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Employee of the Myth
Employee of the Myth is a podcast about beloved roots-rockers, Skydiggers. This is a perfect listening companion while walking the dog, washing the dishes or driving to your favourite unspecified destination. Prepare to amaze your friends with your “behind the scenes” knowledge of one of Canada's favourite bands!
Season 1 & 2 : Hide Your Light, Bid Your Time (episodes 1-12)
Each episode in the first two seasons explores the new album, released in 2023. The conversations aim to place the songs in context of the more than 35 years that co-founders Andy Maize and Josh Finlayson have been writing, recording and performing together. Each episode features one of the new songs paired with another song from the band's catalogue, performed acoustically by Andy and Josh in the welcoming confines of the Woodshed recording studio in Toronto, ON.
Season 3: Community
This season highlights the vibrant and rich friendships and collaborations that have developed over the band's 30+ years of playing music.
Episodes
27 episodes
27 - Andy Maize & Aaron Comeau: Captains of Everything
From the Skydiggers universe comes a new project.Inspired by their setting on Prince Edward Island and inspired by the world events of the day, Andy Maize and Skydiggers guitarist Aaron Comeau have created a new collection of songs...
26 - Andy and Josh: Song by Song
"There's a certain level where Josh and I are the bosses, but musically, we're all equal." - Andy MaizeAndy Maize and Josh Finlayson are two of the founding members of Skydiggers.Some 35 years into their musical journey, and on t...
25 - Noel Webb: Actual Intelligence
"Always having an open door to the success of other people - that's what Andy and Josh do in Canada...it's so beautiful". — Noel WebbThe longest serving drummer of Skydiggers, Noel Webb is celebrating 20 years with the band, and now cons...
24 - Derrick Brady Is My Friend
"With Andy and Josh, it was - 'you're part of the band'. I still remember one of the early shows, Andy said at the end of the show on the microphone - 'we are all Skydiggers'. That resonated with me. So, [they were not only] very welcoming, but...
23 - Michael Johnston: Future Blue Jays Organist
"It's lovely to think of being able to walk into a situation with 20 years of hindsight now...I really felt a part of it...I was able to bring my own ideas, right from the start" — Michael Johnston20 years ago, keyboardist/songwriter Mic...
22 - Aaron Comeau: Adding Colour
"In Skydiggers, I can really be myself...there's a lot of trust" — Aaron ComeauGuitarist Aaron Comeau can't really pinpoint a time when he was officially in the band, but one day he got up to guest at the annual Christmas show, and—as he...
21 - Jessy Bell Smith: Jessy Chimes In 🎵
"I'm so lucky. It's like a fever dream sometimes." — Jessy Bell Smith Singer-songwriter Jessy Bell Smith is ever grateful, and continually in awe of being a Skydigger. In this interview, Jessy's love and respect for her bandmates, h...
20 - A Christmas Story
In this special episode, you'll hear from all the current members of this beloved Canadian roots rock ensemble. In order of appearance, Andy Maize, Jessy Bell Smith, Noel Webb, Josh Finlayson, Derrick Brady, Aaron Comeau and Michael Johnston of...
19 - Jim Cuddy: Anywhere Else But Home
A continuation of Episode 18 with Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo, this is a special live-off-the-floor recording session of Jim's song "Anywhere Else But Home" from his new solo album All The World Fades Away.Recorded by Tim Vesely at...
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18 - Jim Cuddy: Appreciating the Journey
"Blue Rodeo...were at the vanguard of creating a national movement of roots music...that really captured peoples' imaginations in the late 80s early 90s, and continues to this day" — Andy Maize"The thing about community is that there ar...
17 - Ron Macey: Always a Skydigger
"At the end of the day, that's all there is. It's friends and community, or else you're on a desert island all by yourself" — Ron Macey"Ronny came down [to The Spadina Hotel] to check us out. We did our set, and after, I said to Josh, "...
16 - Josh Finlayson, Part 2: Collaborator / Consigliere
Whether it's creating Skydiggers classics with his long-time musical compadre Andy Maize, co-writing songs with heavy-hitters in Nashville, or composing music for television, Josh Finlayson places a high value on being a collaborator. In ...
15 - Josh Finlayson, Part 1: Under the Influences
Before becoming a co-founder of Skydiggers, guitarist/singer/songwriter Josh Finlayson developed a deep love of folk, country and roots music. While listening with admiration to Doc Watson, Chet Atkins, Gordon Lightfoot, Ian and Sylvia Tyson an...
14 - Andy Maize: Goldslinger
"… that is my story - incomplete, but mostly the truth. About 5 guys in a Honda, making music, making memories, with nothing to lose" — Andy Maize ("The Situation")With his new EP Goldslinger, Skydiggers co-founder Andy Maize i...
13 - Paul Langlois & Greg Ball: Guess What
Since the early days of the band, Skydiggers have placed a high value on friends, fans, and collaborators. What started over 30 years ago as a few songs on a Monday night at Toronto's Spadina Hotel gradually bloomed, to become a vibrant and joy...
12 - Bide Your Time: "Je t'aime toujours, mon amour"
"This is a celebration of the two of us making music together...for over 35 years".—Andy Maize"I'm very grateful that people will come and see us and that we've made a connection in the lives of an audience - what a gift that ...
11 - Bide Your Time: "Whatever The Cost"
"... it's about the cult of celebrity that we find ourselves in...people who are famous for being famous... one of those people was elected President of the United States." — Andy Maize"Whatever the Cost"—the 5th track on Bide Your ...
10 - Bide Your Time: "Keep It To Myself"
"When you release [a song] it's no longer yours, so you put it out into the world, and it finds its own path..." —Andy MaizePrivate thoughts, public work: a contrast that many artists and performers encounter, and Andy Maize and Josh Fi...
9 - Bide Your Time: "One Song at a Time"
"...every time you get up on stage, you try to represent what you're doing, to the best of your abilities. You can have a sh*tty song or a sh*tty set, and then you can turn it around. That's one song at a time...night after night" —Andy Maize
8 - Bide Your Time: "Just Another Lucky Day"
At once current and timeless, "Just Another Lucky Day" calls out the behaviour of certain people in power and delves into the challenges faced by a divided society, while maintaining a deep warmth and strong melodic foundation. In this ...
7 - Bide Your Time: "Employee of the Myth"
Andy Maize and Josh Finlayson discuss the first track from their new EP, Bide Your Time. They talk about their approaches to 30 years of singing harmonies together, and how they arrived at a "kitchen-party-bluegrass-jam" style for this...
6 - Hide Your Light: "Come to My Senses"
Andy Maize and Josh Finlayson are masters of embracing change and evolution in the creative process. Track 6—“Come to My Senses”—is an example of their ability to keep moving forward, and making music that is fresh, relevant, but still authenti...
5 - Hide Your Light: "A Wednesday"
“A Wednesday meant for broken hearts to mend…” In Episode 5, Andy and Josh discuss finding meaning in the loss of loved ones and the healing power of music.In addition to the interview, you'll also hear Andy and Josh perform two songs: ...
4 - Hide Your Light: "Muscle Cars and Sissy Bars"
In this episode we take a nostalgic look back to a time when everything was in front of us… to the innocence and adventure of youth… the endless days of summer and the endless possibilities of life ahead… “All the time you can...