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PODCAST

Hard Folk with Matt Gower

Hard Folk is a podcast about the people who make music or contribute to their community. It takes equal parts insanity and commitment to get up on stage and bear your soul. In reality insanity and commitment are the tip of the iceberg: it takes courage, hustle, dedication, artistic vision, perseverance, belief in yourself… This is your story, this is my story, this is our story. This is Hard Folk.

music music interviews

All Episodes

00:35:40

Community and Connection w Suzanne Nuttall

Hard Folk with Matt Gower ·

2026/04/03

Suzanne Nuttall has only been a part of the Ottawa music scene for a few years, but as I said in today’s show it’s felt like she’s been entrenched in the community for much longer. Suzanne’s story is a great example for aspiring musicians to follow. She made the move to Ottawa from Toronto and put herself right out there, attending open stages and making connections with fellow musicians. And Suzanne made sure to include those connections in her album release show at Night Oat (750 Gladstone) on

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00:34:55

Songwriting & Stability w Woods of Light

Hard Folk with Matt Gower ·

2026/03/27

About five years ago I sold Brian Gunther a Martin guitar. He was just settling into a more stable existence, which gave him the opportunity to begin his pathway towards writing and recording original music. Along with that Martin guitar, I was able to give Brian some advice and encouragement to get started and we’ve been writing back and forth to each other on Instagram we’ve since. We delved into finding a balance between work, family & music, how a love of progressive rock & metal led to his

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00:35:53

The Authentic Ethan Mitchell

Hard Folk with Matt Gower ·

2026/03/16

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Ethan Mitchell for the Hard Folk podcast. What really stood out to me was his voice. I’m not talking about his singing voice, although he does exude a certain vintage authenticity. What I mean is that it’s evident in Ethan’s songwriting that he knows who he is and doesn’t shy away from that. And really, that’s the most important lesson any aspiring songwriter can learn. It’s taken me years to develop my voice and the fact that Ethan has done this at such

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00:37:27

Keeping it Loose w Jack Pine

Hard Folk with Matt Gower ·

2026/03/02

Today I’m joined by Gareth Auden-Hole, better known as Jack Pine. We talked a lot about the history of his band Jack Pine and the Fire, we also discussed his more open songwriting process as a solo artist compared to the approach he brought to “The Fire”. Later on, we talked about his tour through western Ontario & Manitoba and the joy of playing more intimate venues in smaller towns. Jack Pine will be featured along with Lefty McRighty at CKCU Presents Friday Night Folk at Art House Cafe March 6th

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00:37:58

Big Small Talk w Lefty McRighty

Hard Folk with Matt Gower ·

2026/02/23

Today I’m joined by Greg Beaudoin, better known as Lefty McRighty to folks in the Ottawa music scene. We talked a lot about mental health and the importance of therapy, especially for people in the arts community. We also talked about the dynamic between Greg and his wife Tracy, working closely together on their CKCU radio show Feelin’ Alright as well as in their duo Catbird.Lefty McRighty will be featured along with Jack Pine at CKCU Presents Friday Night Folk at Art House Cafe March 6th. Tickets

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00:30:27

The Shifting Love Triangle w John Allaire

Hard Folk with Matt Gower ·

2026/02/19

I’m joined by John Allaire to discuss the ever shifting triangle between artists, venues and audiences. After an initial run of success at Brews & Blues in Stittsville, attendance started tapering off, leading to a cancellation of John’s Thursday shows (note: The Allaire Show on Saturday afternoons at Quinn’s is still going strong). After recently posting a clip of my podcast where I discussed the “love triangle”, I thought it’d be good timing to get the perspective from a veteran of the Ottawa

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00:37:46

Second Chances w Colin Prentice

Hard Folk with Matt Gower ·

2026/02/13

Today on Hard Folk, I’m joined by Colin Prentice. We talked about the upcoming single his band Baby Richman will be releasing in March, giving Oasis a second chance, having all of the band’s recordings (on a hard drive) stolen from their car during recording session and most importantly how much Algonquin College’s Music Industry Arts program impacted his career as a musician. Visit https://ottawamic.com/news/miamatters to sign the petition to keep the MIA program at Algonquin College running!The

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00:32:14

The Devil Is In It w/ John Stubbings

Hard Folk with Matt Gower ·

2026/02/06

Today I’m joined by author John Stubbingsto talk about his book The Devil Is In It: A History of the Acoustic Guitar. We chatted about how John’s love for guitars took him from guitar player to collector and eventually an author, chronicling the instrument’s journey from its origins in Europe to its evolution in the USA.

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00:40:13

On Common Ground w Graven (aka Matty McKechnie)

Hard Folk with Matt Gower ·

2026/01/23

On today’s episode of Hard Folk, Graven (aka Matty McKechnie) and I have a lot in common to the point where I’ve been mistaken for him a few times. We’re both Ottawa based singer songwriters & podcasters, we’re both releasing new albums this year (Graven’s latest is called “Geographics”), we’re both devoted dads and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that he’s as big of a baseball nut as I am. We also discussed how challenging Ottawa’s music scene can be for performers. We zeroed in a couple of

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00:28:20

Building the Community w Anne Marie Brugger

Hard Folk with Matt Gower ·

2026/01/13

Anne Marie Brugger eats, sleeps and breathes folk music. You can hear her as one of the regular rotation hosts on CKCU’s show Canadian Spaces and she also created the Femme Vox concert series which shines a light on (mostly local) female singer-songwriters. Over the years Anne Marie has been a stalwart for community radio, starting at CHUO with her show Hop the Fence, before eventually taking on the role as acting director of CKCU. She’s also been a strong advocate for Ottawa’s underrated music

