Podcast · Music

Witchpolice Radio

by Witchpolice Radio · English · Music

Acclaimed Manitoba-centric music interview podcast. Hosted by Winnipeg journalist and massive record nerd Sam Thompson. Music talk radio, broadcasting from 2012 'til forever. DIY or die.

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 41 min
Latest: 11 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

11 Oct 2026 · 24 minNew

Neil Watson

Here's my conversation with saxophonist Neil Watson, who is directing the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra's upcoming tribute to Dave Brubeck!We talk about what makes Brubeck’s music so enduring, delving into his deep catalogue beyond the hits, translating music written for a quartet into a big-band setting, and more!‘Take 5: Dave Brubeck and West Coast Swing’ takes place Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m., at the University of Manitoba’s Desautels Concert Hall. Check out the WJO’s website for ticket details. Full disclosure: I'm doing some contract work for the WJO these days, but I don't consider it a conflict of…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S1 · E1050 · 1 Oct 2026 · 45 min
Cantor Dust
I sat down with Mark Klassen from experimental art-rock quartet Cantor Dust to talk about the upcoming LP (and there is a vinyl release!), ‘The Anatomy of Malevolence’, which drops Oct. 2.Here's our conversation about the record, the expansion of the group from a solo project to a duo and now a four-piece, concept albums, tackling serious subject matter, and much more! Need more Cantor Dust in your life? Check out episode #462 (Feb. 2020).
S1 · E1049 · 23 Sep 2026 · 34 min
David Alpert
I sat down with folk singer-songwriter David Alpert for an episode that you're hearing a few days after the release of his debut EP, 'Late September'.Here's our conversation about the new record, developing the confidence to pursue music professionally, writing deeply personal songs that can appeal to a wide audience, the benefits of busking… and much more!
S1 · E1048 · 16 Sep 2026 · 41 min
Savant Flaneur
Delightfully avant-garde Winnipeg weirdos Savant Flaneur have a new record ('Hocketus') coming out on New York-based free jazz label 577 Records, so we caught up on the latest in their experimental universe. Tune in for a conversation about the ‘antagonistic’, performance-based ‘Hocketus’ album, finding inroads to the avant-grade for casual listeners, a punk rock aesthetic despite being a violin/cello/electronics duo, and much more! Need more Flaneurification in your life? Check out episode #850 from December of 2023.
S1 · E1047 · 9 Sep 2026 · 39 min
Sean Burns
Country music purist Sean Burns is set to release his excellent new record, ‘Better Off In Time & Other Songs For The Dance Floor’, on Sept. 18, so he popped back onto the podcast to talk about it! Tune in for our chat about deep-diving into hyper-specific country subgenres, the trajectory of the Sean Burns sound, what he’s learned from his day job playing bass with Corb Lund, and much more. Need more Sean in your life? Hear his previous appearances on the podcast: episode #460 (Feb. 2020), #572 (March 2021), and #833 (Oct. 2023).
S1 · E1046 · 2 Sep 2026 · 51 min
OP-ED
They were a last-minute addition to Sunday's Propagandhi bill at the Burton Cummings Theatre (see all of you there!), and now they’re a last-minute addition to my podcast schedule: it’s OP-ED! I sat down with Tarek (vocals) and Jay (guitar) to talk about the big gig, and how it mirrors their first-ever performance, the way Tarek’s lived experience as a Palestinian refugee informs the band’s music and message (and how that message will expand with future songs), the upcoming vinyl release of their debut album, and much more.Note: We had a bit of an audio issue in the first few minutes of the…
S1 · E1045 · 23 Aug 2026 · 43 min
The Remedies
Eight-piece party funk outfit The Remedies are recognizing 10 years since the band’s first release with a new album celebrating that history. Here's my chat with the group's frontman about the importance of staying friends with your bandmates, Manitoba festivals, blending synth-pop, Latin vibes, and horn-driven funk… and much more!I flubbed the timing on this one, so even though we're talking about the album ('Ten Years' Time') as coming out imminently, it was actually released a couple days ago, so check it out now wherever you get music!
S1 · E1044 · 18 Aug 2026 · 40 min
Until Defeat
