Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Big in Canada

In part two of our investigation into whether or not Tegan and Sara are spiritually CanCon, the twins rise from the depths of despair to the Oscar stage and become major influences to some of the biggest pop stars in the world. But is everything CanCon? The verdict is in!

Also discussed: Orville Peck, Fefe Dobson on K-OS, Chris Walla, bad song titles, and more.

The first part of our investigation into whether or not fully famous twin sister duo Tegan and Sara are spiritually CanCon, takes us from their humble Calgary beginnings to the halls of Seattle Grace Hospital and the first season of Grey's Anatomy.

Can our CanCon doctors diagnose and treat this unique case? Symptoms include: Hawksley Workman, Jann Arden, and strange accents.

Also discussed: Big Shiny Tunes, a Certified CanCon Mystery™, Austin Powers, pervy dudes, brain rot, Angine de Poitrine, the internet, indie, female rage, Be Good Tanyas, Pye Dubois and much more.

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Everything Bryan Adams does, he does it for himself. 

In anticipation of Bryan Adams' forthcoming album, which he describes as "a deeply personal musical love letter to Canada,"  we create a timeline of the CanCon Man's tumultuous relationship with CanCon rules and his baffling opinions about the Canadian music industry as a whole. How’s it goin’, Bryan? Not great!

In the final chapter of our K-OS deep dive, we take a look at his chaotic post-Crabbuckit career which includes teaming up with members of Broken Social Scene , Nelly Furtado, Bob Rock, and many others. Mac also argues that the CanCon-filled Yes! (2009) is K-OS' best album meanwhile Laura says no! to that outrageous claim.

Also discussed: Tegan & Sara, the Barenaked Ladies fumbling the national anthem, having fun and more!

We climb claw-first into K-OS's breakout 2004 album Joyful Rebellion and continue our quest to figure out what fuels and frightens K-OS. Hip-hop? The biz? Everything? Everyone? It's all in the music man.

Also discussed: Lake Ontario, Weaponized Canconpetence, Bryan Adams, Shaq, Electric Circus, choosing Canada, walking around, crab bucket syndrome and much more.

K-OS is one of the defining Canadian musicians of the 00s but his musical output begins in the mid 90s. We trace K-OS's evolution from his upbringing in Whitby, Ontario to him finally releasing his debut album Exit in 2002. We are just getting started here folks.

Also discussed: Lake Ontario, Blue Rodeo, Daisy Chain Fields, PISS, Jake Gold, Bryan Adams and much more.

Note: this episode was recorded before noted villain of CanCon Bryan Adams announced his new album "about Canada" - much more to come on that.

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In the late 90s, tens of Canadian men banded together to sing, dance, gel their hair and try to make it big with their songs of fantasy and insecurity. These are the ones you DON'T remember.

Plus, some Xav, Rush and Alexisonfire t-shirt talk.

We say goodbye to the summer months with Vol. II of our seasonal gab. We talk about our interview with Dave from Wave, the real origins of stomp-clap, Raine Maida and Chantal Kreviazuk's new marriage memoire, the rebroadcast of the final Tragically Hip concert and Mac's recent experiences at the Alexisonfire Crisis 20th anniversary show and the PUP The Dream is Over 10th anniversary show. Music is good!

In the late 90s, Dave "Dwave" Thomson was a 20 year old Brock University student who worked at Sunrise Records. But with a mega-hit in his back pocket and bandmate Paul Gigliotti by his side, everything was about to change.

Dave joins us for the definitive retelling of Wave's road from Niagara-region Oasis cover band to major label hit-makers. And yes, he answers the question that we at Big in Canada have been dying to know: had he been to California before writing one of the all-time great songs about California?

Also discussed: Marker Starling, Somewhere Out There Satellite Radio Conspiracy, Stomp Clap origins, and more.

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In the late 90s, tens of Canadian men banded together to sing, dance, gel their hair and try to make it big with their songs of fantasy and insecurity. These are the ones you DON'T remember.

Plus, some Xav, Rush and Alexisonfire t-shirt talk.

In the late 70s, Carole Pope and Rough Trade's campy, sexy and provocative live show made them a Toronto staple. But when "High School Confidential" took over the airwaves with its at-the-time shocking line about jean-creaming, they broke nationally and paved the way for generations of queer artists. We dive into the legacy of Rough Trade and review the new documentary Antidiva: The Carole Pope Confessions.

