The Essence of Cool

S2 - Ep 28 - Tim Thorney Part 3

On this final episode of Season 2, we finish our series on Canadian producer, singer/songwriter Tim Thorney by chatting with his long-time song writing partner, former Much Music VJ, Erica Ehm. Erica talks to us about how Tim's leap of faith helped transform her from a tv host to an award-winning songwriter and producer. She also describes how, after 10 years of writing together, Tim politely "broke up" with her to write with and produce Canadian music phenom, Alanis Morissette.

S2 - Ep 27 - Tim Thorney Part 2

On Part 2 of our series celebrating the life and legacy of Canadian producer, singer, songwriter Tim Thorney, we catch up with drummer to the stars Randy Cooke (Ringo Starr, Dave Stewart, Alanis Morissette etc) who discusses his 20-plus year history with Tim, working on jingles, Alanis Morissette songs, albums by other artists, and Tim’s own solo releases. We also chat with Juno-award winning engineer, producer, songwriter, Hill Kourkoutis who Tim called “the future” of music.

S2 - Ep 26 - Tim Thorney Part 1

Tim Thorney isn’t a household name, but perhaps he should be. The late singer/songwriter/producer worked with the likes of Alanis Morrisette, Lisa Dalbello, Burton Cummings, Jimmy Rankin and more. He also wrote some of the most memorable beer and car jingles, the type that got stuck in your heard for days. He won daytime Emmy, Gemini, and Juno awards, but it was his mentorship of and faith in the artists and musicians he worked with that truly defined him. During her induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Tim’s dear friend Alanis Morissette described him as the “ultimate port in the storm”, one of a very few individuals who would simply hold space for you. But he was also a musical genius. On this first of a 3-part series, we speak to Tim’s younger brother Tom about growing up in Winnipeg and watching him come to prominence as one of the most sought after music producers in the business, and his work with Alanis Morissette. Then we’ll talk to Adam Fair, Tim’s partner in Villa Sound, the studio where Tim would record his final album “Villa Freud”.

S2 - Ep 25 - Aaron Badgley

On this episode, we catch up with DJ, podcaster, and music journalist, Aaron Badgley. You might know Aaron from his radio shows The Wayback Music Machine and From Memphis to Merseyside along with my good friend Tony Stuart, or from The Backwards Traveller Radio Show on Perturb Radio and Here Today on CFRU FM . He also contributes album reviews and interviews to Canada’s Spill Magazine. On this show, he walks us through his Top Ten Cool artists of 2022. Some you know well, and some you may not, from Neil Arthur, Brian Eno, and Men Without Hats, to The Mary Wallopers, Sparks and Soundwalk Collective. He’ll also give us a peek at some artists to watch for in 2023, like the great pop experimentalist Selina Martin.

S2 - Ep 24 - Selina Martin

When journalists write about Selina Martin’s music, they use words like "masterful", "genius" , "profound" , and "superb", and I would agree with every single one, only venturing to add “breathtaking”. Such is the case for her latest album “Time Spent Swimming”, which explores the art of songwriting and production in ways most artists never imagine. She’s been compared to David Byrne, St. Vincent, Eno, and Bjork… and, in very David Bowie-esque fashion, she says art is about taking risks. In this episode, we explore those risks as we take a very deep dive into one of the most remarkable albums I’ve heard in decades.