PODCAST · music
Hard Folk with Matt Gower
by Matt Gower
Hard Folk is a podcast about the people who make music or contribute to their community. It takes equal parts insanity and commitment to get up on stage and bear your soul. In reality insanity and commitment are the tip of the iceberg: it takes courage, hustle, dedication, artistic vision, perseverance, belief in yourself… This is your story, this is my story, this is our story. This is Hard Folk.
Episodes
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Gathering Voices w Jennifer Noxon
Today Jennifer Noxon joins me on the podcast. We talked about her latest release “The Gathering”, reminisced about the old days on Bronson avenue hub of Rasputin’s & the Ottawa Folklore Centre. and we chatted about the community singing experience in her Rhythm & Song group. Jennifer Noxon will…
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The Power of Song with Chris White
Fresh off the news of winning the Estelle Klein award, Chris White joins me on Hard Folk to talk about how folk music and community have played an important role throughout his life and career. Whether it’s through co-founding the Ottawa Folk Festival, hosting Canadian Spaces on CKCU, organizing...
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A Heavy Dose of Vulnerability w Malia Rogers
Today I interview Ottawa singer-songwriter Malia Rogers. We talked about her East Coast roots, how she developed her songwriting tools, how she deals her audience a “heavy dose of vulnerability” at live shows, the kindness and generosity that community brings when touring, how loss and grieving...
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The Jiffy Pop Conspiracy w Don Pyle
Today I’m joined by Don Pyle. Don has a new book out called Rough Description: love letters and ghost stories from a life in music but if you’re like me, you know him as the drummer for Shadowy Men on a Shadowy planet. We discussed the art of a good setlist, navigating a music career without a...
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Both Sides of the Industry w Elizabeth Royall
Today, I’m joined by Elizabeth Royall. We talk about the balancing the administrative and entrepreneurial aspects of the music industry with the creative side of things. We also delve into Elizabeth’s love of 70s & 90s music, especially Fleetwood Mac and how she shook off trying to emulate Billie...
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Blood Brothers w Sean Sisk & Jeff Larocque
Sean Sisk was dead. His heart stopped for 30 minutes. A case of Invasive Group A Strep had sent Sean to the hospital for 4 months, where his heart stopped 4 times and he needed multiple blood transfusions. Jeff Larocque had donated blood 86 times before being diagnosed with prostate cancer. His...
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The James Leclaire Questionaire w Matt Gower
Today’s episode of Hard Folk is a special one: I invited my friend and fellow singer-songwriter James Leclaire to interview me. We talked about my songwriting process, how I recorded Vacated Shapes, navigating social media, performing solo vs with a band, plus we took a bit of a dive into my…
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Putting the Soul in 613 w Mikhail Laxton
Today I’m joined by Mikhail Laxton. He’s here to talk about his 613 Soul initiative. It’s a free concert series taking place in Orleans, Hog’s Back Park, Vanier and a couple other locations. His goal for 613 Soul is to not only provide an alternative to the outdoor festival experience, but to...
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Ways of Listening w Rollie Pemberton AKA Cadence Weapon
Today I’m joined by Rollie Pemberton (AKA Cadence Weapon). He’s got a new book called Ways of Listening: Building a Deeper Relationship with Music in the Streaming Era coming out May 26th as well as a new album called Forager which was released earlier this year. Rollie and I talked about leaning...
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Bandmaster Flash w Joel Elliott
Today I’m joined by Joel Elliott. We talked about his roll as “bandmaster” with The Magic Machine and incorporating his love of musical theatre into their stage act. We also dove deep into the inner workings of the Folk Canada conference and how joining a band full of middle aged government…
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Branching Out from Scratch w The Family Name
The Family Name (Ben & Jacob Matte) are a natural outgrowth from a musical family tree that finds its roots with the Everly Brothers, Smothers Brothers and Simon & Garfunkel, takes a bluegrass/newgrass detour along the way before branching out from the Milk Carton Kids to create their own unique,...