Also discussed: uncomfortable funkiness, the JUNOS in the 80s, Peaches, Jann Arden, kd lang, sketchy documentary timelines, David Bowie, Xav's big soon-to-be hit, stomp clap history, nostalgia, dissatisfaction and much more.

In this special Big in Canada Big Book Club episode, Laura is joined by Edmonton-based professor and author Brian Fauteux to discuss his latest book, Music in Orbit: Satellite Radio in the Streaming Space Age. Laura and Brian explore the cosmos and chat about satellite radio's arrival in Canada, its impact on the Canadian music landscape, the current state of Sirius XM Canada, and much more.

Music in Orbit is out now via the University of California Press.

Now that we've done episodes on each of the most infamous Y2K Canadian boy bands, it's time to RANK them. We consider the look, the song, the talent, and the legacy of B4-4, soulDecision, Wave, Sky, McMaster & James, and The Moffatts. Which band of boys will capture the heart of Big in Canada? 

Also discussed: The Tragically Chip ice cream, Weighty Ghost as the first stomp-clap song, Angine de Poitrine (again!), and more. 

It's hot! And to celebrate, we have a gab about Shania Twain's retreat to the Horseshoe Tavern and the arms of Canadian music critics, Mac's experience seeing Angine de Poitrine open for Jack White at the Bud and finally we react to the Polaris Prize Short List (the PPSL) and the change in how the winner will be chosen this year.

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Alex Porat, Adam Rodway, Preston Pablo, Alex Samson...are these real people? Do you know them? Have you heard their songs? We dive deep to discover what all these random people sound like and find out what it takes to make a Top 40 CanCon hit in 2026.

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Paul Murphy, singer and guitarist of Wintersleep, is here to discuss the Nova Scotian origins of the band, playing shows wherever they could, the early 00s Halifax music scene, his voice, the weight of Weighty Ghost, writing about America, nostalgia, and much more. Wintersleep's new record Wishing Moon is out now via Dine Alone Records.

Also discussed: UFOs, Mac and Laura's love of Wintersleep, "51st State", Mustique, The Tragically Hip's various brand partnerships and much more.

It's 1984 and you are watching MuchMusic. Metal is ascendant. You are 14. A video begins to play. "Metal Queen" Lee Aaron is holding a sword as tall as her, wielding a voice twice that size. "Is this metal?", you wonder. It doesn't matter - you submit to the will of your new Queen.

Also discussed: metal, songs as boner metaphors, being sexy vs. empowering, hard rock trend chasing, the impossible 80s, The Friendly Frog Freak Show, Voices in Public, Zohran loves k-os, rockin hard and much more.

Before becoming the Paula Abdul of Canadian Idol, Sass Jordan was known for her huge voice and bluesy disposition. But the further she leaned into the sleaze, the closer she got to Canadian reality television fame. Not everyone can be Robert Johnson at the crossroads.

Also discussed: YouTube channel maintenance, cover bands, posting your Ls is CanCon, Xav at Shawarma Fest, Bündock, Taylor Hawkins, appropriation, blues, internalized misogyny and much more.

As Ryan Malcolm went from singing in an oldies cover band with his dad to becoming the Season 1 winner of Canadian Idol, he experienced first hand what it was like to be inside the guts of major label CanCon. Despite being the people's champ and having a number one hit single for several months (!), his place in the industry, as he tells us, came with an asterisk.

Also discussed: reel estate, nature, Mile End Kicks, the PPLL, Canadian Idol, World Idol, recording "Home", screaming fans, wanting to win, Low Level Flight and much more.

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As the World Cup takes over Toronto and Vancouver, we discuss the Boi-1da album that was maybe supposed to feature Tragically Hip remixes but now just includes a rather drab cover of Ahead By Century that will surely soundtrack the montage of Team Canada highlights once they are eliminated. It also features CanCon artists known and unknown. We talk about words that rhyme with "tryna", the Bishnoi gang, electric circus, buisness solutions, Bell Let's Talk, jock jams and much much more.

McMaster & James check all the CanCon boy band boxes. And while they never reached the ubiquity of some of their contemporaries, their lone album might be the best boy band album this country ever produced. Woah woah woah yeah yeah yeah.

Also discussed: the Bounce, tributaries, Sook-Yin Lee, the tyranny of "oh baby", songwriting, Canadian Idol, music videos, choruses and much more.

