For those who haven’t tuned in to the CW hit series, Nina stars as both Elena Gilbert, a worrisome girl next door, and Katherine Pierce, an egocentric, devious and cutthroat vampire.

As appetizing and evil sexy cool as that sounds, Nina grew hungry for something else when season four was nearing its end.

“I’ve been looking for new inspiration,” Nina says.

So while the cast and crew of the Vampire Diaries are on a summer hiatus, the actress is going to show off just how versatile she really is by sinking her teeth into something new. Comedy. 

Nina landed a main role in the feature film, Let’s Be Cops, opposite prime time funny guys Damon Wayans Jr. of Happy Endings, and Jake Johnson from New Girl.  

Nina plays girlfriend to Damon’s character who, along with his buddy, impersonates cops just for kicks until they have a run-in with a very real mobster.

Filming has already kicked off and should wrap up by the end of summer seeing as Nina still has her Diaries duty to fulfill.

“I wish I had a little bit more time off to be home and see my friends because I honestly miss it,” Nina says of her busy schedule.

But don’t consider that a complaint. The star loves her daily grind and the challenges that come with her double role on the Vampire Diaries.

“You’ve got to love what you do,” Nina says. “Otherwise there’s no point in doing it.” 

Plus, the actress adds, “I get to kill people and suck blood!”

Now what’s not to love about that?

The Vampre Diaries season finale airs on MuchMusic on Friday, May 24 at 7 p.m.

Let’s Be Cops is expected in 2014.

Follow Nina on facebook and twitter.

Colt is photographed by Hannah Palmer, special to marcandrew.ca ©marcandrew.ca

Congratulations are in order for Pink and company.

The superstar’s video for her triple platinum single, “Try,” is nominated for International Video of the Year at the 2013 MuchMusic Video Awards.

Justin Timberlake, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna are also in the running for the honor that has previously gone to the likes of Madonna, Beyonce and Lady Gaga.

In all the excitement, Colt Prattes, Pink’s video co-star, can’t seem to wrap his head around the extent of the video’s success and the global attention it has received.

“I thought I was going in to meet Alecia, do a video and have something to look back on and be proud of. The end,” Colt says (yes, they are on a real name basis). “Now, it is just so much more.”

“Try” has reached over 84 million views on youtube, which is no surprise, just look at the guy, and while the numbers continue to rise, Colt is dancing by Pink’s side on her Truth About Love World Tour.

“Now that, I didn’t expect,” Colt laughs. “A world tour?”

After wrapping the video, Colt was approached by Pink’s management team on her behalf, and asked to join the icon on her international tour.

“Of course I said yes. I’m ecstatic to be working with her more.” 

Colt was also asked to join Pink for numerous live reenactments of the video including their critically acclaimed performance at the 2012 American Music Awards.

“I’m fortunate that when I met Alecia we had an immediate connection,” Colt says. “I could not respect her more as an artist. Alecia is one of the most inspiring and motivating people I’ve ever been around. She pushed me throughout the ‘Try’ video shoot and continues to every day.”

Colt also hit it off with Pink’s fans and has become something of a celebrity within the community.

“So many people from around the world started writing me through twitter and facebook. It’s amazing to feel such an outpour of love from her fans. I really think that comes from Alecia’s love and what she gives to them,” he smiles.

Now, Colt is living la vie en rose, thanks to one video that has grown larger than life, and, among its accolades, is recognized at the 2013 MuchMusic Video Awards.

Pink is also nominated for Your Fave International Artist of the Year. For a full list of the nominees visit MuchMusic here. The MMVAs will be held on Sunday, June 16 at MuchMusic.

Follow Colt on twitter.

Happy worker: Kristen Hager is all smiles ©marcandrew.ca

Kristen Hager’s long flowing golden locks reflect sunlight the same way the wavy surface of the St. Lawrence River does at high noon.

Shades are required.

From behind her aviators, Kristen smiles. What fuels her grin is uncertain at this point.

The actress stayed behind at a press conference in the Old Port of Montreal to intimately talk about her current gig on Syfy’s hit series, Being Human (which is filmed here in the city), rather than get out of the blistering heat.

I mean we’re sweating here, so how thrilled could she truly be?

“No really, I’m happy to stay,” Kristen insists. “This is great and I love talking about Being Human. It’s so exciting.”

The Ontario-native, who previously starred opposite Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy in the action blockbuster Wanted, has been a guest star on Being Human since season one (2011), but only graduated to show regular in season three this year.

“I was hoping for it at the end of every season,” Kristen laughs. “You know, I felt like it was a long time coming.”

Kristen got the news of her promotion over the phone at her place in LA where she has been spending winters.

“I was waiting to hear what was happening and I knew that we were a month away from production,” she remembers. “The way season two ended, I didn’t even know if I was coming back at all.”

Well, viewers know that Kristen returned alright, full time and with a vengeance. 

“There’s just great stuff Sammy Huntington and I got to do,” Kristen says of her co-star and the season that ended on April 8.

Also last month, the suits at Syfy announced that Being Human was renewed for a fourth season.

“Being Human really hit its stride creatively this year,” said the cable network’s President of Original Content, Mark Stern. “This show has become a signature series for Syfy and we are thrilled to have it return in 2014.”

The executives at Syfy aren’t the only ones who know a good thing when they see it. Before even wrapping up the season, Kristen knew they struck gold.

“It’s my favorite season,” she says. “I just love this show and how, if you take away all the supernatural elements, it’s about human beings dealing with very real afflictions. There are so many metaphors for very human problems. The writers do a fabulous job, and I think it’s one of the reasons why the show is successful.”

But smart writing and a talented cast doesn’t necessarily equate a sure thing in a reality where networks are swinging axes like eager tweens at a pee wee batting practice. 

“You’re right, so many shows do get cut and it is a difficult business,” Kristen admits. “So difficult that you’re lucky to find work, but here I am. I found this unique, exciting show and I’m happy. I’m just so happy to be working,”

And there’s that smile.

Being Human returns to Syfy in early 2014. Follow Kristen on twitter and facebook.

The godfathers of boy bands are back with a new album and a North American tour. What looked like a midlife crisis when they initially returned in 2008 is looking more and more like a serious comeback.

If seeing is believing, then the first sighting was at the 2008 MuchMusic Video Awards. It had been well over a decade since the New Kids last performed, and they nailed it dead on.

The guys were in sync, rehearsed and in shape. More importantly, not one of these forty-somethings threw their back out trying to keep up with their entourage of dancers half their age.

