PODCAST · music
Hidden Track
by CKUA Radio
We all remember the moment we discovered that secret song on one of our favourite albums. Often, those hidden gems provide a revealing peek behind-the-curtain, leading us to new insights about the artists and recordings we thought we knew. CKUA's Hidden Track podcast aims to do the same, by bringing you stories that change the way you experience music. Any given week, we'll get to the heart of the song with the musician who wrote it, reflect on a landmark recording with the producer and engineer who helped shape it, or examine the legacy of a musical icon with the critic, biographer or industry player who knows them best. Whoever the guest may be, each episode will provide a moment of discovery you won't soon forget.
Episodes
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Colin James | Hidden Track Ep. 121
For over 40 years, Canadian blues rock singer Colin James has cemented his double-platinum status with hits like "Five Long Years", "Voodoo Thing", and "Just Came Back". Now, the illustrious musician reflects on his journey with the debut of his book: Playing the Changes: A Musician's Memoir. In...
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Music Yukon Collaboration 2026 Part 2 | Hidden Track Ep. 120
This episode wraps up our third annual collaboration with Music Yukon. This session of the Hidden Track podcast brings in two more artists from Canada's north. Ryan McNally and Claire Ness & The Rubies are the featured artists for this edition of the podcast. First up is Ryan McNally. His...
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Music Yukon Collaboration 2026 Part 1 | Hidden Track Ep. 119
This episode marks the start of our third annual collaboration with Music Yukon, where we feature the talented Northern artists they support in heading down to perform as part of the Edmonton International Fringe Festival. We're starting off strong with a two-part episode featuring two amazing...
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Valerie June | Hidden Track Ep. 118
Valerie June's music is grounded in blues, country, Appalachian folk, gospel, and other veins of earthy roots music; but at the same time, it reaches for the heavens. She's been deeply rooted in rural Tennessee her whole life, yet her music has also been informed by being based in Brooklyn for…
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July Talk | Hidden Track Ep. 117
How do you celebrate the 10th anniversary of an album that went gold, won a Juno Award, represents an artistic breakthrough, and seemingly foretold the deeply divided, disconnected world we inhabit today? Well, if you're the band July Talk, you take those songs on a cross-country tour, you record...
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Broken Social Scene | Hidden Track Ep. 116
The band Broken Social Scene is a group that's all about creative friendships, inspiring and building upon each other's contributions, and collective joy through sharing music on as big a scale as possible. Their greatly anticipated new album Remember the Humans is the first in more than 20 years...
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Cat Clyde | Hidden Track Ep. 115
This episode of the Hidden Track podcast features Cat Clyde, a singer, songwriter and guitar player who has been making music for about 10 years. CKUA's Grant Stovel chats with this young artist on the stage of the Drumheller Legion during the Cold Bones Festival as she is about to release her…
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The East Pointers | Hidden Track Ep. 114
Just like their music, a visit with East Pointers is always profound conversation — but feels just like a kitchen party! There were, initially, three East Pointers when this band started a dozen years ago. Tim Chaisson, his cousin Koady Chaisson, and their great friend Jake Charron, were the key...
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Jenn Grant | Hidden Track Ep. 113
Cradled By the Waves is the title of Jenn Grant's wildly creative new stage show — a live multimedia expression of the music found on her latest album, Queen of the Strait. It's about family, life, death, art, relationships, nostalgia, home, love, heartbreak, and how, as she sings on the album's...
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Katie Tupper | Hidden Track Ep. 112
While she's been releasing singles and EPs since the beginning of the 2020s, Katie Tupper has just released her debut record. She may be in her mid-20s, but Katie's been an artist to watch for many years already. This full-length album provides her with the space to stretch her musical…
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Jed and the Valentine | Hidden Track Ep. 111
Season 7 of the Hidden Track podcast launches with a conversation and performance by Edmonton duo Jed & the Valentine. Maria Khaner and Jonah Morris were dating two years before they started writing songs together. They released their first album Awake, in 2024 and their 2025 album In Like a…
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Season 6 Finale: A Hidden Track Holiday 2
Twas the season of giving at fair CKUA So we gathered some artists, for a Hidden Track Holiday! In the music library they played, bringing songs of good cheer To help us close the sixth season, another great year! They shared festive tall tales and holiday fables As well as what they love most on...
