Advertise on podcast: Strange Grooves Podcast

The Sheepdogs join Strange Grooves for a rock ’n’ roll conversation about vinyl, musical influences, life on the road, and their new album, Keep Out of the Storm. For Episode 201, Cait and Cherise sit down with Ryan and Ewan of The Sheepdogs at the Imperial Theatre in Saint John, New Brunswick, for a full-circle moment nearly 20 years in the making. We're talking records, early influences, favourite singers, the albums that changed how they hear music, and the feeling of finally finding that record you've been searching for. We also get into the band's early days, building a sustainable career in music, touring, life changes, and what it takes to keep making records and bringing them to the people. Plus, we introduce the guys to Street Ballet by beloved Canadian songwriter Ken Tobias, share the story behind that connection, and get our hands on an unreleased copy of Coming and Going on vinyl. This is what Strange Grooves is all about: connecting over music, sharing records, telling stories, and celebrating the people who make it all happen. 🎸 LISTEN TO THE SHEEPDOGSOfficial website: https://thesheepdogs.com/ 💿 NEW ALBUM: KEEP OUT OF THE STORMListen to the new album through The Sheepdogs' official music page: https://thesheepdogs.com/music/ 📀 PREORDER COMING AND GOING ON VINYLVisit The Sheepdogs' official store: https://store.thesheepdogs.com/collections/music 🎧 KEEP IT STRANGESubscribe for more conversations about music, vinyl, rock ’n’ roll, and the stories behind the records. If you love The Sheepdogs, collect vinyl, or believe the best memories are made at live shows with your buddies, you're in the right place. Give the episode a watch, leave us a comment with your favourite Sheepdogs record, and share it with someone who needs more rock ’n’ roll in their life. KEEP IT STRANGE — Cait & Cherise

200 EPISODES! NINE YEARS! WHAT A RIDE! What started as two music-loving buds bonding over record collections, The Stampeders, and a shared obsession with rock 'n' roll has turned into something bigger than we ever imagined. For our 200th episode, we're taking a trip down memory lane, looking back at how Strange Grooves began, the incredible people we've met, the bands we've discovered, and the adventures we've had along the way. From hosting live bands in our apartment to travelling the world, making lifelong friendships, and navigating some of life's toughest moments, music has been the thread connecting it all. We're talking about what Strange Grooves has meant to us over the past nine years, why community and connection matter more than ever, and what's next for this wonderfully weird little thing we've built together. And speaking of what's next... we've got some BIG news! New events, new merch, and Strange Grooves is officially hitting the airwaves with Strange Grooves on Air on Saint John's 107.3 Campus Radio! To everyone who's listened, shared an episode, come to a show, introduced us to a band, or joined us for the ride, THANK YOU. You're the reason we're still here, and we're just getting started. Here's to 200 episodes, nine years of friendship, and many more strange adventures ahead. KEEP IT STRANGE! Cait & Cherise

For Episode 199, we’re crossing the streams with Jai, host of Radical Fabulatorium on Local 107.3 FM, for a special collaboration all about music, creativity and the communities that keep both alive. We chat about Jai’s journey from playing bass and promoting local shows to interviewing artists on the radio, and swap notes on what makes a great interview. How much research is too much? How do you get out of your own way creatively? And at what point do you stop overthinking and just make the damn thing? We also get into the bigger role music plays in our lives and communities, from creating connection and combating isolation to the incredible sense of pride surrounding New Brunswick’s Francophone and Acadian music scenes. Plus, it wouldn’t be Strange Grooves without some music recommendations. Jai throws Rolo Tomasi into the mix, we talk Turnstile, and there are a few more discoveries worth adding to your listening queue. Two Local 107.3 shows, one shared love of music, and just over 30 minutes of geeking out about why we keep making, listening and showing up. PS: Stay tuned for more strange things we have in the works with Local 107.3! 👀

Fresh off an unforgettable weekend at SOMMO Festival 2026, Dee Dee Austin joins Strange Grooves to talk about taking the stage, soaking up some massive performances, and leaving PEI with an even bigger vision for where her music could go next. Dee Dee takes us inside her SOMMO experience, from connecting with fellow artists and exploring a potential collaboration with Down With Webster’s drummer, to seeing the sheer scale and production of Twenty One Pilots up close. Sometimes seeing what’s possible is enough to move the goalposts, and SOMMO gave Dee Dee plenty to dream about. We also get into her journey as an Indigenous pop artist, building a career organically and staying focused on authenticity rather than awards or competition. She shares how artists like P!nk, The Beaches, and Goldie Boutilier have influenced her, not only musically, but through the way they’ve encouraged women to take up space and own their place in the industry. Through it all, Dee Dee remains deeply connected to Abegweit First Nation and the communities she represents. As her ambitions grow, so does the map, with hopes of taking her music further across Canada and eventually to audiences in places like Australia and Germany. It’s a conversation about representation, authenticity, dreaming bigger, and realizing just how far music can take you, especially after one hell of a festival weekend. Turn it up and get to know Dee Dee Austin on Strange Grooves! Until next time…Keep it strange!

