Polaris Podcast

Past winners Buffy Sainte-Marie and Tanya Tagaq discuss their new collaborative song, “You Got To Run (Spirit Of The Wind).” Recorded in fall 2016 with producer Jon Levine (Nelly Furtado, K’naan, Drake) and mixed by Howie Beck (Feist, Hannah Georgas, Jason Collett), the song is inspired by champion dogsled racer George Attla, who competed in the first-ever Iditarod dog sled race in 1973 and was the subject of the 1979 film, Spirit Of The Wind.

Featuring interviews with Arcade Fire, Blue Rodeo, Patrick Watson, and author Michael Barclay, this episode explores four Heritage Prize-winning albums—Blue Rodeo's 'Five Days In July,' Mary Margaret O'Hara's 'Miss America,' Arcade Fire's 'Funeral,' and Lhasa's 'La Llorona.'  

Eight albums were honoured with the 2016 Slaight Family Heritage Prize. Jurors Michael Barclay and Pierre Landry discuss Neil Young's 'After The Gold Rush,' Leonard Cohen's 'Songs Of Leonard Cohen,' Rush's 'Moving Pictures,' and Kate and Anna McGarrigle's S/T album. Anna McGarrigle describes the first song she ever wrote, and the last time she sang with her sister. Young Galaxy's Catherine McCandless talks about life in Montreal after Leonard Cohen's death. 

We dive into Kaytranada's '99.9%,' the album that won the 2016 Polaris Music Prize. First, someone who was right beside Kaytranada literally banging his hands on the stage—bassist Chester Hansen of BADBADNOTGOOD. Next, CBC Music's Del Cowie shares the argument for '99.9%' that helped win over the rest of the Polaris Grand Jury. Then, juror Anupa Mistry talks to Kaytranada shortly after his Polaris victory at Red Bull Music Academy, discussing the Montreal piu piu scene where he got his start as a beatmaker.

Welcome to the first ever episode of the Polaris Podcast. In this episode, we'll dig deep with a look at the 10 albums on the 2016 Polaris Music Prize Short List. One of those 10 albums will win this year's prize at the Polaris Gala on September 19 and we've assembled jurors from across the country who'll explain to host Lana Gay why their favourite album should win.