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Hidden Track x Music Yukon | Part 4
It's Part Four of Hidden Track's collaboration with Music Yukon. In this Hidden Track Session, we visit with a trio of artists who amply demonstrate the phenomenally wide spectrum of music-makers who call the Yukon home: John from Dawson's dynamic rap; the piano artistry of singer-songwriter…
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Shad | Elegies and Levity
In this episode of the Hidden Track podcast, we meet Canadian rapper Shadrach Kabango, better known as Shad. He has a new album, Start Anew, which hooks you in with songs exploring important and universal questions surrounding social, environmental, and cultural sustainability; passing the world...
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Hidden Track x Music Yukon | Part 3
Music Yukon returns to the Hidden Track podcast for another year of collaborations! The music of the north is the focus of this episode with performances from Electric Lemonade; Jamaican-born longtime New Yorker, now Yukon-dwelling rapper/ beatmaker/ indie rocker Ryan O'Neil; and the celebrated...
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Yves Jarvis | Beyond DIY
Musician, singer, and producer, Yves Jarvis remains connected to the music community in Calgary. In this Story episode of the Hidden Track podcast, you'll learn all about his connections to his old home province. All you need to do is listen to the title track from his album All Cylinders, which...
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Willi Carlisle | Finding Winged Victory
Hailing from Arkansas, Willi Carlisle is a grassroots folk musician who passed through Alberta in summer 2025, touring concert halls and theatres on a bill with Sierra Ferrell, followed by folk music festivals in Calgary, Canmore and Edmonton. This was all on the strength of his 2025 release, the...
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Peter Dreams | A Cinematic Life
Before arriving on the global stage, Peter Dreimanis - also known as Peter Dreams - grew up here in Alberta, falling in love with the arts in the vibrant Edmonton indie scene, becoming passionately involved at an early age in both music and film. After more than a dozen years co-fronting the...
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Bedouin Soundclash | Memory Is What You Know
Twenty-five years ago, Eon Sinclair and Jay Malinowski met by chance while moving into the same student dormitory. The ska/roots/reggae band that they would form emerged from Kingston – not the one in Jamaica, but the one in Ontario, home to Queens University. Eon and Jay had envisioned very...
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Tami Neilson | Light Up the Night
In 2007, Canadian-born country & soul singer/songwriter Tami Neilson moved to New Zealand to marry the love of her life. In this Hidden Track Story, she shares that journey and her dreams of joining the galaxy of true country stars. Neilson's new album, Neon Cowgirl, is inspired by experiences...
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Steve Marriner | Hear My Heart - Live
Blues and roots musician Steve Marriner is an accomplished singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. In the spring of 2025, he brought all that talent and his band to the Beresh Arts Den at CKUA to launch his new album, Hear My Heart. This episode of the Hidden Track podcast case…
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Jeremy Dutcher | Full Circle
For six seasons we at CKUA have had the opportunity to connect with a wide range of inspired artists, from Albertan expat sensation Feist, to folk/punk firebrand Frank Turner, multi-JUNO Award winning rock band July Talk and homegrown hip-hop great Cadence Weapon, to name a few! For episode 100…
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Reuben and the Bullhorn Singers | All These Roads, All These Rivers
A few years ago, Calgary musician Reuben Bullock invited the band the Bullhorn Singers to the stage at the Calgary Stampede. This sparked a collaboration which led the musicians to form Reuben and the Bullhorn Singers. Now they have debut album called All These Roads. In this episode of the…
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Amy Millan | Easy Now
Amy Millan is a Montreal-based artist who has been working at a full-on sprint pace with her main band Stars for more than two decades. She's also kept herself busy as a prolific contributor to Broken Social Scene. He musical life includes numerous collaborations. But this spring, at long last…
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Rose Cousins | Believe in Love
Rose Cousins is an artist who seems to possess amazing access to pure feeling. She is capable of heartbreaking tenderness one moment, and side-splitting hilarity the next. On her new album, Conditions of Love Vol. 1, she explores a full range of emotions, and she re-connects with the piano, an...
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Captain Tractor | It's Gold Gold!