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00:35:35

Following the Inspiration w Jordan Holman aka Kentucky

Hard Folk with Matt Gower ·

2026/01/06

On today’s episode of the Hard Folk podcast, I’m joined Jordan Holman aka Kentucky. Kentucky goes where the music takes him. Throughout his musical journey, Jordan has found himself in Toronto, New York and London before coming to the realization that he was going to die soon if he didn’t stop doing drugs. Now on the other side of his addiction, Jordan found himself based in the tiny, picturesque town of Almonte, Ontario where he does the work: writing songs (and a book!), recording and producing in

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00:25:32

Paving Her Own Way w Loch Nisse Monster aka Nisse Anonby

Hard Folk with Matt Gower ·

2025/12/22

Loch Nisse Monster has a vision. Also known as Nisse Anonby, she has her hand in many different aspects of the Ottawa music scene. She’s organized shows and festivals, worked behind the scenes with Folk Music Ontario conference, co-hosts the Thursday Morning Blend on CKCU, reports regularly on the music scene through her social media pages and most importantly is a prolific singer-songwriter. U Unlike her Scottish cryptid counterpart, Loch Nisse Monster is anything but elusive, playing shows all

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00:35:45

Advocating from the Outside w Brian Tremblay

Hard Folk with Matt Gower ·

2025/12/15

On today’s episode of Hard Folk, I chat with Brian Tremblay. Taking inspiration from the likes of Steve Earle and Townes Van Zandt, Brian has embraced his “outsider status”. It’s more than living far away from larger music hubs in Sault Ste Marie; Brian advocates for fair compensation for fellow musicians, hosts a podcast to amplify the voices of his musical peers and carries this integrity into how he lives his life as an independent artist.

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00:37:12

Unintentional Prog w Doug Hempstead (aka Area Resident)

Hard Folk with Matt Gower ·

2025/12/04

Today I chat with Doug Hempstead (aka Area Resident). Even before he says it near the end of this episode, Doug’s love for music jumps out of the speakers and hits you square in the face. We talked about his latest album “Protonopia” and took a deep dive into how he literally constructs a song. From borrowing drum tracks to making up syllables & lyrics to fit the melody Doug’s method is a fascinating case study in thinking outside the boundaries of traditional song structures.Area Resident plays at

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00:28:11

Trad & True w Karson McKeown

Hard Folk with Matt Gower ·

2025/12/01

On today’s Hard Folk, I reconnect with Karson McKeown. In what seems like a lifetime ago, Karson and I worked together at the Ottawa Folklore Centre. After the store closed, Karson dived deep into teaching fiddle and performing live, which helped pay his way through the architecture program at Algonquin College. Eventually, after a one-off gig on PEI, Karson was offered a teaching job and made the move back home. Along the way, he started the band Inn Echo who have gone on to great success, touring

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00:37:10

“Write Something Stupid” w Pat Pattison

Hard Folk with Matt Gower ·

2025/11/24

Today on Hard Folk, I interview acclaimed author and professor at Berklee College of Music Pat Pattison. We took a deep dive on songwriting and I did my best to get out of the way and listen to one of the biggest influences on modern songwriters. We talked about how Pat made the surprisingly smooth transition from teaching philosophy & logic to teaching songwriting, the importance of object writing, the how English is a complex language to write in and so much more.

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00:26:15

Instinct & Inspiration w/ Kalle Mattson

Hard Folk with Matt Gower ·

2025/11/17

Today’s episode of Hard Folk features singer-songwriter Kalle Mattson. He’s got his hands full as one half of the duo Summersets, releasing “Move Back Home” earlier this fall as well as teaching songwriting at Carleton University. We talked about finding his way through the ever-evolving music industry, how social media has influenced the craft of songwriting, how & when to use the wealth of tools that he’s amassed with his own songwriting, Jeff Tweedy, the myth that is writer’s block and we squeeze

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00:31:10

Navigating Harmony w/ Libby & Cal

Hard Folk with Matt Gower ·

2025/11/05

Today on Hard Folk, I’m joined by Libby & Cal. We talked about their songwriting process, Sad Girl Cafe, the stress, hassle & paperwork involved in crossing the US Border to play music and took a bit of a deep dive into the world of autoharps. Libby & Cal will be playing the 2nd CKCU Presents Friday Night Folk on Friday November 14th at Art House Cafe (555 Somerset St W) with James Leclaire. Visit thearthouse.ca for tickets.

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00:33:26

The Many Evolutions of James Leclaire

Hard Folk with Matt Gower ·

2025/10/29

Today on Hard Folk, I’m joined by Ottawa singer-songwriter James Leclaire. We talked about James’ many evolutions: evolving from punk bands to a solo artists, retiring from a career in animation to making music his full-time gig. We also laud the versatility and artistic influence of Steve Earle and the importance of self-reliance and self-confidence in the music industry. James Leclaire will be playing the 2nd CKCU Presents Friday Night Folk on Friday November 14th at Art House Cafe (555 Somerset

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00:17:35

A Beginner’s Mind w/ Abby O’Brien

Hard Folk with Matt Gower ·

2025/10/22

Today on Hard Folk, I’m joined by Toronto Star reporter Abby O’Brien. Abby’s regular beat is in crime reporting, however a recent article about her first experience performing at an open mic caught my eye. In the article Abby talks about jumping out of her comfort zone and overcoming her fear of failure. What she didn’t expect was being welcomed into a vibrant community that includes the likes of artists, DIYers and urban gardeners.

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24 results

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