Manitoba music, one conversation at a time.
Witchpolice Radio treats Manitoba music as a living archive, one loose, generous conversation at a time. Artists talk through new records, shifting sounds, old projects, local scenes, and the odd train whistle take.
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Witchpolice Radio is a Manitoba music interview show with a steady, community-radio pulse. It is built on conversations rather than segments. The shape is familiar in a good way: a guest introduces the project, the interviewer asks where the sound comes from, and the talk gradually finds the useful side paths. Those side paths matter. A question about indie rock can become a discussion of dream pop, grunge, garage rock, and the limits of genre labels. A chat with Poison Suckers can pause on the practical difficulty of getting enough breath through a train whistle. The show is comfortable with that kind of detail. It lets musicians sound like working artists, not polished bios. Winnipeg and the wider Manitoba scene sit at the center, but the conversations do not treat that scene as one thing. There are returning guests with long histories, newer artists still finding their sound, folk Americana duos who have lost track of the years, and players thinking about reggae, ska, calypso, dancehall, spirituals, country, blues, gospel, and pop lineage. The best episodes feel like check-ins across time. Artists come back after earlier appearances with new records, changed bands, or a different sense of where their work is headed. That long view gives the show its quiet value. It is less about chasing novelty than noticing development. The tone stays casual and warm, with enough curiosity to turn a standard band-background question into something more revealing. Listeners get scene memory, recording anecdotes, genre talk, local context, and the practical texture of making music in and around Manitoba. It is especially good for people who like hearing artists describe their work in their own pace. Nothing feels rushed. The archive feels accumulated, not manufactured.
Made for: For listeners who follow local and independent music scenes, especially people curious about Manitoba artists, band histories, and how songs take shape. It also fits anyone who likes relaxed artist interviews with room for tangents and context.
What sets it apart: Its strength is continuity: returning guests are often heard years apart, so careers can be followed as they change. The show also keeps its focus close to Manitoba while allowing many sounds and traditions into the conversation.
Acclaimed Manitoba-centric music interview podcast. Hosted by Winnipeg journalist and massive record nerd Sam Thompson. Music talk radio, broadcasting from 2012 'til forever. DIY or die.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Sam Thompson follows musicians across releases and lineups, making the practical workings of Manitoba's music scene unusually visible.
Witchpolice Radio treats the music interview as an ongoing relationship. Sam Thompson welcomes returning artists back to discuss new work, then traces what has changed in their writing, recording, collaborations, and place in the local scene.
Sam Thompson turns Winnipeg's music scene into a living family album, then hands you the liner notes.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A focused music conversation linking spirituals, work songs, and the band lineup, with a brief road-trip detour.
Witchpolice Radio draws a clear line from spirituals and work songs into reggae, ska, calypso, dancehall, country, and even the clapping pulse of "We Will Rock You." The host lets the guest build that chain at a steady pace, and the talk briefly opens onto summer road-trip…
A Manitoba music conversation that feels lived-in, local, and culturally aware.
The conversation broadens Witchpolice Radio’s view, centering a guest from outside Winnipeg and the wider Manitoba music scene. It follows the guest’s path through a French band, polka work, and later reggae connections with other players in Winnipeg, giving the discussion a…
A relaxed Winnipeg rap catch-up about collaboration, local identity, and a forthcoming project with its instrumentals included.
Len Bowen's Witchpolice Radio catch-up focuses on how a Winnipeg MC chooses collaborators and carries a sense of place into music made with people from elsewhere.
A relatively new Winnipeg band turns Sonic covers and Paramore sets into unusual local-scene openings.
A relatively new Winnipeg band comes into focus through the productive mess of not choosing just one lane. Sonic covers, original songs, and a Solaramore/Paramore set have opened doors beyond the usual local-venue bill, taking the group from Game Fest and Street Feast at the…
A loose, funny look at how Poison Suckers grows from a recording project into a fuller live band.
Poison Suckers comes across as a conversation about a recording project learning how to take up space onstage. Joanne Rodriguez talks through singing and moving among guitar, bass, trumpet, train whistle, and block, while Joe explains how drums, bass, and guitar shaped the…
A thoughtful catch-up about making songs before perfectionism has time to take over.
Jacob Berdovsky's return to Witchpolice Radio centers on the practical pressure of making a record with limited time and money, with the long shadow of a previous two-year project still hanging over the conversation.
Joe Wong interviews drummers and musicians about craft, history, and the working musician's life.
Lij Shaw interviews producers and engineers about mic technique, mixing, and studio business.
Ian Shepherd and working mastering engineers dig into Atmos, loudness wars, and vinyl cutting.
Co-hosts Ed Thorne and Paul Third dissect mixing, mastering, and studio gear with working engineers.
This episode of Witch Police Radio features a conversation with frequent guest Rob Crooks, who discusses his music career and the local band merch industry in Winnipeg.
Sam Thompson interviews Joanne Rodriguez and Joe from the Winnipeg band Poison Suckers on Witchpolice Radio.
This episode is an abridged audio version of a two-hour video podcast conversation between the host and Joel from Peg City Soundoff, focusing on podcasting topics like their respective shows, upcoming milestones, and aspects of the local music scene.
This episode of Witch Police Radio features an interview with Neil Wood, the founder of the reggae band Dub City Foundation, discussing the band's origins in Winnipeg and their performance at the Soka Reggae Fest.
This episode of Witch Police Radio features an interview with musician and artist Stephanie Westdal, discussing her diverse creative work including music, collages, jewelry, and a new event series.
Host Sam Thompson interviews returning guest Jacob Brodovsky, a Winnipeg singer-songwriter, about his new album 'Tell the Kids We Tried' releasing July 10, 2026.
Jeremy, performing as Jay Williams, explains how Mr.
The host interviews the indie rock band Mise en Scene, discussing their musical background, genre influences, and evolution as artists over time.
The host interviews Joanne Rodriguez and Joe from the band Poison Suckers, discussing their musical roles, instruments, and humorous anecdotes about recording with unconventional items like a train whistle.
The host interviews singer-songwriter Jacob Brodovsky about his music career, catching up since his last appearance on the show around his 2022 album release and discussing his new music.
This episode features an interview with folk Americana duo Two Crows for Comfort, discussing their music career and background after a long hiatus from the show.
This episode features an interview with pop singer-songwriter Chandler Pretty from Winnipeg, discussing her music style, creative process, and entry into the music scene.
This episode of Witch Police Radio features an interview with Marshall from the Winnipeg rock band Dog Pops, discussing the band's evolution since their last appearance on the show.
Sam Thompson opens by talking about how the show keeps introducing him to people he might not otherwise meet.
Witchpolice Radio heads outside Winnipeg for this one.
Len Bowen, a Winnipeg recording artist and MC with more than 20 years of experience, discusses his project If You Don't See Me, You Saw Me and the single Forward Forward.
Witchpolice Radio interviews Winnipeg band Solaire, whose members describe their sound as J-rock influenced by math rock, anime, emo, pop punk, and classic rock.