I recently saw Until Defeat at a show at the Handsome Daughter and really enjoyed their set, so we set up this interview, which is now available to insert directly into yer earholes!Tune in for our conversation about defining (sort of, let’s just go with ‘LOUD’) the band’s sound, finding inroads into the local music scene, the physicality of live performances vs recording, and much more!
S1 · E1043 · 11 Aug 2026 · 25 min
Whealo
This episode features a fun conversation with local Afrofusion artist Whealo! We talk about his new three-song ‘Unlearn’ EP, Winnipeg’s cultural and musical diversity, prioritizing lyrics, and more!
S1 · E1042 · 3 Aug 2026 · 41 min
Paul Hodgert
…so by complete fluke, I’ve had two episodes with singer/songwriter/engineer/man-about-town Paul Hodgert that were released on the exact same day in different years. We decided to (deliberately) go for the trifecta this time and completely mess up my release schedule to make it happen. There's a legit reason Paul's back on the show, though: we talk about his work restoring the lost-for-30-years record by DUD (feat. members of the Bonaduces, I-Spy and the Weakerthans), its upcoming release on vinyl, and the potential for his One Friday Music label to remix/remaster/reissue more out-of-print…
S1 · E1041 · 19 Jul 2026 · 44 min
Mr. Loopy Pants
The Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival is well underway, and well-known local purveyor of musical comedy J. Williamez is hitting stages with his Mr. Loopy Pants project! Tune in for a fun conversation about the one-man (plus a possibly alive loop pedal) multimedia show, why he’s so proud of this project, toxic positivity vs. heckling, music videos, and much more! Need more loopiness? Check out the J. Williamez interview on episode #622 back in 2021.Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want…
S1 · E1040 · 13 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
From the Vault: Union Stockyards (2014)
We interrupt your regularly-scheduled programming with an episode from the vault, featuring the first appearance of (now sadly defunct) Winnipeg punks Union Stockyards on the show, way back on episode #079! For those unfamiliar with the archival episodes -- when I moved all of my episodes from one hosting provider to another, years ago, I accidentally missed the inclusion of a couple dozen episodes from 2013-14. They're not currently on the feed if you're scrolling through the episodes on Apple Podcasts/Spotify/whatever. I've been slowwwwwly re-releasing these over the past few years, and…
S1 · E1039 · 1 Jul 2026 · 31 min
Bankside Music Festival
Letellier, Manitoba’s Bankside Music Festival is a long-running summer event aimed at giving rock/punk/metal bands from the province (and beyond!) an opportunity to play on a festival stage.I sat down with Bankside mastermind Richard Houle to talk about the event’s DIY roots and this year’s stacked lineup (July 17-18), which includes a whole bunch of past Witchpolice interviewees, including the Bloodshots, One of Us, and Econoline Crush. Other local acts include apple peeler aficionados Toaster Bath, plus Leddwyn, Penny-Sleeve, Seventh String, Lost Planet Airmen, and Cory & the Convicts.…
S1 · E1038 · 20 Jun 2026 · 42 min
Ozconscious
After years of changes, local alt-rock/dream-pop outfit Ozconscious is set to release a new full-length, ‘Nostalgia for the Moment’, at the Pyramid Cabaret on June 20 (that's tomorrow if you're listening the day this episode drops!) I sat down with frontman Tate Hiebert to talk about the record, different songwriting vunes, learning from busking and playing cover tunes (via Tater and the Tots), and much more! Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want to throw some change in the guitar…
S1 · E1037 · 12 Jun 2026 · 46 min
Masak
Technical difficulties meant this one comes out a few days later than anticipated, but thanks for your patience. Here's a fun conversation with singer-songwriter Masak about her 15-years-in-the-making, genre-diverse album ('Masak's Unassorted Flavors'), getting inspiration from her late friend and collaborator Kelly Fraser, coming back to Winnipeg after a few years in (very) rural Manitoba, and much more! Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want to throw some change in the guitar case!…
S1 · E1036 · 3 Jun 2026 · 38 min
Screaming at Traffic
Long-running emo punks Screaming at Traffic recently dropped a new EP with the excellent title ‘Songs to Steal Copper Wire To’. I sat down with (co-) frontman Jacques Richer to talk about the record, the band not taking itself too seriously, regrouping after some time off, and a whole lot more! Need more SAT? Check out episodes #243 (Aug. 2017) and #416 (Sept. 2019), plus you can hear Jacques' previous appearances on the show as a member of Greek Riots on episodes #099 (Nov. 2014) and #132 (June 2015). Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as…
