Frank, charming, impassioned and intelligent, Jian Ghomeshi is a Canadian cultural icon, currently host and co-creator of CBC’s national daily talk show, Q. From award-winning broadcaster (interviewing Paul McCartney, Neil Young and Leonard Cohen in a TV world-exclusive) to musician, including for multi-platinum band, Moxy Früvous, to writer to speaker to manager, Jian is a calm force of nature whose wit and wisdom make for a mean mixtape. LS: Describe a significant turning point in your life where music played a major role. JG: When I was 15 or 16, I was in a band called Tall New Buildings, and we had a song called Fashion In Your Eye. I was the singer. A requisite and significant amount of eyeliner may have been worn, my sort of Robert Smith, Cure phase. And Fashion In Your Eye got played tons on
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CFNY, which was the Edge at the time. To have that validation from the cool station was a confidence builder in thinking I could pursue a career, a passion for creativity. LS: What is your most unforgettable memory with Moxy Früvous? JG: We did a little tour right before our first album came out, opening for Bob Dylan and we did two nights at Massey Hall. We had a song called The Gulf War Song, lamenting the Gulf War, the state of violence in the world, imperialism, hoping for a world where people would talk to each other and work things out beyond arms. It was an a cappella song, and at the end of our set, we put down our instruments and stood at the edge of the stage of Massey Hall, which is arguably Canada’s most storied hall and has amazing natural acoustics. And we sang this song, opening for Bob Dylan, and the crowd went crazy. LS: As a musician what gets your creativity flowing? JG: For me, my muse comes out of difficult times. Most of the songs I’m proud of have come out of tough times. I think Sarah McLachlan once said, Yeah then I got happy