The New Kids went on to release their comeback album, The Block, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart, sold 100,000 copies in its first week and fueled a world tour.

“[Our fans] have been incredible,” Donnie Wahlberg says.

The masses of young girls who spent their allowance and babysitting money on concert tickets and NKOTB merchandise in the mid-80s have stood the test of time and are more loyal than ever.

“They’ve evolved into respectful, healthy, mature, adult screaming fans,” Donnie continues. “This is a chance for them to just let their hair down and be kids again. It’s a chance for us to do that as well.”

But what have the New Kids on the Block been doing for 15 whole years?

Well, since hitting Splitsville in 1994, each member went down their own avenue and built very different solo careers.

Taking a cue from his younger brother Mark Wahlberg, Donnie traded the stage for the silver screen, and went on to appear in blockbuster films like Saw II and its sequels, the acclaimed mini-series Band of Brothers and more recently the crime drama Blue Bloods.

Joey McIntyre and Jordan Knight continued on musical path, each releasing solo albums. Joey pushed his career further and went on to appear in Broadway musicals like Wicked, TV’s Boston Public and as a contender on Dancing with the Stars.

Danny Wood dabbled in music production and hit the gym, big time.

And finally, we have Jonathan Knight who quickly became the black sheep member of the group. Jonathan’s missing years were very different from his boy band brothers. He struggled with anxiety and fully withdrew from the entertainment industry. He built a career in real estate and has been living an openly gay lifestyle since the split in 1994.

With each original member clearly doing their own thing, the historic group’s return was the most unexpected comeback of the decade.

The reunion especially came as a surprise considering the amount of times rumors were flat out denied.

“Since we broke up, everyone’s been coming to us [about] a reunion,” Jordan Knight says.

“We’ve had many offers in the past,” Donnie adds. “But it was always on someone else’s agenda. It really didn’t serve us. It had to about a connection between us and not about making a fortune. It had to be about us wanting to make music together again and going from there.”

And from there, the NKOTB are actually going strong, especially in Canada, where The Block is certified gold.

“It feels great,” Joey McIntyre smiles. “Canada has been amazing and so supportive.”

So supportive, that the New Kids are coming around again this summer with 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men in support of their forthcoming album, 10.

With ongoing international tours and solid album sales, it’s hard not to take their return seriously.

Even before their comeback album was released to success, the men had a plan of attack. The Block featured current chart toppers The Pussycat Dolls, Lady Gaga, Ne-Yo and Akon. In recruiting these hit makers, the NKOTB merged the past and the present. They reclaimed followers from their glory days, while catering to a fresh new fanbase.

The NKOTB are doing more than reliving their wonder years. Step by step they’ve moved back in on the mainstream and picked up right where they left off.

“And we’re having fun,” Donnie says. “We’re getting to do something we haven’t done in a long time. I don’t think we’re having a mid-life crisis,” he insists, defending the group.

Rest assured New Kids, your fans don’t think so either.

The New Kids’ album, 10, is available on iTunes now. The group performs at Montreal’s Bell Centre on Thursday, June 6. More tour dates here.

Follow the New Kids on the Block on twitter and facebook.

The Black Eyed Peas have made interpolations an art form, a trademark really, but in turn, their secret recipe to the monstrous hit single has become transparent.

The chart topping group takes no shame in “drawing inspiration” from those who came before them.

Take the Peas’ 2005 money maker, “Don’t Phunk with My Heart,” from the album Monkey Business for example. The hit is built up around “I Wonder If I Take You Home” by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam and the theme songs from two different 70s Bollywood flicks.

On the same album they borrow from Sting’s “Englishman in New York” and “Misirlou,” a little tune that most recognize as the staple song from Quentin Tarantino’s film Pulp Fiction.

The Black Eyed Peas’ last album, The Beginning, is no exception. The lead single, “The Time (Dirty Bit),” ripped the chorus from Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes’ 1987 Dirty Dancing hit “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.”

Give the album a spin and you’ll stumble on another tune, “Light up the Night,” sampling the backdrop of Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It,” originally the bass line from Slick Rick’s 1989 hit “Children’s Story.”

This all goes without mentioning Fergie and will.i.am’s solo repertoires.

Let’s take a quick look at just one of Fergie’s solo hits, “Fergalicious.” Will.i.am and his leading lady packed J.J. Fad’s “Supersonic,” Afro-Rican’s “Give It All You Got” and three other known samples into this one single song.

It all kind of makes you wonder how many artists are actually receiving royalty cheques signed and issued by team Black Eyed Peas.

Well, here’s a fact for you, not everyone is getting paid. Cue will.i.am’s fourth studio album, #willpower.

The BEP mastermind is being accused of ripping off Arty & Mat Zo’s track “Rebound,” for his latest single, “Let’s Go” featuring Chris Brown, by the DJs themselves.

Will.i.am is also currently battling British singer Tulisa in a lawsuit over royalties to his hit “Scream & Shout.”

Tulisa claims she owns lyrics to will.i.am and Britney’s #1 single, and interesting enough, will.i.am isn’t denying it.

Now this sort of press isn’t breaking news in the music industry.

“DJs collaborate online, they make a beat, they upload it, other DJs download it and play it in their countries and what not,” says will.i.am.

Back in 2009, Adam Freeland accused the Peas of plagiarism. The British DJ claimed the chart toppers stole the beat from his track “Mancry” and used it in “Party All the Time,” a tune featured on their triple platinum album The E.N.D.

Listen to the tracks back to back and be the judge. By the sounds of it, Adam wasn’t being a drama queen.

“DJs collaborate online, they make a beat, they upload it, other DJs download it, play it in their countries and what not,” will.i.am recounts.

It seems anything is up for grabs in will.i.am’s delusional fantasy world (when a DJ confirms this practice, I’ll drop the delusional part).

Adam Freeland’s case wasn’t the first of its kind, and Arty & Mat Zo’s likely won’t be the last.

If will.i.am is willing to pull a fast one on international superstars like Daft Punk, then no one’s safe. In 2007, lawyers of the French electronic duo stepped in when will.i.a.m “sampled” their hit, “Around the World,” for a remix of his single, “I Got It from My Mama,” without permission.

In the end, Daft Punk denied will.i.am use of their song.

Concerning Adam Freeland, there’s no denial in any sense of the word.

“They’re not denying they sampled my track, but I’d be more flattered if Radiohead stole my music,” Adam teases over the phone. “Now, I don’t want to get into a dissing match.”

