new, and some truly gaudy holiday apparel. Joining us in our Cozy Christmas Corner are CKUA favourites Baby Jey, VISSIA and Hawksley Workman!
Baby Jey share a wintery song from their debut album and a contemporary re-imagining of the traditional British carol "Deck the Halls." VISSIA performs her winter-embracing song Snowed In and Hawksley Workman is joined by his longtime piano accompanist Mr. Lonely for an inspired performance of material from his beloved holiday album Almost a Full Moon.
Plus, our guests spin us tales of gifts, treats, holiday albums, and Christmastimes past.
So... don we now our gay apparel! And sing we joyous, all together. Happy holidays, from all of us at CKUA's Hidden Track!
Credits:
Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Graphics: Craig Taffs & Shaun Friesen | Music: Doug Hoyer
Recording for this holiday session provided by Duke Paetz and Brendan Cross.
"Christmas Anticipation" is provided under license by De Wolfe Music.
The Hidden Track podcast is a CKUA production made possible by the generosity of our donors. Thank you for your support!
It's been an amazing Season 4 here at Hidden Track. We've had visits with an astounding array of inspired artists, ranging from local heroes to global greats; from a reigning Polaris Prize winner to a newly minted Grammy Award winner; from hip-hop to hardcore punk to homespun folk. It's been such a wild 2023! So wild, in fact, that we felt the need to do a special episode to wrap up the season. Given the daunting task of summarizing such an incredible season, Grant decided to call in a little help! For this year-end episode, Grant Stovel is joined by Hidden Track producer Scott Zielsdorf to help share some great stories and songs from amongst this season's 21 episodes. In particular, this collection of magical moments zeroes in on the idea of connecting to something larger through music -- whether that's connecting with family and friends, with community, with humanity at large, connecting with your own inner sense of humanity, even connecting with your true artistic self. That yearning to connect is often the catalyst that compels musicians to create, to express, to be part of something. Music can be a vector for connection in amazing ways -- as we hear in this episode! With memorable stories and songs from the likes of William Prince, Tanika Charles, Arlo Maverick, Wendy McNeill, Dan Mangan, Fcked Up, Young Fathers, Aysanabee, Andy Shauf, Kid Koala & Leilani, Alex Cuba, and July Talk. Thank you for being with us in 2023! And we thank all of our guests for being so generous with their time and their hearts. All the best for 2024, and we can't wait to share Hidden Track* Season 5 with you! Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Music: Doug Hoyer | Graphics: Shaun Friesen The Hidden Track Podcast is made possible by the generous contributions of our donors. Thank you for your support!
Made in a basement studio littered with instruments and synth gear, Young Fathers’ new album Heavy Heavy was created entirely by the three members of the band - with the exception of a single guest vocal from a friend. The album features layer upon layer of voices and instruments, creating a sonic maelstrom of dynamics, moods and textures. And while the songs do vary widely, and occasionally tackle dark subjects, the overwhelming feeling is one of joy, connection, celebration, and togetherness.
Alloysius Maasaqoui, Kayus Bankole, and Graham Hastings have been together a long time. Hailing from the magical musical city of Edinburgh, Scotland, Young Fathers are a group of friends who met up as teenagers, and who have spun their undefinable blend of post-punk, soul, noise pop, hip-hop, and lo-fi electronica into a unique, compelling, Mercury Prize-winning body of work.
The latest album finds the group embracing a diverse swath of influences and inspirations. Two of the members of the group, Allosius and Kayus, spent parts of their early years in Africa; this album integrates some of that influence in exciting new ways. The band is also inspired by a wide range of global music, from Jamaican reggae to gospel from the American South.
Musical collaborators for more than two decades now, 2023 marked the 15th anniversary of the trio’s debut single, plus the release of the band’s widely lauded new album. This year also sees the band touring internationally on a bill with one of the most foundational, influential bands in electro pop history, Depeche Mode. The bill brought Young Fathers to Alberta in late 2023, where they took some time to drop by CKUA’s music library for a conversation about their stellar new album, their creative journey as perennial pop music renegades and the weight they bring to Heavy Heavy.
The Hidden Track podcast is produced by CKUA Radio and made possible by the generosity of CKUA's incredible donors. Thank you for your support!
Host: Grant Stovel | Recording: Duke Paetz | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Graphics: Shaun Friesen | Music: Doug Hoyer
Arlo Maverick seems to be on a mission to ensure that Edmonton takes its place as a destination to be reckoned with on the hip-hop map.
An award-winning artist, Arlo is a well-loved pillar of the hip-hop community here in Alberta. He's also toured all the way to the other side of the world and back, winning himself global fans and forging a wide network of collaborators.
More recently, he's achieved renown as a documentary filmmaker and a chronicler of local hip-hop culture and history. Arlo Maverick is truly solidifying himself as an Edmonton hip-hop ambassador to the world.
Now, a library might seem like a funny place for a hip-hop show, but it makes all the sense in the world. For thing, CKUA's legendary music library is the home to music of all kinds, including a vast trove of music by Alberta artists. Plus, artists don't come much more studied about the history and culture of Alberta music than Arlo Maverick. And, as we hear in this episode, his eureka moment as a hip-hop creator happened in church! So maybe a library isn't too much of a stretch.
Just ahead of the release of his new album, Blue Collar, Arlo Maverick and his wildly talented six-piece band set up in CKUA's music library for the first in what we hope will be a series of live music events, featuring a small, select audience of CKUA supporters, staffers, and community members. They rocked our library lunch hour with a superb set, and later on, Arlo also shared generously of his own life story in a wide-ranging and insightful interview with CKUA's Grant Stovel.
The Hidden Track podcast is produced by CKUA Radio and made possible by the generosity of CKUA's donors.
Host: Grant Stovel | Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Graphics: Shaun Friesen | Music: Doug Hoyer
Audio engineering for this live studio session was provided by Duke Paetz, with sound assistance from Scott Zielsdorf.
Dan Mangan is fond of summing up his whole approach to a creative life in music with a simple axion: "It's cool to care."
Dan models that approach in everything he does. Whether he's starting his own label, Madic Records, or co-founding community concert platform, Side Door Access; acting as a longtime vocal advocate for the de-stigmatization of discussions around mental health; or through his countless epic live performances over the years and seven albums to date... it's very clear that Dan cares, and he doesn't mind who knows it.
Ever since he first burst out of the Vancouver scene with his debut album, nearly two decades back, Dan's been deeply interested in trying to involve people in not just his music, but what music can do; drawing people into that shared experience. Sometimes he's bringing his dynamic range all the way down to whisper-quiet, making audiences lean in closer. Sometimes - as on the giant Going Somewhere tour which brought him to Alberta in Fall 2023 - it's sending out a phone number to fans and asking them to text him their song requests before the shows. The point is, he cares about those moments of real human connection, and he hopes that you think it's cool to care, too.
Dan's latest Juno-nominated and Polaris Prize-shortlisted album Being Somewhere is a distillation of his whole ethos. And this autumn, he brought some of that music to CKUA.
Amidst the stacks of vinyl and shellac in CKUA's legendary music library, Dan shared an insightful and occasionally hilarious conversation, and performed beautiful, intimate, solo acoustic versions of two songs: Being Somewhere standout "Fire Escape" and as his latest, a single called "Say When."
The Hidden Track Podcast is produced by CKUA Radio and made possible by the generous contributions of our donors. Thank you for your support!
Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Host: Grant Stovel | Graphics: Shaun Friesen | Music: Doug Hoyer
Sound mixing for this Hidden Track session provided by Brendan Cross. Videography assistance from Bailey Richards.
Many first knew Ariel Posen as the mind-bendingly gifted guitar player with fellow Winnipeg act, The Bros. Landreth. Over the years, he’s lent his six-string talents to a wildly eclectic array of artists, ranging from John Mayer to Tom Jones. Ariel Posen’s international stature as a rising guitar star became so substantial that it came as something of a surprise to many when in 2019, he put out his own debut album as a singer-songwriter, How Long.
Ariel's solo career, which initially began as a side project for this guitar ace, quickly became his full-time occupation. His work as a recording artist combines his guitar wizardry with a penchant for biting, heart-on-sleeve lyrics and a sweet, soulful voice. Over the course of several solo LPs and EPs now, Ariel’s unerring knack for timeless grooves and melodies has continued to evolve and his music now connects with audiences around the world.
The September 2023 release of his third full-length album Reasons Why sees him headlining tours all across North America and Europe. The autumn leg of this trek was kick-started by a massive show in Los Angeles, where Ariel was among the luminaries playing at Eric Clapton’s legendary all-star guitar-centric concert series Crossroads.
And from there, the tour took Ariel straight to Alberta, where he took some time to drop by CKUA studios, guitar in hand, to talk about his meteoric rise, sharing the stage with guitar gods, and his inspired brand-new album. In this solo session among the stacks of records in CKUA’s storied music library, Ariel shared a wide-ranging conversation and very intimate, stripped-down performances of songs from the new record.
Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Host: Grant Stovel | Graphics: Shaun Friesen | Music: Doug Hoyer
Sound mixing for this session provided by Duke Paetz.
It’s a testament to the connection and chemistry this band have built together over more than twenty years that they were able to pull off a unique feat of artistic daring for their latest album, 2023’s much-acclaimed One Day. Each band member, on their own, composing and recording an entire album’s worth of instrumental parts in a 24-hour span, then passing it down the line to the next band member, for them to add their own inspired contributions to the brew. For a band that’s been known to spend literally years crafting elaborate, sprawling, world-building concept records, this is perhaps the most radical and adventurous idea they’ve ever undertaken. The resulting album is heartfelt, brilliant, and full of the musical imagination and raw emotional power that's made Fcked Up one of the most beloved bands in hardcore punk rock over the past two decades. As a band, they go all the way back to when these musicians were not much more than kids, growing up in turn-of-the-century Toronto, and falling in love with the punk scene. Fcked Up are now, as then: singer Damian Abraham, bass player Sandy Miranda, drummer Jonah Falco, guitarist Mike Haliechuk and fellow founding member and touring guitarist, Josh Zucker. The artistic challenge on their new album is just as epic as ever, but they’ve gone from macro to micro. For this one, their ever-present big, bold artistic scope is more extreme close-up, rather than wide-angle lens. They're a band that loves a good challenge, and they continue to challenge themselves to find innovative paths toward artistic evolution and reinvention, over and over again.