For Volume 197 of Strange Grooves, we’re back LIVE at SOMMO Festival 2026 with Nick Earle & The Reckless Hearts! After seven years of making music together, Nick and the band sit down with us during their Maritime run to talk about the journey so far, the music that shaped them, and what’s coming next as they prepare to head back into the studio. Naturally, we spend some time digging through their musical DNA. From Iron Maiden, Queen and KISS to Dream Theater, John Mayer, Foo Fighters, The Beatles, The Tragically Hip, Hayley Williams, R.E.M., Megadeth and plenty more, the conversation becomes a trip through the artists, albums and live performances that helped turn four music fans into the musicians they are today. We also put the band through a little “Solitary Sounds” scenario, forcing them to choose the records they’d want by their side if their listening options suddenly became very, very limited. The answers go everywhere; exactly how we like it. Then we look ahead. After wrapping up festival season and heading home to Newfoundland, Nick Earle & The Reckless Hearts are turning their attention to new music, with pre-production on the horizon and plans to head to Kingston to work with The Glorious Sons team on their next studio release. Influences, desert-island records, festival miles and new music on the way — another round of Strange Grooves, captured LIVE at SOMMO Festival 2026.

This one’s short, sweet, and straight from SOMMO. For Volume 196 of Strange Grooves, we caught up with Nashville indie rockers Edgehill LIVE at SOMMO Festival 2026. Our time with them was brief; festival schedules wait for no podcast, but we made the most of every minute. The guys give us a glimpse into Nashville’s thriving indie scene, where everything from hardcore to stripped-down indie rock is finding a home. We also hear about their first taste of Atlantic Canadian festival life — and, spoiler alert, we apparently made a pretty good impression. Edgehill talks about the hospitality they experienced at SOMMO, the difference between festival crowds north and south of the border, and how much it meant to see people showing up early and sticking around for the opening acts. Safe to say, they’d be more than happy to make their way back to our corner of the world. And because this is Strange Grooves, we couldn’t let them escape without getting a couple of unexpected music picks. That leads us to Lynyrd Skynyrd for those summer vibes and Aiden dropping perhaps one of the most wholesome Strange Grooves recommendations yet: “Rainbow Connection” by the Muppets. It’s a quick one — but a good one. Nashville, Atlantic Canada, festival crowds, unexpected tunes, and a few Strange Grooves squeezed in before the clock ran out.

Strange Grooves is back in the middle of the action at SOMMO Festival 2026, and this time we’re hanging out with Altered By Mom — JUNO-winning songwriters Gina Kennedy (Bass/Vox) and Devon Lougheed (Guitar/Vox), joined by Max Trefler (Drums)! Fresh off their SOMMO performance, Gina, Devon, and Max sit down with us to talk songwriting, touring, building a career as independent musicians, and the balancing act that happens when your creative life and business life become one and the same. Turns out, when music is both your passion and your livelihood, “turning off work mode” isn’t always so easy. We dig into the world of co-writing and the sometimes tricky decision of figuring out which songs belong to Altered By Mom — and which ones are destined for somebody else. The band talks about why writing with and for other artists has become such an important part of building community, making connections, and creating a musical legacy along the way. We also hit the road with Altered By Mom, talking about the places their music has taken them — from shows across Canada and the U.S. to an unexpected connection with audiences in Japan, where “Okay, Okay” proved that sometimes the right song doesn’t need a translation. It’s a conversation with the whole band about songs, collaboration, life on the road, the business behind the music, and keeping that creative spark alive through all of it.

