It’s a wonderful thing when you find out someone you’ve admired as a younger person is actually worthy of that admiration. And Erica Ehm certainly is. 

Following her stint as an original MuchMusic VJ, Erica went on to write and produce Juno-winning songs, publish books, establish two successful companies, launch a speaking career, and more. In part one of our chat this week, Erica takes me through the journey that led to her MuchMusic career and beyond, with a sharp focus on the details of her 1994 Seattle interview with Kurt Cobain, one of the last he would ever give. Our discussion was so fluid that I didn’t even get to the songs that make Erica’s skin vibrate! But worry not – that’s part two, next week’s episode.         

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This week on NSTS we examine the events leading up to the unfortunate death of Nirvana singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain, considered by many to be the primary architect of a musical movement that changed the face of music in the early nineties. 

Despite Cobain’s death being ruled a suicide, there have been plenty of assertions that he may not have died by own hand. A number of peculiar and inexplicable events have given rise to conspiracy theories that Cobain was killed, all of which are laid out for consideration on this week’s show.     

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When music fans share the songs that really mean something to them and the reasons why, they’re sharing a part of themselves in doing so. And Spoons singer Gordon Deppe truly does that with us this week on No Sleep ’til Sudbury. He graciously provides the backstories for the songs that have made his skin vibrate over the course of his life, and we go pretty deep in reinforcing the idea that music provides a significant connective power. 

Talking with Gord about these songs was like talking to an old friend, and I appreciated the level of sentimentality he demonstrated. I could have gone on for several more hours, but that just means Gord gets an invite to come back with more songs anytime. Don’t miss this. 

Deppe’s playlist:         

The Verve – Lucky Man

Oasis – Don’t Look Back in Anger

Jason Wade – You Belong To Me

Procol Harum – Whiter Shade of Pale

When In Rome – The Promise

Dooley Wilson – As Time Goes By

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My pal Stephen Stanley just released an incredible live record, and he joins me to talk about it this week on NSTS. The record is called Live Static Roots, recorded in Oberhausen, Germany during his 2018 European tour. And it’s killer – check it out wherever you access your music.

In keeping with the live music theme, Stephen brings in seven live tracks that have made his skin vibrate over the course of his life. And as it always is with Stephen, the discussion is rich and rewarding. Does he get his No Sleep ’til Sudbury members club jacket promised to him during his last appearance on the show? Listen to find out!   

Stanley’s (live) playlist:

Barbra Streisand – Stoney End  

Harry Belafonte – Carnival Melody   

Rush – Working Man / Finding My Way  

The Band – Stage Fright  

The Flaming Lips – The Golden Age   

Bob Dylan – Desolation Row   

Nina Simone – Mr. Bojangles

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The great Kim Mitchell joins me this week on No Sleep ’til Sudbury for an incredibly enjoyable chat about the songs that make his skin vibrate, and his new single ‘Wishes’. Kim is easily one of Canada’s most accomplished musicians, from his days leading Max Webster through an illustrious, hit-laden solo career.

The coolest thing about Kim is that in talking with him, you’d never know it. He’s humble, funny, insightful, and very engaging, and as you’ll hear, he’s got some great stories – the one involving Eddie Van Halen is my favourite. If you like NSTS, this will likely be one of your favourite episodes.    

Mitchell’s playlist:

Van Halen – Dreams

Bonnie Raitt – I Can’t Make You Love Me 

Kacey Musgraves – Slow Burn

Arc Angels – Sent By Angels

Don Henley – Boys of Summer

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Last week on NSTS we talked about how Metallica formed in 1981. This week we look at another band that formed a few months earlier in the same year – Motley Crue. 

Motley Crue’s early years are full of wildly unbelievable events – fatal car crashes, overdoses, jail sentences, drug and alcohol debauchery, and even a conspiracy theory when you consider the mysterious tale of Matthew Trippe, who claimed he stood in for injured Crue bassist Nikki Sixx during the Shout At The Devil and Theatre of Pain periods. And in this episode, we cover it all.   

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As mentioned in earlier episodes, some significant musical events took place in the year 1981. One of those events was the formation of Metallica. The band went on to achieve all kinds of ridiculous levels of success, but when I held their first album in my hands while I decided whether or not to buy it in 1983, I could have never, ever imagined.

This week it’s my pleasure to talk in detail about the beginnings of Metallica, a band that I absolutely worshipped as a kid – the reason why drummer Lars Ulrich’s parents brought him to California from Denmark, the awkward first meeting between he and guitarist James Hetfield, the firing of Dave Mustaine, and everything else that happened in Metallica’s earliest days. Don’t miss it.    

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This week it was my privilege to host Spoons bassist Sandy Horne on the show. I’ve been a fan since the early 80s, and it was great to chat with Sandy about Spoons stuff old and new, including the band’s contribution to COVID-19 front line worker relief effort Back to the Basement, a virtual concert put on by abductedbythe80s.com Saturday, June 13 (hence the advance airing of this episode).

In addition to details on Spoons participation in this project, Sandy and I also chat about how Spoons was formed through she and co-founder Gord Deppe being seated beside each other in high school band, the unusual origin of the ‘doot-doot-doot’ chorus in Romantic Traffic, and how a 15-year-old Rob Preuss found himself surrounded by naked women backstage at one of the band’s early gigs. The way she came up with her NSTS songs is awesome too.

Horne’s playlist:

Judy Garland – Somewhere Over The Rainbow

The Mamas & The Papas – California Dreaming

Hair Soundtrack – The Age of Aquarius

Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven

Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway 

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Men’s Health and Metal Hammer writer Joe Daly joins me from Southern California this week on No Sleep Til Sudbury, and it’s great to catch up – Joe was originally scheduled to appear on one of the very first introductory episodes of NSTS back in April 2017. It’s been a long time coming, but it was worth the wait.

Joe and I chat about the recording of The Doors first record, KISS and disco, Slayer’s career trajectory and the spider bite from which guitarist Jeff Hanneman contracted a flesh eating disease, and much more.       

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The Lazys singer Leon Harrison is my guest on NSTS this week, and he interviews the same way he performs – without reservation.

Transplanted from Australia, The Lazys is one of Canada’s hottest rock acts. Leon and I talk about the reasons behind the band’s move to Canada, why it’s important to recognize a band’s entire catalogue beyond the hits, social media influencers, the genius of Coldplay, his online mentoring program Bandwagon, the importance behind the message in Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb”, and so much more.

Harrison’s playlist:

Silverchair – Emotion Sickness

AC/DC – Shoot To Thrill

Coldplay – O

Rage Against The Machine – Bullet in the Head   

Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb

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