The Peas don’t seem too interested in confrontation either. Despite steal.i.am’s sticky fingers, they preach peace and positivity the same way their music does.

“At this point we’ve reached so many goals and reached so many dreams, now it’s about going on tour, having fun and making new memories,” Fergie says.

You’ve got to give it to them. The Peas have always done a bang-up job at keeping conflict and controversy at a minimum. That’s why you can dig up more tabloid headlines about Fergie wetting herself on stage than starting cat fights.

Though Adam Freeland agrees that a good smack upside the head is in order, in his eyes, it is much simpler than that.

“It’s up to people to use their own ethics and treat people the way they would like to be treated. Some people don’t appreciate how much money goes into making a record,” Adam says

Still this doesn’t seem to be an open and closed case of disrespect. The Black Eyed Peas come across as having a profound appreciation for the DJ profession.

“The DJ is the key,” will.i.am says of their function in the music industry today.

Fergie goes as far as crediting DJs for supplying a model that they used in the production of their 2009 album The E.N.D.

“[The E.N.D.] was made through the mind of a DJ. Go into a club, you’ll have a DJ who will play a verse and then move off to the next song,” Fergie explains. “It’s crafted in a way that a DJ would spin another record into it. That’s why it changes so much.”

If the Peas can easily cite DJs as inspirational forces responsible for their musical direction, why couldn’t they officially credit Adam Freeland, Daft Punk and Arty & Mat Zo for their tunes from the get go?

“Maybe it was a genuine mistake,” Adam laughs. “But seriously, it’s a very delicate situation.”

There is a lesson to be learned here, at least Adam Freeland thinks so.

“If you really like something, then the right thing to do is pay for it and proceed properly,” Adam says. “Otherwise it is theft.”

Yes, even if you are the Black Eyed Peas.

Canada officially crowned the pop princess as she won big at this year’s Juno Awards.

The 27-year-old left the podium speechless with three of her 5 nominations, including Single of the Year for her monstrous hit “Call Me Maybe.”

“I’m moved beyond words. I’m unable to say anything other than thank you,” Carly said backstage at Canada’s biggest music event.

“It’s an incredible feeling. Taking it in right now, I would say that nothing tops this. Being home and being recognized in the country that made me is the greatest feeling ever.”

Outside of Canada, “Call Me Maybe,” declared “Song of the Summer” last year by Billboard magazine, grew into a worldwide phenomena, topped the charts in 19 countries and sold over 12 million copies.

Among the countless fans around the world that Carly has to thank for her success, some gratitude is owed right here at home to fellow Canadian, Justin Bieber, who actually proved to be a major help in the star’s rise to fame.

“He has really been my main supporter,” Carly admitted. “He signed me with Scooter Braun to School Boy Records. Because of that, I was able to make the record Kiss and be exposed to the world beyond Canada.”

Justin Bieber, currently touring Europe, wasn’t present at the awards to witness his protégée out shine him in three major categories.

“It’s more of a shared triumph,” Carly said about beating the Biebs. “I know he’s been rooting for me just as much as for his own stuff.”

Bieber did manage to bag the Fan Choice Award, but it’s Carly who left with the night’s top honors, and it’s all thanks to one golden, million dollar song.

“It’s a gift to have a song like that, but it’s also an enormous challenge to prove that you’ve got more in you than one song,” Carly said. “I think I do, so I’m going to do what I can to prove that.”

Carly is planning a headlining North American tour this summer. For news and tour dates, follow Carly on facebook, twitter and check out her official site here.

Watch the full broadcast of the 2013 Juno Awards at CTV.ca/junos

Metric is international. They’re citizens of the world who know no borders.

One minute the Canadian indie outfit is tearing up the stage at California’s world famous fest, Coachella, then landing in Saskatchewan for the nation’s biggest night in music, the 2013 Juno Awards, the next.

Riding on the success of their chart topping, fifth studio album, Synthetica, Metric unloaded at Coachella late Friday afternoon where they performed a career spanning live set including fan favorite, “Dead Disco,” from their 2003 gold album, Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?

“‘Dead Disco’ is a fun song to play live, especially when Jules and I do a solo breakdown,” bassist Josh Winstead says in our tour bus interview. “I’m never sad to see it on the set list.”

After closing their Coachella appearance with a watered down “Gimme Sympathy,” these globetrotters rushed home in time to take the stage at the Junos ceremony.

“We never miss a chance to be on stage, especially at home,” Josh says. “Playing live is like a dialogue and we need to have a conversation with our fans. We’re asking, ‘What do you think about this? Do you want us to play this for you? Will this be something you’ll enjoy and dance to? Cheer if you like it, boo if you don’t.’”

Metric fans across the country have definitely voiced their opinion, the band is in the running for this year’s Juno Fan Choice Award.

Metric earned another four nominations, three of which they won this evening at the Juno Awards non-televised gala dinner: Alternative Album of the Year, Recording Package of the Year and guitarist and producer, James Shaw, was honored with the Jack Richardson Producer of the Year award.

Sunday night will tell if Metric will leave with Group of the Year and Fan Choice.

This, of course, isn’t the first time frontwoman, Emily Haines, and her band mates get a pat on the back from Canada.

Metric’s previous album, Fantasies, was rewarded Alternative Album of the Year, while the band was recognized as Group of the Year at the 2010 Juno Awards.

More recently, the collective won Group of the Year and Best-selling Independent Release of the Year at last month’s SiriusXM Indie Awards, and in March, they scored Best Original Song at the Canadian Screen Awards for their work on the soundtrack of David Cronenberg’s film, Cosmopolis.

That is an impressive stack of trophies piled up in a short period of time, still Metric doesn’t measure success by the amount of hardware they collect along the way.

“Success is when you’re really happy and pleased with where you are in your life, and you’re doing what you want to be doing,” James says. “It’s when your visions of what you want your life to be, and how it actually is are completely in line.”

As the male members of Metric nod in agreement, Emily leans forward to the edge of the tour bus couch with a grin that would make the Cheshire cat blush.

“I’d like to throw in that success is when you no longer have to answer to anybody, and you just don’t give a shit,” she laughs. “Yes, that’s happiness and that’s success.”

Watch the full broadcast of the 2013 Juno Awards at CTV.ca/junos

Follow Metric on twitter and facebook.

The Great Lake Swimmers have a strange habit. The Canadian folk-rockers have made it a tradition to record their albums in nontraditional places.

Nearly a decade ago, frontman, Tony Dekker, scouted out an abandoned grain silo to record the band’s haunting 2003 self-titled debut. 