Looking back on 30 years of Captain Tractor's hugely successful, beloved classic album East of Edson, practically everything about it seems unlikely. They came together as a bunch of theatre and music school kids, and became known all over Canada. With the release of that record, the band also…
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Starpainter | Live from Cold Bones
Cold Bones Fest was the site of this edition of the Hidden Track podcast, and Lethbridge band Starpainter takes centre stage. Starpainter is a favourite on the CKUA airwaves, and they have been outspoken about their support of the CKUA community. Their latest album, Rattlesnake Dream, has…
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Alan Doyle | Great Big CKUA
Canadian icon Alan Doyle shares his fascinating musical journey in this episode of the Hidden Track podcast. From his humble beginnings in Petty Harbour to performing on global stages, Doyle's narrative is filled with heartfelt reflections and vibrant storytelling. He discusses his evolution with...
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Caity Gyorgy & Mark Limacher | Modern Classics
Caity Gyorgy and Mark Limacher are a formidable musical duo known for their brilliance and creativity on and off stage. Caity, a two-time JUNO Award-winning singer and songwriter, and Mark, a versatile composer and pianist, share a unique bond that enhances their collaborative performances. Their...
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MOONRIIVR | A Magical World
MOONRIIVR is a band known for creating lush, cinematic, and atmospheric music inspired by timeless classics, yet uniquely personal in style. Comprised of seasoned musicians Gavin Gardiner and "Champagne" James Robertson, the duo brings a wealth of experience from the Southern Ontario music scene,...
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Wyatt C. Louis | Homespun
After releasing a captivating debut single called "Dancing with Sue" in June of 2020, Wyatt C. Louis created a stir that saw them gain fans across Alberta, Canada, and beyond. But it would be nearly four years until Wyatt's debut full-length album was released. The album Chandler, released on May...
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Tony D | Electric Life
We've got a live one here! This is a live session with the celebrated Canadian artist Tony D, who for decades has been known as an electrifying guitar talent, equally expressive in styles ranging from blues to swing to acid rock to flamenco! Tony has travelled the world playing music, and has a...
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Hidden Track x Music Yukon | Part 2
When you consider that the Yukon's population density is estimated to be roughly 0.07 people per square kilometre, it's kind of amazing the cultural imprint that the territory has made — both in terms of Canadian and global culture! The majestic, dramatic land made world-famous in classics…
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Joel Plaskett | Four Tracks and the Truth
Joel Plaskett first came to fame in the beloved rock band Thrush Hermit, a group who came together as teenagers in Halifax and barnstormed across Canada and beyond throughout the '90s with a dynamic stage show, plus an actual neon sign reading "Rock and Roll". In fact, last time Joel visited…
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Hidden Track x Music Yukon | Part 1
For this special episode, Hidden Track is doing something utterly different. This isn't a feature on one artist, song, or album. It casts a spotlight on a whole scene—on a whole Canadian Territory, in a sense! Yukon is a Canadian territory that's bigger than most countries on Earth, but its…
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Frazey Ford | Relentless Potential for Creativity
She's a musician whose artistic vision and songwriting are every bit as distinctive and expressive as that spectacular voice of hers. Frazey Ford's trademark tremulous croon first became well-known as part of the vocal blend for globally-renowned Vancouver folk music mainstays The Be Good Tanyas....
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Frank Turner | Acoustic Punk
In many ways, Frank is the perfect name for this well-loved singer-songwriter, producer, and eternal punk rock firebrand. Kind of like the many tattoos that adorn his arms, Frank Turner wears his heart right on his sleeve. Always unstintingly honest in all his artistic endeavours, Frank's music...
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Goldie Boutilier | Quiet on Set
As an artist, she's always been a bit of a shapeshifter. Over the course of her wildly diverse career, she's touched on numerous different genres, been signed to a series of major record labels, and made music under several monikers. Her journey has taken her from a tiny community on Nova…
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Michael Bernard Fitzgerald | A Real Kind of Freedom
Michael Bernard Fitzgerald is an artist who's always expressed what's most important to him through his songs. He's also been incredibly meticulous throughout his career, taking care to build a unique and heartfelt connection to his audience and striving to create an unforgettable live setting…
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Kaia Kater | Appetite for Healing
Kaia Kater has learned her craft through the influence of a diverse group of musical heroes, ranging from Herbie Hancock to Rhiannon Giddens. She recently turned her lens simultaneously inward and outward, to confront difficult truths and injustices – personally, historically, societally, and…
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Ellen Doty | Kaleidoscopic
The joy in the everyday, the continuous arc of life's changes and the way a simple shift in perspective can utterly transform one's experience... Ellen Doty's new album is a kind of musical meditation, a collection of songs that aims to bring some gentle joy to the listener's heart. Every Little...
