Zarna Garg treats comedy as a business, not an art form

After 16 years as a stay-at-home mom, Zarna Garg felt like she needed to reinvent herself. She tried a few different business ventures (disposable toothbrushes, vegan chilli and matchmaking), but none of them stuck. Then she decided to give comedy a go and everything changed. Now, Zarna has released a new stand-up special, "Practical People Win,” which highlights her unlikely journey into comedy. She joins Tom Power to talk about her business-oriented approach to her work, and how it sometimes pays off to take big risks when life tells you to play it safe.

Last summer, Queens of the Stone Age became the first-ever band to perform inside the Catacombs of Paris, where the remains of six million people are kept. That performance was captured in a new concert film and live five-song EP, “Alive in the Catacombs.” Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme joins Tom Power to talk about the project, his lifelong fascination with death, and how performing inside the Paris Catacombs made him think about his own life in new ways.

Little Simz is one of the most acclaimed rappers in the world right now. In 2022, she won the prestigious Mercury Prize for her album “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert.” But after falling out with her longtime producer and collaborator, the British rapper started thinking maybe music wasn’t for her anymore. Little Simz joins Tom Power to tell us why and how she turned that around to create her latest studio album, “Lotus.”

In his new book, “Richard Manuel: His Life and Music, from the Hawks and Bob Dylan to The Band,” renowned music archivist and podcaster Stephen T. Lewis explores the life and legacy of Richard Manuel, one of Canada’s most talented and influential musicians. Stephen joins Tom Power to tell why he was so enthralled by the story of a self-taught musician from Stratford, Ont., who became a rock and roll legend.

When actor Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Castle, The Rookie) was growing up as a quiet comic book kid in Edmonton, he never imagined he would one day be up on the big screen with Superman. Now, he’s living out his childhood dream with his latest role as Guy Gardner — one of the characters known as Green Lantern — in the new “Superman” movie. Nathan joins Tom Power to talk about his path leading up to this pinch-me moment, how he got over his shyness, and why his advice to emerging actors is to “pretend to be bold.”

What if the bad guy in your nightmare didn’t chase you, but tried to tickle you to death? That’s just one of the Inuit legends reimagined by the Inuit throat singing duo PIQSIQ on their haunting new album, “Legends.” Sisters Tiffany Ayalik and Inuksuk Mackay of PIQSIQ join Tom Power to talk about the record and why they’re embracing Inuit traditions in non-traditional ways. Plus, they set up their new song, “Mahaha: Tickling Demon.”

For nearly three decades, Simple Plan has been one of the most successful bands to come out of Canada, selling more than 10 million albums worldwide. Now, a new documentary, “Simple Plan: The Kids in the Crowd” offers a look into the band's journey from playing basement shows in Montreal to achieving global stardom. Simple Plan’s Pierre Bouvier and Chuck Comeau sit down with Tom Power to talk about their perseverance in the pop-punk genre, the brotherhood behind the band, and how beautiful and fragile that creative bond can be. In case you missed it, you might also like Tom’s interview with Blink-182's Mark Hoppus.

Jerry cans, bottles of soy sauce and canned meats — these are just some of the everyday objects portrayed in Tarralik Duffy’s exhibit, “Gasoline Rainbows.” Back in 2023, the multidisciplinary Inuk artist joined guest host Saroja Coelho to talk about finding beauty in everyday objects, the unexpected ways we remember home, and how her art connects her to her ancestors. If you want to see some examples of Tarralik’s work, visit our website at cbc.ca/q.

Toronto-born comedian Steph Tolev has been described as "gross,” "dirty” and "painfully real.” She’s built an entire career on raunchy jokes about everything from bad dates to bathroom humour. Now, she’s releasing her first Netflix special, "Filth Queen.” Steph joins guest host Talia Schlanger to tell us how she developed her niche, why she had to leave Canada to get her big break, and why she wants women to feel comfortable farting in front of people.

Deantha Edmunds is Canada’s first Inuk professional opera singer. Last year, she was appointed to the Order of Canada, and earlier this month, she was honoured at the Canada Day ceremony in Ottawa. In this conversation with Tom Power from 2024, Deantha talks about the forgotten classical music tradition of the Labrador Inuit, as well as her own journey in music.