Podd: Basic Folk

Watchhouse in Conversation with Jacob Sharp (Mipso) (Bonus)

24 juni 2025 | 46 min

Chris Thile: Calvin and Hobbes, Classical Music, and Curiosity (REISSUE), ep. 315

19 juni 2025 | 81 min

(Editor’s Note: Welcome to our Reissue series! For the next several weeks, Basic Folk is digging back into the archives and reposting some of our favorite episodes alongside new introductions commenting on what it’s like to listen back. Enjoy!

This episode featuring Cindy Howes interviewing Chris Thile was originally posted on September 9, 2021 after Chris released his solo album, 'Laysongs.')

Chris Thile (Nickel Creek, Punch Brothers) has been making music nonstop since he was 5 years old. His musical parents found him a mandolin and he started taking lessons and jamming at nearby Southern California pizza shops. He met Sara and Sean Watkins when he was 12 and they started Nickel Creek. In the meantime, Chris' parents moved the family from California to Murray, Kentucky and really started getting serious about evangelical Christianity. This would have a huge impact on Chris; his record, 'Laysongs,' asks a lot of questions surrounding his experience with religion as a young kid. He talks about the transition from being a family with no religion in their routine to being enveloped so intensely in faith.

Another important aspect that comes along on the album is Chris' striking love for classical music. His grandparents gave him some pieces by Bach and set him up for a lifetime of studying and playing classical. Elsewhere in our Basic Folk conversation he also gets into what it was like to grow up alongside Sara and Sean as bandmates, friends, and fellow Christians. One of the themes of the new album is about community, namely, engaging in a community that you love. Chris recognized that he dissented from Christian community in his young adult life where everyone was thinking the same way – Chris felt excluded, so he left. Now, in music, he's found a new community where everyone thinks the same, so still certain people are excluded. He talks about how the pandemic helped further shape those feelings about exclusionary community. We also get into a riveting conversation about Chris' thoughts on writing simple pop music and one of his deepest passions: wine.

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Dar Williams: Music was Decided for Me (REISSUE), ep. 314

12 juni 2025 | 63 min

John Hiatt is Actually Not Scared to Talk about His Feelings (REISSUE), ep. 313

5 juni 2025 | 51 min

(Editor’s Note: Welcome to our Reissue series! For the next several weeks, Basic Folk is digging back into the archives and reposting some of our favorite episodes alongside new introductions commenting on what it’s like to listen back. Enjoy!)

This episode featuring Cindy Howes interviewing John Hiatt originally posted on August 5, 2021.

In 2021, John Hiatt released 'Leftover Feelings' (which is still his latest album, by the way), a collab with bluegrass great Jerry Douglas as producer and his band as backup. Hiatt's digging into some serious past memories for these songs, which include one about his older brother, Michael. Michael died by suicide when John was only 9 and it's only recently that he chose to write about the experience with the track, “Light of the Burning Sun.” Jerry knew that the material was very serious and approached it lovingly with John and band. On Basic Folk, John expands on his grief and talks about giving himself the time and space to mourn. We also chat about the importance of radio in John's young life: he would listen to WLAC from Nashville as a kid around 11 years old. There was a gospel show on Sunday night and the station would go to a different Black church every week to broadcast services. As Hiatt has said, “Those gospel shows used to scare the shit out of me." That opened his world to a completely different way to relate to music, in terms of faith.

Hiatt picked up the guitar at 11 years old, partially to cope with the trauma resulting from being an overweight child. This was especially hard because he was a bigger kid at a time when it was rare for a child to be heavier. He discusses how music and, surprisingly, how drugs and alcohol helped him overcome his weight issue. Then, of course, the drugs and alcohol led him to new problems in his adult years, requiring overcoming that addiction to live a sober life. John also talks about his kids, which includes musician Lilly Hiatt. Lilly said in an interview once, “I was crying over the fact that my career seemed stalled and I wasn’t the flavor of the month, and dad said, 'Lilly, we will never be hip. We’re just not those people.'”

John Hiatt has been a steadfast songwriter since the '70s who's written many well loved songs – like "Have a Little Faith in Me," "Cry Love," and, of course, "Thing Called Love." The writing on 'Leftover Feelings' spans several decades and confronts some of his most vulnerable feelings. To be able to talk to John Hiatt about this project was a sincere privilege and we hope you enjoy!

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Anaïs Mitchell: 2019 Pre-Broadway interview on Hadestown, Lamb Rearing, and Untangling Third Wave Feminism (REISSUE), ep. 312

29 maj 2025 | 51 min

(Editor’s Note: Welcome to our Reissue series! For the next several weeks, Basic Folk is digging back into the archives and reposting some of our favorite episodes alongside new introductions commenting on what it’s like to listen back. Enjoy!)

Listening back, I feel like this 2018 interview with Anaïs Mitchell holds up. Originally published on January 10, 2019, 'Hadestown' was about to debut on Broadway, the pandemic was still over a year away, and we were young and full of autumn. Our Basic Folk interview includes a really interesting discussion about feminism (with just one squeamish reference to fourth-wave being about “non-binary” from yours truly. Eeek!). Anaïs talks about her childhood on a sheep farm in Vermont. She unpacks her love for and loyalty in her collaborations and the mystical way she found her visual artist (Peter Nevins) for 'Hadestown.'

We also talk about 'Hadestown' receiving some “viral” attention in 2016, thanks to a Tr*mp campaign promise to build a wall on the southern border. People latched onto her 2006-penned song, “Why We Build the Wall,” which is one of the pinnacle tracks from her Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. Anaïs opens up about how she met her husband, Noah Hahn, and her early musical beginnings in Boston at Club Passim.

This episode was recorded just as 'Hadestown' was set to open at the Walter Kerr Theatre on Broadway in March 2019. This was also a year before her band, Bonny Light Horseman, would release their debut album. I’m proud of our conversation, which includes some chiming in from Anaïs’ guitarist Austin Nevins, who was on tour with her at the time of the recording. We three are old friends and we were trying to record the interview and hang out at the same time. I’ll leave it up to you to decide if we succeeded!

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Morgan Toney on Circles, Elders, and Phil Collins, ep. 311

22 maj 2025 | 61 min

Circles have played a huge role in fiddler and singer Morgan Toney's life thus far: from drum circles, to talking circles, to the Earth itself (a circle!). In our Basic Folk conversation, Morgan talks about his L'nu (also known as Mi'kmaq) heritage and growing up on what's now called Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, where his ancestors have lived since time immemorial. He elaborates on the significance of the terms 'Mi'kmaq' and 'Nu,' explaining the shift in terminology among his people. As a teenager, he discovered his Indigenous heritage and cultural roots from his elders after he moved to Wagmatcook (a First Nations reserve) and learned about how the power of music could shape his life. He shares the story of first hearing Phil Collins at his uncle's house after school, which inspired him to take up the drums. He soon discovered First Nations drumming by directly learning the songs from elders in talking circles. Morgan also talks about his transition from a shy teenager to a confident musician deeply immersed in both Mi'kmaq and Celtic musical traditions, creating a unique fusion which Morgan calls "Mi'kmaltic."

We also talk about Morgan's emotional connection to his community and the importance of music in rediscovering and celebrating his Indigenous heritage. He recounts how his exposure to traditional Mi'kmaq songs and ceremonies as a teenager was a transformative experience that reignited his cultural pride; in music and in our conversation Morgan pays homage to his family members, especially his elders, who played pivotal roles in nurturing his musical talents and helping him embrace his cultural identity. Finally, Morgan reflects on his musical collaborations, including his close partnership with producer Keith Mullins, and the creation of his new album, 'Heal the Divide.' He further explains the innovative process of blending Mi'kmaq and Celtic musical elements, the album's thematic focus on community and healing, and his aspirations to inspire the younger generation of his community. This was truly an inspiring conversation exploring the intersections of culture, history, and music with a very special musician!

