Mullinger meets Wolf Castle, a 24-year-old Indigenous Mi’kmaq rapper, producer and singer from Pabineau First Nation. Everything about Tristan defies the odds. He taught himself how to play piano at the age of 11. He writes and records all of his own work and he has been releasing music projects every year since the age of 17. He found huge success playing festivals across Canada and quickly secured nominations at the East Coast Music Awards for Indigenous Artist of theYear and for Recording of the Year. This year he is nominated for two more East Coast Music Awards and is also part of the 2021 ECMA Festival & Conference, from 5th to 9th in Sydney, Nova Scotia. 

Mullinger meets community legend Diani Blanco, who has triumphed over much adversity and become a hugely respected keynote speaker, activist, philanthropist, the CEO and founder of Infyno Group, host of an acclaimed podcast and single mother of two beautiful children.

Born in Dominican Republic, Diani Blanco moved to New Brunswick at the age of 10. She spent much of her early years feeling out of place. From being bullied in school and suffering physical abuse at home, Diani became suicidal in her early teens. At 15 years old, she was permanently placed in the foster care system and during this time, she was also in an abusive relationship. Diani was determined to change her life around after becoming a mother at 19 years old. 

Mullinger heads to Dreaming Out Loud Studio in Enfield, Nova Scotia to meet Frank Kadillac and Adrian Morris from alt-pop musical sensation Neon Dreams. James learn show the band has risen from humble Maritimes beginnings to international acclaim by successfully touring North America, releasing one of 2019’s songs of the summer “SweetDreams to Sunbeams”, and winning 2020’s Juno award for breakthrough artist of the year. 

These childhood friends, along with their broader Neon Dreams family, have been making music together for well over a decade. Through evolutions of sound, and personal challenges, bullying, childhood trauma and growth, they have stayed true to themselves and are proud to continue to call Nova Scotia home.

Mullinger meets entrepreneur Jolene Laskey. Jolene is the founder and president of Wabanaki Maple, a 100% Indigenous female-owned maple syrup manufacturer at the edge of Neqotkuk, also known as Tobique First Nation. She was inspired to create this business based on what we are lucky enough to have access to here on the East Coast of Canada. She explains how her locally sourced syrup is aged in repurposed oak barrels acquired from Kentucky whisky distilleries and how she has attracted people to the region, the ways that the Atlantic Canadian business community has supported her and how she continues to grow.

Mullinger meets filmmaker, fashion designer, keynote speaker and mental health advocate Tyler Simmonds. Tyler’s award-winning films, keynote speeches and TED Talks on mental health and mindfulness, led to the Huffington Post naming him one of the “10 Inspirational People Under 30 You Should Be Following.” Born on January 26, 1990 Tyler grew up in North Preston and struggled with his mental health throughout his childhood. His first critically acclaimed short film, In My Mind, looked at mental health in the black community. And his second film, There's Soul in Our Soil, examined intergenerational trauma caused by racism.  His brand new film, The Search For Healing, is premiering at the Halifax Black Film Festival. Tyler and James discuss what people in Atlantic Canada can do more to support black owned businesses, how to deal with ignorance, racism in Canada, why cancelling people doesn’t work and that rather than calling them out we should call them in. Settle in, and listen up. 

New podcast episode! James Mullinger meets Candy Palmater, one of his favourite people in the whole world. Candy once described herself as “a gay native recovered lawyer turned feminist comic, who was raised by bikers in the wilds of northern New Brunswick.” But even that unique title doesn’t do justice to the intelligence and brilliance of this incredibly versatile performer, artist, thinker, comedian, broadcaster and creator of the hit TV series The Candy Show and host of the daily CBC interview series The Candy Palmater Show. She is one of this country’s greatest talents and this is one of the most in-depth and moving interviews yet.

Mullinger meets actor, director, producer, writer, podcast host, musician and television personality Jonathan Torrens. Torrens and Mullinger discuss their new life as virtual performers, being an entertainer in the Maritimes, the creation of Trailer Park Boys and much more!