Then it was on to a lakeside church in rural southern Ontario, where the band completed their sophomore effort, Bodies and Minds.

The majority of the Swimmers’ third album, Ongiara, came together in Aeolian Hall, an 1884 heritage building in London, Ontario, and 2009’s Juno nominated and Polaris Prize shortlisted album, Lost Channels, was recorded in various places in the Thousand Islands, including the historic Singer Castle.

Now you’ll never guess where the Swimmers set up camp to record their Juno nominated fifth album, New Wild Everywhere.

Here’s a hint, the location was much more conventional. A place obvious to most musicians, while so obscure to the Great Lake Swimmers.

For the first time ever, the band chose to use [insert drum roll here] an actual recording studio.

“We were lucky enough to be one of the first bands to record at Revolution Recording,” says fiddler and vocalist Miranda Mulholland. “It’s a new, beautiful, spacious and incredible facility in Toronto with great gear, and run by lovely people.”

No matter how swell the experience was at Revolution Recording, New Wild Everywhere wouldn’t be a true Great Lake Swimmers album if the band didn’t capture their sound in at least one unlikely setting. And so the track, ‘The Great Exhale,’ was recorded in an abandoned subway station below the streets of downtown Toronto.

“Things got a little silly as we became deliriously tired. Here is a shot Erik took when we were goofing around between takes,” Miranda shares.

“There was a lot of red tape involved in getting us down there, and once we worked that out, there were more challenges,” Miranda explains.

Aside from lugging gear down the steep flights of stairs running underground, something else made recording a little tough.

“The Bay subway above runs until 1 a.m., so we had to record in the wee hours of the night to avoid the noise. We did this for three coffee-fueled nights,” Miranda remembers. “The version of ‘The Great Exhale’ was from those sessions, as recorded by us, the Nocturnal Subway Creatures.”

While it’s unknown if Miranda’s new name for the ensemble will  float with her crew, one thing is sure, there’s nothing traditional about Roots & Traditional Juno nominees the Great Lake Swimmers, at least not when it comes to recording hit albums.

Watch the full broadcast of the 2013 Juno Awards at CTV.ca/junos

 Follow the Great Lake Swimmers on twitter and facebook.

“There’s almost a cliffhanger at every commercial break,” says Jesse Metcalfe, who plays Christopher Ewing in this revival of the iconic prime time soap that started as a miniseries in 1978.

“The new series really packs a lot more storyline than the old series,” he adds.

In the two remaining episodes, John Ross and Pamela uncover the truth about an enemy’s whereabouts on the night J.R. was killed, Christopher seeks out his mother and uncovers one hell of a shocking secret, Bobby reveals details of J.R.’s “master plan,” the Ewings band together to execute it, and the question, “Who killed J.R.?” is answered.

And that’s just a peek at what’s to come.

Jesse also lets on that no one can be trusted as morality in Dallas is shady and questionable.

“The original cast was a lot more black and white, who was good and who was evil. There’s a lot more grey area with the new generation.”

Just look at Jesse’s character, Christopher, the adopted son of Bobby and Pamela Barnes Ewing.

“He’s not exactly squeaky clean,” Jesse admits. “Christopher is definitely in conflict whether or not to compromise his values in order to get the things that he wants.”

And as a product of a dysfunctional family, Jesse adds, “he has a short fuse and a pretty big chip on his shoulder. You know, because [he was] brought up in a pretty toxic environment.”

That’s something Jesse knows about.

Growing up estranged from his biological father, and raised by a single mom, Jesse stirred up some of his own family issues and insecurities when he suited up for the role.

The California native also did a little extra homework, and studied his fictional family tree.

“I went back and watched quite a few episodes of the original series to get a sense of the tone of the show and see exactly how dysfunctional Christopher’s upbringing really was,” Jesse says. “I could see how far I could go with the character and sky’s the limit.”

The season two finale of Dallas airs Monday, April 15 at 9 p.m.on Bravo and TNT.

He’s marked this change of heart with his most honest album to date, Like a Man, and that acceptance, that awakening has garnered him his first Juno nomination.

A chip off the old block, Adam is the eldest offspring of the legendary Leonard Cohen, also being honored with nominations at this year’s Juno celebration.

Like father like son, Adam has songwriting in his blood, but didn’t always embrace his father’s legacy.

Adam spent a decade trying to find his own voice, which meant avoiding comparisons to his old man at all costs.

The songwriter’s first attempt of self-discovery was his 1998 pop rock self-titled debut.

Despite considerable mainstream airplay and placement on the soundtracks of Dawson’s Creek and the blockbuster I Know What You Did Last Summer, the radio-chummy album and its main single, “Cry Ophelia,” didn’t top any charts or leave a lasting impression.

Another forgettable album later, two if you count Adam’s stint as frontman of the Low Millions and their record Ex-Girlfriends, he released Like a Man, a homage of sorts to daddy Cohen.

Think of it as a collection of acoustic and simplistic love songs reminiscent of Leonard’s offerings from the late 60s, nothing like Adam’s back catalogue. And though Adam’s taken a new direction with this forth album, he explains that his songwriting process hasn’t changed.

“The music for a song is almost always more complete than the lyrics for me,” Adam says. “At the inception, the music is accompanied with mumbles and utterances that are being formed along with the music.”

The songs that make up Like a Man weren’t conceived over night. This album was years in the making, some songs are even a decade old.

In his defense, Adam insists that it has nothing to do with lack of inspiration.

“When things are just peachy in my life, it’s much harder to sit down, concentrate and write,” Adam explains, hinting at the family he’s started. “I’m just too busy having a good time and enjoying the good stuff.”

Adam has finally accepted his destiny, his identity crisis behind him. Adam is a Cohen and the heir of a family business. He is his father’s son, the offspring of a man who Adam remembers inspired him as a child.

“And he still does,” Adam says. “But it puts in question just what exactly do I have to contribute to songwriting? I’m still looking for the exact answer to that question.”

Adam, you’re one big step closer to figuring it out.

Adam’s album Like a Man is nominated for Adult Contemporary Album of the Year at the 2013 Juno Awards. See all the nominees here. The Juno Awards air Sunday, April 21 on CTV.

Follow Adam on twitter and facebook.

“Call Me Maybe” caught on like a global epidemic selling over 10 million copies around the planet.

“I always hoped that I could spread my music worldwide, Carly says. “I realized every step of the way just how difficult that was. It didn’t stop me from trying though.”