On the Alberta leg of their album release tour earlier in 2023, bass player Sandy Miranda and lead singer Damian Abraham stopped by CKUA studios to share a characteristically hilarious and candid conversation with Grant Stovel. On this episode of the Hidden Track Podcast, we hear some of the band’s stranger-than-fiction stories and what it was like trying to distill their entire artistic essence into One Day.
Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Host: Grant Stovel | Graphics: Shaun Friesen | Music: Doug Hoyer
This year marks the silver anniversary of the barn-storming acoustic country music juggernaut known as Old Crow Medicine Show. They're a group that traces their roots to busking all across Canada and the United States. Since then, Old Crow Medicine Show has gained commercial success with their distinctively contemporary spin on old-school traditions. The band's song “Wagon Wheel” became certified Platinum in 2013, and is one of the best-known and most oft-covered roots music songs of this century. Old Crow Medicine Show's 25th anniversary is being suitably celebrated in Summer 2023 with the release of the band’s 10th studio album, Jubilee.
Founding member Ketch Secor has remained a constant of the band through the last 25 years, and remains the band’s lead singer, songwriter and fiddle player. In his early childhood years, Ketch's parents moved him around the country, opening up a series of schools in many different pockets of the United States. It awoke in him a lifelong love of travelling, and of learning. As a teen, he earned himself a scholarship to an illustrious prep school in New England - which is where he first got serious about old-time string band music.
Ketch Secor and three other members of Old Crow Medicine Show dropped by CKUA's Edmonton studios just ahead of their headlining set at the 2023 Edmonton Folk Music Festival. They gathered around a single vintage microphone to share live renditions of two songs from Jubilee. Additionally, Ketch joins CKUA's Grant Stovel for an in-depth conversation that’s just as wide-ranging, authentic, and full of delightful surprises as the band’s music.
The Hidden Track Podcast is produced by CKUA Radio and made possible by the generous contributions of our donors. Thank you for your support!
Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Host: Grant Stovel | Graphics: Shaun Friesen | Music: Doug Hoyer
Session Engineer: Brendan Cross
She's always had a way of finding those human stories that make us feel connected to some of the very big themes and questions that she tackles in her songs. Wendy McNeill's music often deals with the epic, the mythic, the unknowable, the elemental... but in an artfully narrative, poetically detailed way that draws the listener right into the very human emotions at the heart of it. And with her new album, First There Were Feathers, those very human emotions are evoked by 17 songs that are all about birds.
Whether she's wielding a guitar, a kalimba, a looping pedal, or her trademark accordion, Wendy McNeill's been crafting a sound all her own throughout her acclaimed discography, ever since she started her recording career more than a qurter-century ago now.
Her art has always been global in nature -- both in the sense that she contemplates issues that affect us all, ranging from ecological concerns to the mysteries of the human heart; as well as in the way that her noirish folk music draws on influences that seem to know no borders. And you can add "globe-trotter" to that description, as well, as she long ago branched out from her Alberta roots to live in various culturally rich locales in Scandinavia and Europe, making her home these days in Spain.
The place that she lives is along the flightpath of many migratory birds travelling between Africa and Northern Europe; after massive wildfires in both her adopted Spanish home and her old Albertan stomping grounds, she began to wonder how those birds were impacted by the fires. Digging into both the scientific and the poetic sides of this question, she created her new album as a means of exploring how birds could bring us stories, messages, and wisdom about the perilous situation that humanity is currently facing. "A wild wisdom wrapped in verse," as she says in the album track that she'll spin for us, "The Language of the Birds."
Along the near-hour of music on her new album, we meet many different bird characters and narrators, as they share a diverse range of elevated perspectives. They relate tales from Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Oscar Wilde, and Greek mythology, as well as many stories that spring from Wendy's own boundless imagination.
During a visit to Alberta in the wake of the album's release, Wendy came to CKUA studios and brought along a song to spin for us, her captivating stories and wit, and of course, her trusty accordion, Ruby.
Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Host: Grant Stovel | Graphics: Shaun Friesen | Music: Doug Hoyer
With additional recording assistance from Brendan Cross and Duke Paetz.
Considering how much he shares of himself through his frank, tender songs, and how down-to-earth and open he is in live performance and in conversation, Doug Paisley has always seemed to be a bit of an enigma.
For one thing, his music seems so truly timeless. It’s like the Toronto troubadour’s lastest album Say What You Like could just as easily have been released in 1973 as in 2023. His unique blend of the cryptic and plainspoken - along with the specific, cinematic details - gives the sense that he’s on a distinct creative journey of his own, seemingly unrelated to trends in the larger musical world.
And yet, there are plenty of luminaries from that larger musical world that have collaborated with Doug on his greatly-acclaimed albums. In the past, Doug’s records have been graced by contributions from revered artists like Mary Margaret O’Hara and the keyboard genius from The Band, Garth Hudson. On his new album, Doug’s evocative songs, expressive guitar playing, and beautiful tenor voice are treated to some stellar production help from his old friend Afie Jurvanen and his band, Bahamas.
On tour through Alberta in summer 2023, Doug Paisley stopped by CKUA's Edmonton studios to serenade us with a pair of songs, and to trace his one-of-a-kind creative career. He told us about his musical beginnings with buck-a-Beatles LP buys; the lasting lessons learned in his early onstage experiences, ranging from bluegrass to reggae to performance art; the influence of everyone from outsider folk great Bonnie “Prince” Billy to ‘70s AM country’s “Gentle Giant” Don Williams; the way Afie’s and Bahamas’ support helped unlock the creative breakthrough of Say What You Like; and how writing songs and playing guitar are a great release for the feelings that move you when, as the title track says, “those bygone times come back to visit.”
Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Host: Grant Stovel | Graphics: Shaun Friesen | Music: Doug Hoyer | Sound Engineer: Duke Paetz
This episode of Hidden Track features live performances from Doug Paisley. Music is used with permission from the artist.
Jose Louis Modabi is the given name of Colgolese-Canadian artist Pierre Kwenders, the exceptionally innovative music-maker behind the Polaris Music Prize-winning album, Jose Louis and the Paradox of Love.
Bridging the gaps between musical worlds, the traditional and the future-leaning, his hometowns of Kinshasa and Montreal, and between the profoundly personal and the universally human, Pierre Kwenders is a one-of-a-kind musical visionary. Drawing on jazz, Congolese rhumba, pop, electronica and disco, and singing or rapping in five languages -- Lingala, Kikikongo, Tshiluba, French, English – he constructs a whole sonic universe on his latest album. There are meditations on love, lust, spirituality, home, family, freedom, culture, and music; all of it deeply centred in his unique, highly personal aesthetic. The expanded Deluxe Edition of Jose Louis and the Paradox of Love released June 30,2023, further deepening the album’s artistic sweep of styles, textures and perspectives with bonus tracks and re-works.
In this episode of the Hidden Track Podcast, Pierre Kwenders tells us about his musical background: from growing up singing in church choirs as a kid in the Congo, to discovering the underground music scene in Montreal, where he moved as a teenager. He discusses the formative influence of Congolese musical heroes like Lokua Kanza and Papa Wemba, the importance of matriarchs on his life and how he takes his artistic moniker from his grandfather’s name. We'll discover more about Pierre Kwenders' birth city of Kinshasa, which “vibrates with music”, plus his personal vision for a globe-spanning, era-mashing Black futurism and his guiding philosophy that “love never dies on the dance floor.”
Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Host: Grant Stovel | Graphics: Shaun Friesen | Music: Doug Hoyer
They’ve always been musical alchemists -- melding worlds and traditions together, taking on the big questions, and crafting bold musical narratives. On greatly-acclaimed previous albums like Guesthouse and Line of Light, they've created poetic anthems addressing mortality, embracing our shared humanity, and, of course, longing for love. And they've done it while fusing everything from roots-Americana to psychedelic rock to Mexican folk traditions.
And yet somehow, the new album by David Wax Museum sees the band achieving a whole new level of depth and dimension, of scope and scale. Fittingly enough, it's called You Must Change Your Life.
Suz Slezak and David Wax are the creative couple at the heart of Charlottesville, Virginia's David Wax Musuem. Their heartfelt, deeply personal approach to songcraft is matched by a sound that's all their own, and by a wildly inventive, boisterous live show. They've been building a hardcore fanbase over their nine albums and countless miles on the road.
Mid-2023 saw the release of what they call their "magnum opus" -- a Latin term that literally means "great work", and which in the ancient world of alchemy signifies transformation and transcendence. They describe You Must Change Your Life as "an openhearted manifesto -- a collection that embodies, then transcends bedrock elements of the band's 15-year career."
David Wax Museum fans can rejoice that their magnum opus is finally out in the world, just released in spring 2023 via Nine Mile Records. And they can also be glad that David Wax himself is here to savour the moment, too; as he and Suz will tell us, an unexpected and terrifying health concern interceded in the band's journey, just as they were on the verge of this album's triumphant release.
Suz and David joined us for a heartfelt conversation from their barn/studio in Charlottesville, Virginia, to talk about how they became a band, then a couple, and eventually a family; and how their creative journey has led from Harvard University to folk music studies in Mexico, from what seemed like a never-ending tour, to their backyard barn, and eventually to the syncopated truths conveyed on this truly transformative album.