In this episode, Mullinger meets Joel Plaskett, one of the most-renowned singer-songwriters in Canadian musical history. From rocking Halifax’s Marquee Club to performing for the masses across the country, and sharing the bill with other Canadian power bands, including Sloan and the Tragically Hip, over three decades Joel Plaskett has forged a reputation as one of Canada’s most engaging performers and respected singer-songwriters. He has won multiple awards over his career including Juno Awards, Canadian Folk Music Awards and East Coast Music Awards. Mullinger and Plaskett discuss fame, success, their shared love for the East Coast of Canada, family, entrepreneurship and much more.

Montreal-based stand up Derek Seguin is undeniably one of Canada’s hottest comedians. He has performed at the prestigious Just For Laughs festival an impressive seven times and he filmed a gala set for HBO at the festival where he received a standing-ovation from a sold out audience of 3,500 people. He is also the winner of Sirius XM’s Top Comic contest making him officially the funniest person in Canada. Perhaps most impressively, he has appeared on (and won) CBC’s The Debaters more than any other comedian in history. His new concert album Panderek (1st Wave!) is available now on CD and iTunes and was recorded at Montreal’s The Comedy Nest the weekend before lockdown in March this year. He was one of the first comedians to successfully transition to virtual shows and James chats with him about the intricacies of this new form of live entertainment.

Ali Hassan is a comedian, actor and radio and television personality. Perhaps best known as the host of CBC’s Canada Reads and CBC’s Laugh Out Loud stand up showcase, he has appeared in movies such as Goon with Seann William Scott, My Spy with Dave Bautista and in television shows such as Designated Survivor with Kiefer Sutherland and CTV’s Cardinal.

Born in New Brunswick, Ali grew up in Montreal and now resides in Toronto. His hilarious, uplifting show Muslim Interrupted is one of the most critically acclaimed stand up tours in recent years. Mullinger caught up with Ali to discuss friendship, success, cooking, doing the right thing, Canadian comedy, family, lockdown and much, much more.

Mullinger meets fellow Brit turned Canadian, Mr. Pete Luckett. The owner of Luckett Vineyards and founder of Pete's Frootique and Pete's Fine Foods, he was born in Nottingham 1953 and in 1979 he moved, aged 26, to Canada and eventually settled in Saint John, New Brunswick. Having worked a fruit and veg stall in his native Nottingham, Pete launched Pete's Frootique in 1981 at the Saint John City Market. His unique banter, knowledge and attention to detail ensured this small business grew into something Peter never anticipated, nor dreamed of.

On this week’s episode James is in Halifax with Rhys Waters and Jonathan Burns, the co-founders of Podstarter, a start-up which uses podcasting content to break through the marketing clutter to connect with people.

Rhys Waters was a highly respected and BAFTA-award winning producer, director and editor for the BBC in the United Kingdom. He moved to the Maritimes three years ago with his wife and three children on a whim with a thirst for adventure. 

Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Jonathan Burns has travelled across the globe working with clients like Marvel, Warner Brothers and NBA launching marketing campaigns to reach audiences in unique ways. 

They met in Halifax, in Podstarter's recording studio above James' favourite comic book store Strange Adventures, to discuss their lives, careers and what makes a great podcast.

In this week’s episode James speaks to comedian Steve Patterson the legendary host of the hit show The Debaters on CBC Radio One. A headlining comedian since 1997, he has taped numerous national television specials, including four for Just For Laughs.

Steve isn’t just a comedian. He’s a husband. A father to two delightful daughters. A keynote speaker. And the unofficial leader of Canadian comedy making it his life’s mission to support up and coming comedians across the country.

James Mullinger chats with world-renowned chef Michael Smith and his wife Chastity Smith, an accomplished interior decorator and musician. They discuss their new property The Inn at Fortune Bridge on their beloved Prince Edward Island, how they survived lockdown, what will save the Atlantic Canadian tourism industry, their favourite dishes and fame in the Maritimes.

James chats with Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia-born but Hollywood-based comedian Jason John Whitehead about his new hit album, writing for Jim Jefferies, the differences between British and Canadian audiences and meeting Maritimers in Hollywood.

James is joined by award-winning comedian Travis Lindsay. They discuss why being a comedian in the Maritimes prepares you for a global pandemic, Travis' hit #1 album, touring, racism, family, kindness and much more.