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Kris Delmhorst: Inching Forward through Sleepless Nights, ep. 310

15 maj 2025 | 52 min

Kris Delmhorst is not a good sleeper. The Western Massachusetts songwriter is usually awake from 2 or 3 am to about 4 or 5am. Sometimes it feels nice and floaty, but other times she is wide awake worrying about anything her brain can get a hold of. This is similar to a feeling with which she ended her tenth record, 'Ghosts in the Garden,' with the song "Something to Show." Thankfully, she set us straight and explained that, indeed, the track is a hopeful prayer that she will have something to show for all the questioning, trying, pushing through, and general work that she and fellow humans are doing. Too bad it can't happen in the daylight hours. In our conversation for Basic Folk, we talk about this and the other themes and songs on the new album, like the unbearable emotional density of summer ending, ambient restlessness during destruction, carrying unresolved loves, and, of course, death.

Kris experienced a great loss in 2021 with the death of her dear friend and collaborator Billy Conway. Her husband, Jeffrey Foucault, memorialized Billy in his 2024 album, 'The Universal Fire,' which he called "a working wake" for their friend. He appeared on Basic Folk and spoke at length about Billy and what he meant to the Boston music community. I encourage you to listen to that conversation and Jeff's record. Kris had known Billy for many decades, he produced a couple of her early albums and had been a huge presence in her life. The title track, "Ghosts in the Garden," addresses Billy's death, which sounds like it was a beautiful one, something that not very many people experience. He was surrounded by a houseful of friends and family celebrating his life and keeping him company up until the moment he passed.

There are many types of ghosts on the album: lost loves and past mistakes, roads not taken, and our possible futures too. It was recorded at Great Northern Sound in rural Maine, which is inside an 1800s farmhouse that must keep its own ghosts. Kris, a great lover of collaboration, brings in many guest vocalists like Rose Cousins, Anaïs Mitchell, Ana Egge, Taylor Ashton, Rachel Baiman, Anna Tivel, and her husband, Jeffrey. I was surprised to learn that she had not actually planned for any guest vocalists. She made the decision, recorded some reference mixes in Maine, and listened on the drive home. She was startled to discover that she heard each guest vocalist on the track with her in the car, which prompted her to write some emails and get them all on the record. The songs want what the songs want, so you better give it to them or else... more ghosts?

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Sara Watkins on I'm With Her's Witchy AF New Record, ep. 309

8 maj 2025 | 54 min

Mary Gauthier & Jaimee Harris on THE Three Shoes, Alchemy and Weeding out Baddies, ep. 308

1 maj 2025 | 58 min

Mary Gauthier and Jaimee Harris talk to Lizzie and Cindy for Basic Folk on-board the Cayamo cruise in front of a live audience. We get down to business in addressing NICE things by asking Mary what kind of shoes she's wearing – as she has a reputation for enjoying the good stuff, especially on her feet. After that, we asked and Jaimee Harris enthusiastically answered the age-old question: What is the correct number of shoes to bring on tour? They generously share about their relationship, which began two years after they met as teacher (Mary) and student (Jaimee) in a songwriting workshop. Interestingly enough, both Harris and Gauthier have been playing music for about the same amount of time, despite their age difference. Jaimee, mid 30s, and Mary, early 60s, are also both sober and expand on what it's like to be students of their own patterns.

We also talk about their touring life, songwriting processes, and the alchemy of transforming personal trauma into art. We get to hear the very cute story of how Jaimee first heard of Mary Gauthier, by way of Ray Waylie Hubbard's song "Name Dropping." Mary, in turn, talks about her first impressions of Jaimee's songwriting (spoiler alert: she was completely floored). They share their future plans with us where they say there will be a Harris-Gauthier album, right after Jaimee completes the three records in her head and Mary writes her second book. They also share what it's been like when they are together and around people who know Mary (who has a higher profile in the Americana world), but don't know Jaimee. Each comment that they feel for partners in relationships with people who are "actually famous." We end with a great Lightning Round, a game we like to play with partners called "Which One." We think they might have enjoyed that, because on the last day of the cruise Mary, getting off the boat, shouted, "Thanks for the interview! The Lightning Round was a real moment!!"

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Susan Werner on Defining Hard Work, Paid Vacations, and Relaxing as Indie Musician, ep. 307

24 april 2025 | 46 min

Jon Muq: Uganda, Cruise Ship Food and His Googly-Eyed Guitar, ep. 306

17 april 2025 | 35 min

Originally from the village of Mutungo, Uganda (near the country's capital of Kampala), Jon Muq's journey to his current life of touring with an Austin, Texas home-base has been unconventional. Onboard the Cayamo cruise earlier this year, we talked to Jon about his childhood experiences, including fetching water with friends and "We Are the World," which was the first Western music he ever experienced. He also recounts the emotional reunion with his twin sister at the Cambridge Folk Festival, revealing how distance from his family has shaped his identity as an artist. He had not seen her, his friends, or any family before that for many years due to leaving originally to work on a cruise ship (the same line we were cruising on!) and work visa realities.

Jon discusses the moment he first held a guitar at age 19, which felt like a natural fit. He shares how traditional Ugandan music influences his sound and how he began learning English through song before mastering the language. Jon speaks about his experience with food; growing up, his family was food insecure. When he started performing on cruise ships, he was overwhelmed by the amount of food available. He explained the ever-present googly-eyes on his guitar, which tie into learning about distinct cultural differences between America and Uganda. Like many countries, it is normal in Uganda for male friends to hold hands. This and many cultural differences were learned the hard way for Jon, so the eyes on the guitar symbolize an always smiling friend that will be there for him. He wraps up this episode of Basic Folk with a great lightning round giving us the inside scoop on the best food aboard Cayamo, his dream collaboration and, in his opinion as an industrial design student, what's the most beautiful product in the world.

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Ani DiFranco & Carsie Blanton: Menopause, The Wild Child, and Naps to fight Capitalism, ep. 305

10 april 2025 | 44 min

Basic Folk is making trouble at sea with Ani DiFranco and Carsie Blanton! Hosts Lizzie and Cindy had the opportunity to speak with the two like-minded radical songwriters aboard the 2025 edition of Cayamo, a roots music cruise. Our conversation kicks off with Ani sharing her transformative experience performing as Persephone in the Broadway show 'Hadestown,' delving into the challenges of acting and the lessons learned from stepping outside her musical comfort zone. We navigate through Ani's journey of independence, discussing 'Unprecedented Sh!t,' her first album with a producer besides herself in 23 years – BJ Burton – and what it means to relinquish control in the creative process.

In Ani's memoir, 'No Walls and the Recurring Dream,' she writes about how her creativity is aligned with her menstrual cycle. She described the most creative part of her cycle as "THE WINDOW." Cindy asked all three artists onstage to reflect on how their creativity relates to their periods. What resulted was a discussion on how creativity is impacted by not only menstrual cycles, but menopause and ovulation and how that has evolved over time. The conversation also touches on the significance of hair as a form of self-expression and how societal perceptions of women change with their appearances.

Ani and Carsie speak to the power of songwriting in addressing historical and political issues, emphasizing the importance of music as part of a larger movement for justice. They share insights on the necessity of community and collaboration among artists in a challenging industry, encouraging listeners to find strength in solidarity rather than competition. To wrap up, they reminisce about their parallel wild, youthful experiences and how those versions of themselves continue to influence their art today. As Ani had to leave the stage early, Carsie brought it home with an Ani DiFranco-theme lightning round.