To paraphrase the chorus from the song ‘Luanne’, this new record is a shape shifter and a fate twister; constructing a colourful, multi-layered dream world which speaks to both the most earthly and the most ineffable sides of our human existence. As David sings in ‘Summer Wrapped in Gold’:
"My heart still beats to that syncopated truth.”
Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Host: Grant Stovel | Graphics: Shaun Friesen | Music: Doug Hoyer
William Prince's rich baritone voice resonates with amazing warmth, light, and wisdom. Along with the poetic songs and stories that it delivers, his voice just seems to have a way of instantly finding a place in people’s hearts. It's no wonder that William's voice and songs have taken him all the way from the small Manitoba community where he grew up, to great acclaim all across Canada.
In a way, William Prince has spent his whole life exploring the ways that music can be a source of connection, communion, and healing. As a kid growing up in Southern Manitoba's Peguis First Nation, he played guitar with his father, who was as singer and songwriter in a gospel/country vein. After that up-close apprenticeship, he embarked upon a career of his own. He hit home almost immediately with his powerful 2015 debut album Earthly Days, which won him a Juno Award right out of the gate, signaling the arrival of a major new figure on the singer-songwriter scene. In the years since, he's garnered increasing international recognition for his work with his sophomore album Reliever, and an homage to his dad and his roots with Gospel First Nation.
Spring 2023 sees the release of Stand in the Joy, a triumphant collection of bittersweet yet hopeful songs. It’s an album that William says, "acknowledges pain but does not give it power. What I hope comes through are feelings of love, peace, and strength."
On tour through Alberta, William Prince stopped by CKUA's Edmonton studios for a visit, bringing his guitar, his brilliant songs and, of course, that incredible voice.
Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Host: Grant Stovel | Graphics: Shaun Friesen | Music: Doug Hoyer
Vivek Shraya is a constantly churning force for creativity. She's an author, playwright, filmmaker, a professor of English Literature, a poet, an active champion of BIPOC, women- and femme-identifying artists though initiatives she's launched, and she's an absolute joy on social media.
Vivek’s new album is Baby, You're Projecting, out now via Mint Records. Her debut label release offers a brilliantly crafted, heart-on-sleeve glimpse into her own personal experiences and perspectives. It traces deeply felt, masterfully created musical stories that ring so true, we can probably all see ourselves in them somewhere; they feel like they have something important to say to all of us.
Vivek's been writing songs since age 13 and crafting albums for a good 20 years now. Always at the core of her art is personal experience, offering a wide range of often very frank, unflinching perspectives. Being an Albertan of South Asian heritage, growing up queer, being trans, making pop music into her 40s - all are experiences which have in some way inspired or informed her creativity over the years.
Some songs on her latest album are responses to societal issues like pervasive toxic masculinity and sexism, ongoing colonial attitudes, and the takedown culture fostered by of our extremely online current moment. Other songs on the record are simply about friends, family, and heartbreak.
While some moments do feel heartbreaking, others are powerfully affirming, even anthemic! She and longtime collaborator/producer James Bunton have hit a whole new level of sophistication in crafting this album, and Vivek is digging deeper than ever. The album is also accompanied by a companion short film that weaves some of these musical stories into a larger, visually spectacular arc.
This is Vivek Shraya | Singing Free and Loud!
Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Host: Grant Stovel | Graphics: Shaun Friesen | Music: Doug Hoyer
"Hey, you! Come and gather round!"
That's one of the lyrics from “Things Are Gonna Change,” Lealani's collaboration with Kid Koala on his new album, Creatures of the Late Afternoon.
It's a song about coming together, about engaging with one another, sharing a common pursuit, and pushing toward something new and exciting.
For both Kid Koala and Lealani, their work as artists—musical, visual, and otherwise—is always about gathering around: humans joining together, in shared experiences, creating something new.
For decades, Kid Koala's ethos has been all about togetherness. When he first burst onto the scene back in the '90s, he was bringing people together on the dance floor. His astonishing skills as a turntablist could instantly spark dance parties, as he joyfully spun funk, ska, jazz, and spoken word records into something new altogether.
In addition to that, Kid Koala's albums have always incorporated more to engage with, beyond the music: visual art, a hand-cranked cardboard turntable, a chess set, a graphic novel. His projects are often wildly ambitious—the Space Cadet Headphone Concert, an interactive Turntable Orchestra, a theatrical puppetry presentation. His latest album is a double LP that also happens to fold out into a playable board game.
Among his many featured collaborators on Creatures of the Late Afternoon is Lealani, a young art-pop firebrand who's very different from Kid Koala, yet a kindred spirit in many ways. Each one is a creative polymath and DIY dynamo.
He lives in Montreal; she's from Los Angeles, and there are decades between them, but artistically, they complement each other perfectly. And as we hear in this episode of Hidden Track, it turns out that these two one-of-a-kind artists can trace all kinds of surprising connections to one another.
They have many adventures together coming up, including a big summer 2023 tour. However, their first-ever jaunt out on the road together saw them play Calgary's Block Heater festival back in February.
The duo took time between their soundcheck and headlining show at Block Heater to come join us in CKUA's Calgary studios for a marvelous conversation. Between the ambient sounds of downtown Saturday night traffic, a band sound checking down the hall, and the wildly wide-ranging discussion, it almost felt like being inside a Kid Koala album. This is "Kid Koala x Lealani | Gather Round."
Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Host: Grant Stovel | Graphics: Shaun Friesen | Music: Doug Hoyer
He's currently traversing the continent, along with a band and a production that are so big, they won't all fit on just one tour bus. He's selling out dozens of shows at concert halls that seat thousands of people. And what's he playing? Pretty much exclusively his own original roots, folk, and blues songs; and a handful written by some good friends of his. Matt’s whole music career has always been exceedingly homespun and genuine. In fact, a bunch of his best friends are in his band!
How is this kind of success possible? In this day and age? Well, it's incredibly rare. But it certainly helps if you have the soul, grit, presence, work ethic, humility, smarts, and sheer mind-boggling talent of New Brunswick powerhouse Matt Andersen.
Matt's new album The Big Bottle of Joy is also the name he gives to his eight-piece band of brilliant musical pals. On their way through Alberta in April 2023, Matt generously shared some of his precious off time with CKUA. And he brought his guitar!
Matt popped by CKUA's Edmonton studios to tell us about his musical beginnings in the tiny town of Perth-Andover, New Brunswick; how he's crafted a stellar international music career in the true time-tested way, through an endless application of blood, sweat, and tears over more than 20 years; how his friends, family, and heroes have always kept him grounded and inspired; and how the songs and the giant band on the new record were products of these difficult past three years – the one time in his life he's ever stopped for a moment to catch his breath.
On top of his touching, hilarious, and wide-ranging conversation, Matt offers us a pair of exclusive performances. Given the size and scope of the band sound on the album, it's absolutely astounding to hear Matt Andersen pour his larger-than-life musical soul into an intimate, solo acoustic performance of two songs from The Big Bottle of Joy: "Only an Island" (written by his friends in the band Port Cities) and album closer "Shoes" (a song Matt wrote with Donovan Woods).
Producer: Scott Zielsdorf | Host: Grant Stovel | Graphics: Shaun Friesen | Music: Doug Hoyer
CONTENT WARNING: This episode of Hidden Track contains multiple references to childhood trauma and sexual abuse. Although the content does not go into explicit details, some listeners may find these topics of discussion uncomfortable.
"Looking back, I am astonished at times by what I have done in search of love, and just to survive."
Over the course of her astounding life story, Tara MacLean has been an international hitmaker; a survivor of horrific childhood abuse; a lifelong student of art, music, and philosophy; a performer everywhere from Lilith Fair to Late Night with Conan O'Brien; a mother; a creative collaborator; a theatre creator; and now an author. At her core, though, Tara MacLean sees herself as... a sparrow.
In the title track to her new album Sparrow, Tara MacLean sings passionately of her need to "trust the wind and the open sky". And, to be sure, she's spent her life navigating a staggering series of soaring highs and gut-wrenching lows. Tara is a songbird by nature; songs are her way of expressing and grappling with life's often incomprehensible joys and sorrows. And her stunning new memoir Song of the Sparrow recounts her heartbreaking, inspiring, fierce, stranger-than-fiction life journey. In the pages of her book and the lyrics of its companion album, she brings us inside moments of horrifying trauma, transcendent triumph, unthinkable loss, and cosmic good fortune. Of what she's learned from walking this jagged road, she writes, "I propose that love has no opposite. It's all love in this messy, sad, heartbreaking world."
From her earliest childhood years in the wilds of Prince Edward Island, she was surrounded by the performing arts and music. Also surrounding her from an early age, however, was horrific sexual abuse. As a child, she taught herself to cope with her tumultuous existence by pouring her heart into writing and singing songs. Her life as a singer-songwriter began as a raw, elemental urge to express and create. However, it set her on a path that saw her ascend onto the world stage in the late 1990s, just at the very tail end of a golden age for the music industry, in the moment of blazing glory just before the online music phenomenon popped that bubble.
In this free-spirited, open-hearted conversation Tara tells us about the dizzying journey she's been on, including a hippie 1970s PEI upbringing; being "discovered" while jamming on the top deck of a ferry; being mentored early in her career by Sarah MacLachlan; playing her songs during touchstone moments of '90s culture, ranging from the Lilith Fair tour to the movie Coyote Ugly; the need to retreat and revitalize after years of working herself nearly to death on the road; summoning the courage to confront the demons in her life; her devotion to family, the loss of loved ones, and being a mother; discovering an urge to share her story on the printed page with this new book; how on this new album, she reinterprets songs she wrote decades ago, alongside perspectives offered in the record's three fresh new songs; and the unforgettable moment that began this whole sparrow's journey, when a 9-year-old Tara stepped onto a county fair stage, and fell in love with sharing her music with the world.