Strange Grooves is LIVE from SOMMO Festival 2026, and for Volume 194 we’re hanging out with Nova Scotia-born, Toronto-based rocker Loviet! Fresh off the SOMMO stage, Loviet joins us to talk about the road from growing up in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, to playing massive festivals like Lollapalooza and Riot Fest and what it feels like bringing it all back east for a big festival set in PEI. We dig into the sound that makes Loviet tick: a collision of ‘90s alternative and indie rock, 2000s attitude, and some perhaps unexpected pop DNA courtesy of Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys. Loviet also gets into the strange boxes female artists still get put into, why rock music could use a little less gatekeeping, and why “alternative” might just be the perfect place for genres to get weird together. There’s plenty of talk about keeping music pure, authentic and unwatered-down, including how Loviet and her drummer approached making the latest record as a tight creative unit. Plus, we look ahead to Debutant Deluxe, arriving September 18, featuring one final track that got its live debut right there at SOMMO. Rock ‘n’ roll, pop production, creative integrity, genre lines that were made to be crossed, and a conversation captured right in the middle of festival season. Turn it up. Volume 194 of Strange Grooves with Loviet — LIVE from SOMMO Festival 2026!

BEN MURPHY IS BACK! 🎶🔥 Strange Crew, one of our favourite festival people is back on the pod! We caught up with Ben Murphy of Whitecap Entertainment between Cavendish Beach Music Festival and Sommo to talk all things Sommo 2026. We get into what’s new at the festival this year — new stages, more vendors, incredible food, more seating, and all the different ways you can experience the weekend. Whether you’re living in the pit, wandering between stages, eating your way across the festival grounds, or looking for a more laid-back festival experience, Sommo has a little something for everyone. And, of course, we HAD to talk about sombr. 👀 After seeing him literally arrive ON STAGE IN A CAR at other festivals, there’s only one question left: What the hell is sombr going to do at Sommo?! Beyond the lineup, food and festival logistics, this conversation is really about what makes Sommo special: music, community and bringing people together. Ben and the Whitecap Entertainment crew genuinely love what they do, and you can feel that energy throughout the entire festival. It’s Maritime hospitality. It’s good food. It’s great music. It’s a damn good time. That’s Sommo. 🎟️ Grab your Sommo tickets at sommofest.com and come meet us there! KEEP IT STRANGE 🤘— Cait & Cherise

Strange Crew, SOMMO SEASON IS HERE — and we are officially ready to hit the road. YOU COMING?! 🤘🔥 For Episode 192, we sat down with Mitchell Young, Marketing Manager at Whitecap Entertainment, to talk all things Sommo Festival — including the new Dance Your Way to Sommo contest, what goes into creating the Sommo experience, and one artist we've been talking about for a LONG time: sombr. If you've been hanging around Strange Grooves for a while, you already know Cait has been waving the sombr flag for over a year. Cherise has basically become a fan by proximity at this point. 😂 We've talked about his songwriting, his music-making abilities and where we think he's headed — so the fact that sombr is coming to our side of Canada to play Sommo on September 12 is pretty freaking cool. JUST SAYING. And that's part of what Sommo does so damn well. They have a knack for bringing hardworking artists to the East Coast right as they're on the edge of something HUGE. Over the years, we've watched artists like Hozier, Greta Van Fleet and The Beaches hit the Sommo stage, and there's something special about seeing incredible artists in Cavendish before the rest of the world catches up. In this episode, we get into what makes Sommo different, why we keep coming back year after year, and the thought and care that goes into creating a festival that actually feels welcoming — from the music and vendors to the people, spaces and little details that make a massive difference. We also talk about Dance Your Way to Sommo, the new contest inspired by sombr's upcoming appearance. Voting is officially underway, so check out the submissions and show your favourite some love! Because that's the magic of a great festival: you go for one artist and leave obsessed with three more. You make a friend in the crowd. You discover your new favourite food. You hear a song that becomes permanently attached to one ridiculous, beautiful weekend. That's Sommo for us. Our outfits are getting pressed. We're getting ready for the pit. And we cannot WAIT to see the Strange Crew in Cavendish. 🎧 Hit play on Episode 192 and come hang with us. See you in Cavendish, Strange Crew. LET'S DANCE. 🤘🔥

What happens when two East Coast best friends pack up their larger-than-life personalities and head out West? You get Tracy and Martina Goin' Out West — a hilarious, heartfelt road trip packed with friendship, improv, local music, and plenty of Maritime humour. On this episode of Strange Grooves, we’re joined by director Brendan Lyle to talk about the story behind the film, how Tracy and Martina made the leap to the big screen, and why these uniquely Nova Scotian characters have connected with audiences right across Canada. Brendan takes us behind the scenes of the film’s improvisational style, the importance of collaboration and community, and how local music helped give the project its unmistakable personality. We also dig into the realities of creating art during and after the pandemic, including its lasting impact on arts funding and the creative community in Nova Scotia. At its core, this is a conversation about making something authentic with the people around you — and trusting that a story rooted in one corner of the country can still strike a chord thousands of kilometres away. So grab your snacks, cue up the road-trip playlist, and come along for the ride. Tracy and Martina Goin' Out West is available on streaming platforms and arrives on Crave September 1.