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Loudon Wainwright III: Oversharing, Family Ties, and Musical Legacy, ep. 304

3 april 2025 | 46 min

The legendary Loudon Wainwright III, whose career has spanned over five decades, is known for his deeply personal songwriting and sharp wit – and oversharing. The patriarch of the Wainwright folk dynasty (which includes Rufus, Martha, their late mother Kate McGarrigle, as well as Lucy and her mother Suzzy Roche), Loudon reflects on the balance between oversharing and maintaining privacy in his music in this episode of Basic Folk. He candidly discusses the lines he draws when writing about family and how his experiences with grief have shaped his art. I'm proud to say that I think we found a line he would not cross in our conversation! Listen in to hear history in the making.

We also discuss his latest live album, 'Loudon Live in London,' and his unique ability to unsettle and surprise his listeners during performances. We talk about his late father and namesake, Loudon Wainwright Jr., the famous writer for LIFE Magazine, who is present in everything LW3 does. We dive into his early days, including insights on his debut album thanks to a recent essay by Morrissey that highlights its significance. Moz points out that Wainwright has "the pep and readiness of someone who knows we will all soon be skeletons." After reading Loudon's very detailed memoir, Liner Notes, I had to ask him about his relationship to memory and also his reputation for memory. Loudon also touches on his acting career, revealing how roles in popular films – especially Big Fish and Knocked Up – have introduced him to new audiences. Elsewhere he reveals that he was at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival where Dylan went electric and shares his memories of that fateful day.

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Olivia Ellen Lloyd: West Virginia to Brooklyn, Finding Ground in Water, ep. 303

27 mars 2025 | 61 min

Bonnie "Prince" Billy On Making Nashville Musical Magic, ep. 302

20 mars 2025 | 65 min

Rose Cousins & Edie Carey: Bast Friendship, Music, and the Art of Spatula-ing Life, ep. 301

13 mars 2025 | 86 min

Sierra Hull: Mandolin Magic and Small Town Roots, ep. 300

6 mars 2025 | 67 min

When mandolinist Sierra Hull was little, her dad told her she was really good "for a ten year old." The older Hull knew Sierra had a fiery passion for the instrument and he knew exactly how to motivate his daughter. He went on to say that if she wanted to go to jams and porch-play for the rest of her life, she'd learned enough. He gave her realistic advice that, if she wanted to dedicate her life to music, she would have to work really hard. Because "that 10 year old cute thing is gonna wear off." Sierra, who would draw pictures of herself playing at the Grand Ole Opry with Alison Krauss and doodle album covers with the Rounder Records logo, took his advice to heart and got to work.

Since then, Hull has shared the stage with more heroes than one could count, she's inspired a new generation of younger players, she's released five albums, and is considered a master of the mandolin. Originally from the small town of Byrdstown, Tennessee, her new album, 'A Tip Toe High Wire,' is set for release March 7. In our Basic Folk conversation Sierra reflects on how growing up in a small town shaped her musical identity alongside bluegrass, gospel, and family traditions. She shares memories of family gatherings filled with music featuring Aunt Betty and Uncle Junior, the profound influence of church hymns, and how these experiences continue to resonate in her playing and songwriting.

Sierra also discusses the significance of 'A Tip Toe High Wire,' her first independent release, highlighting the freedom and growth that come with that independence. She emphasizes the importance of authenticity in her music, allowing herself to explore new sounds while remaining grounded in her bluegrass roots. Elsewhere in the episode, she opens up about her personal growth, the pressures of being labeled a child prodigy, and her journey toward embracing imperfection in her art. We also dive into what we'll call her "Stevie Nicks Era" with the amazing cover-art on the new record. Sierra enjoys playing with elaborate styles in her album artwork and red carpet looks (helloooo CMA Awards). With a candid perspective on the challenges of the music industry, she encourages listeners to find joy in the process while appreciating the beauty of vulnerability

Also woo hoo!!! Happy Basic Folk 300!!!!

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Basic Folk Presents: Folk Files: Shady Grove

4 mars 2025 | 25 min

Gary Louris talks to Mark Erelli on Songwriting, Late in Life Love, and Technology, ep. 299

27 februari 2025 | 61 min

You probably know Gary Louris as the leader of The Jayhawks – or as they refer to themselves, “a band from Minnesota.” The Jayhawks are pioneers of roots rock, alt-country, and Americana. Whatever you wanna call it, they’ve been making records where rock, pop, country, and other forms of American roots music overlap since the mid-1980s.

But Louris’s hidden superpower is that he’s kind of like a musical Swiss Army knife – he’s basically got a creative skill for any application. Want him and his band to serve as accompanists for some of the most distinctive singer-songwriters, like Wesley Stage and Joe Henry? He can do that. Looking for achingly-perfect, near-fraternal harmonies on hit songs like Counting Crows’ “Mr. Jones”? He can (and did) do that. If you’re the Tedeschi Trucks Band or The Chicks and you’re looking for someone to write you some catchy, melodic, roots-pop songs? Gary’s your guy. If that’s not enough, he has also produced records for artists like Dar Williams, The Sadies, and The Jayhawks, too. Whatever your musical need may be, chances are that Gary Louris can do it.

In between all these varied musical roles, Louris has also found time to release several solo albums, the newest of which – 'Dark Country' – was released earlier this month. He recorded it mostly solo in his home studio and the word on the street is that this collection of songs, inspired by his wife, is his most intimate and romantic album yet. I’ve been a big fan of Gary Louris for basically my entire adult life and enjoyed our wide-ranging Basic Folk conversation, touching on the way technical limitations can shape an artist’s style, what he’s learned from a career’s-worth of collaborations, his process working on his new solo album, the relationship between versatility and longevity, and what the influence of romance on his songwriting looks like now, in the fifth decade of his music career.

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Lilly Hiatt: Driving Tunes and Life Lessons, ep. 297

20 februari 2025 | 45 min

Bonus Mary Sue Twohy: From Folk Roots to Radio Waves

18 februari 2025 | 41 min

SiriusXM's folk radio programmer Mary Sue Twohy has not had a straight career path, but it's certainly been adventurous. Mary Sue, who is about to be inducted into the Folk DJ Hall of Fame, has held many different jobs over her life, most notably as a touring singer songwriter and as a beloved folk radio programmer, host and active community member. It all began in a vibrant musical and creative home in Aberdeen, New Jersey. With fond memories of family gatherings filled with guitars (and banjos!), laughter, and a distinctive 70s aesthetic, Mary Sue reflects on how her father's love for folk music has shaped her own artistic journey. We dive into how his favorite music, from Joan Baez to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, have resonated throughout her life.

As a seasoned musician and now a prominent figure in the radio world, Mary Sue discusses her transition from performing artist to radio programmer at SiriusXM (she currently manages The Village, the folk channel along with several other channels). She emphasizes the importance of connection in radio, both with the audience and the artists she showcases, highlighting how her background as a musician allows her to curate a unique listening experience. Her passion for folk music and her commitment to uplifting diverse voices within the genre shine through as she shares insights on compassion, community, and the healing power of music.

Throughout our conversation, Mary Sue's authenticity and warmth are evident as she navigates topics like her hobbies outside of music, the significance of compassion in her work, and her recent induction into the Folk DJ Hall of Fame. We also touch on her thoughts about the Bob Dylan movie and engage in a fun lightning round where she shares her favorite songs and memorable moments from her career.