At times, the protagonist of Andy Shauf's new album Norm might strike you as a charming, shambling sort of fellow. Norm likes getting high, he watches The Price Is Right, he's been known to lock his keys in his car, he seems excited when Halloween is coming up. Those moments all seem innocuous enough, and it's certainly easy to get lost in just how flat-out gorgeous the songs on this record are. But listening carefully, it starts to become clear that there's something a whole lot more sinister going on here.
There's a lot to process and ponder. Andy gives you just enough detail that you can begin to put the plot's puzzle pieces together, but he also masterfully maintains a great deal of space in this story. It's a space where your imagination can wander, where you might find yourself reflecting on some big questions, and which becomes increasingly unsettling as the album unfolds.
Andy's previous album-length narratives like The Party and The Neon Skyline have garnered him Juno Award nominations, and landed him on the Short List for the Polaris Music Prize. And although this is another beautiful-sounding, long-playing yarn... well, he's going in a dramatically different and darker direction with Norm. It's a bit like a chilling, slow-paced novel; or a sinister movie; or a true crime podcast that involves divine intervention. It's certainly an album like no other.
Norm was released February 10th, 2023, via Anti- and Arts & Crafts. Originally from Estevan, Saskatchewan, Andy Shauf returned to the Canadian prairies in March of 2023 as part of an international album release tour. While preparing to play a big concert hall show at The Winspear Centre, he generously made space in his busy schedule to spend some time at CKUA's Edmonton studios - and he brought his guitar!
In this episode, he shares intimate solo acoustic performances of two songs from Norm: "Halloween Store" and the album's title track. And in a wide-ranging conversation, he tells us all about the record; he relates how a scrapped disco album was part of the process; the way a borrowed synthesizer reinvigorated his songwriting, and fired his imagination for this project; what it's like to have gone from playing small clubs to concert halls in the matter of a few years; why a pop-up Halloween store in Regina, Saskatchewan, holds such special fascination for him; and how he considers himself a storyteller who happens to use music as his medium.
"What's your name?"
On the stunning debut album by Oji-Cree singer-songwriter Aysanabee, we hear his grandfather pose that question at the end of the song "Nomads". It is a voice that is woven through the entire album; and so is that fundamental idea of reconnecting with identity and truth.
Aysanabee's much-acclaimed November 2022 release Watin tells the story of his grandfather, Watin Aysanabee, who, as a child, was taken away from his family and sent to McIntosh Residential School in Northwestern Ontario, where he was forced to change his name and put aside his language, culture, and traditions. After many painful years, not only did Watin survive his traumatic residential school experiences, but he also met his eventual life partner; together they began a new life and a family of their own. Watin's story is a powerful one and now, more than half a century later, it has inspired a stunning work of art.
During long phone calls in the pandemic's initial stages, Watin shared these tales with his grandson, an aspiring singer-songwriter who worked as a professional journalist under his birth name, Evan Pang. Though the original objective of those long sharing sessions was to record this important family history, these tales gradually began finding their way into songs that his grandson was writing, and later some of those recorded phone calls were woven into the resultant full-length album.
Aysanabee's debut LP is a heartfelt tribute to his family and his roots; and so is the artistic moniker that he took on, which is a reclaiming of his family's name. On tour through Alberta in early 2023, Aysanabee stopped by CKUA's Edmonton studios to share intimate, live in-studio performances of two songs from Watin: "Nomads", a song of gratitude to his grandfather for being a guiding light and one who has "passed the fire”, and "River", which relates the sweet story of how his grandparents escaped together as youngsters, against all odds, embarking upon a new destiny.
In this gracious and candid visit, Aysanabee also shared some of his own amazing life's journey: growing up in Northern Ontario and Manitoba; humble musical beginnings and diverse early influences; being a soft-spoken person who's blessed with an absolutely thunderous singing voice; working these days with Ishkōdé Records, a visionary new label led by renowned Indigenous women; finding himself suddenly thrust onto the biggest stage in this country, performing for the 2023 Juno Awards gala telecast; and the unique path that led to the creation of his breathtaking, triumphant debut album.
He is without a doubt the only winner of a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album ever to make their home in the northwestern B.C. town of Smithers, population 5,316.
Alex Cuba originally hails from Artemisa, Cuba; but he's called Smithers, BC home for two decades now. He first visited CKUA 20 years ago, back when he was known as Alexis Puentes, one half of the Juno Award-nominated Puntes Brothers, along with his twin brother Adonis. In the years since then, he's been digging deep into his astounding array of musical abilities and interests, challenging himself creatively at every turn and crafting a solo discography that's touched the hearts of music lovers across Canada, the entire Latin diaspora and across the globe. Over his remarkable career arc, Alex's music has won him two Junos, four Latin Grammys, and in 2022, his album Mendó garnered him a Grammy Award, the most revered accolade in the whole music world.
In this episode, Alex returns to CKUA for a spirited in-studio visit to reflect on his rather mind-boggling musical journey, and to share fascinating stories and insights in his characteristically charismatic style. He tells us about how his whole life changed the moment he met the Canadian woman who would become his lifelong partner; what drives him to create his unique, highly personalized form of musical expression; why artificial intelligence will never be able to replicate the raw human beauty that's distilled in music; and what it's like to win a Grammy Award for an album that that he created almost entirely by himself -- writing, singing, producing, and playing all the instruments himself, at home in his small northwestern BC town.
At home in Canada, Tanika Charles is a multiple nominee for both the Juno Awards and the prestigious Polaris Music Prize. She's also a sensational success in Europe, where she's been building an enthusiastic fan base for many years. Looking at Tanika's successes in the lead-up to her latest album, you might be forgiven for being surprised that this internationally-renowned R&B artist felt the need for a kind of transformation. But as she tells us, "rebirth, transformation and transition" are what her acclaimed latest album, Papillon de Nuit, is all about.
In this episode, Toronto-based Tanika Charles pays a visit to CKUA studios in her old hometown of Edmonton, Alberta. In a warm, candid and insightful conversation, she traces the surprising path she took to a life in music; spirituality and the way she manifested her dreams into reality; searching for realness and resonance in the music and emotion that we hear on Papillon de Nuit; and the oddly inspiring insect that became the central symbol of this album's creative journey.
For a dozen years and four albums now, July Talk has been relentlessly working toward a more just, humane, compassionate world, via the medium of their uniquely cathartic brand of groove-laden epic rock'n'roll. Juno Award-winning band July Talk is Ian Docherty on guitar, bass player Josh Warburton, and double drummers (double Dani/Dannys, in fact) Danny Miles and Dani Nash. And at the centre of the maelstrom are lead vocalists Leah Fay Goldstein and Peter Dreimanis. Leah and Peter are on a unique and fascinating creative journey together as artists. Each of them grew up steeped in vibrant artistic environments and, from early on, became passionate about pursuing music and visual art. Peter grew up here in Alberta. He's from the Edmonton neighourhood of Riverdale, an artistic enclave where Peter came up alongside a whole wave of young musicians who've since gone on to become internationally celebrated. Leah comes from a family of renowned Toronto artists; a family whose artistic environment, aesthetic and story continue to inform her own artistic pursuits. In fact, as we'll hear, it's a legacy that's been massively inspirational and influential for July Talk's work. We'll hear these two insightful, funny, amazingly candid artists share stories of their roots, how they came together over a decade ago, what people so often get wrong about the whole July Talk project, and the way their artistic dynamic (and their voices) have grown together in astounding ways on Remember Never Before, July Talk's brilliant fourth full-length album, released via their own label, Danuta, on January 20th, 2023.
CKUA's Hidden Track Podcast returns for Season 4! Kicking things off in 2023 is (currently) Manitoba-based folk rock duo Whitehorse! Composed of husband-and-wife duo Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland, Whitehorse's sound spans from folk/americana to groove-driven pop rock. Doucet and McClelland have always been talented musicians, and both had successful solo careers before joining forces as Whitehorse. Released on January 13, 2023, the duo's eighth studio album, "I'm Not Crying, You're Crying", marks a tonal shift to the melancholic sounds of hurtin' classic country. Spurred on by feelings of loneliness and isolation due to the pandemic, I'm Not Crying, You're Crying has been described as a "breakup album with the world." Songs like If The Loneliness Don't Kill Me and 6 Feet Away serve as a cry for human connection, written during a time when those connections were increasingly hard to find. In our first episode of Hidden Track Season 4, "Whitehorse | Breaking Up With Society", Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland join CKUA's Grant Stovel from their Manitoba home to discuss the inspirations behind their latest album, how it feels to be touring again, the duo's musical origins (including a story of 14-year-old Luke's blues band) and so much more!
As a child, Kadhja Bonet's Christmas holiday tradition was to spend the whole festive season taking refuge under her bed, or in her closet. Growing up with Asperger's Syndrome, the continuous Christmas clamour just made her want to shut out the world until December's end. It wasn't until recently (owing largely to a Yuletide-loving partner) that she took it upon herself to try and carve out a space for herself in the world of holiday music and culture. This most unexpected journey to reclaim the Christmas season culminated in two new creations: a holiday radio play called Apocalypsemas Now, and remarkable new EP, entitled California Holiday. Kadhja's visionary musical artistry is built upon her unique gifts as a singer and songwriter, as well as her stunning synthesis of folk, soul, pop, jazz and psychedelia. She's released a string of greatly-acclaimed albums, EPs, and singles - plus collaborations with an eclectic array of artists, ranging from Anderson .Paak to Bonobo to Khruangbin. And with her spell-binding voice and genre-defying musical sensibility, she's certainly unlocked some fresh new holiday magic with her latest release, out on Ninja Tune in December, 2022. California Holiday finds the Los Angeles artist interpreting songs of the season that are significant for her, in her own inimitable way. On top of material that draws on sources ranging from Stevie Wonder to Sesame Street, the title track is an original that takes a Californian perspective on some of the multi-layered feelings that the holidays can evoke (without ever actually mentioning any particular holiday). In this episode, Kadhja Bonet discusses the surprising path that led her to make a holiday album, the melancholy and contradictions often found at the heart of great Christmas music, how we use holidays as a way to mark the passage of time in our lives, a few of her favourite off-the-beaten-path Yuletide tunes... and, of course, Charlie Brown!