S1 · E1035 · 26 May 2026 · 49 min
Apollo Suns
This one's jumping the queue because it's time sensitive. It’s the end of an era! Frequent Witchpolice interviewee (this will be his sixth appearance in the past decade) Ed Durocher and his merry psychedelic fusion big band Apollo Suns are calling it quits. Here's our conversation about the band’s last show (May 29 at the Park Theatre, see you all there), the realities of the music industry as an independent touring act, reclaiming time with family and community, and much more!Apollo Suns are (almost) dead. Long live Apollo Suns!Need more Apollo Suns in your life? Check out episodes #226…
S1 · E1034 · 19 May 2026 · 35 min
Strawberry Punch
Winnipeg’s Strawberry Punch is a self-proclaimed 'all-femme queer indie/pop/twee/punk rock band' who just released a deadly debut record and has all kinds of cool shit on the horizon. Tune in for our chat about the origins of their (don’t call it a) supergroup, bouncing around swapping instruments from song to song, appealing to a very diverse crowd, and much more! Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want to throw some change in the guitar case! As always, if you like the podcast,…
S1 · E1033 · 12 May 2026 · 58 min
Crooked Ice (with guest hosts Sean and Todd McGinity)
What the hell is going on here? It’s guest hosts Sean and Todd McGinity (of SeanGeek and Fastfret Podcast) giving me a bit of a break and interviewing two-thirds of alt-rawkers Crooked Ice for Witchpolice Radio! Tune in for their chat about the soon-to-be-released ‘DarkStars’ full-length (which was actually the previous name of their band) and much more!Fun fact: Crooked Ice's bassist (who doesn't appear on this episode) is also a local podcaster, hosting the show Head Full of Radio. He guest-hosted an episode of Witchpolice in 2024, featuring his bandmate James Debrecen talking about his…
S1 · E1032 · 3 May 2026 · 46 min
Greg Rekus
The man, the myth, the legend… Greg Rekus is back on the show for his seventh appearance over the years!Tune in for my chat with the hardest-working man in folk-punk about playing a show with his heroes The Bonaduces (May 8, at the West End Cultural Centre, also feat. Mise en Scene), U.S. touring challenges, reintroducing ‘The Dude Abides’, and much more!Greg is a true Winnipeg original and one of a handful of local artists with carte blanche to appear on the podcast anytime he wants. Need more Rekus in your life? Check out episodes #930 (Sept. 2024), #718 (Aug. 2022), #584 (April 2021),…
S1 · E1031 · 23 Apr 2026 · 37 min
Serge Paul
In the most Winnipeg series of events ever, I randomly bumped into sax player/singer-songwriter/producer/multi-instrumentalist Serge Paul downtown recently, which led directly to us doing a podcast interview about his new record, ‘Gut Love’.Tune in for a conversation about saxophone, Franglais, resurrecting old songs, and much more, in Serge’s first appearance on the show in a literal decade! Need more Serge in your life? Check him out on a very early episode of the podcast as a (then-) member of Jeremie and the Delicious Hounds, episode #174 (April 2016). Huge thanks to everyone who…
S1 · E1030 · 14 Apr 2026 · 40 min
Mise en Scene
Long-running indie rock duo Mise en Scene are back with a new record (and back on the podcast after a few years)! Check out our conversation about ‘Drive-Thru Confessional’, putting out the album *before* the April 18 release show, why they work so well together creatively, defining — or, rather, not wanting to define — the Mise en Scene sound (Mise en Sound?) and much more!Need more Mise en Scene in your life? Check out their appearance on episode #636 (Nov. 2021). Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you…
S1 · E1029 · 5 Apr 2026 · 33 min
Poison Suckers
I’ve been doing this podcast for eleventy trillion years and somehow — despite enjoying many of their various projects for the past three decades — I’ve never had either member of Poison Suckers on the show. That changes now! Tune in for a chat about their brand new 7" EP ('Charmer') on Transistor 66, Winnipeg trash, pro wrestling, watermelons, the power of the train whistle, and more!Plus you get to hear me prattling on (again) about how much I love the Quiffs, in light of the upcoming reunion show with the Suckers on the bill. It’s a hoot. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast…
S1 · E1028 · 28 Mar 2026 · 46 min
Jacob Brodovsky