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Sam Moss: Gentle Folk Sounds and Woodworking Bounds, ep. 296

13 februari 2025 | 58 min

Although the ever-enigmatic Sam Moss is not a great swimmer, he named his latest album 'Swimming.' The folk singer with a gentle demeanor is back with thoughtful songs and captivating melodies. Hailing from New England, Sam has carved out a unique niche in the folk world, blending naturalistic themes with an introspective approach to songwriting. We explore how his New England roots continue to influence his music – despite his current residence being Virginia – and how his upbringing in a family of visual artists has shaped his artistic sensibilities.

Sam also talks about how movement and the natural world inspire his songwriting, if not with more oblique lyrics. We dig into his latest album 'Swimming,' where he boldly embraces more direct lyrical expressions; we discuss the balance between mood and narrative in his work, too. Our Basic Folk conversation touches on his journey from a shy young musician to a confident performer, as well, thanks in part to the encouragement of close friends like Jackson Emmer. He counts Emmer, who he played with in old-time duo The Howling Kettles, as one of his greatest inspirations for following his own creative arrow in music.

Elsewhere in the episode, we explore Sam's passion for woodworking, a skill he honed as a respite from musical burnout. He describes the satisfaction of crafting tangible objects and how this practice complements his musical endeavors. We also really dive into his feelings around the word "gentle," which is often used to describe his music and persona. He doesn't actually mind being known as a gentle person– in fact, he hopes people do find his music soft and tender and, in that gentleness, that they still leave feeling his songs' striking impact.

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Covered in Moss: Anna B Savage's World of Folk, Birds and Ireland, ep. 295

6 februari 2025 | 58 min

Carolyn Kendrick's Devilish Detour: Satan's Folk Music, Moral Panic and the Color Red, ep. 294

30 januari 2025 | 68 min

Carolyn Kendrick's latest project explores complex themes of moral panic, tradition, and the figure of the devil (AKA Satan, AKA Lucifer). The LA-based songwriter opens up about the inspiration behind her album, 'Each Machine,' which is accompanied by a thought-provoking zine. In our Basic Folk conversation, she discusses the significance of the color red in her work, symbolizing themes of anger, danger, and familial ties, and how it contrasts with the black and white imagery used throughout the project.

Carolyn also shares her unexpected journey into researching the devil, sparked by a podcast project that ended up overtaking her life, leading her to interview the leader of the Satanic Temple, among many others. This deep dive into the topic became a way for her to process the overwhelming political and cultural landscape. She candidly discusses the challenges of maintaining balance while being consumed by such a heavy subject matter (spoiler alert: she did not maintain balance AT ALL).

We also touch on Carolyn's work in podcasting (You're Wrong About, You Are Good) and how it has influenced her approach to music. She reflects on the importance of integrating culture and music, creating a world-building experience that connects various aspects of her life. Carolyn's creation of the Gender Equity Audio Workshop, along with co-producer and 'Each Machine' collaborator Isa Burke, highlights the power of women supporting each other in the music industry, fostering an environment where questions can be asked without fear of judgment.

She expands on her exploration of traditional songs through a devilish lens, which allowed her to examine how their meanings shift when viewed in this context. She also discusses her dual versions of the hymn "Are You Washed in the Blood," inspired by Naomi Klein's book 'Doppelganger,' and how they represent different facets of her musical identity.

Throughout this episode of Basic Folk, Carolyn Kendrick offers insights into forgiveness and harm, emphasizing the need for solution-focused actions in today's society. Our chat concludes with a fun and quirky Satan-themed lightning round, where Carolyn shares her favorite pop culture depictions of Satan and imagines a music festival in hell. The devil is fun again!

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Josh Kaufman: Imperfect Folk Music & Backstage Snacks, ep. 293

23 januari 2025 | 63 min

Lutalo: Hip Hop Roots and Folk Future(s), ep. 292

16 januari 2025 | 50 min

Jerry Douglas: From Steel Mills to Dobro Thrills, ep. 291

9 januari 2025 | 58 min

Basic Folk: An Official Bluegrass Situation Production

2 januari 2025 | 5 min

Year-End Reflections with Cindy & Lizzie: A Wild 2024 Ride, ep. 290

12 december 2024 | 71 min

It's 2024 recap time on Basic Folk! Cindy & Lizzie dive into a most special year-end reflection, featuring highlights from our honest conversations with folk musicians. We revisit THE top episode of the year, Anna Tivel & Jeffrey Martin's insightful discussion on navigating artistic challenges and living a simple life. Cindy shares her favorite episode featuring her co-host Lizzie No talking about her career-defining album, Halfsies (our 250th episode!). In turn, Lizzie's favorite honest convo came from Leyla McCalla onboard the Cayamo Cruise. We sat in the ship lounge and dug in with Leyla about the "folk process" and her thoughts on cruising, as a Haitian-American, as we ported in Hispaniola aboard a luxury cruise line. (Spoiler: it is complex!)

Basic Folk checks in with friend Jontavious Willis about his biggest lesson of 2024 and what defining success as an independent artist looks like as he has just released his latest West Georgia Blues. We also welcome Rose Cousins' heartfelt words on embracing change as she prepares to release her next record, Conditions of Love - Vol. 1 (out March 14, 2025). As the episode ends, Lizzie leaves us with some words of wisdom:

"We are at a time of year where your body wants to be doing less. We've just survived a chaos clown show of violence in the election. Our culture is shifting rapidly. It's okay if the things that used to work for you don't work anymore. You're allowed to start over. You're allowed to try new things. You're allowed to tell people in your life, 'I've changed.' You're allowed to listen to new artists. You're allowed to change how you dress. You can do it all. 2025 is a new year and you have freedom. And that's my blessing to you." - Lizzie No.

Goodbye 2024!

Episodes featured:

Anna Tivel & Jeffrey Martin: https://basicfolk.com/anna-tivel-jeffrey-martin-eyeballs-ice-cream-and-portland-oregon/

Lizzie No: https://basicfolk.com/lizzie-no-the-goat-on-gender-tiaras-and-leveling-up/

Leyla McCalla: https://basicfolk.com/leyla-mccallas-joyful-rebellion-sun-without-heat-and-the-freedom-of-play/

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Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Nature Calls for Trampled by Turtles' Dave Simonett: Music, Hunting and Home, ep. 289

5 december 2024 | 60 min

Becca Stevens on Grief, Spiritual Co-Writing and Connection, ep. 288

21 november 2024 | 58 min

Twisted Pines' Kathleen Parks Secret Polka Past, ep. 287

14 november 2024 | 80 min

Hot off the heels of Twisted Pines' latest release, Love Your Mind, Kathleen Parks is here to dig into her uncelebrated polka origins. Daughter of renowned trumpetist Eric Parks, the younger Parks grew up in New York's Hudson Valley in a very creative family (her mother was also a dancer and the one who made Kathleen practice all the time). She started young on the violin and was surrounded by her dad's polka music, as he was a member of The Jimmy Stir's Orchestra, which my dad – also a Polka-Head – calls "the top polka band revered by all polka bands." Parks even sat in with the band as a teen, when she would occasionally fill in for their violinist. She fully embraced her strong Irish roots not only in music, but also dance, which she calls her second love. After accepting a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, she started meeting and jamming with bluegrass musicians in the area, especially at the Cantab Lounge, famous for its weekly bluegrass night. This is where her new band Twisted Pine scored a residency and started building a following.

On their new record, Kathleen is the de facto lead singer, which she's just fine with. She also explains the band in one phrase: "Let's see what happens." That philosophy is definitely present on the new record, which is filled with wild vocal performances and sees the band operating at its highest level. In our Basic Folk conversation, we explore the mental health themes highlighted in “Funky People,” a song about how difficult it can be to take care of yourself on the road and the relief you find in people you meet. Plus, we cover “After Midnight (Nothing Good Happens)” and finally find out what time one should go to bed at a bluegrass festival. It's always earlier than you think.