Today we are joined by multidisciplinary artist, musician, filmmaker, actor, journalist, broadcaster, Canadian icon, Sook-Yin Lee to talk about her time as a MuchMusic VJ, “democratizing the playing field”, and her new album 72RHR - out now via Hand Drawn Dracula.

Also discussed: clowns, DNA, squatting, secret labs, Eyeball Theatre, Moses Znaimer, Vancouver's punk scene, making art, CanCon, phones, fighting, ghosts and much more.

Raised in Edmonton and Jamaica, Kreesha Turner bounced into the spotlight after winning the nation's most notorious radio-sponsored talent competition. Dubbed "the Canadian Rhianna", she scored a big hit with "Don't Call Me Baby" and was poised for a long career. Her second album, the very good Tropic Electric, didn't produce any hits and the wheels fell off. Why does this always happen?

Also discussed: queer country, ghosts, Alexisonfire videos, the Shrode Innocent Controversy, the Tenors, Chantal Kreviazuk's presence, the Shawn Desman-Taylor Swift controversy, the Bounce, marching bands, the club and much more.

In this wide ranging catch-up episode, we debrief our live show, discuss Drake's big three-album rollout, breakdown the Jackson-Triggs Summer Concert Series 2026 and the FIFA Fan Festivals and breeze through the other five or so Our Lady Peace albums. Which is all a warm up to talking about I'm Going to Break Your Heart, a documentary about, for and by Raine Maida and Chantal Kreviazuk and their journey to "Europe" to make an "album" and "save" their marriage.

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Experience (or relive!) the magic of Big in Canada's live debut at The Burdock Music Hall in Toronto as part of Departure Fest.

Johnny Payne, musician and co-host of Impossible Way of Life, returns to the show to chat with Mac about his new album Dazzle Me and what it would take to become big on Vancouver Island, where the dream of the 90s is alive.

Also discussed: mask to music ratio, AI, community, reggae, building, sounding Canadian and much more.

As their imperial phase reaches its Bob Rock-produced conclusion, Our Lady Peace make a concept album and lose a key band member on the road to their biggest hit yet.

To help discuss this era of OLP, we are joined by Lindsey King, a Toronto-based writer and editor whose work can be found in Toronto Life, Maclean's and many other reputable publications. And, she once owned a Shrode t-shirt.

Also discussed: Chantal Kreviazuk Live on Valentines Day, Metallica, Some Kind of Monster, Matthew Good Band vs OLP, New York-band Metric, drawing , talent shows, AI, The Age of Spiritual Machines, concept albums, NFTs and much more.

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Our Lady Peace appeared fully-formed at the crest of the alternative rock boom and became one of the most successful Canadian bands of all-time. Raine Maida's unique voice and dreamy stare captured the hearts of millions of Canadians. But did he have anything to say to them? Could he save them? Were they even real, man?

Also discussed: Mac's earnest love of OLP, the JUNOS, dissatisfaction, our virality, Jesus Christ, stats, Subways, singing about girls, singing like girls and much more.

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In the prelude to our multi-episode Our Lady Peace exploration, we talk about OLP's unofficial fifth member and producer: Arnold Lanni.

By the time he hitched his wagon to Raine and the Gang, Lanni had lived several CanCon lives, deaths and rebirths. First, as a member of Sheriff, whose song "When I'm With You" became an unexpected chart topper in the States years after it was released. Then as the frontman of Frōzen Ghōst, CanCon's masters of late 80s album-oriented rock. Can the genesis of OLP be heard in these largely forgettable, yet technically proficient, albums? We found out.

Also discussed: weddings, power ballads, Angine de Poitrine, rizz, fake bands, approaching hype with caution, a little bit of JUNOs talk (much more next week), producing and much more.

We talk about albums by The Outfit, Arielle Soucy, Station Model Violence and Sluice! And then we talk about three of our favourite Big in Canada subjects with John Batt of @canada.gov.ca!

After 20 years behind the board, mixing and producing artists as varied as Loverboy, 54-40, Sloan and Marilyn Manson, Dave "Rave" Ogilvie was handed the keys to his very own CanCon car. The result was Jakalope: an ambient-ly industrial pop band fronted by an unknown musician named Katie Biever. Oh, and then he went on to have a hand in making Call Me Maybe.

