The Interview Show

British TV writer Jed Mercurio is well-known for his medical drama, Bodies and cop show, Line of Duty. Last year, his six-part political thriller Bodyguard was a huge ratings winner for the BBC. Bodyguard stars Richard Madden as a war veteran assigned to protect the ambitious Home Secretary, played by Keeley Hawes, whose politics he despises. Like Jed's other shows, Bodyguard kept viewers on the edge of their seats with surprise twists and turns. I got a chance to hang out with Jed while he...

Dear White People started as a 2014 American comedy-drama indie film, written, directed and co-produced by Justin Simien. The film focuses on escalating racial tensions at a fictitious, prestigious Ivy League college from the perspective of several black students. The film was a big hit, so Netflix commissioned a TV series and Justin remained behind the wheel of the new show. I got to hang out with him in the beautiful Rocky Mountains while he was at the Banff World Media Festival 2019...

I chilled out backstage at Vancouver's Commodore Ballroom with Taylor Rice and Kelcey Ayer from Silver Lake, Los Angeles, indie rock band Local Natives. It was the first night of their Spiral Choir Tour 2019 and they were on the road to promote the new record, Violet Street. It's always great to hang out with bands on the first night of a tour. Everything is fresh, everyone is well-rested, and bands are excited to hit the road to see their fans again. While we chatted, opening act Middle...

I chilled out backstage at Vancouver's Commodore Ballroom with Taylor Rice and Kelcey Ayer from Silver Lake, Los Angeles, indie rock band Local Natives. It was the first night of their Spiral Choir Tour 2019 and they were on the road to promote the new record, Violet Street. It's always great to hang out with bands on the first night of a tour. Everything is fresh, everyone is well-rested, and bands are excited to hit the road to see their fans again. While we chatted, opening act Middle...

36? started as Taylor Cochrane's solo project when he was a teenager. As he says, "36? emerged at a very difficult and incomprehensible time in my life. I existed in a constant state of medically induced psychosis. I wrote and recorded songs on a daily basis, a mechanical imagination running wild in a zombie suit. Appearing as a hazy shell of a human being to the outside world, a blank dead eyed slate sitting at the back of the classroom, but on the inside I was in a constant state of...

36? started as Taylor Cochrane's solo project when he was a teenager. As he says, "36? emerged at a very difficult and incomprehensible time in my life. I existed in a constant state of medically induced psychosis. I wrote and recorded songs on a daily basis, a mechanical imagination running wild in a zombie suit. Appearing as a hazy shell of a human being to the outside world, a blank dead eyed slate sitting at the back of the classroom, but on the inside I was in a constant state of...

You might remember Ryan Karazija as the frontman of the Oakland, California indie rock band Audrye Sessions. Just as that band was starting to see some success, Ryan got divorced and relocated to Reykjavík, Iceland. Next, he started a new dream pop band, called Low Roar. You might have heard Low Roar's track "I'll Keep Coming" in a trailer for the Death Stranding video game. I had a few drinks with Ryan in his deluxe tour van one hot summer night. The van had a leaky roof and one seat needed...

You might remember Ryan Karazija as the frontman of the Oakland, California indie rock band Audrye Sessions. Just as that band was starting to see some success, Ryan got divorced and relocated to Reykjavík, Iceland. Next, he started a new dream pop band, called Low Roar. You might have heard Low Roar's track "I'll Keep Coming" in a trailer for the Death Stranding video game. I had a few drinks with Ryan in his deluxe tour van one hot summer night. The van had a leaky roof and one seat needed...

I hung out with Meredith Graves, Ray McAndrew and Shaun Sutkus from Syracuse, New York punk band Perfect Pussy one windy summer day as the band took a smoke break. The band tour van was noticeably dented from a collision, so we sat on the grass in the sun. Perfect Pussy began as a "fake band" that singer Meredith Graves pulled together for her film director friend Scott Coffey's 2013 film, Adult World. But Perfect Pussy ended up becoming a real project and the band were quickly touring North...

I hung out with Meredith Graves, Ray McAndrew and Shaun Sutkus from Syracuse, New York punk band Perfect Pussy one windy summer day as the band took a smoke break. The band tour van was noticeably dented from a collision, so we sat on the grass in the sun. Perfect Pussy began as a "fake band" that singer Meredith Graves pulled together for her film director friend Scott Coffey's 2013 film, Adult World. But Perfect Pussy ended up becoming a real project and the band were quickly touring North...

