Music Buddy

"We need a communal ethic, and we need a communal movement...there's something on the album where I'm trying to get that energy and momentum going...that's part of what music is, and especially hip hop and groove-based music..." —Shad Shadrach Kabango (aka Shad) is a Canadian recording artist, broadcaster, and educator. You might know Shad from his 20 years making infectious, lyrical, and socially conscious hip hop, or from hosting CBC’s Q, or from the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning Netflix s...

Over 3,000 gigs, countless miles travelled, hit songs a-plenty, and friends and fans in every corner of the continent - singer-songwriters Mike Plume and Jenny Orenstein have embraced the often-challenging musician's path with passion, verve, humour, humility and—when necessary—the ability to adapt. Their songwriting and performing careers have taken them all over the world, and they have made homes in Nashville, Edmonton, and Toronto. They have achieved what many would consider an envi...

Welcome to the 4th Annual Solstimas episode! In this episode, we toast the season with a festive gathering at The Woodshed Studio, aka "the office". Joining host Jane Gowan and co-host Tim Vesely, are their good pals Andy Maize and Josh Finlayson (Skydiggers), plus co-host, co-conspirator, and bandmate Joel Stewart (Joel Stewart and the Future Hall of Famers). Plus, you'll hear special greetings from our call-in guests: Dave Ullrich (zunior.com), Monique Barry (mobarrymusic.com), Ryan M...

Wyatt C. Louis is a Plains Cree singer-songwriter from Montana First Nation on Treaty 6 Territory, Alberta. Their songs are deeply rooted in story and place, and speak to universal themes of home, family, and love. Their much-celebrated debut album Chandler (2024) draws from multiple musical influences, but sits comfortably in the folk/roots genre. The album was long-listed for the 2025 Polaris Music Prize, and was a 2025 Juno Award nominee for "Album Artwork of the Year" (Erik M. Grice and V...

What, exactly, is mastering? Is it a potion? A spell? A hoax? The truth is, it's a subtle and precise art, and a key element of quality music production. It is music's "x-factor", its "special sauce". Despite often being perceived as some kind of magic, mastering is, in fact, very real, as are the people who do it for a living. Case in point, Grammy-nominated and Juno Award-winning mastering engineer João Carvalho. João is the founder of João Carvalho Mastering, and co-owner of Revoluti...

"Whatever I'm painting, I feel like there's music that finds its way in". — Stewart Jones For artist, musician, and educator Stewart Jones, music is an integral part of his visual art practice. He's a self-proclaimed "uber fan" of the bands he loves. Not only are many of his works inspired by songs, but his drawings and paintings have also graced album covers and enhanced videos by some of Canada's most beloved musical artists, such as The Tragically Hip, Sarah Harmer, Cuff the Duke, K-os, Ju...

A very special literary romp to round off the year! This "bookish" episode features the well-read, candid, and occasionally irreverent members of "Buckner's Bookies", a ladies-only book club that meets every few weeks around a dinner table, to talk books, culture, food, politics, and—of course—trashy TV. Sex, drugs, rock n' roll, hostages, immigration, crime, New York in the 70s, Saga Boys, opera, and accordions. Mix all that with some southern gothic blues, and you have yourself a rollicki...

Guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer Tim Bovaconti knew he wanted to be a musician from a very young age. When he was just a mere lad, a fateful meeting with family friend Greg Keelor (Blue Rodeo) lit a spark that fuelled his musical passion. The flame continues to burn brightly today. Bovaconti has travelled the world as a working musician. He’s performed and recorded with artists such as Burton Cummings, Ron Sexsmith, Kim Stockwood, Jerry Leger, Julian Taylor, Andy Kim, Ray Davi...

No Dress Rehearsal is a 4-part documentary about one of Canada's most-loved rock bands - The Tragically Hip. The film premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sept 5, and has been screening at Film Festivals around the country. It is now available to stream on Amazon Prime. The Tragically Hip rose to rock stardom in the late 80s and early 90s. They toured and recorded relentlessly, and by the late 90s, they were practically a household name. To the great deli...

This episode is a special co-production between Music Buddy and the Skydiggers' podcast, Employee of the Myth "Blue Rodeo were at the vanguard of creating a national movement of roots music...that really captured peoples' imaginations in the late 80s early 90s, and continues to this day" — Andy Maize "The thing about community is that there are a lot of opportunities to give...[The] Christmas show from Skydiggers always feels like a gift... like [they're] doing this as an offering...Their b...

Is there anything better than listening to your favourite band while sitting outside in the sun with friends, family, and fellow music-lovers? Very few experiences can top the feeling you get from soaking up fresh air and soundwaves simultaneously. So, as summer approaches, we bring you "Festival Season" - a special 3-part series on music festivals. Music festivals appear to pop up out of nowhere - in a city park, in the green space beside a lake, or on a farm next to a river. All of a sudde...

Is there anything better than listening to your favourite band while sitting outside in the sun with friends, family, and fellow music-lovers? Very few experiences can top the feeling you get from soaking up fresh air and soundwaves simultaneously. So, as summer approaches, we bring you "Festival Season" - a special 3-part series on music festivals. Music festivals appear to pop up out of nowhere - in a city park, in the green space beside a lake, or on a farm next to a river. All of ...

Lucy Rose Cash is a Toronto-based singer-songwriter. Her debut album— Windswept Perfectionist—is a 7-song outpouring of tender emotion and compassionate insight. Produced by José Miguel Contreras (By Divine Right), the songs capture beautifully the rawness of a budding self-awareness and the fragility of relationships. Lucy has been surrounded by creativity from birth. Her father (Andrew Cash) is a musician/songwriter, and her mother (Michelle Shook) is a visual artist. As a result, Lucy ha...