She has that rare ability to draw the listener in. Abigail Lapell's songs, voice, and smouldering musical presence can bring a hush to even the loudest of barrooms. She just kind of makes you want to lean in closer, and get lost in the elemental, otherworldly tales she weaves through song. So get ready to get lost! For this episode of Hidden Track, Abigail joins us in live performance and conversation from CKUA's Studio A.
Abigail's debut album came out in 2011 to rave reviews; and with each successive record, she's broadened the scope of her expressiveness as a singer and songwriter, and she's grown into a reputation as one of the most captivating tunesmiths on the scene today. She's already won a couple of Canadian Folk Music Awards, and the most vied-for awards, to boot: Album of the Year, and the English language award for Songwriter of the Year. Up against some downright legendary names, in both cases! She's up for several 2023 CFMAs for her lovely new record, too.
We'll hear the Toronto-based artist live in CKUA's Edmonton studio, as she treats us to an exclusive performance of three songs from her much-acclaimed 2022 album, Stolen Time. And in her characteristically funny and insightful manner, she also tells us about teaching herself to play and write songs on a found guitar, which was held together with duct tape; how for her, being a songwriter means attempting to tap into a mysterious force much larger than herself; what it's like to criss-cross this giant land all by herself on tour; the central role that nature and natural imagery play in her work; how the lull of the pandemic prompted her to spark her creativity by teaching herself piano (as well as a little do-it-yourself plumbing); and the surprisingly evocative meaning of the musical term "tempo rubato".
Newfoundland-based musicians Catherine Allan and Andrew James O'Brien are the couple behind Juno-nominated band Fortunate Ones. The band's latest album, That Was You and Me, released early in June of 2022. Fortunate Ones recently embarked on a tour alongside fellow East Coast artists, The Once and Old Man Luedecke. That tour, dubbed the Anchors Up! Tour finds the band performing shows in Alberta in late November 2022.
The duo behind this incredible folk outlet took time out of their busy tour schedule to chat with Hidden Track host Grant Stovel for a look at their personal and artistic journeys thus far. Andrew and Catherine tell us about how the pandemic caused them to look deep within themselves (and each other) in a whole new way creatively, how the songs on this new record took shape during a secluded summer in a seaside clapboard house, the great Newfoundland tradition of songcraft, staying grounded by running marathons and doing yoga, and the excitement of touring in a bus for the first time ever.
Colonialism. Beauty. Hate. Feminism. Privilege. Success.
These aren't your average topics for a TV program created in the style of an old-school children's variety show. Of course, Lido Pimienta is anything but an average artist. For her brand-new project, Lido TV, the Polaris Prize-winning musician flexes a whole lot of creative multi-media muscle. Even longtime fans of her music may be surprised by many of the creative dimensions that she brings to this show; her biting humour, flair for eye-popping visuals, and almost mind-bendingly diverse areas of musical interest are just a few of the layers of expression revealed in Lido TV.
Taking all these tools, an artistic ambition that knows no bounds, visits to different people and areas in her native Columbia, and an extremely eclectic guest list, Lido has just released the first six episodes of Lido TV, which began streaming on CBC Gem in Autumn of 2022. Each episode deals with a serious societal issue or theme, as explored through the use of dramatic dialogue, songs, comedy skits, and plenty of puppets.
In a characteristically wide-ranging, whip-smart and hilarious conversation, Lido gets into the genesis for her "kids' TV show for adults;" her childhood in Columbia; how her gateway to writing songs was metal band Cradle of Filth; friends/ guests/ collaborators ranging from Beverly Glenn-Copeland to Nelly Furtado to metal band Kittie; and the importance of wanting to foster a more caring, equitable world.
As Lido tells us, "The TV raised me, so now I wanna raise some little future freaks with my show".
It's been said that over the past couple of years, we've all caught up, in one way or another, with the kind of dark and dystopian world view that's always been at the core of Preoccupations' music.
Autumn 2022 sees the release of the group's fourth full-length album, as well as their tenth anniversary as a band. Some of these musicians have known each other since they were little kids, and it's been a solid ten years now that they've been crafting their deliciously doomy musical oeuvre as a unit. Over that time, this quartet from Calgary came up from the underground to truly earn themselves a global following; and they've accomplished it in the old-school, time-tested way: by creating a sonic identity that's distinctively their own, by making innovative and challenging records, and by touring hellaciously hard. At the heart of their sound has always been an edgy, cathartic brand of epic post-punk music; and with their 2022 album Arrangements, they've honed that melodic-yet-discordant sound to a knife's edge.
The powerful new Preoccupations record is just out via Jagjaguwar internationally, and in Canada on the illustrious Calgary label, Flemish Eye Records. Two of the chief creative drivers in the band, Matt Flegel and Scott "Monty" Munro, told us about the band's genesis; formative influences from community radio to early Radiohead; the pivotal roles played in their story by factors as diverse as homegrown great Chad VanGaalen and a Black Sabbath tribute band; how such down-to-earth, happy-go-lucky folks can create such dark music; and what it's like to be pulling into their old stomping grounds for a pair of Alberta whistle stops on their current global album release tour.
It all happened quite naturally: Joey and David were born into Winnipeg music royalty, they each separately fell into careers as hotshot sidemen, eventually joined forces as The Bros. Landreth, paid their dues by clocking endless miles on tour, and won global acclaim (as well as a Juno Award) with their very first album. But it's been far from effortless for the brothers, who have always painstakingly pursued their own musical path. It's a path that's led them to craft a signature sound as a band; one built around supple musical savvy, with rootsy and candid songwriting at its core, and all draped in the kind of gorgeous vocal harmonies that you can only get from family. It's also a path that's caused them to be on the road virtually non-stop for well over a decade! The last few years, though, have seen The Bros. Landreth shift gears in remarkable, often painful, and entirely exhilarating new ways. Their 2022 album Come Morning is the product of a period of soul-searching that was brought on by the ravages of the road, the sudden and terrifying stillness of the pandemic era, and also by the next generation of Landreths! Both Joey and Dave became fathers, right around the same time, in the lead-up to creating this album. Come Morning has been hailed as an artistic breakthrough across the roots music world. And there's one other 2022 release that's been rather astounding for the brothers, as well: one of their biggest musical heroes covered a Bros. Landreth song! In fact, roots music titan Bonnie Rait not only recorded a song of theirs, she made it the lead-off track and first single from her own long-awaited 2022 album. We caught up with the Bros' guitar player and chief lead vocalist Joey Landreth during a short respite from the intercontinental Come Morning release tour, in a brief break between the European leg and the October 2022 jaunt that sees them blaze through Alberta and beyond. At home in Winnipeg, Joey reflects on their magical musical hometown; early influences ranging from their dad to Bach to NoFX; the struggle to find identity and meaning though music; the demons that inhabit this new album, writing about being a survivor of sexual abuse; having your mind blown by being a dad; feeling inspired to approach life and music with a child-like sense of wonder; what it's like hearing your hero play a song that you and your brother wrote; and creating an album that's all about getting through the proverbial dark night of the soul, striving toward the sunshine after the rain.
Crystal Shawanda is a gifted, inspiring artist who's been singing her heart out her whole life. She got her start in music as a kid growing up in the Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island, Ontario, and as a teenager, she followed her dreams all the way to Music City: Nashville, Tennessee. She quickly scored a house gig at one of Nashville's most storied honky-tonks, really paid her dues, and wound up signing with RCA Records, the legendary label which has been home to musical giants from Hank Snow to Elvis Presley. With her RCA debut, Crystal became the first Indigenous artist ever to enter the top 20 on Billboard's Country Albums Chart; she had truly arrived as a hitmaking major-label country music recording artist. But that's when she felt her artistic voice pulling her down another path. About a decade ago, she branched off to form her own label, and pursued a new journey as an original blues artist. Since that time, she's become a multiple Juno Award winner, a global force on the blues scene, and a role model for Indigenous artists everywhere. In this episode, we caught up with the incomparable Crystal Shawanda in the midst of a months-long tour, in a rare moment that found her briefly back in her old stomping grounds on Manitoulin Island. She opens up about her heartfelt new album Midnight Blues, out on True North Records September 30th, 2022; influences from Hank Williams to Howlin' Wolf, from Buffy Sainte-Marie to Celine Dion; how despite despair, intergenerational trauma, and loss, music has the power to bring freedom, connection and hope; and how her path, which has taken her from the First Nation where she grew up, to Nashville, and now to the global blues stage, has brought her closer to her roots and her home community than ever.
Out September 23rd, 2022 via Sonic Records, Adam Baldwin's new album Concertos & Serenades is a study of the dark side of East Coast culture. It's a captivating collection of musical short stories and character portraits; a collection which, as Adam tells us in this episode, almost feels like it's halfway between an album and a true-crime podcast. Adam Baldwin is an acclaimed, award-winning Nova Scotian singer/ songwriter/ multi-instrumentalist who's renowned as a brilliant folk-rock troubadour with an honest, earthy approach. He's also widely known for the many years spent he's spent travelling the world, playing alongside fellow Nova Scotia great Matt Mays. But on this much-anticipated new release, Adam's taking a whole new, conceptual approach to his songcraft. With Concertos & Serenades, he presents a strikingly stark and devastatingly dark brand of East Coast raconteurship. Along this ride, we encounter unforgettable characters who often begin with the best of intentions at heart, find themselves ground down by forces beyond their control, and make choices that often lead to disastrous consequences. Though Adam employs the sort of classic storytelling approach that Nova Scotia's known for, these songs present an updated and unflinching look at the very modern, very troubled community he's called home for his whole life. It's a kind of Nova Scotia noir or East Coast gothic style that, for Adam, accurately reflects the smouldering heartbreak and desperation that he feels is the inescapable undercurrent of small town life in contemporary Atlantic Canada.