Here at home, the contagious hit single is certified 7x-platinum, and the Canadian pop princess leads the 2013 Juno Award nominees with 5 nods including Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for her major label debut, Kiss.

Carly’s Juno nominations are just a few additions to her growing list of acknowledgements that includes an American Music Award, two Grammy nominations, a Billboard Music Award, three MuchMusic Video Awards, two MTV Video Award nominations, two MTV Europe Awards, two Teen Choice Awards and three People’s Choice nominations.

Carly’s recent success makes sense when you scan the album credits and get a load of who’s got her back.

Max Martin, responsible for hits like Britney Spears’ “Hold It Against Me,” Pink’s “F**kin’ Perfect” and Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl,” is on team Carly.

That hit maker is joined by Dallas Austin, recognized for his work with Madonna, Michael Jackson and Gwen Stefani.

Then you have LMFAO’s Redfoo in the mix, along with Toby Gad, best known for co-writing Fergie’s “Big Girls Don’t Cry.”

Carly’s pal Josh Ramsay of Marianas Trench and boyfriend Matthew Koma also lent a hand in producing Carly’s album.

And you can’t leave out Justin Bieber, who plays publicist and relentlessly tweets about Carly and her projects to his 26 plus million followers.

“Everyone’s support has been life changing. It’s like a dream come true for me,” Carly smiles.

Carly’s rise to fame has been a wild whirlwind, and the down-to-earth 27-year-old singer admits to feeling a little uneasy about all the success, but won’t let her jitters get the best of her.

“When I get nervous I just remember that it’s about the music,” Carly says. “When it’s a crowd of 300,000 people or if it’s a little bar jam, it’s just about spreading the love, writing and hopefully getting people to hear it.”

Carly is set to perform at the Juno Awards airing Sunday, April 21 on CTV.

Carly is nominated for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Single of the Year, Pop Album of the Year, and the Fan Choice Award. See all the nominees here.

Follow Carly on facebook and twitter.

After leading the collective for a decade and selling millions of albums worldwide, Raine momentarily stepped down to focus on a solo career.

A total departure from Our Lady Peace’s massive arena rock sound, Raine’s solo work is dark, intimate and built on the foundations of spoken word and poetry.

In 2006, Raine released his EP, Love Hope Hero, and his full-length debut, The Hunter’s Lullaby, one year later.

Now, after spending the last 18 months recording in Toronto and Los Angeles, Raine announces the release of his second solo album, We All Get Lighter, and talks about life as a solo artist.

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What made you abandon the distinct sound of Our Lady Peace and completely reinvent yourself when it came to your solo career?

I never want to step on Our Lady Peace’s toes. For me to make a record that sounds like OLP but just with a softer or more acoustic sound would have been a copout, so weak and just a disservice to OLP. I felt like this was the way to go.

Why wait a decade before launching your solo career?

Ultimately when a band has made it passed its 10 years point, which we have, you need to bring in fresh perspectives otherwise it can get stale. I’ve wanted to for a while, but I just didn’t want to do it under a major label. I know this is different and for me to give this to a label like Sony, they wouldn’t know what to do with it. This is so personal to me that I needed to own it.

Is it scary, baring yourself to the world on such a personal level?

If you’re not scared of something you won’t propel yourself to do things. The only way you can be courageous is if you’re fearful.

You work closely with your wife, Chantal Kreviazuk. Does that make it easier?

It’s so easy. We don’t have any boundaries. It’s very freeing.

You have three sons. Do your boys inspire you?

They’ve definitely taught me to look at things with a different view. If I walk outside in the backyard, I’ll see shit that needs to be cleaned up or I’ll see disasters out there. They walk outside and see clouds in the sky that look like puppy dogs. It’s just a whole different perspective on how you perceive life. I appreciate that and try to have some of that mentality.

How do you hope your children will perceive you when they’re old enough to really understand what daddy does for a living?

They’ll definitely get to know Our Lady Peace’s music, but I know they’re going to judge this. There’s nothing like knowing it was just your dad who created something. In a way they will get to know me a little deeper than they would have no matter how much I talk to them and try to explain things. When you listen to someone singing words you get a different perspective. This was a big responsibility that I took on and I like that pressure. I have to be careful because I know they will judge me by this.

How do your band mates in Our Lady Peace feel about you flying solo?

They’re cool with it. It’s not like Our Lady Peace has stopped. There is this raw energy again. I’m more energized now than I’ve been in five years. It feels like we just got a record deal and we’re rehearsing in a garage. Everything feels vibrant again.

How are Our Lady Peace fans reacting to your solo career?

I’m realistic about this. This music is not for the masses. Some people think this is crap. If they love Our Lady Peace, they won’t hear the same kind of songs. Some people who are into Our Lady Peace for the lyrics and the deeper stuff might connect to this. I’m the same person, I just have different ways of expressing myself and I want to keep them separate. You get to know me a little bit more.

Raine’s new single “Montreal” is available on iTunes now. We All Get Lighter is set to be released Tuesday, March 26.

“When we won back in 2003 for Best Dance Recording, it was the first year the award existed,” vocalist Steve Smith remembers.

Before Dirty Vegas, Best Dance Recording didn’t merit its own category, it was simply a subgenre mashed in with pop.

Since the overhaul, the trophy’s gone to the likes of The Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk, Kylie Minogue, Lady Gaga and last year, Skrillex.

“These are the most exciting times for the Grammys,” Steve says. “Now there are great artists from our electronic world nominated in all kinds of categories more than ever before. It will only be a matter of time before an electronic artist is up for Album of the Year or Song of the Year.”

On the anniversary of Dirty Vegas’ win, Steve predicts this year’s top dogs in the major Grammy categories and reveals who he feels deserves the hardware in the dance department.

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Album of the Year

• El Camino – The Black Keys
• Channel Orange – Frank Ocean
• Some Nights – Fun
• Blunderbuss – Jack White
• Babel – Mumford & Sons

“Wow! Very tough choices! Every artist here deserves it for one reason or another. I would love to see Frank Ocean get this, but my gut feeling is that The Black Keys will bag it. They have been around for so long and have got to where they have by hard work and great albums.”

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Song of the Year

• “Call Me Maybe” Carly Rae Jepsen
• “The A Team” Ed Sheeran
• “We Are Young” Fun featuring Janelle Monáe
• “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” Kelly Clarkson
• “Adorn” Miguel

“No one on this planet could have missed Carly Rae Jepsen’s song last summer. It’s one of those pop classics. My hopes are for Ed Sheeran to get this one, I’ve met him and he’s such a great humble person with a huge future.”