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Community and Connection w Suzanne Nuttall
Suzanne Nuttall has only been a part of the Ottawa music scene for a few years, but as I said in today’s show it’s felt like she’s been entrenched in the community for much longer. Suzanne’s story is a great example for aspiring musicians to follow. She made the move to Ottawa from Toronto and…
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Songwriting & Stability w Woods of Light
About five years ago I sold Brian Gunther a Martin guitar. He was just settling into a more stable existence, which gave him the opportunity to begin his pathway towards writing and recording original music. Along with that Martin guitar, I was able to give Brian some advice and encouragement to...
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The Authentic Ethan Mitchell
This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Ethan Mitchell for the Hard Folk podcast. What really stood out to me was his voice. I’m not talking about his singing voice, although he does exude a certain vintage authenticity. What I mean is that it’s evident in Ethan’s songwriting that he knows…
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Keeping it Loose w Jack Pine
Today I’m joined by Gareth Auden-Hole, better known as Jack Pine. We talked a lot about the history of his band Jack Pine and the Fire, we also discussed his more open songwriting process as a solo artist compared to the approach he brought to “The Fire”. Later on, we talked about his tour…
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Big Small Talk w Lefty McRighty
Today I’m joined by Greg Beaudoin, better known as Lefty McRighty to folks in the Ottawa music scene. We talked a lot about mental health and the importance of therapy, especially for people in the arts community. We also talked about the dynamic between Greg and his wife Tracy, working closely...
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The Shifting Love Triangle w John Allaire
I’m joined by John Allaire to discuss the ever shifting triangle between artists, venues and audiences. After an initial run of success at Brews & Blues in Stittsville, attendance started tapering off, leading to a cancellation of John’s Thursday shows (note: The Allaire Show on Saturday…
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Second Chances w Colin Prentice
Today on Hard Folk, I’m joined by Colin Prentice. We talked about the upcoming single his band Baby Richman will be releasing in March, giving Oasis a second chance, having all of the band’s recordings (on a hard drive) stolen from their car during recording session and most importantly how much...
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The Devil Is In It w/ John Stubbings
Today I’m joined by author John Stubbings to talk about his book The Devil Is In It: A History of the Acoustic Guitar. We chatted about how John’s love for guitars took him from guitar player to collector and eventually an author, chronicling the instrument’s journey from its origins in Europe to...
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On Common Ground w Graven (aka Matty McKechnie)
On today’s episode of Hard Folk, Graven (aka Matty McKechnie) and I have a lot in common to the point where I’ve been mistaken for him a few times. We’re both Ottawa based singer songwriters & podcasters, we’re both releasing new albums this year (Graven’s latest is called “Geographics”), we’re...
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Building the Community w Anne Marie Brugger
Anne Marie Brugger eats, sleeps and breathes folk music. You can hear her as one of the regular rotation hosts on CKCU’s show Canadian Spaces and she also created the Femme Vox concert series which shines a light on (mostly local) female singer-songwriters. Over the years Anne Marie has been a...
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Following the Inspiration w Jordan Holman aka Kentucky
On today’s episode of the Hard Folk podcast, I’m joined Jordan Holman aka Kentucky. Kentucky goes where the music takes him. Throughout his musical journey, Jordan has found himself in Toronto, New York and London before coming to the realization that he was going to die soon if he didn’t stop...
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Paving Her Own Way w Loch Nisse Monster aka Nisse Anonby
Loch Nisse Monster has a vision. Also known as Nisse Anonby, she has her hand in many different aspects of the Ottawa music scene. She’s organized shows and festivals, worked behind the scenes with Folk Music Ontario conference, co-hosts the Thursday Morning Blend on CKCU, reports regularly on…
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Advocating from the Outside w Brian Tremblay
On today’s episode of Hard Folk, I chat with Brian Tremblay. Taking inspiration from the likes of Steve Earle and Townes Van Zandt, Brian has embraced his “outsider status”. It’s more than living far away from larger music hubs in Sault Ste Marie; Brian advocates for fair compensation for fellow...
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Unintentional Prog w Doug Hempstead (aka Area Resident)
Today I chat with Doug Hempstead (aka Area Resident). Even before he says it near the end of this episode, Doug’s love for music jumps out of the speakers and hits you square in the face. We talked about his latest album “Protonopia” and took a deep dive into how he literally constructs a song....