Singer-songwriter Jacob Brodovsky is set to release ‘Tell the Kids We Tried’, his new LP, later this year. He came back for an interview on the podcast to talk about the record, changing artistic (and life!) priorities, and much more. Need more Jacob in your life? Check out episodes #371 (April 2019), #687 (May 2022), and an even earlier appearance on episode #314 (Sept. 2018) as a member of the band Kakagi. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want to throw some change in the guitar…
S1 · E1027 · 15 Mar 2026 · 41 min
Two Crows for Comfort
Dogs and Winnipeg Beach and writing folk songs, oh my! It has somehow been five whole-ass years (!) since the fantastic Two Crows for Comfort were on the podcast, so we caught up about their touring adventures, new (and old) music, and much more. Need more Crows in your life? Check out episodes #330 (Oct. 2018), #573 (March 2021), and a live performance they did in my backyard for #404 (July 2019). This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like…
S1 · E1026 · 6 Mar 2026 · 41 min
Chandler Pretty
Trying something new on this one: you're probably used to my show's titles starting with the episode number (this one is #1026), but apparently that hampers a show's ability to be found be potential new listeners on certain platforms, so this time we're testing the guest's name alone.Here's my chat with local indie-pop artist Chandler Pretty about getting into the music scene backwards, the cinematic sound of her debut EP ('Act V: Bloom'), bringing dark motifs to an otherwise bright genre, and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone…
S1 · E1025 · 27 Feb 2026 · 40 min
WR1025: Dog Pops
When Dog Pops were last on the podcast, they were a brand new band. Fast-forward to today, and they have the excellent ‘Good Pudding’ long-player out in the world and are playing their jangly little songs about animals and food all over town.Tune in for my conversation with Top Pop Marshall Birch, right here and ready for your earholes! Need more Dog Pops in your life? Check out episode #713 (Aug. 2022). Marshall was also on the show way back on episode #59 (Jan. 2014) as a member of the Unbelievable Bargains. This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to…
S1 · E1024 · 19 Feb 2026 · 31 min
WR1024: Adele M. Wilding
February is Black History Month, and among the many events happening across Winnipeg is Adele M. Wilding's ‘Steal Away: Songs of Hope and Resilience’, a concert focused around the tradition and history of African-American spirituals. Tune in for my conversation with Adele about honouring her West Indian roots, the way traditional Black music continues to show up in unexpected places even into the 21st Century, the importance of accurately preserving music history, and much more!‘Steal Away’ takes place Feb. 21 at Crescent Arts Centre and includes a star-studded cast of local players.Need…
S1 · E1023 · 11 Feb 2026 · 45 min
WR1023: Yaadies
Great conversation on this episode with Neville Hamilton from Steinbach reggae outfit Yaadies! We talk about coming to Canada and bringing Jamaican music to a very unlikely location, getting his kids involved in the family band, spreading Caribbean culture across Manitoba through IRAL Music & Arts Festival and much more! This episode brought to you by our pals at Devine Shirt Company. Huge thanks to everyone who supports the podcast on Patreon. You can help out for as little as a couple bucks a month if you like the show and want to throw some change in the guitar case! As always, if you…
S1 · E1022 · 3 Feb 2026 · 42 min
WR1022: Len Bowen
Now with repaired audio! Veteran Winnipeg MC Len Bowen has been steadily releasing inspired hip-hop since his early days as a member of local icons Shadez. In our latest (of many over the years) interview, we talk about his new record ('If You Don't See Me, You Saw Me'), representing Winnipeg on a larger stage, getting recognition for his efforts, his songwriting process, and much more!(Note: there was some weird echo/distortion on one half of of the conversation, so if you downloaded this when it first came out and haven't listened yet, go with this version instead. Thanks.) Need more Len…

About Witchpolice Radio

Acclaimed Manitoba-centric music interview podcast. Hosted by Winnipeg journalist and massive record nerd Sam Thompson. Music talk radio, broadcasting from 2012 'til forever. DIY or die.

Witchpolice Radio is a English music podcast from Witchpolice Radio. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Witchpolice Radio
Language: English
Category: Music
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 41 min
Latest episode: 11 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1236252117

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