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Edie Carey & Sarah Sample: remain Cool despite Comfort, Cajons and Dream Catchers, ep. 286

7 november 2024 | 68 min

The Sound of Women's Voices: A Shorty Bonus on a Weird Ass Day

6 november 2024 | 17 min

From Songwriting to Sobriety: Kasey Anderson's Journey to His Final Album, ep. 285

31 oktober 2024 | 72 min

We're starting with the end in our conversation with Kasey Anderson. On the pod, we've covered a lot of firsts; debut album, origin stories and the beginnings. Ever since I (lizzie) have known Kasey, his social media bio has been "gradually retiring songwriter." I'm always teasing him about "What does that mean? When are you going to retire?" Officially, this latest album, 'To the Places We Lived,' is Kasey's "last album." I want to put that in very heavy quotes because I hate to imagine a world where a great songwriter friend of mine is not making records. I think his insistence on this album as the last one has more to do with saying goodbye to parts of the music industry that he wants to release and ways of being in the world that he doesn't want to engage with anymore. What do we need to let go of? What do we need to release? That's the place where this album begins.

We talk about Kasey's whole songwriting career. The moment where he went surprise viral for one of his political songs, "The Dangerous Ones." We talk about his time being incarcerated and what that taught him about himself, what it taught him about the world, what it taught him about white supremacy. We talk about his family. We talk about his sobriety and his work in helping others get clean and stay clean, and what staying clean means in a holistic and gentle sense. The songs on this album are mournful, literate, and very, very fun. My favorite is "Back to Nashville;" it's a rock and blues song. Kasey is the type of artist who can write a really contemplative song about self reflection or grief or loss, and then a blues rocker that makes you want to shake your ass in the next second.

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Riffing on Life: Chuck Prophet talks Music, Surfing, and Storytelling with Mark Erelli, EP. 284

24 oktober 2024 | 76 min

Editor’s note: For this episode, we invited our friend Mark Erelli to interview Chuck Prophet. The two are familiar with each other's work through songwriting together for Mark's latest album Lay Your Darkness Down (2023). We're thrilled to welcome Mark back as guest host!

Chuck Prophet has been a mainstay on the indie and Americana music scenes since the 1980s, before either designation was a common part of the rock ’n’ roll lexicon. Through his guitar work in the seminal psychedelic desert rock band Green On Red, musical collaborations with Kelly Willis, Kim Richey, and Warren Zevon, and a string of over a dozen solo records, Prophet has carved out a respected niche in rock music history with his “California Noir” sound. It’s a streak he probably could have kept riding for the rest of his career, if not for his sudden diagnosis with lymphoma a couple years ago. During his treatment and eventual recovery from cancer, Prophet found solace in his record collection—in particular the vibrant rhythms and danceable energy of Cumbia. He eventually sought out a favorite local band in the genre to jam, and then formally collaborate on Wake The Dead, Prophet’s first new solo album in four years. The project blends his longtime band The Mission Express with members of the Cumbia outfit Quiensave, and the result is equal parts familiar and fresh.

I have firsthand knowledge of Prophet’s freewheeling collaborative process, having worked with him and his longtime songwriting partner Klipschutz on a song for my 2020 album Blindsided. I once taught with Chuck at a folk festival songwriting school, and was relieved to be able to play before him at the instructor open mic, because no one wants to follow Chuck Prophet. His musical catalog is so deep and broad that it’s both inspiring…and a bit overwhelming. It was a joy to re-connect with him for a wide-ranging conversation about his new album, that also touched upon his sense of humor, guitar playing techniques, surfing culture, and even his favorite Bob Seger song.

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Liv Greene on Finding her Tender Little Queer Heart, ep. 283

17 oktober 2024 | 56 min

Oh how I've longed to talk to Liv Greene. Every once in a while you come across a young artist that seems older and wiser than her 26 years. Liv's been giving me that impression since I met her in 2019 when she was at Club Passim waiting tables and breaking hearts on the stage at just 21 years. Ok enough about being young. Liv's been writing, studying music and going to music camps since she was 12. Arguably she's been studying music all her life with her Americana loving parents who were filling the house with the sounds of Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris and Shawn Colvin, to name a few women In music in heavy rotation at the Greene house. Being the only of her friends that liked that kind of music, Liv attended many DC-area concerts with her mom, taking in the magic of live music at a very tender age. Speaking of tenderness, that's what Liv Greene is all about and she digs into it in our conversation. She started writing and playing shortly after she was inspired by a Taylor Swift concert. From there, she took off on the instrument and even sought out music education in camps like Miles of Music in New Hampshire. It was at that camp as well as the arts academy Interlochen High School, where she started meeting peers with similar interests. She found herself living for summers with her music camp friends. Prior to her senior year at Interlochen, Liv was a closeted queer at her all girls Catholic school mostly writing fictionalized stories into her songs because she could not deal with who she was.

She attended and graduated from The New England Conservatory of Music and released her debut album (produced by Isa Burke) right in time for the pandemic in May of 2020. Shortly after that, she moved to Nashville and has spent the last several years on an intense path of self-discovery. Liv found her community, came out, wrote and self-produced her new album, Deep Feeler. On this album, you can hear the growth she's experienced and you can hear Liv thriving in her corner of the Nashville Music scene that includes the indie folk music scene. We talk about all of this including what it means to have a neurodivergent brain, music production, the roller skating community and her favorite Taurus personality traits.

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Exploring Ancestral Roots with Blind Pilot, ep. 282

10 oktober 2024 | 56 min

Amy Helm: Letters to Women and the Legacy of The Barn, ep. 281

3 oktober 2024 | 74 min

From Reality Bites to Nursery Rhymes: Lisa Loeb's Unconventional Journey, ep. 280

26 september 2024 | 67 min

Folk Music, Friendship, and Fountain Pens: Nerding out with Bruce Molsky & Darol Anger, ep. 29

19 september 2024 | 67 min

Basic Folk Presents: American Masters: Creative Spark feat. Jewel

17 september 2024 | 39 min

Balancing Dreams and Reality: A Folk Debate on Ambition, ep. 278

12 september 2024 | 70 min

Jeffrey Foucault remembers Billy Conway with Universal Fire, ep. 277

5 september 2024 | 75 min

In our episode with Wisconsin-born, New England based Jeffrey Foucault, we had a handful of questions for the singer-songwriter about his background: coffee, the midwest and Mark Twain wisdom. Then we talked about Billy Conway for more than an hour. Conway was Foucault's long-time partner in music, drummer and best friend who died from cancer in 2021. He was a rock and roll roots legend in Boston with his tenure in Morphine and Treat Her Right. He was like a holy man, known for his creative, curious and infectious spirit where even people who met him only one time (myself included) were quite taken and inspired by his presence. The loss of Billy Conway hit the music community hard. In 2023, a tribute album showcasing the songwriting of Conway recorded by some of his closest friends (Chris Smither, Foucault, Kris Delmhorst, Billy's wife Laurie Sargent) was released. And now, with his latest album release, Jeff's given us a working wake for his friend Billy, The Universal Fire.

We talked about what was going on with Jeff when he met and started working with Billy in 2013. What state of mind made this spectacular friendship and collaboration completely click. How conscious Jeff has been about his reaction to Conway's death and processing grief when it comes to being an example for his teenage daughter (who is also getting into folk music and live performance- hi Hazel!). We also dig into the new album, The Universal Fire. He paralleled the loss of Billy Conway with a different type of loss: the 2008 fire at the Universal Studios lot in California that destroyed master tapes of hugely influential American recordings. And finally, a check in on how Jeffrey's humanness is faring in the high-tech world in the year 2024.