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Record of the Year

• “Lonely Boy” – The Black Keys
• “Somebody That I Used to Know” – Gotye featuring Kimbra
• “Thinkin Bout You” – Frank Ocean
• “We Are Young” – Fun featuring Janelle Monáe
• “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” – Kelly Clarkson
• “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” – Taylor Swift

“My underdog heart would go for Gotye, as I respect how a great song can make it from the unknown to every radio station around the world. My guilty pleasure is Taylor Swift, she is one smart chick. I love the new style she has gone for, her song in this category is one of my favorites of 2012.” 

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Best Dance Recording

• “Levels” – Avicii
• “Let’s Go” – Calvin Harris featuring Ne-Yo
• “Bangarang” – Skrillex
• “Don’t You Worry Child” – Swedish House Mafia featuring John Martin
• “I Can’t Live Without You” – Al Walser

“Well, four of these certainly were heard in every club, and on every radio around the country. My personal fave is Calvin Harris. I think he is a genius, even though ‘Lets Go’ is not my favorite track by him. But I think the award will go to Skrillex. He has been such a trailblazer in electronic music and 2012 was a big year for him.”

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Best Dance/Electronica Album

• Wonderland – Steve Aoki
• Don’t Think – The Chemical Brothers
• > Album Title Goes Here < – Deadmau5
• Fire & Ice – Kaskade
• Bangarang – Skrillex

“Again, a very tough group. Every artist spends thousands of hours making a full length album, and all of these show that. The Chemical Brothers we’re my heroes growing up in the UK in the 90s. Kaskade made a very solid album, but I think again, this award will go to Skrillex. He really did set the world on fire in 2012.”

For the complete list of the 2013 nominees click here. The Grammy Awards air Sunday, February 10, on CBS. Follow Steve on twitter, and Dirty Vegas on facebook and twitter.

Blue Rodeo released their debut album, Outskirts, in ’87, and like a true institution, they’ve been going strong ever since.

But according to co-founding member Greg Keelor, these pioneers are something else entirely.

“More like a lab experiment!” Greg laughs. “We put six men in a van and drive around all over the place.”

Twenty five years later, this lab experiment has become a milestone in Canadian music history and for that, the band is thankful and surprised.

“I’ve made my living from playing music and I really can’t explain it,” Greg says. “We’re just so lucky that there is still a place for us in Canadian music.”

Blue Rodeo has gone on to find their place on Canada’s Walk of Fame, in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and this just in, the band is being honored with their very own street, Blue Rodeo Drive, to be constructed in the Riverdale neighbourhood of their hometown, Toronto.

Speaking of roads, Blue Rodeo is currently on tour, chasing the release of an 8-disc box set, Blue Rodeo: 1987-1993, celebrating their 25th anniversary.

In light of Blue Rodeo’s success and lengthy career, Greg and I look back at the band’s beginnings.

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Greg, take us back to the beginning. How was Blue Rodeo decided on as a band name?

Jim and I have known each other since high school, that means since 1971. Jim and I were living in New York in the early 80s and we started a band together. At the time I was writing everything on the electric guitar, all fast and furious. After being in a punk-pop band in the late 70s, we were getting into country music. We wanted to underline the country aspect of the band and that’s Blue Rodeo.

What was it that set you on that country road?

I can remember listening to a Gordon Lightfoot record and just thinking that I wanted to write music with more resonance in it, Something that meant a bit more to me.  I love the country of the 60s and 70s, such great songwriters. I find the “new country” alienating.

Do you remember how it felt being the new band on the block?

When we first started Blue Rodeo there were bands like Loverboy and Honeymoon Suite on the radio. It didn’t seem like there would be room for a band like us. We never tried to make our music for the radio. We’re lucky. I really can’t explain it.

Explain how it feels from where you’re still standing, twenty-five years since your debut?

I’ve fantasized about being like Bono or saving the world, but where we ended up is still pretty incredible. I love the indulgence of songwriting and the musician life. It feels like this is what I’m supposed to do.

Blue Rodeo is currently on tour. See dates here. Stay in touch with Blue Rodeo on facebook and twitter.

The actor just didn’t think he was qualified.

“I can barely spell physics,” Johnny laughs.

Alright, so physics might not be Johnny’s natural-born talent, but comedy sure is, and the 37-year-old actor’s been tinkering at his craft for a while now.

“I did a lot of theatre growing up and then television and film,” he says.

Johnny’s dabbled in various genres since his acting debut in 1987, but among his numerous projects, it was The Big Bang Theory that changed his life.

The hit sitcom single-handedly revived Johnny’s acting career and launched the actor to new heights when the series took off in September of ’07.

Let’s be realistic. None of Johnny’s roles have been out of this world since he starred as David Healey in the late 80s sitcom Roseanne.

Today, Johnny has the creators of Big Bang to thank for his very first Emmy, Golden Globe and Teen Choice nominations.

“They’re all so very talented,” Johnny says, crediting the Big Bang crew.

Johnny explains that his involvement in the most watched TV series in Canada has been rewarding in more ways than one, even his IQ has benefited from joining the geek squad.

“No one’s been foolish enough to assume that I’m as smart as Leonard and ask me any science questions,” Johnny says. “[But] I’ve learned more doing the show than I ever did in my traditional, or nontraditional education.”

While Johnny’s smarts are on the rise, so is his sex appeal. With every episode, it seems Johnny is scoring points with fans everywhere, especially the ladies. Just ask former squeeze Kaley Cuoco or his current lady friend Kelli Garner.

“There’s something about these characters on Big Bang,” Johnny smiles. “There’s vulnerability there. People just want to be sweet to us.”

Johnny will never be the same again.

The Big Bang Theory airs Thursdays on CBS. Watch episodes or get show times here.

Metric is giving their latest album Synthetica another go. The band just released a deluxe edition featuring acoustic renditions of songs found on the standard album. 

This sort of strip down is becoming a habit. Metric released a portion of their previous record Fantasies, including the hits “Help, I’m Alive and “Gimme Sympathy,” in the same barenaked fashion.

“I love that our songs can be played and remixed in many ways,” says Metric frontwoman Emily Haines, lounging on the band’s tour bus.

Emily explains that Metric actually has a process that they stick to when selecting the full band songs that merit acoustic renditions.

“We do a thing we call ‘the camp fire test,’” says the leading lady. “We go through the songs to see if we could play them on the acoustic guitar.”

Along with a cover of Tom Wait’s “Strange Weather,” four other acoustic tracks made the cut, including the lead single “Youth Without Youth.”

