Kingston Live Podcast

On this episode, Johnny and Riley are joined by Kingston musicians Kyra Johnson (Kyra) and Sean Patterson (Nü Clarion), formerly of Oakridge Ave. Both artists share their perspectives on songwriting and recording, musical experimentation, and Kingston's music scene. Kyra shares her song from her Slaight Music Video Showcase project, and Sean shares a track from Nü Clarion's forthcoming album release, disB'lief, due out October 1, 2...

On September 12, 2026, Downtown Kingston will host the inaugural RoadTrip Music Festival. Its unconventional lineup warps the festival paradigm by mixing up musical styles and by blending local acts with touring acts from as far away as L.A. RoadTrip promises a refreshing, inclusive festival experience for residents and visitors alike, thanks to the vision of musical tastemakers Virginia Clark and Steve Jordan. In this episode, Ste...

Thanks to progressive musical acts like Angine de Poitrine, microtonal music is seeing a surge of interest. That's partly what's prompted Kingston musician James Mulvale to resurrect his abandoned musical recording and performance project FASTFAST. Our guest way back on episode 40, James returns to the podcast to share how a recent surprise call microtonal enthusiasts in Munich persuaded him to revive FASTFAST after a three-year hi...

Kingston's Céline Klein (Jamstone Productions) set out to make a documentary film exploring the theme of music and mental health through the lens of local artists. Though the project took some unexpected turns, Céline discusses the concept along with her subjects, Emily Fennel (Miss Emily) and Ricky Brant (KaKaow), who share some of the mental health and financial struggles they've faced over their musical careers. We first touched...

With the twenty first edition of Skeleton Park Arts Festival around the corner, we sit down with the organization's new Co-Artistic Director, Sol Castañeda, and longtime festival patron and participant, musician extraordinaire, Teilhard Frost. Together, they shed light on the significance of the annual, free and sustainably-run arts festival in McBurney Park, the spirit of inclusivity that fuels it, and the presence and impact the ...

Paul Langlois co-wrote some of The Tragically Hip's most iconic songs. Ten years after the band's final performance in Kingston, Paul reflects on his solo work and finding inspiration after The Hip, and shares details and music from his latest release, Smooth Rock Falls.

Chapters:
00:00:01 - Episode overview
00:02:39 - Paul's new album: Smooth Rock Falls
00:05:59 - Recording, mixing (and remixing) Smooth Rock Falls<...

In part two of our Inside the Isabel series, the Isabel's Senior Marketing Officer, Alyssa de Hoop, and Technical Director, Aaron Holmberg, detail interesting aspects of the performing arts centre's operations. They also share some funny behind-the-scenes stories, dispel some common misperceptions about the Isabel, and how the venue is working to support Kingston's many local acts and artists.   

Chapters:
0:00...

This month we go inside what has become one of Kingston's most treasured venues: The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. In part one of a special two-part episode, The Isabel's Director, Gordon E. Smith, explains the vision, history, development and significance of the Queen's University-run building as a public space, educational facility, cultural hub and world class performance hall.

Chapters:
0:22 Episode ove...

In recent years, Kingston's reputation as a rock or blues town has eclipsed the city's legacy as a thriving hub of jazz music. Local music enthusiast and Kingston Jazz Society president George Broughton joins host Pete to talk about the past, present and future of jazz in Kingston, and how to keep it accessible for generations to come.

Chapters:
0:22 Episode overview
1:48 Kingston's musical DNA: Jazz
6:10 Discoveri...

Born in Dublin, singer-songwriter Frank Ryan developed his artistry between London, Toronto, New York and L.A. On this episode, Frank shares how Kingston won his heart, what makes it a truly unique live music destination, and why he believes the city deserves the distinction as Canada's premier music city.

Chapters:
0:21 Episode overview
2:46 From Dublin to Kingston: Frank's journey
6:48 The value of mentorship
8...

Tucked away just north of Kingston in the town of Westport is The Cove Inn, a hidden gem that's been quietly gaining a reputation as a legendary Canadian live music venue. Johnny and Rob visit with the historic hotel's manager and music curator, Seamus Cowan, to understand how this country-pub-turned-community-hub has become a pillar of eastern Ontario's music scene, and how Seamus crafts unique and unforgettable experiences that k...

Following his departure from the iconic indie band he co-founded, Lowest of the Low, Stephen Stanley has continued writing, recording, releasing and touring his own brand of music as The Stephen Stanley Band. He also keeps busy hosting a long-running weekly radio show; reuniting with Low bandmates for occasional shows and mini-tours; collaborating with emerging Kingston artists, and organizing annual tribute concerts to his late fr...

Anna, Dee and Jesse of Forty Seven Teeth reunite with host Riley to reminisce about Kingston's punk and indie music scene, and share a new song from their forthcoming album. 

Chapters:
00:00:22 Episode overview
00:01:40 Fast forward to 2025
00:03:25 A new album in the works
00:05:33 Meeting your heroes… awkward!
00:06:28 Exclusivity and rebelliousness as performance draws
00:08:36 The all-ages m...

Is the music industry a mental health hazard? This is one of the many questions explored in this episode, as Johnny and first-time co-host, Jermaine Marshall, explore the mental health and wellness challenges of writing, recording and performing music with local artists Ricky Brant—who writes, records and performs music as KaKaow (and hosts Musiikki Café's popular weekly open mic night)—and Rich Tyo of JukeBox County, w...

Amherst Island Radio embodies the spirit of community radio. Broadcasting on 101.3 FM from their CJAI "world headquarters" on Amherst Island, and powered by a small army of passionate volunteers, they've forged a staunchly loyal listenership across the greater Kingston area. Station Manager, Eric Tremblay, reveals the stories and secrets that continue to fuel the station's success, including their recent expansion to mainland and n...

Friday's Child is the musical offspring of songwriter and vocalist, Krista Van Slingerland, and multi-instrumentalist and recording engineer, Evan Massey. Ahead of their forthcoming debut album, Broken Home Vol. 1, they discuss how their musical partnership survived their marriage, the power of community, and how making music together has helped them face individual mental health challenges.

Chapters:
00:00:00 Episode ove...

Mark Deen of The Winter in Canada drops by the studio for a spirited discussion spanning the band's origins and interesting secrets behind the recording of their new album (out July 1, 2025), to making music in the age of AI and the essential ingredients of Kingston's thriving music scene.

Chapters:
00:00:00 Episode overview
00:01:32 Introductions
00:02:09 Landing the band name
00:04:55 The allure of the Kingston...

In a deeply personal interview, Almonte, Ontario singer-songwriter Jordan Holman shares the inspiring story of the personal transformation that's motivating his musical project, Kentucky. He also shares his love for the Kingston music community that's embraced him, music from his forthcoming full-length LP, Second Chance Music, and details about a very unique local album release concert.

Chapters:
00:00:00 Episode overvi...

Over the past decade, Kingston's Kasador has been through a number of iterations, all while relentlessly touring and performing local shows, writing, recording and releasing new music and videos. In this episode, founding members Cameron Wyatt and Boris Baker reflect on the band's coalescence and chemistry, and share new music from one of two forthcoming self-produced EPs, due out this spring.

Chapters:

00:00:20 Episode overv...