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Cadence Weapon | Hometown Hero
A couple of seasons back, Hidden Track released a big Cadence Weapon special. We spoke with Rollie Pemberton (Cadence Weapon) himself, along with some key family, friends and collaborators. A whole lot has happened for Cadence Weapon since that episode's release. So, we felt it was time to…
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DakhaBrakha | Ethno-Chaos
DakhaBrakha combines traditional folk and punk, drawing inspiration from their Ukrainian homeland with a global sensibility. Melodies from the ancient past collide with future sounds. They like to describe their style as "ethno-chaos." At CKUA, we were treated to a visit from touring dignitaries...
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The Slackers | The Star We Aim For
Inspired by the energy, the soul and the message of classic ska, The Slackers have truly become legends themselves over the past 33 years. They first came together in New York City back in the early '90s, and studied at the feet of the masters, including members of Jamaican ska originators the...
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Major Love | Majorly Live!
For our first-ever live Hidden Track Session in front of an audience, we really lucked out! We wanted to do something special that brought artists together with members of the CKUA community for a spontaneous, in-the-moment experience – an intimate and exciting live musical performance alongside…
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Corb Lund | A Country Past and a Speed Metal Future
Ever the masterful crafter of musical stories, Corb Lund has just released his eleventh album El Viejo — a new collection that weaves together inventive narratives and introduces us to some compelling characters. On this record we encounter: a veteran card sharp dealing out hard-won wisdom, a...
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The Bros. Landreth | Years Passing By
The Bros. Landreth return to Hidden Track for a Season 5 Session! When they started their band, it was just an excuse to spend time together, given that the brothers David and Joey Landreth were often embroiled in their careers as top–call players in the Winnipeg music scene. The brothers came...
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The Rural Alberta Advantage | Found a Home Here
The Rural Alberta Advantage's much-anticipated October 2023 album The Rise & the Fall - their first in a half-dozen years - is once again chock full of Albertan references. However, it has also managed to connect with fans from around the world! Renowned UK newspaper The Independent named it one…
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Haley Blais | Cracking Wise
When you think about it, being a YouTuber isn't so different from being a singer-songwriter. In each case, you need to dig deep, be original, authentic and often get incredibly vulnerable – all while the world is looking on. Canadian singer/songwriter Haley Blais has proven truly brilliant in…
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This Is The Kit | Be Okay
Careful of Your Keepers, the sixth full-length album by This Is the Kit, ends with the mantra-like benediction of "Be Okay". It's a beautifully delicate place to land, after ten songs that navigate their way through a world full of actions, their equal and opposite reactions, and the inextricably...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
We all remember the moment we discovered that secret song on one of our favourite albums. Often, those hidden gems provide a revealing peek behind-the-curtain, leading us to new insights about the artists and recordings we thought we knew. CKUA's Hidden Track podcast aims to do the same, by bringing you stories that change the way you experience music. Any given week, we'll get to the heart of the song with the musician who wrote it, reflect on a landmark recording with the producer and engineer who helped shape it, or examine the legacy of a musical icon with the critic, biographer or industry player who knows them best. Whoever the guest may be, each episode will provide a moment of discovery you won't soon forget.
HOSTED BY
CKUA Radio
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Hidden Track have?
Hidden Track currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Hidden Track about?
We all remember the moment we discovered that secret song on one of our favourite albums. Often, those hidden gems provide a revealing peek behind-the-curtain, leading us to new insights about the artists and recordings we thought we knew. CKUA's Hidden Track podcast aims to do the same, by...
How often does Hidden Track release new episodes?
Hidden Track has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Hidden Track?
You can listen to Hidden Track 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 Hidden Track?
Hidden Track is created and hosted by CKUA Radio.
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