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Trad & True w Karson McKeown
On today’s Hard Folk, I reconnect with Karson McKeown. In what seems like a lifetime ago, Karson and I worked together at the Ottawa Folklore Centre. After the store closed, Karson dived deep into teaching fiddle and performing live, which helped pay his way through the architecture program at...
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“Write Something Stupid” w Pat Pattison
Today on Hard Folk, I interview acclaimed author and professor at Berklee College of Music Pat Pattison. We took a deep dive on songwriting and I did my best to get out of the way and listen to one of the biggest influences on modern songwriters. We talked about how Pat made the surprisingly…
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Instinct & Inspiration w/ Kalle Mattson
Today’s episode of Hard Folk features singer-songwriter Kalle Mattson. He’s got his hands full as one half of the duo Summersets, releasing “Move Back Home” earlier this fall as well as teaching songwriting at Carleton University. We talked about finding his way through the ever-evolving music...
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Navigating Harmony w/ Libby & Cal
Today on Hard Folk, I’m joined by Libby & Cal. We talked about their songwriting process, Sad Girl Cafe, the stress, hassle & paperwork involved in crossing the US Border to play music and took a bit of a deep dive into the world of autoharps. Libby & Cal will be playing the 2nd CKCU Presents...
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The Many Evolutions of James Leclaire
Today on Hard Folk, I’m joined by Ottawa singer-songwriter James Leclaire. We talked about James’ many evolutions: evolving from punk bands to a solo artists, retiring from a career in animation to making music his full-time gig. We also laud the versatility and artistic influence of Steve Earle...
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A Beginner’s Mind w/ Abby O’Brien
Today on Hard Folk, I’m joined by Toronto Star reporter Abby O’Brien. Abby’s regular beat is in crime reporting, however a recent article about her first experience performing at an open mic caught my eye. In the article Abby talks about jumping out of her comfort zone and overcoming her fear of...
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Curtis Jones
Curtis Jones joins the podcast to chronicle his journey from making home recordings to having kids and in the past year performing live for the first time as a solo artist. Side Door Access Presents: Curtis Jones w/ special guests Matt Gower and Vic (from Victor Complex) Meow! That’s Hot 519 Bank...
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Birdie Whyte
Ottawa folksinger Birdie Whyte joins the Friday Night Folkcast to talk prostest songs and to promote her fundraiser for the Ottawa Food Bank: All Together Now - Area Players Sing Songs of Protest, at the Dominion Tavern on Friday Sept. 26th @ 9pm.
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Bon Echo
Matt welcomes folk duo Bon Echo aka Tim Loten & Emma Houlahan. They talk about the similarities and differences between the Canadian and UK folk scenes, recording at Abbey Road Studios, adapting the themes and stylings of opera to folk music and the darkness that haunts old time music. CKCU...
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Krystal Jessup
Self-professed travel junkie, singer/songwriter Krystal Jessup blends her nomadic storytelling with emotive vocals to create a uniquely soulful collection of contemporary folk songs. Listen to Krystal’s album Throwing Pennies on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your music. Host Matt Gower and...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Hard Folk is a podcast about the people who make music or contribute to their community. It takes equal parts insanity and commitment to get up on stage and bear your soul. In reality insanity and commitment are the tip of the iceberg: it takes courage, hustle, dedication, artistic vision, perseverance, belief in yourself… This is your story, this is my story, this is our story. This is Hard Folk.
HOSTED BY
Matt Gower
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Hard Folk with Matt Gower have?
Hard Folk with Matt Gower currently has 35 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Hard Folk with Matt Gower about?
Hard Folk is a podcast about the people who make music or contribute to their community. It takes equal parts insanity and commitment to get up on stage and bear your soul. In reality insanity and commitment are the tip of the iceberg: it takes courage, hustle, dedication, artistic vision,...
How often does Hard Folk with Matt Gower release new episodes?
Hard Folk with Matt Gower has 35 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Hard Folk with Matt Gower?
You can listen to Hard Folk with Matt Gower on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Hard Folk with Matt Gower?
Hard Folk with Matt Gower is created and hosted by Matt Gower.
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