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Amos Lee on Friends, Femininity and Folk Roots, ep. 276

29 augusti 2024 | 66 min

From Lancaster to the Limelight: The de Vitry Sibling Soundtrack, ep. 275

22 augusti 2024 | 71 min

Maya, Nina and Lyle de Vitry's life, beginning in Lancaster PA, has been music and family, music festivals with old-time music, songwriting and folk music. The de Vitry siblings (including sister Monica, currently teaching art in Western Mass) grew up amongst music and nature in their rural home and even had a family band called Old-Time Liberation Front. Many jams around the campfire, music lessons and encouragement from their parents lead all three siblings to careers surrounding indie folk music (and jazz! thank you, Nina). All three have released albums in the past year: Maya's new album “The Only Moment” is her fourth record in only six years of performing solo in her post Stray Birds career. Lyle JUST released his debut album, “Door Within a Dream,” while simultaneously working alongside other banjo makers at the Pisgah Banjo Company, his current day job. Nina's excellent debut "What You Feel is Real" came out last year, but she's been busy playing on the Noah Kahan tour as "the utility player". Nina's singing harmonies and playing fiddle, mandolin, banjo, guitar and 12-string guitar while finding creative inspiration from the energy of the crowds and her new found musician siblings in Noah's band.

In our special conversation with the de Vitry sibs, we talk about how they feel about each other's creative process, songwriter process and musician inspiration. They get into how being at all these music festivals and jams as kids bonded them together. We learn about made-up words that their family uses to this day: stay tuned to find out what a butchabee and a taffy bub is. Also they each talk about how disconnected they feel from the mainstream (Nina had never heard of Noah Kahan's music until she was asked to audition for his band). Also Lyle gets into how being around three sisters, female musicians and female songwriters has impacted him and his musicality. And don't miss a very special de Vitry "Which One" lightning round wrapping up one of the most special singer-songwriter interviews we've done on Basic Folk.

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Basic Folk Presents: The Other 22 Hours - Mary Chapin Carpenter

20 augusti 2024 | 50 min

Editor’s note: Basic Folk is pleased to introduce our listeners to one of our favorite podcasts by sharing an episode in our feed! The Other 22 hours, hosted by singer/songwriter Michaela Ann and producer Aaron Shafer-Haisse, talks to fellow musicians about the helpful tools and routines the use to stay creative, inspired, and sane while navigating a career built on their art. The thing I like about this podcast is that these conversations are between musicians. They're very real. The musicians share insights that go beyond normal bio questions. They talk about things that can actually translate into non musicians' lives. They dive in deep right from the start. I came across this podcast when they interviewed Leyla McCalla and was blown away by that conversation. Some other favorites have been William Prince, Gretchen Peters. Today we're going to share their conversation with Mary Chapin Carpenter. I hope you enjoy and subscribe and follow and support Aaron and Michaela on The Other 22 hours.

Episode Summary

Mary Chapin Carpenter is an 18x Grammy nominated, 5x Grammy winning, 6x platinum-selling singer-songwriter with over 16 albums and decades of touring so far in her career. We talk with Mary Chapin about her songwriting process, including her need for solitude and her practice of "song walking," we talk about how she still faces rejection even with all of her accolades and commercial success, how common and easy it is to personalize mistreatment from people in power (and how to combat that), and much more on this very candid final episode of Season 1.

Episode Notes

Mary Chapin Carpenter is an 18x Grammy nominated, 5x Grammy winning, 6x platinum-selling singer-songwriter with over 16 albums and decades of touring so far in her career. We talk with Mary Chapin about her songwriting process, including her need for solitude and her practice of "song walking," we talk about how she still faces rejection even with all of her accolades and commercial success, how common and easy it is to personalize mistreatment from people in power (and how to combat that), and much more on this very candid final episode of Season 1.

Get more access, including exclusive content, advance knowledge of our guests and the ability to have them answer your questions, special workshops, and more by becoming a member of our Patreon, at this link.

Links:

Click here to watch this conversation on YouTube.

Social Media:

All music written, performed, and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss.

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Denitia’s Musical Journey: From NYC Streetwear to Nashville’s Vintage Vibes, ep. 274

15 augusti 2024 | 57 min

Anna Tivel & Jeffrey Martin: Eyeballs, Ice Cream, and Portland, Oregon, ep. 273

8 augusti 2024 | 76 min

Fake Interviews & Real Talk: Matt the Electrician Reinvents Music Marketing, ep. 272

1 augusti 2024 | 62 min

John Smith is Finding Harmony in Chaos, ep. 271

25 juli 2024 | 55 min

Peggy Seeger spills Folk Feminist Tea with Dawn Landes, ep. 270

18 juli 2024 | 71 min

Editor's note: For this episode, we invited our friend Dawn Landes to interview Peggy Seeger. Dawn was the perfect choice to interview the feminist folk icon. She recently joined us on a special episode with Aoife O'Donovan to discuss their feminist-themed new albums. We're thrilled to welcome Dawn back as guest host!

I can’t believe it took me 40 years to come across Peggy Seeger’s music. I’m a little mad about this honestly, and have been trying to make up for lost time by diving deep into her songs and her story. I’ve been a fan of her older brother, Pete Seeger since I was a kid but didn’t realize the depth of talent and reach in the Seeger family …they are truly Folk Royalty! Peggy Seeger is the daughter of a celebrated modernist composer and a musicologist who grew up with people like Alan Lomax and Elizabeth Cotten hanging out in her family home. At 89 years old she’s released 24 solo recordings and been a part of over a hundred more. She’s built her career on wit, incredible musicianship and unflappable activism.

On this episode of Basic Folk, I am honored to talk with Peggy Seeger about her beginnings in feminism, her decades-long partnership with Scottish singer Ewan MacColl, the creation of the BBC Radio Ballads, the importance of hope and her dream tattoos! She even sang us a song from memory that I doubt she had sung in many years. Peggy is a repository of traditional songs and continues to tour and play music with her family as she’s done throughout her whole life. Although she claims that she doesn’t write anthems, Seeger’s songs have become synonymous with women’s rights and environmental activism. Coming from a woman who once sang her defense in a courtroom, we should all take Peggy’s advice…“Something wrong? Make a song!”

--- Dawn Landes

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Ana Egge on Dream-Writing, the Truth, and Sinead O'Connor, ep. 269

11 juli 2024 | 66 min

Soundcheck Stories and Life Lessons: Chris Smither and Peter Mulvey, ep. 268

4 juli 2024 | 61 min

Steve Poltz Wants to Listen to The Grateful Dead, Watch Laugh-In and Write a Song Together, ep. 267

27 juni 2024 | 79 min

If you're looking for recommendations for desserts, might I suggest asking folk music and comedy savant Steve Poltz? This man loves gluten and carb-heavy deserts. He also loves collaborations, camaraderie, creativity and using humor in music. It all began for Poltz, or Poltzy as his friends call him, in his birthplace of Halifax Nova Scotia, making him an official Canadian. He spent his formative years in Palm Springs and Los Angeles where, due to his stutter, allergies and asthma, he learned to talk fast to get himself out of trouble. His sense of humor was cultivated in part by his funny parents as well as radio and television. He was particularly taken with The Smothers Brothers, Laugh-In and the novelty songs he heard on Dr. Demento's radio program, which solidified his own aspirations for being silly as hell in his own writing. Along the way, he picked up the guitar at six years old and it's been by his side ever since.