Also discussed: The JUNOs (ad nauseam), backflips, industrial music, Skinny Puppy, the Jakalope to country music pivot and much more.

The Parachute Club seem to capture a certain era of 1980s Toronto with their eclectic rhythms, Toronto-centric videos and (sometimes) progressive messages. But what are the limits of a predominately-white group using the musical styles of different cultures and banking on politics for subject matter? We raise up the parachute and find out.

Also discussed: Daniel Lanois, McCain Rising Crust pizza, Jack Layton, white reggae, Three Strong Words, silent Hs, Rankin Family songs we didn't get to mention, telephones, feminism, tourism and much more.

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Drake, Tate, Nelly, Joni: some of the stars were out in Hamilton on Sunday night for the 2026 JUNO Awards.

We ride the ups, downs and the Big in Canada of it all of "Canadian Music's Biggest Night".

May 10th! Live Show! Tickets here!⁠

John Batt, the man behind the Instagram account @canada.gov.ca, has lived in Quebec for years, but the Atlantic Ocean is never far from his Maritimer heart. This week, John gets alllllllllll fired up with Mac and Laura to talk about The Rankin Family, what they mean to the Maritimes, family bands, regional differences and much more.

As the 00s drew to a close and all meaning was lost to an endless sea of vibe and aesthetics, one final Avril-lite managed to break through to tween Bluenotes shoppers around the country.

We look at Shiloh's ska-infused "Operator", which made her one of the final almost-stars of the MuchMusic-era, only for the rug to be pulled out from under her ascendant Canadian fame.

Also discussed: phones, post-iPhone anxiety, Maestro lately, stickers, campus-core, Toronto suburb hierarchy update, our own personal JUNOs controversy, Bryan Adams' Canadian tour, Angine de Poitrine and more.

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For this month's bonus episode we are diving into the Canadian songs on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart for the week of February 28th, 2026. Find out what's changed since 2004 (not much), what's good (not much), what's bad (most!) and what it all means.

Also discussed: our impending live show in Toronto, the difference between Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock and (very briefly) politics (yuck!).

Listen to this episode's playlist via Spotify here and via Apple Music here.

Tickets to our out live show at Departure Festival.

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On a cold February day in 1985, some of Canada's biggest music stars answered the vehement pleas of manager Bruce Allen and gathered in a Toronto studio to record the charity single, "Tears Are Not Enough". As the fate of Ethiopia rests on the shoulders of producer David Foster, the studio's air is thick with cigarette smoke and the uncomfortable energy of a workplace Christmas party. But egos are being checked at the door.

In this special episode of Big in Canada, we rank the performances of all of the soloists heard on Northern Lights' "Tears are Not Enough". Who comes out on top? Who's a little flat? And who shows up in a white limo?

Also discussed: The Tears Are Not Enough documentary, kissing fans on the lips, Waiting for Guffman, Neil Young's steez, and much more.

As the first Canadian rapper to break into the mainstream, Maestro Fresh Wes broke down barriers and changed the Canadian music industry. From his platinum selling debut smash Symphony in Effect to a more recent release that can only be described as the most CanCon album of all-time, Maestro stuck to his vision to become the Godfather of Canadian Rap. 

Also discussed: Trate McRae, the ukification of Canada, Halifax potholes, Big Milk, Drake, rap in Canada, and more. 

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Popular music in the 1980s was defined by the Video Star: Madonna, Michael Jackson, Peter Gabriel, Prince. But in Canada, it was Lawrence "Larry" Gowan, whose music videos, hair and musical prowess captured the imagination of a nation who needed their own version of these icons.

Gowan is now known as one of the key members of Styx, but his story also finds him crossing paths with the Beatles, Yes, Ronnie Hawkins, Kim Mitchell and a man named Tickle.

Also discussed: Scarborough, prog pasts, The Weeknd, Queen Street West, drama, keyboard rigs, criminal minds, music videos and much more.

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Born unto a family of musicians, it was predestined that Halifax singer-songwriter, actor, and educator Melanie Doane would join the family business. 
Fitting in perfectly with the folk-rock sound of "women's music", Melanie released two good records, one really great song, played Lilith Fair, and was crowned the Best New Solo Artist at the 1999 JUNOs. But was her heart ever really in it? 

Also discussed: Tate ‘The Traitor’ McRae and other CanCon betrayals, other Frosh-Week Core bands, The October Game and Sarah McLachlan, MuchMoreMusic, the ukification of Canada, the Doane Music School, and more.