Pulling the deluxe edition together must have been a piece of cake, at least that’s what Emily lets on. Recording acoustic versions of full band songs is like second nature for Metric.

“It’s a natural aspect of being musicians. Every musician alive sits around and plays the acoustic guitar, well maybe not the guys in Depeche Mode,” Emily shrugs.

The deluxe edition of Synthetica is available on iTunes now. Physical copies hit stores Tuesday, December 4. Follow Metric on twitter and facebook.

What’s your favorite scary movie?

Sheri Moon Zombie in The Devil’s Rejects

Sheri Moon Zombie (House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects, Halloween, Halloween II, The Lords of Salem, Toolbox Murders, Grindhouse): “The Shining. It’s pacing really sucks me in to the isolation. I’m haunted by it every time I watch.”.

Brad Loree as Michael Myers in Halloween: Resurrection

Brad Loree (Halloween: Resurrection, Supernatural ): “Halloween (1978). While it’s very minimal in its gore and violence, it’s extremely scary and suspenseful. I remember first seeing it, and half way in thinking, ‘This is a really scary movie, I’m shittin’ myself.’”

Kane Hodder as Jason Vorhees

Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th Part VII, Friday the 13th Part VIII, Jason Goes to Hell, Jason X, Hatchet I, II & III): “Willard. Crispin Glover is scary. Not the movie, just his personality. Fucking weird!”

Dee Wallace in Stephen King’s Cujo

Dee Wallace (Cujo, The Howling, Critters, Halloween 2007, The House of the Devil, The Lords of Salem): “Don’t Look Now. It’s the classic example of true horror. You don’t see blood. You don’t see guts. Everything is inferred, and your psyche fills in the rest. Brilliant.”

Christine Elise McCarthy in Child’s Play 2

Christine Elise McCarthy (Child’s Play 2, Body Snatchers): “The Exorcist. I saw it when I was about 14, and had to walk home afterward, alone and at night. The idea of a rival as powerful as Satan, or anything supernatural, kinda takes the cake. This film couldn’t be made in 2012. Gotta love the grit the seventies allowed.”.

Lisa Wilcox as the ultimate final girl, Alice, in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 & 4

Lisa Wilcox (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child): “A Nightmare on Elm Street. I’m still blown away about how prolific it is. It has this gravity and Wes Craven and Robert Englund are a big part of that. Nightmare has a dark story and a great monster. Freddy is a child molester and that’s scary, that’s real life.”

Sid Haig is Captain Spaulding in Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects

Sid Haig (House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects, Halloween 2007): “Cujo. That dog is scary! I’m sorry, any time you get a 200 pound dog trying to eat your car, is just scary.”

Kim Poirier as Monica in Dawn of the Dead

Kim Poirier (Dawn of the Dead, Decoys, American Psycho II): “It. I really enjoy the fright factor. I’m a huge fan of suspense much more than I am of gore. This movie scares me and I’m a big screamer.”

Deborah Foreman plays the dual role of Buffy & Muffy in April Fool’s Day

Deborah Foreman (April Fool’s Day, Waxwork): “The Haunting (1963). When you cannot see what is scaring you, your imagination can then participate. This movie allows the viewer to create their own scenario and what scares them the most. Not to mention Julie Harris’ performance enhances that experience. Oh so scary!”

Cody Callahan of Humans Versus Zombies

Cody Callahan (Humans Versus Zombies): “The Shining. It possesses one of the most terrifying scenarios ever. As opposed to strictly supernatural or science fiction stories, the terror comes from a normal family man going insane, something that could, and does happen in real life.”

Camden Toy as a Gentleman in the acclaimed Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode Hush

Camden Toy (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel): “Dracula (1931). I love Bela Lugosi’s performance. He embodied this wonderful aristocratic monster. I was very drawn to vampires when I was very young. It’s funny, I never saw them as evil. I saw them as characters that couldn’t help themselves. They just have to do it. They have to drink blood.”

James Winburn was stunt double to Nick Castle as Michael Myers in Halloween

James Winburn (Halloween, The Fog): “Halloween (1978). I enjoy good scary productions type films that the director brings to the screen without tricks, but with good script, good acting, good production skill with a good crew and good editing. Halloween was a hoot working with John Carpenter and Debra Hill, and a great production staff and crew. I am partial to this film. Debra was a dear friend.”

Christine B Quinn in Shark Night 3D

Christine B. Quinn (Shark Night 3D, The Ghost of Midnight Lane, Humans Versus Zombies): “House of 1000 Corpses. It’s become a classic. Anything Rob Zombie does is totally outrageous and just nuts. This is such a good one.”

Tenika Davis of Saw VI

Tenika Davis (Saw VI , Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings): “Quarantine. I’ve always been afraid of contagious infectious diseases, and the concept was all too realistic, shot documentary style. Huge fan of Jennifer Carpenter here. Gasping screams in dark corners totally freak me out!”

Bradley Gregg falls victim to Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

Bradley Gregg (A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors): “Magic with Anthony Hopkins. It was so scary to me!”

P.J. Soles as highschool bully, Norma, in Carrie

P.J. Soles (Halloween, Carrie, The Devil’s Rejects): “Funny Games is the scariest movie that I have ever seen. Michael Pitt looked like such a nice, handsome young man, and Naomi Watts and her family seemed so lovely. I couldn’t believe the way the two guys slowly and deliberately tortured, terrorized, and then actually killed them. I really didn’t expect that! That is real terror, when bad things happen to nice people for no good reason, or in this case, even more terrifying, just for fun, sport, or game.”

Augie Duke is photographed by Donavan Freberg, donavanfreberg.com

Rising star Augie Duke has lived out a fantasy that most women, and some men, only dream of.

“I got to meet Simon Baker,” she sighs over the phone from her apartment in LA.

The twenty-something actress guest starred on The Mentalist, the CBS hit drama that launched Simon Baker into an international sex symbol.

Since The Mentalist debuted in the fall of 2008, the Australian heartthrob’s been named one of the sexiest men alive by People Magazine and the sexiest man on television by TV Guide.

“And he’s much better looking in person,” Augie says. “What a hottie.”

Augie appears in the series as a juvenile deliquent that Simon Baker’s character, Patrick Jane, charms and manipulates in order to solve a crime.

“I have a role that I’ve been playing a lot lately. It must be my Jack Nicholson eye brows,” Augie laughs.