As powerful as it is, however, this album very nearly never was. After hitting a low point in his career which found him legitimately preparing to quit the music business that's been his lifelong pursuit, he was suddenly seized with the compulsion to begin exploring and documenting his home community through this inspired suite of homespun musical narratives. In this conversation, Adam lets us in on how this album came along at the strangest time and was lit by a most surprising spark; he recalls some of the true-life characters and places which inspired these tales; discusses the underlying cultural forces driving these shadowy East Coast yarns; and gives us the inside track on some of the artists who've inspired him creatively - from Springsteen to The Trailer Park Boys to Adam's longtime friend and collaborator, Matt Mays. Hidden Track is a CKUA production, and is presented by Bent Stick Brewing.
If you've ever seen Ruthie Foster perform live, you'll have no trouble understanding why she's a member of the Texas Hall of Fame, a four-time Grammy nominee, and has been hailed as one of the most remarkable blues, folk and gospel voices of the 21st Century.
As striking as she is as a musician, however, the road that's taken her there is every bit as compelling. She started off as a child star on the gospel circuit, followed by a stint working on helicopters in the Navy. She later dove back into music, but gave up on New York City and a contract with Atlantic Records, returning instead to her tiny Texas hometown to care for her mother, eventually making her debut album for her own label. And that's literally just the beginning of her storied recording career!
Her debut album celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Over that quarter-century, she's carved out a unique place for herself as an uncategorizable artist, drawing from gospel, blues, folk, jazz, pop, soul, rock, and opera; recording compositions by the likes of 1940s guitar firebrand Sister Rosetta Tharpe, metal forefathers Black Sabbath, and exalted poet Maya Angelou; and of course, writing profoundly heartfelt songs from her perspective as a genuinely self-actualized artist.
In this conversation, the candid, soulful and hilarious Ruthie Foster speaks off the cuff and from the heart, discussing her unique lifelong journey as an artist, her abiding interest in everything from big band jazz to opera, her perspective as a gay woman in roots music, her stunning latest album Live at the Paramount, always striving to stay grounded through family and work, and reaching for all good things that life has to offer.
Kicking off her recording career in the mid-1990s, Bif Naked became a platinum selling, chart-topping, Lilith Fair-headlining artist, fusing punk, pop, metal and dance... fearlessly following her own instincts, exploring often uncomfortable truths through her music, and always striving for boldness and authenticity in all things.
On top of her life in music, Bif is also an author, poet, actor, yoga devotee, straight-edge vegan, cancer survivor, and quite simply an instantly recognizable, tattoo-bedecked, colossal presence in Canadian pop culture.
And she's got a new album on its way, Champion; which, as we'll hear, is maybe her most ambitious project ever.
On this episode, we hear from the always-candid Bif Naked all about the hardscrabble world of DIY prairie punk rock; how beating cancer shaped her artistic journey; what's it like to be back "home" on the road; and what it's like to have influenced, inspired and empowered generations of young people, over her nearly three decades as a recording artist.
Spoon, a critically acclaimedrock band from Austin, Texas, consists of front man Britt Daniel, drummer Jim Eno, Ben Trokan on bass, and guitarists (as well as keyboardists) Alex Fischel and Gerard Larios. Critics have often described the band’s musical style as “art rock” or “experimental rock.”
Formed by Daniel and Eno in 1993, the band has released ten albums and undergone quite a few roster changes over the years. These days, Britt Daniel and Jim Eno remain the only founding members, with other current members having joined in the late 2010s. The band’s latest album is Lucifer on the Sofa, andSpoon is currently on a North American tour, with a show in Edmonton and an appearance at Calgary FolkFest.
Ever the music fans, the band is heavily influenced by a wide range of musicians and popular bands from their formative years, including rock legends like The Beatles. In this episode of CKUA’s Hidden Track Podcast, Spoon members Britt and Alex join Grant Stovel to discuss their love of music, the inspirations behind their latest album,and how radio played a huge role in their musical development.
Consisting of husband-and-wife duo Raven Kanatakta and ShoShona Kish, Digging Roots is a JUNO Award-winning band that combines a strong social message with elements of folk-rock, pop, blues and hip-hop. They are a band that strongly believes in the transformative power of music and its healing effects, much like the traditional medicine in which their name is derived.
As was the case with many artists over the course of the pandemic, the duo spent their time in lockdown crafting the songs that would eventually serve as the basis for their fourth studio album. Their latest release Zhawenim – a Anishinaabemowin word meaning “to love unconditionally”- marks the duo’s first album in eight years.
The new LP serves as a distillation of their values and perfectly encapsulates their ethos of truth and love. With messages ranging from connection to the land, residential schools, gun-related violence and the climate crisis, the songs featured in this latest album all share a strong message of change, while ultimately aiming to inspire people to move together.
In this episode of CKUA’s Hidden Track podcast, music and life partners Raven and ShoShona bring us a behind-the-scenes look at the inspirations behind their long-awaited Zhawenim album.
Ghostkeeper is a greatly acclaimed Alberta band, and at the heart of that band is a truly great love story.
The story of Sarah Houle-Lowry and Shane Ghostkeeper is woven all through the band's music. The Ghostkeeper story started when Sarah and Shane got together, having grown up in and around the Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement at the very northernmost tip of Alberta's Peace River Country. Their lives and artistic endeavours have been intertwined ever since, giving rise to this band nearly two decades ago.
The very heartfelt, homespun tales offered on the Calgary-based band's new album serve to open up a portal for other stories to find their way in; overlapping observations about family, community, culture, philosophy, spirituality, and all the important ways that we're connected with one another, and with the world. So it's fitting that this new record, which relates stories and ideas both very big and very small, is called Multidimensional Culture.
Sarah and Shane took a break from their busy music, visual art, and family life to take us deep into the band's remarkable story, which is full of twists and turns, at least one accidental float down a river - and of course - the journey that brought them to Multidimensional Culture.
"When I made Lavender Country, I wasn't planning on being the grandpappy of a music genre..." These days, queer voices in country music are not unheard of. In fact, many of the most successful artists in the country music world of 2022 are gay, and are outspoken about it, both in their music and otherwise. That certainly was not the case when Patrick Haggerty made his first album, the 1973 self-titled debut by his project, Lavender Country.
This time out, Hidden Track traces the story of how Patrick Haggerty made history by boldly and resolutely remaining true to who he is, and by undergoing a rather astonishing journey which ended up leading him to make a groundbreaking artistic statement.
The Lavender Country LP was the first openly gay country album in history; but it certainly wouldn't be the last. While the band made only a modest splash at the time of the debut album's release, Lavender Country's music and story have lived on, continuing to unlock possibilities for generations of artists over the past half-century. These days, there are hitmakers all across the country music spectrum who are coming from a queer perspective, ranging from Brandi Carlile to Lil Nas X. Sensational young artists like Orville Peck and Trixie Mattel cite Patrick as a crucial inspiration, and have helped bring the music of Lavender Country into the 21st Century spotlight.
Nowadays, the long-dormant Lavender Country project is back with a new album, their first in 49 years! Just ahead of a June tour through Alberta, the open-hearted Patrick Haggerty walks us through the uplifting, occasionally heartbreaking, stranger-than-fiction story of trailblazing queer country band Lavender Country.
Bill Bourne was a collaborative, talented artist. Every song he wrote, every festival he played, and every project he touched was made better by his generous spirit and amazing musicianship. For generations, Bill's presence in the musical community of Alberta has been massive, and it ripples outwards all across Canada and the globe. This month, CKUA is in conversation with a cross-section of friends and colleagues of this remarkable artist and human being, who died April 16th, 2022, at the age of 68. In a heartfelt, homespun tribute, the Hidden Track podcast traces some of the astonishing, unique journey of this iconic folk musician through memories and stories from the likes of the Edmonton Folk Fest's Terry Wickham, John Armstrong of The Christmas Carol Project, Mile Zero Dance director Gerry Morita, CKUA's own Andy Donnelly and Cathy Ennis, and beloved musicians Lester Quitzau, Terry Morrison, Tippy Agogo, Scott Cook, and Jasmine Collette a/k/a Badlands Jazz of Blue Moon Marquee.
She's one of the biggest stars in the world of blues, a champion for (and of) guitar women everywhere, and she happens to be a Canadian.
Sue Foley is in the spotlight for the April episode of CKUA's Hidden Track podcast. Sue reflects on her three-decade long career, heroes like trailblazing guitar heroes Memphis Minnie and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, her Guitar Woman research project, becoming a college professor by day and guitar slinger by night, her acclaimed latest album Pinky's Blues (named after her iconic pink paisley guitar), and lots more.
She was born into Canada's first family of folk, the Wainwright/McGarrigles; but Martha Wainwright has always carved her own path, and led with her heart.
After a turbulent period of great struggle, she emerged recently with her first new album in five years, a triumphant record called Love Will Be Reborn. On the March episode of CKUA's Hidden Track podcast, Martha tells us about dealing with death and divorce, moving back to Montreal for the first time since she was a teenager; putting down roots with her kids in her mom's old home; opening her own cafe/music venue; penning her memoirs Stories I Might Regret Telling You (out March 29th); and finding all kinds of new hope, strength, and music in the life that she's created.