Dan Mangan is Vancouver's indie music golden boy. He started from humble beginnings and now tours the world and tells stories about that time he hung out with Willie Nelson, Snoop Dogg and members of Radiohead. I was kind of geeking out when I met Dan Mangan in the backstage area of the Vogue Theatre and of course he was a really down to earth guy--he even gave me an Easter Egg. Which musicians make Dan Mangan geek out? Did he turned down a chance to smoke up with Willie Nelson and Snoop...

Dan Mangan is Vancouver's indie music golden boy. He started from humble beginnings and now tours the world and tells stories about that time he hung out with Willie Nelson, Snoop Dogg and members of Radiohead. I was kind of geeking out when I met Dan Mangan in the backstage area of the Vogue Theatre and of course he was a really down to earth guy--he even gave me an Easter Egg. Which musicians make Dan Mangan geek out? Did he turned down a chance to smoke up with Willie Nelson and Snoop...

Ibeyi is the music project of twin sisters Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Naomi Diaz. The duo sings in English, French, Spanish and Yoruba (a Nigerian language spoken in West Africa by their ancestors before being taken to Cuba as slaves in the 1700s). In Yoruba, Ibeyi (Ìbejì) means "twins". Their father was the famed Cuban percussionist Anga Díaz, who was also a member of Buena Vista Social Club. I hung out with the sisters and their mom who is their tour manager (or momager) backstage at Vancouver's...

I met Danish punk rock band Iceage on the humid Toronto curb after an incredible show at NXNE festival. Their set was incredible. They writhed around the stage like a bunch of vengeful serpents trying to escape a religious snake-handling ceremony. Outside the club, I struck up a conversation with them as they lit cigarettes, eventually gaining enough courage to ask them for an interview. Instead the band started furiously making out with each other. I got another chance to hang out with...

I met Danish punk rock band Iceage on the humid Toronto curb after an incredible show at NXNE festival. Their set was incredible. They writhed around the stage like a bunch of vengeful serpents trying to escape a religious snake-handling ceremony. Outside the club, I struck up a conversation with them as they lit cigarettes, eventually gaining enough courage to ask them for an interview. Instead the band started furiously making out with each other. I got another chance to hang out with...

Here's the story behind Tokyo Police Club's latest album TPC: In the last few years, the band grew apart and started to consider a "slow fade." During the 10 Year Anniversary tour for their 2010 breakthrough EP, A Lesson in Crime, one member made a passionate plea for the the band to continue. All four members agreed and they rediscovered their love of making music together, re-enlisting producer Rob Schnapf to help rekindle the enthusiasm of making 2010's endlessly charming Champ. I had...

Here's the story behind Tokyo Police Club's latest album TPC: In the last few years, the band grew apart and started to consider a "slow fade." During the 10 Year Anniversary tour for their 2010 breakthrough EP, A Lesson in Crime, one member made a passionate plea for the the band to continue. All four members agreed and they rediscovered their love of making music together, re-enlisting producer Rob Schnapf to help rekindle the enthusiasm of making 2010's endlessly charming Champ. I had...

Electronic dance duo Adventure Club started as an unlikely side project. Montreal high school pals, Christian Srigley and Leighton James were busy with their hardcore emo pop-punk band, but after finding success with a dubstep remix of "Daisy" by American alternative-rock band Brand New, Adventure Club was born. I hung out with Leighton one crazy night backstage at a weird time in the band's history. His bandmate Christian had been sidelined by back surgery and Leighton was trucking along...

Electronic dance duo Adventure Club started as an unlikely side project. Montreal high school pals, Christian Srigley and Leighton James were busy with their hardcore emo pop-punk band, but after finding success with a dubstep remix of "Daisy" by American alternative-rock band Brand New, Adventure Club was born. I hung out with Leighton one crazy night backstage at a weird time in the band's history. His bandmate Christian had been sidelined by back surgery and Leighton was trucking along...

DCF (aka David Charles Fischer fka Prince Caspian) is a pop artist who sometimes sings, sometimes sorta raps. He also writes for other artists. He's very connected in the Toronto music scene. Rapper Jazz Cartier is a former roommate. Electropop superstar Lights is an older sister type bud. Nate Motte from party rap band 3OH!3 is a writing partner. I hung out with DCF backstage when he came to Vancouver on his first bus tour. He was opening for Lights. Backstage at the Vogue Theatre, we hung...