Strombo on Canada’s Music Industry, ‘HNIC,’ and His New Apple Radio Show

For the past 20 years, George Stroumboulopoulos has had one of the most instantly recognizable faces (and unspellable names) in Canada. From his early days as a MuchMusic VJ to becoming the face of Hockey Night in Canada to his passion project concert series House of Strombo, the host has been a mainstay on our airwaves. Now, it’s time to share him with the world: the 48-year-old has just taken on the most globally visible job of his career as one of the hosts at Apple Music Hits, the tech giant’s new radio station and latest effort at becoming today’s main tastemaker.

Complex Canada’s Alex Narvaez caught up with Strombo about his new Apple radio show, aptly named STROMBO, as well as his career beginnings, his short-lived stint at Hockey Night in Canada, the state of Canada’s music infrastructure, and the importance of algorithm-free music curation.