"The Prairies got something to say."
When he was awarded the 2021 Polaris Music Prize, Cadence Weapon spoke from the heart; giving a long, loving shout-out to his home town and province: Edmonton, Alberta.
Rollie Pemberton a/k/a/ Cadence Weapon always been passionately proud of his roots. His family, his community, his hometown helped make him the renowned, respected creator he is today. And Cadence Weapon, in turn, has always kept where he comes from at the very heart of what he does.
In this episode, we'll trace some of the story of his remarkable career, as we're joined by some of his friends, family and fellow creators. Edmonton jazz and funk luminary Brett Miles was an important early collaborator - and also Rollie's uncle! We'll hear from a key influence in Shout Out Out Out Out's Nik Kozub. We'll talk to renowned fellow YEG hip-hop artist Arlo Maverick, as well as multi-media artist Natalie Meyer; they're the filmmakers behind a brand-new video documentary series about Edmonton hip-hop called Allow Me to Introduce. We'll gather some perspectives from a past collaborator of Rollie's who's well outside the hip-hop tradition: Alberta singer-songwriter Colleen Brown. Plus, we'll be hearing from the ultimate expert speaker on this topic... Cadence Weapon's mom, Michelle Miles! And of course, we'll talk to the idiosyncratic and iconoclastic artist himself, the one and only Cadence Weapon.
As the world celebrates David Robert Haywood Jones’ 75th birthday, and marks the 6th anniversary of his passing, the musical legacy and cultural impact of David Bowie only continues to grow. We’ll explore his groundbreaking career and enduring influence with pre-eminent Bowie biographer Dylan Jones. We’ll hear from Mark Plati, Bowie’s co-producer and musical director on the fabled “lost” album Toy. We’ll visit with a pair of musical collaborators of Bowie’s, well-loved Canadian artists Emm Gryner and Owen Pallett. And Alberta Ballet’s Jean Grand-Maitre will tell us about Phi, the bold new ballet they’re creating in collaboration with the David Bowie estate.
Amos Garrett's solo on Maria Muldaur's "Midnight at the Oasis" has often been cited as the greatest solo of all time. By the time he played on that 1973 hit, he'd already performed with Ian & Sylvia and Anne Murray. That's just the beginning of a legendary career of the most revered guitar stylists in all of roots music. He's recorded with everyone from Paul Butterfield to Emmylou Harris to Stevie Wonder; guitar gods like Vernon Reid and Jimmy Page have pointed to Amos as an influence. On this episode, we put the spotlight on Famous Amos, the Fishin' Musician, with guests Holger Petersen, Maria Muldaur, Michelle Josef, and Clayton Linthicum of Kacy and Clayton.
They were alt-country before alt-country. By the time that became a buzz term in the mid-‘90s, Jr. Gone Wild had a legendary career, and called it a day. Over 25 years later, the Alberta music scene remains imprinted by the band's work. The cow-punk trailblazers are back with their first album in 25 years, ‘Still Got The Jacket’. On this episode, Grant Stovel talks with Corb Lund, Stony Plain founder Holger Petersen, and Jr. Gone Wild’s Mike McDonald about the band’s incredible legacy and exciting future.
They were an iconic band that re-wrote the rules of pop music. This November, ABBA will release their first studio album in 40 years, Voyage. And what a voyage it's been! The band has racked up an astounding 28 UK Top 40 singles since their breakout moment on Eurovision back in 1974. Two of those chart-toppers are 2021 singles from their forthcoming album. According to Billboard, they've sold a half a billion albums during their ‘70s and ‘80s heyday. If you came of age in the ‘70s, ‘80s, or ‘90s, chances are you had an ABBA record in your family collection of vinyl or 8 tracks or cassettes or CDs. Their music has spawned a museum, a hit musical, and a film franchise with an estimated box office of $1 Billion and counting.
Mamma Mia, here we go again! This May, ABBA are set to reunite in a very unexpected way. Digital avatars of Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Fried will perform new songs on a reunion tour of sorts, backed by a 10-piece live band. The groundbreaking Voyage show will take place in May of 2022 at a custom-built arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. The cutting-edge ABBA-tars were designed by Industrial Light and Magic, the special effects outfit behind Star Wars. Those technical wizards brought together a massive team of visual effects artists to create a show featuring ABBA as they looked in their prime back in 1979! Their breakout back in 1974 was game-changing, so why should their comeback be any different?
ABBA is big business. And that commercial success has earned them detractors over the years. But no matter what your feelings are about ABBA -- and everybody's got feelings about ABBA -- they were about far more than just “Money Money Money.” They were among pop music's all-time most successful hitmakers, they defined an era, and they were innovative technological trailblazers. On this show, we’re going to dig into the roots of ABBA's folk influences, look at the many ways they broke the music industry mold, and reflect on the scope of their influence and popularity.
Our guide on this Voyage through ABBA's career is Carl Magnus Palm. The Swedish writer, historian, and preeminent ABBA researcher is the author of the authoritative book Bright Lights, Dark Shadows: The Real Story of ABBA.
Memphis soul legend William Bell was there for Otis Redding's meteoric rise as a trailblazing force in 1960s popular music. William was supposed to be on the fateful flight that claimed Otis' life on December 10th, 1967. He would go on to write and record a 1968 hit song dedicated to Otis called "A Tribute to a King". As we celebrate Otis Redding's remarkable life and career on what would have been his 80th birthday this month, William Bell joins us to reflect on the musical legacy of his friend.
If Otis Redding were alive, he'd be turning eighty this month. Instead, the world lost him at the age of 26. Redding revolutionized popular music, created a lasting legacy, and was the personification of soul. This episode of Hidden Track traces his journey, from modest roots to chart-topping hits, and we wonder what might have been. On this episode, Jonathan Gould, author of Otis Redding: An Unfinished Life joins host Grant Stovel to explore the fascinating story of Otis Redding's life and career.
If Otis Redding were alive, he'd be turning eighty this month. Instead, the world lost him at the age of 26. Redding revolutionized popular music, created a lasting legacy, and was the personification of soul. This episode of Hidden Track traces his journey, from modest roots to chart-topping hits, and we wonder what might have been. On this episode, Jonathan Gould, author of Otis Redding: An Unfinished Life joins host Grant Stovel to explore the fascinating story of Otis Redding's life and career.
It’s often been said that they became legends without ever becoming stars. The Replacements' last album was released in 1990, but their visionary work profoundly informed the artists who would roar into the mainstream that decade. August 2021 marks the 40th anniversary of the Replacements' ferocious, strident, snarly debut album Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash, and so, we delve into the band's wild history, take stock of the fearless, inspired way they created music together, and appreciate the improbable-seeming legacy that began with that breathless collection of short, super-charged bursts of deceptively poetic expression. Joining us for the ride: Grammy-winning Replacements biographer Bob Mehr; Rhino Records’ Jason Jones; Rheostatics' Dave Bidini; Art Bergmann; Faith Healer's Jessica Jalbert; and Shaye Zadravec**.
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The Hidden Track podcast is presented by Bent Stick Brewing's Hidden Track Citra Lager.
She was a musical visionary, a champion of women’s voices in the male-dominated industry, a builder of connections between musical worlds, and a true Alberta treasure. Ellen McIlwaine's abilities as a vocalist and guitarist were seemingly endless in scope. She moved effortlessly between genres, styles, settings, and traditions. Her career is dotted with guest appearances by greats like Jimi Hendrix and Jack Bruce. On this episode, we remember Ellen with the help of Taj Mahal, Sue Foley, Cassius Khan, Peter K. Siegel and Holger Petersen.
k.d. lang's discography has explored everything from cowpunk, to smooth pop, to jazz. Their new album 'Makeover' may be the most delightful surprise of all! It's a stunning collection of dance remixes dating from 1992 to 2000. On this episode, we'll explore this fascinating “hidden zone” in their career. k.d. talks to us about the roots of their love for dance music. Plus, Tegan Quin of Tegan & Sara shares her appreciation for k.d.’s work, trailblazing influence, and the power of the dance floor.
When he quit the band Fairport Convention at 21, Richard Thompson had already revolutionized folk rock, and become a roots music icon. That was just the beginning of his astounding half-century-long career! It's a journey he traces in his new book, Beeswing: Losing My Way and Finding My Voice (1967-1975). On this episode, Richard Thompson joins us to reflect on his influential and fascinating career in music.
He was a celebrated singer-songwriter, activist, award-winning documentarian, and a true trailblazer. As a musician, Willie Dunn was compared to Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and Pete Seeger. He’s credited for creating Canada’s first music video. Yet, too few Canadians are familiar with his work.
On this episode, we celebrate the release of Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies: The Willie Dunn Anthology with guests Lawrence Dunn, Kevin Howes, Bob Robb, Alanis Obomsawin, and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson.
In honour of her 80th birthday in February, 2021, CKUA's Hidden Track podcast explores Buffy Sainte-Marie's remarkable artistic journey, featuring fresh insights from Buffy herself. Biographer Andrea Warner walks us through some major milestones in the story of one of music’s most under-appreciated geniuses. Along the way, we’ll hear from a new generation of JUNO Award-winning Indigenous artists influenced by Buffy’s work, including Bear Witness from A Tribe Called Red, Celeigh Cardinal, and Jeremy Dutcher. We’ll also get perspectives from Polaris Music Prize winner Owen Pallett, and Buffy collaborator, Dallas Good of the Sadies. Most exciting, we’ll hear Buffy’s personal reflections, in conversation with CKUA’s Terry David Mulligan. The Hidden Track podcast is presented by Bent Stick Brewing.