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We're going to Mac's memory palace to discuss the brief but potent popularity of Mississauga reggae-rock-ska-punk band illScarlett. Hit the bong and find out how Canada's Sublime became a brief major label success story.

Also discussed: big to you bands, street signs, theft, Warped Tour afterparties, Supernova, Brad Rubens: Philadelphia lawyer, the One-A video shoot, rerecording your songs over and over, being let down by bands, becoming an influencer and more.

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We breakdown the various performances from 2010 Vancouver Olympics closing ceremony and then give our instant reactions to the 2026 JUNO nominations. Who are these awards for? What are sales? Is it still 2005? Things are strange out there.

NOTE: This episode was recorded before Tate McRae defected to Team USA...more to come on that.

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During the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Canada was in the palm of Nikki Yanofsky’s hand. At just 16 years old, this child star captured the heart of a nation by singing the official Olympic anthem, “I Believe.” But this undeniable power ballad is an anomaly in Nikki’s career which is otherwise filled with all that jazz.

Also discussed: Dad Rap, 2010 Olympic memories, scatting, “child prodigies”, Quincy Jones, Ella Fitzgerald, being rizz-less, and much more.  

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After nearly fifteen years of grinding, Classified finally reached the summit of CanCon when he unleashed his Inner Ninja. But, when the industry wants him to start his next climb (towards the top of the whole world), Class chose to stay grounded, be Dad, smoke weed and revel in his accomplishments at home. On this episode we examine how Classified's commitment to Canada has earned him a venerated place among this country's hip-hop success stories.

Also discussed: Much Video Dance Parties, "Off the Beat 'N Path", Patio Lanterns, "genre dysphoria", acoustic guitars, Snoop, being addicted to weed and much more.

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It's as unlikely a story as any: a white boy from Enfield, Nova Scotia becomes one of the greatest Canadian rappers of all time. And yet, by some combination of hard work, lack of international ambition, and weed, Luke Boyd aka Classified made it happen.

In part one of a two-part exploration of "Class", Mac and Laura discuss the early days of his career including his major breakthrough: a song that samples the fucking national anthem.

Also discussed: the national anthem, white people embracing hip-hop, JUNO albums of the year, Kim Mitchell's shirt, loving weed, Maestro Fresh Wes, grindin' and more.

Is this quintessential CanCon summer song bad? Or are we suffering from an extreme case of Patio Lanterns Exhaustion? We trace Kim Mitchell's journey from his days in Max Webster to the zenith of Canadian musical fame: beating Bryan Adams for album of the year at the Juno's. Look what you made him do, Kim.

Also discussed: our Patreon (click here to subscribe wooo), being good enough, becoming the circuit, having a lyric writer, Sarnia, M.A.D.D., that hat and much more.

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In Big in Canada's first Patreon subscriber only bonus episode, we discuss Heated Rivalry, the hottest show on TV when the CanCon is as plentiful as the hockey and the sex. Plus, we discuss Ashley MacIsaac's recent run-in with Google AI and why the New Years Eve concert is a shit gig.

Thanks for supporting Big in Canada and Happy New Year!

On part two of Big in Canada's special year-end wrap up episode, we count down our favourite albums from 4-1.

Also discussed: Bryan Adams' A Great Big Holiday Jam, other Bryan Adams Christmas songs, Three Strong Words, fatherhood, the location of Pho No Café and more.

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!

Because yeah, we're a music podcast too.

On the first of two special year-end wrap up episodes, we count down our favourite albums from 10-5. Next week, we go 4-1. The suspense is getting you killed. CanCon laws ARE in effect.

Also discussed: Three Strong Words, the Toronto (Still) Loves Jacksoul Map, Christmas music contradictions and mistakes, Tate "Cars" McRae, the band "Christmas" and more.

While Michael Bublé and Céline Dion may be the king and queen of CanCon Christmas, the system churns out an endless stream of MAPL-safe Christmas music to ensure the most wonderful time of the year is distinctly Canadian. We dig into our personal Christmas music preferences, check out some Big in Canada-favourites' contributions to the canon and count down our Top 5 Canadian Christmas songs.

Also discussed: Chantal Kreviazuk's upcoming album of "her" songs, Christmasy artists, shopping, the birth of Jesus Christ, blue christmases and much more.