For anyone who grew up with MuchMusic on in the background, this one's going to hit home. This week on Strange Grooves, Cait Milberry and Cherise Letson sit down with Canadian broadcasting icon Bill Welychka for a conversation that's equal parts nostalgia, music history, and honest reflection. From his years interviewing the biggest names in music at MuchMusic and MuchMoreMusic to finding a new creative chapter as an author, Bill shares the stories behind the stories and what he's learned along the way. Together, we dive into the legacy of MuchMusic and the role it played in shaping Canadian music culture, why preserving those memories matters, and how the media landscape has changed from thoughtful, in-depth conversations to today's rapid-fire content. Bill also opens up about writing A Happy Has-Been, navigating career reinvention, keeping your ego in check, and why live music still has the power to bring strangers together. Whether you're reminiscing about the golden age of MuchMusic, fascinated by the evolution of music journalism, or simply love hearing great stories from someone who's lived them, this episode is packed with insight, laughs, and plenty of shared appreciation for the soundtrack of our lives. Learn more about Bill, his book, and his latest projects at billwelychka.ca.

Fleetwood Mac is one of those rare bands whose story is just as fascinating as their music, and in this episode of Strange Grooves, we're joined by longtime friend of the show Tim Durling, host of Tim's Vinyl Confessions, to dive deep into the world of one of rock's most enduring acts. Tim stops by to discuss his new book, The Sound That Haunts You: Beginner's Companion to Fleetwood Mac, a guide designed to help listeners navigate the band's sprawling and often surprising catalogue. From their blues-rock beginnings under Peter Green to the chart-topping success of the Buckingham-Nicks era, Tim shares why Fleetwood Mac's evolution is what makes them such a compelling band to explore. Along the way, Tim reflects on his own Fleetwood Mac journey—one sparked by his wife and mother-in-law—and highlights hidden gems and overlooked albums that deserve a closer listen. We also talk about favourite records, including Bare Trees and Tusk, the band's lasting influence, and why understanding Fleetwood Mac's many eras adds a whole new dimension to appreciating their music. Whether you're a lifelong fan or just starting your Fleetwood Mac adventure, this conversation is packed with insights, stories, and plenty of reasons to spin another record. Tune in, discover something new, and let the sound that haunts you lead the way.

There’s something electric in the Windsor air, and if you grew up catching Detroit radio across the river, you already know why! This week on Strange Grooves, we sit down with rising singer-songwriter Kelsi Mayne, an artist whose sound is as boundary-pushing as the influences that shaped her. From Motown to country, hip hop to rock, Kelsi’s musical DNA is anything but one-note. With a voice that carries both grit and vulnerability, she opens up about how those early cross-border airwaves, along with icons like legendary program director Rosalie Tremblay, helped define her artistic path. But this conversation goes deeper than influences. We get into the heart of what drives Kelsi’s songwriting, real-life experience, emotional honesty, and the kind of storytelling that sticks with you long after the last note fades. She shares the personal story behind her track “Can’t Sleep,” and how heartbreak, growth, and mental health all find their way into her music. We also talk genre-bending, why she refuses to stay in one lane, and the importance of staying authentic in an industry that often pushes artists to do the opposite. Plus, Kelsi gives us a sneak peek at her upcoming single “Time Machine” and what fans can expect from her new album dropping soon. And of course, it wouldn’t be Strange Grooves without a trip into our Strange Solitary Sounds segment, where Kelsi locks in her desert island picks featuring records from Eric Church, Justin Timberlake and others! This episode is all about connection, between cities, sounds, and stories, and why the most powerful music always comes from a real place. 🎧 Tune in, turn it up, and get to know Kelsi Mayne before she hits a stage near you.

We caught up virtually with Ggreg Snyder (yes that’s the spelling he uses), the talented American actor and musician we first met in Las Vegas earlier last year, for Episode 186 of Strange Grooves. Greg shared his journey in the acting world, giving us a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to navigate the industry. From fun stories from the set to insights into his creative process, we got a front-row seat to his experiences as an actor. Greg also talked about his work on the new Apple show The Studio, produced by Seth Rogen, giving fans an exclusive peek into what it’s like to be part of a major production. Tune in to hear Greg Snyder’s entertaining stories, career reflections, and what inspires him to keep performing at the top of his game. This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about life in front of the camera and the stories behind the roles.