After he moved to San Diego to attend college in the 80s, he formed the cow-punk band The Rugburns with Robert Driscoll. The band, who Steve has described as "really slow speed metal," developed a cult following across the US in the early 90s. It was at that time, Poltz met Jewel, who was a struggling musician in the San Diego scene. The two dated (they remain friends to this day) and ended up co-writing one of the biggest songs of the 90s with "You Were Meant for Me." After a brush with a major label (thanks to all the Jewel stuff), he remained an independent artist who developed a reputation for a singular live performance experience. In 2014, he actually had a stroke on-stage, which temporarily caused him to lose his vision, the ability to read and also gave him a new outlook on life. Also: post-stroke, he found a late-in-life obsession with The Grateful Dead. In 2016, he and his wife, Sharon, moved to Nashville, where he discovered that he actually does like the Nashville co-writing thing. He's written songs with people like Molly Tuttle and Billy Strings. His friend Oliver Wood (The Wood Brothers) produced his most recent record, Stardust and Satellites. Here's to Steve Poltz!

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Basic Folk Presents: Only Vans

25 juni 2024 | 30 min

Archiving the Heart: Greg Brown on Music, Family, and Throwing Out Old Notebooks, ep. 266

20 juni 2024 | 44 min

Iowa folk music icon Greg Brown is living that retired life. After playing his farewell retirement concert in 2023, he's returned with a new book: Ring Around The Moon: A Songbook, which highlights a song selection personally picked by the songwriter himself, as well as family photos, personal anecdotes and self-penned drawings. The book features a foreword by Seth Avett (The Avett Brothers) who calls Brown's songs "plain spoken expression of the nearly inexpressible." In our conversation, we touch on topics like inner peace, happiness, personal growth and self-acceptance.

He speaks of how art has impacted him in ways the artist will never understand. He talks about what it's like to be on both the receiving and sending end of this exchange. It especially impacted him when he learned the poet Allen Ginsberg listened to an album of his while he was dying. I asked him about his music archives, which he calls "a bunch of old notebooks on a shelf" and "a couple boxes of old photos," which assisted him in recalling family connections for the songbook. Going through the photos and old songs instilled a sense of music nostalgia, including collaboration with Iowa musicians at the Wednesday Night Jam at The Mill. Music nostalgia surfaces several times through the pages like his incredible story of founding the successful and beloved Red House Records. There's also discussion on a few choice Greg Brown songs like "If You Don't Get it at Home," addressing replacing love for materialism and drug use. We talk about "Brand New '64 Dodge," chronicling Brown's personal experience with JFK's assassination in 1963 and "Two Little Feet," written in Alaska where he was inspired by Native American myths he heard and felt in the area. Greg Brown's songbook was an awesome trip down memory lane for some of the best folk songs ever written from one very serious, yet very silly songwriter. It was an honor to dig in with one of the best to do it!

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The Reckoning of Montreal Banjo-Witch Kaïa Kater, ep. 265

13 juni 2024 | 84 min

After banjo player Kaïa Kater attended Americana Fest in 2016, the music industry started telling her she was a part of the genre, which encompasses all kinds of roots music, acoustic music, folk music, singer-songwriter and alternative country music. She was singing about heavy themes like historical trauma, her cultural heritage (her father is from the Caribbean country of Grenada) and her music history. She confesses in our interview that she never felt comfortable in Americana, that she was always just on the outside never fully feeling accepted by this mostly white world. Kater has declared that her new album, Strange Medicine, comes from a place that lays beyond the white gaze of Americana. This music is filled with emotional healing with music production that sonically reflects the vulnerability that she is expressing so deeply for the first time in her career. It's also the first time she's avoiding metaphors and really letting her most raw feelings about colonialism, sexism, racism, and misogyny rip. These songs see her using violent language and releasing emotions she’d previously kept frozen like anger and revenge.

While creating Strange Medicine, she listened to a lot of instrumental music allowing her ears to be bigger than they had been on previous records. Which translated to her being more willing to take big swings and take risks. Kater attended school to learn film composition allowing her to be more comfortable with being a little bit more overstated in her songs, which certainly proves true on the new record. Another good piece of news is that the banjo is back! After using it very minimally on her last release, Kaia picked it up again after listening to a lot of Steve Reich, a composer who developed a groundbreaking minimalist style in the 1960s that's marked by repetition. His work helped Kater conceive of the banjo as an instrument that could hypnotically play patterns over and over. We go through this monumental album track by track and unwind songs with topics from Tituba's revenge (the first to be accused during the Salem witch trials) to getting the critic out of the room, to realizing the critic is you. She also recounts her history in her hometown of Montreal and what the Internet was like when she first logged on in the 2000's.

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Guster is a Place, ep. 264

6 juni 2024 | 59 min

Frontman Ryan Miller joins us to talk about all things Guster. From their tried and true collaborative writing process to the theatrical delights of their recent "We Also Have Eras" tour, to what it really looks like to make environmental sustainability a priority on tour. Guster has just released their 9th studio album, Ooh La La. As we talked about the new record, Ryan talked about how these new songs touch on questions that the band has been asking throughout their over 30 year career. For example, "Maybe We're Alright" calls back to the collectivist spirit that we loved in 2003's Keep It Together. "Gaugin, Cezanne (Everlasting Love)" talks about God in a way that brought up new questions for me about 2010's album, Easy, Wonderful, and so on. This is what makes being a Guster fan so rewarding. The longer you listen to these guys and the deeper you dig, the more you feel empowered to ask questions about the world around you and approach the answers with playfulness. Guster is a band, but it is also a place where we all meet to dance away the big questions with whimsy to the beat of tasteful hand drums.

It is no exaggeration to say that lizzie has waited over 20 years to talk to Ryan. They became a fan of the New England indie outfit in 2003 when they opened for John Mayer at the West Point Military Academy, of all places. The vibe in the room was a little stiff, but Guster was anything but. Their exuberant, generous, harmony filled, idiosyncratic performance blew her teenage mind. As lizzie dug deeper into their lore, they discovered that they were a part of a vast network of weirdos: The Guster fandom.

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Finding Freedom in a Flip Phone: John Moreland's Quest for a Simple Life, ep. 263

30 maj 2024 | 59 min

Claps, Covers, and Come Ons: Inside Barnstar!'s Musical Mischief, ep. 262

23 maj 2024 | 58 min

Fran & Flora Are Reimagining Traditional Yiddish Folk Music, ep. 261

16 maj 2024 | 68 min

Relevant, Radical & ROTFL: Billy Bragg, Folk Music's Political Poet, ep. 260

9 maj 2024 | 65 min

Leyla McCalla's Joyful Rebellion: Sun Without Heat and the Freedom of Play, ep. 259

2 maj 2024 | 82 min

Singer-songwriter Leyla McCalla and her band (bassist Pete Olynciw, drummer Shawn Meyers and guitarist Nahum Zdybel) join us onboard the Cayamo cruise to go through their incredible, righteous and fun new record Sun Without Heat. It is a Leyla McCalla solo album but no solo artist is an island! Once we saw Leyla perform with her band, with whom she has collaborated for the past six years, we had to get the whole collaborative outfit in on the interview.

The sounds on the album are inspired by Afrobeat, Haitian Music, folk music, indie music, Americana music, Brazilian tropicalismo, amongst others. Leyla calls it "a record that is playful and full of joy while holding the pain and tension of transformation." McCalla’s liberatory politics find their way into the record, evidenced by the title which comes from a Frederick Douglass speech given six years before the Emancipation Proclamation. Leyla explores her cultural heritage while reflecting the African diaspora using elements of Afrofuturism. She's leaning into a concept that challenges women in music (particularly women of color) of how to free herself from labor that should not be hers and fighting for her right to be joyful in her creative expression.