When he died on December 12th, 2020, at the age of 86, Charley Pride left behind a truly mind-blowing legacy. He was flat-out one of the biggest country stars in history. He rather famously was the 2nd-best-selling RCA records artist of the '70s, second only to Elvis Presley. The road to that staggering success, though, required incredible struggle and strife. Charley Pride was a giant star, but he was also a truly transcendent one, who managed to overcome huge barriers of many different kinds. We'll be telling the story of the astonishing journey that Charley took. And as it turns out, you really can't tell that story without also getting into the much-misunderstood history of Black country music. Our guests include Peter Cooper with the Country Music Hall of Fame, the brilliant musician Valerie June, the ascendent Alberta artist D'orjay the Singing Shaman, and acclaimed music writer Garth Cartwright.
He’s one of the most beloved composers of all time. This month, we celebrate the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth. Author and New York Times music writer Patricia Morrisroe has written extensively about Beethoven, who is also the focus of her debut novel "The Woman in the Moonlight." She’ll join us to provide new insights into his life and music. Plus, we'll hear from the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra’s Alex Prior, and the Calgary Philharmonic’s Jennifer MacDonald. You'll also hear the story of an Edmonton’s family’s connection to one of the greatest composers of all time. This episode features public domain recordings provided by musopen.org.
On November 12, 2020, Canadian music icon Neil Young celebrated his 75th birthday. He wasn't alone, as fans around the world celebrated right with him! On the latest episode of CKUA's Hidden Track podcast, presented by Bent Stick Brewing, we explore six decades of Neil's career with the help of family, friends, and fans. You'll hear from music journalist Jason Schneider, filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo, Travis Good of The Sadies, nêhiyawak's Marek Tyler, Chad VanGaalen and Neil's older brother, Bob Young.
Imagine what it would be like to be alone in the studio with one of the greatest geniuses in pop music history, day after day, for years. On this month’s Hidden Track podcast, engineer Susan Rogers talks about working closely with Prince in creating his glorious mid-1980s run of all-time classic albums. On this episode of Hidden Track, Susan gives us outstanding insight into the creative process of a prolific musical icon.
When Leonard Cohen was readying his 1984 album Various Positions, his label refused to put it out because of one song: “Hallelujah”. The track didn’t make waves until a cover by John Cale in 1991. That version gave new life to the song, and Leonard Cohen’s career. On the debut of Season 2 of Hidden Track podcast, we explore the fascinating story behind one of Leonard Cohen’s best-known songs with author Ray Padgett, and producer John Lissauer.
It’s rare to perform your first gig to a few thousand people at a celebration for a musical icon. That's the pulse-pounding experience that ushered Anoushka Shankar into the public sphere. Anoushka has been making records since she was a teen, under the tutelage of sitar master Ravi Shankar. She fuses her training in Indian classical sitar with everything from flamenco, electronica, Latin music to folk-pop. She talks to us about growing up in a musical royal family, and how she’s carving out a legacy of her own.
Kat Danser's chance encounter with Al Green in a parking lot in Memphis was part of an experience that put her on a path to a place in her life that she could never even have dreamt of when she was growing up on a farm in rural Saskatchewan. It’s a voyage of discovery that’s involved travelling thousands of miles, while making an inward journey that led her to become Canada’s Queen of the Swamp Blues. On the eve of her induction into the Edmonton Blues Hall of Fame, Grant Stovel talks to the musician and ethnomusicologist about her journey into music at 33, and her Ph. D studies in blues and roots music of the American south.
Shawn Everett is one of the most in-demand and hardest-working production minds in music today. His skills as a recording engineer, producer, and mix engineer have been put to use on records by The War on Drugs, Weezer, Lucius, Alabama Shakes, Perfume Genius, Kacey Musgraves, John Legend, Kurt Vile, and Vampire Weekend to name just a handful. Along the way, he’s garnered a boatload of Billboard Number One Albums, Juno Awards, and Grammys.
He’ll tell us the story of the life journey that has taken him from growing up in small-town Alberta – to having the world beat a path to his door in L.A. It’s a story that, along the way, involves an artist enclave on the top of a mountain, a former boy band star, ninjas, tuning chairs into musical instruments, and a lengthy series of mentorships – being taken under the wing of a succession of amazing production minds.
It was a ground-breaking, game-changing, mold-shattering album, and it was released 50 years ago this month. Popular music has never been the same since. The Who's 'Tommy' was one of the best-selling rock albums of its day; hailed universally as a creative breakthrough. What led to 'Tommy' is a remarkable story. What happened following it is even more fascinating.
On this episode, we examine a pace-setting period in the history of one of rock music’s most storied, and most ambitious bands: The Who. The years between 1969 and 1971 were simultaneously the most sensationally triumphant, and abjectly unsuccessful that any rock n’ roll band has ever seen. Music journalist and author Richie Unterberger, author of Won’t Get Fooled Again: The Who from Lifehouse to Quadrophenia takes us through the story on this week's Hidden Track.
(Photo by By Jim Summaria CC BY-SA 3.0)
The legendary drummer and composer talks to Grant about his latest project, Stewart Copeland’s Orchestral Ben-Hur, which comes to Edmonton’s Winspear Centre this month. Stewart shares the story behind his rich cultural upbringing, growing up the child of a C.I.A agent stationed in Cairo, Egypt. He also reflects on founding The Police alongside Sting, an epic jam session with Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson of Rush that had an unfortunate ending, and his score for Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Rumble Fish.’
Grant talks to Neko Case about her latest record 'Hell-On', co-produced by Bjorn Yttling (Peter Bjorn and John) and recorded in Stockholm. That’s where Neko was when she found out her home in Vermont had burned down. We'll hear her surprisingly zen outlook on the fire. Plus, Neko tells us about finally claiming the title of "producer" after 20 years in the music business. We'll also hear about how her collaboration with k.d. lang and Laura Veirs changed her approached to her 7th studio album.
The Pixies’ album Doolittle was released thirty years ago this month. It’s an album that’s bursting with arresting-yet-mysterious imagery, captivating-yet-cryptic lyrics, and breathtakingly unexpected musical dynamics and departures. It’s an almost unbelievably dense, compact artistic statement that fascinates at first blush, and heavily rewards repeated listening. There’s a whole world in there. A world we’ll explore with Ben Sisario, who’s the author the book Doolittle, part of the 33 1/3 series. For his book, Ben interviewed front man Black Francis at a pivotal time in the Pixies’ story – just as they were reuniting in the 21st Century after a fifteen-year breakup.
Doolittle was an underground sensation – bubbling just below the level of the hit parade. It left a lasting impression on generations of influential artists, and the rock genre as a whole.
Drew Gonsalves talks calypso with Lark Clark on this week's Hidden Track podcast. The Trinidadian Canadian is the founding member of the JUNO-winning outfit Kobo Town. The Toronto group blends calypso with myriad influences, including ska, reggae, dub and hip-hop.
A genre that originated in Trinidad and Tobago, calypso is what Drew describes as "the folk music of urban Trinidad." Whether you've only ever heard calypso from the Harry Belafonte tunes in the movie Beetlejuice, or you're deep down into Mighty Sparrow, Roaring Lion, Lord Invader, or Calypso Rose, you're going to find a lot to sink your teeth into with this wide ranging conversation.
The pair talks about the roots of calypso, the trailblazers of the genre, and Drew’s work in reviving the career of one of the genre’s most iconic artists.
It's not everyday you get to chat with a music legend, cultural force, and intergenerational icon. This week on Hidden Track, Grant Stovel talks to folk music giant Judy Collins. Her inspired work as a song stylist helped launch to fame songwriters like Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, and Ian Tyson. We'll hear about those relationships, as well as the struggles and demons that have clawed at her along the way. Sixty years into her career, Collins has emerged as a truly self-actualized artist who is just hitting her professional stride.
Alejandro Rose-Garcia, aka Shakey Graves, burst onto the Americana scene in 2011 with his debut album 'Roll the Bones.' Armed with a suitcase outfitted with a kick pedal, and his acoustic guitar, the Austin born musician was soon mesmerizing audiences with his spectacular one-man-band performances. His 2014 follow up 'And the War Came,' yield the smash single “Dearly Departed," and earned him slots on the Late Show with David Letterman, Conan, and Austin City Limits.
Alejandro talks to Grant about his artistic vision for his 2018 release 'Can't Wake Up', the creative advice he received from director Robert Rodriguez, and his sincere love for The Spice Girls.
She skyrocketed to fame with a song that didn't sound like anything anyone had ever heard before. It was gentle yet tense, lurid yet mysterious. "Ode to Billie Joe" was driven by Bobbie Gentry's trademark acoustic guitar groove, and that low Mississippi drawl that seemed like it was murmuring secrets in your ear. On this episode, Grant Stovel explores the captivating legacy of an artist who has one of most sensational success stories in all of popular music, and also one of its most fascinating and enigmatic disappearing acts. Tara Murtha, author of Bobbie Gentry's 'Ode to Billie Joe' is Grant's guest on this week's Hidden Track.
This week, Leslie Feist talks to Grant Stovel about how a conscious shift in perspective guided the approach to her latest album, Pleasure. She’ll tell us about the “dark nights of the soul” that led her to finding a better work-life balance. Plus, Leslie reflects on her tributes to Leonard Cohen, Gord Downie, and the milestone anniversary of her appearance on Sesame Street.
On our debut episode, Grant Stovel welcomes musician Jeremy Dutcher. The classically trained operatic tenor and composer spent most of his 20's quietly crafting his stunning debut album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa. The album blends his training in opera, and his contemporary musical sensibility, and features post-classical rearrangements of Wolastoq First Nation traditional music. The work recently took home Canada's top musical honour, the Polaris Music Prize, this past September.
In this wide-ranging discussion, Jeremy talks about his musical upbringing, discovering the notable absence of classical music that reflects indigeneity, and uncovering the archival recordings that became foundational to his debut album.
The podcast features three selections from the album: "Mehcinut", "Oqiton", and "Eqpahak".