“I play a queen of the bad kids who has nothing better to do than cause havoc. Simon’s character finds me and thinks he’s going to get info out of me about a teacher who died. And of course he does end up getting some dirt that helps with his investigation.”

As “Something Rotten in Redmund,” the 20th episode of season four, aired back in April, Augie crossed meeting and working with Simon Baker off her bucket list, a fantasy the young starlet didn’t think would materialize.

“I thought I blew it,” Augie says. “I actually thought it was the worst audition I’d ever done. There were so many people reading for the role and other characters, and I was nervous. I mean, it’s a big show.”

Augie left her audition, accepted this fresh failure and was mentally preparing to move on.

“On my way out, I told my agent, ‘I think I fucked this one up,’” she says.

But obviously Augie read these casting big wigs wrong.

“An hour later they called and said they’d love me for the role. It’s funny, it goes to show that you never know what they expect from you.”

As for Simon, he was everything Augie anticipated and more.

“Simon’s such a great guy. During our scene, I remember he put a box down so I wouldn’t pass it and said, ‘Now that’s where you stop.’ He’s really fun and silly. I’d call him a confident jokester,” she says. “We had a great time. This was my little big fancy moment.”

The Mentalist season 4 is available now. See Augie in “Something Rotten in Redmund,” (episode 20). Season 5 premieres on Sunday, September 30 on CBS. Follow Augie Duke on facebook and twitter.

Marc Andrew’s intimate interview with Walk off the Earth, photographed by Stacy Anastasia, special to marcandrew.ca ©marcandrew.ca

The recent success of Burlington, Ontario’s Walk Off the Earth is out of this world.

The indie act catapulted from being virtually unknown to international stardom in less than a week, and it’s all because of one little video they posted on youtube, a challenging cover of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know.”

“I just came in and sang guest vocals and from there I gained a whole bunch of fans that I wouldn’t have from touring and playing smaller venues,” says band member Sarah Blackwood, who at the time of the video release in January was fronting the psychobilly rock band The Creepshow.

“Youtube is so accessible, it’s like a different way of touring. You’re playing live and doing these things for people, but you don’t have to go anywhere and gamble whether it will be a good turn out or not. Watch it if you want to, or you know, just don’t.”

Well, people are definitely watching. With over 134 millions views and still climbing, this youtube sensation is raking in fans from around the globe.

Walk Off the Earth has even made fans out of Academy Award-winner Russell Crowe, who took to twitter and praised the group, Ellen DeGeneres, who invited the Canadians to perform on her show earlier this year and Gotye himself.

“People can see into you,” Sarah says. “They can really tell where your passion lies, and when it’s in your heart and soul, they gravitate towards you.”

Passion and raw talent aside, it’s the band’s refreshing, down-to-earth inviting air that has crowds flocking to them, out in the real world just as much as in cyberspace.

Show dates on Walk Off the Earth’s current tour prove it. They’ve sold out a number of dates, including their gig at the HMV Forum in London, England on September 8, and back-to-back sets at Montreal’s Club Soda on September 13 and 14.

Walk Off the Earth’s international tour, online success and recent signing to Sony Music has launched them to towering, sky-scraping heights, and from the top of the world, they still manage to touch the ground and everybody watching.

“I feel incredibly connected with people and music, that will never change,” Sarah says. “I love being involved with the crowds, the fans. A part of our music is the people who are taking something from it, connecting with it. We really want to be a part of those people.”

Walk Off the Earth’s new EP R.E.V.O. is available October 30. The band plays to sold out crowds at Club Soda on September 13 and 14. More tour dates here. Follow the band on twitter, facebook and their youtube channel.

It’s been four years since the Canadian superstar released, Flavors of Entanglement, a documentation of her ruptured relationship with actor Ryan Reynolds.

“It reflected some serious disassembling in my personal life. It’s a broken moment captured, and then I like to think a phoenix rising,” Alanis says of her previous project.

“That’s the snapshot of [Flavors of Entanglement]. I could have written something six months later and it would have been a whole other landscape.”

Fast forward to a few years later, Alanis is back and has framed a new panorama.

Just as autobiographical as its predecessors, Havoc and Bright Lights is largely inspired by Alanis’ marriage to rapper Mario Treadway and the birth of their first child.

“A lot of times I’ll write about something that happened six months prior or even something that happened in my childhood,” Alanis explains. “I really just write about what’s going on in my life, let each record be a snapshot of that time.”

Alanis recorded Havoc and Bright Lights in her LA home, and once again called on producer Guy Sigsworth who worked with her on 2008’s Flavors.

Alanis counts herself lucky to have worked with Guy, especially since the pair’s professional union began with what she calls a crapshoot.

“I heard the song ‘Let Go’ by his band Frou Frou with Imogen Heap,” Alanis recalls. “I remember thinking it was technologically so sound and really soulful, a rare combination. So I took the risk, phoned him and he was up for diving in together.”

Lunge into Havoc, and you’ll find the water’s not as calm and placid as it looks from afar. It’s not all about her toddler and baby-daddy.

There are still many issues that provoke Alanis. She expresses her outrage and unease in songs like “Celebrity” as she reflects on the shallowness of fame, and addresses female oppression with “Woman Down.”

Motherhood hasn’t dulled her edge, Alanis is still bitter. So go on, call her jaded and infuriated.

“I’ll take it,” Alanis says with such gratitude. “It’s an honor to be considered angry because anger has been swept under the carpet so much with regards to women that it’s flattering.”

Praised for nearly 20 years now, the 38-year-old Grammy award winner was only 21 when she first unleashed her fury on the world in the form of the phenomenal hit album Jagged Little Pill.

“It was about reducing shame,” Alanis looks back. “As a woman, I had shame around being powerful, being a warrior, being angry. I had shame around being vulnerable, devastated, ugly, rejected and all these seemingly shameful things.”

Alanis may have struggled with shame, but she never grappled with penning confessional songs disclosing the things that weigh on her mind, and she’s not going to start with Havoc and Bright Lights.

“I never felt uncomfortable with it. I think the bigger pain for me is the lie of pretending to not be human,” Alanis says.

“When I try to present myself as an infallible, invincible, impenetrable human being, that’s when I’m in pain because it’s not true. To share what I experience, comfort, uplift and thought provoke, that’s my life purpose. If I could offer anything to anyone who would listen to my songs, it would be just a four-minute moment of dropping any shame around being human.”

Get Havoc and Bright Lights on Tuesday, August 28.  Alanis has a Montreal tour stop on Tuesday, October 16 at the Metropolis. Get tickets from evenko here. Complete tour dates here.