We all remember the moment we discovered that secret song on one of our favourite albums. Often, those hidden gems provide a revealing peek behind-the-curtain, leading us to new insights about the artists and recordings we thought we knew. CKUA’s Hidden Track podcast aims to do the same, by bringing you stories that change the way you experience music. Any given week, we’ll get to the heart of the song with the musician who wrote it, reflect on a landmark recording with the producer and engineer who helped shape it, or examine the legacy of a musical icon with the critic, biographer or industry player who knows them best. Whoever the guest may be, each episode will provide a moment of discovery you won’t soon forget.
On our debut episode, Grant Stovel welcomes musician Jeremy Dutcher. The classically trained operatic tenor and composer spent most of his 20s quietly crafting his stunning debut album, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa. The album blends his training in opera, and his contemporary musical sensibility, and features post-classical rearrangements of Wolastoq First Nation traditional music. The work recently took home Canada’s top musical honour, the Polaris Music Prize, this past September.
In this wide-ranging discussion, Jeremy talks about his musical upbringing, discovering the notable absence of classical music that reflects indigeneity, and uncovering the archival recordings that became foundational to his debut album.
The podcast features three selections from the album: “Mehcinut”, “Oqiton”, and “Eqpahak”.