When asked about how these new songs feel through the lens of somatic experience, Leyla says the new music feels different and that she's let go of the idea of perfectionism as a single mom of three kids. A lot of the record was informed by different authors she's read recently like adrienne maree brown (Pleasure Activism) and Susan Raffo (Liberated To the Bone). Leyla's really changing the game in the Americana genre when it comes to incorporating the academic into truly bitchin' music. Sidenote: we really loved hanging out with this crew at sea on Cayamo. They had great vibes, good laughs and also very good outfits. lizzie even recruited Pete to play bass in an impromptu trio while on-board. More good times with Leyla and band, please!!

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Humbird: From Dinner Table Singing to Dismantling White Supremacy, ep. 258

25 april 2024 | 65 min

Navigating the Waters of Folk Music: Community vs Capitalism, ep. 257

18 april 2024 | 49 min

We're live at sea! lizzie and Cindy recorded this episode onboard Cayamo, which is a singer/songwriter cruise that's been sailing yearly since 2008 and is one of the best music festivals we've attended. AND it's another edition of FOLK DEBATE CLUB. This time it's Community vs Capitalism! Our panel features Jenny Owen Youngs (musician and co-host of Buffy the Vampire Slayer podcast, Buffering the Vampire Slayer), Amy Reitnouer Jacobs (Co-Founder / Executive Director of The Bluegrass Situation) and Natalie Dean (Director of Events at Sixthman, which presents Cayamo). We talk about both through the lens of folk music and the music industry at large. Community building amongst folk artists and fans in authentic and unique ways will help drive your passion. Organically finding community through event production, online presence or music promotion is at the core of folk culture. Community trust and cultural diversity are key in ensuring that folk music artists will thrive in our Capitalistic society. How do you build that trust among your audience in a way that allows them to build trust with each other?

How do you stay true to your values while being able to pay for your life? How have musical community leaders cultivated their particular communities? Capitalism is our current reality, but it historically has not mixed well with Community. Clearly, one must be pursued vigorously more than the other! Or does it? Is there a way that these two can live side by side in folk music? If you are listening to this or reading this right now, I can make this assumption: You want to support music financially and with your heart. Music is something that sustains our lives, but it’s also a profession and something people consume. Don't worry, we figure it all out in this episode of FOLK DEBATE CLUB AT SEA!

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Jontavious Willis Says Blues Music is for The Kids, ep. 256

11 april 2024 | 50 min

Originally from Greenville Georgia, musician Jontavious Willis is a Blues music phenom. When we talk about the Blues, the phrase or the word "torchbearer" comes up a lot when it comes to young, new Blues artists. I think of that word as a double edged sword. When you think of a torchbearer, you think about someone who's carrying on a flame that was lit long ago. It's somebody who's carrying on a tradition, but it also can come with restrictions. Such as oldheads telling you you're not doing it right or asking you: "have you really paid your dues? Are you really faithful to the tradition?" And just asking you questions about whether or not you belong. Jontavious handles that double edged sword with such alacrity. His writing is firmly contemporary at the same time that his playing is rooted in the tradition of Country Blues. He knows so much about the genre that he's basically in a walking encyclopedia of the Blues. I don't want to spoil the surprise, but instead of the the traditional Basic Folk lightning round, we played a pop up game at the end of the interview. I put different styles of the Blues (like Delta or Piedmont) in one cup and different ripped from the headlines, 2024 topics in another. Then we just matched them up. He was so quick on his feet.

Jontavious is a great example of a new spin on a genre that a lot of people think they know already. He is so adamant that the blues is a contemporary genre and always has been. He made the point during our interview that a lot of the Blues legends that we've kind of encased in the amber of memory were young teens or twentysomethings when they wrote their iconic songs. It's really a genre for free people, for young people, for people looking ahead. It's not about the past. Another point of his he made while discussing his southern roots was we talk about country, often we're talking about a musical genre with a certain difficult history. But for him, and I imagine for a lot of other artists, country is a way of life. It's about being out in the wild. It's about having a connection to nature. It's about sitting with quiet. It's about having time on your hands to experiment with songwriting or being a singer. It's about a genuine experience of being connected to a particular place in time.

This interview and live performance was recorded for the podcast live at Fort Worth African American Music Festival (FWAAMFest). When I (lizzie) was a kid, my dad's family used to have these big reunions. They're from North and South Carolina Baptist family, and it would be like a big barbecue at the state park or in a church hall. We would have t-shirts made, people of all ages milling around, catching up. Often there would be an elder getting up to say a long prayer or make an announcement. This sense of belonging and intergenerational connection, that is what the FWAAMFest felt like. Brandi Waller-Pace, the founder, is such a visionary, and they bring together artists of so many different genres, all of which fit under the roots music umbrella. There's this beautiful link between all of the music based on The African American Storytelling Tradition and The Artistic Tradition. In addition to being able to interview, Jontavious, this was my first time headlining a festival, so it couldn't have been more of a special day for me.

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Aoife O'Donovan and Dawn Landes Surf All the Feminist Waves, ep. 255

4 april 2024 | 72 min

Coincidentally, long-time friends Aoife O'Donovan and Dawn Landes both have new albums with strong feminist themes, so I (Cindy) wanted to interview them together and talk about WOMEN. Aoife's album, All My Friends, is specifically centered around Carrie Chapman Catt, a prominent leader in the Suffragist Movement, and her work in the fight for the 19th Amendment. Inspired by speeches and letters, one song, War Measure, is even based on a letter of support from Woodrow Wilson to Chapman Catt. This album also marks the biggest project Aoife worked on with her husband Eric Jacobsen, who conducts the Orlando Philharmonic and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. It's also the first record she's released since becoming a mother. Of her Daughters song she says she sings "as a modern woman, not wanting to leave the fight to the daughters of our daughters."

Dawn Landes, also a mother, has a more broad focus with her new album The Liberated Woman's Songbook. The album features songs from the 1971 songbook of the same title to inspire second wave feminists' women's liberation movement and modern feminism of the 1970's. The songs on Dawn's album span from 1830 (Hard is the Fortune of All Womankind) to 1970 (There Was a Young Woman Who Swallowed a Lie as well as Liberation, Now!) showcasing how women of the past expressed political activism in the struggle for gender equality.

Both Aoife and Dawn released their albums during Women's History Month, which leads to a discussion of what that means to each of them. We also talk about what is on their protest signs at the march, the Taylor Swift movie, gender stereotypes and, of course, all the waves of feminism. When thinking about the 19th amendment, we acknowledge that this only allowed WHITE women to vote. That leads to talk of how suffragists and feminist protest songwriters, like Meredith Tax, contributed to and gleaned inspiration from the civil rights movement. Aoife and Dawn are legends! We start with what their internal dialogue was like at first when undertaking these ambitious and important projects and end with Aoife putting Barbie on blast. All and all, this one's a winner.

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Appalachian Bluegrasser Missy Raines Explains The West Virginia Thing, ep. 254

28 mars 2024 | 68 min

Acclaimed bluegrass musician Missy Raines is also a very cool and funny lady originally from West Virginia, not far from the Maryland border and the city of Cumberland. First of all, I had questions for her about why people from West Virginia are SO into their state. She gets into that and also the influence of the rich tapestry of bluegrass music she found there as well as the scene in nearby Washington DC. Raines has made a significant impact on the genre, earning 14 International Bluegrass Music Association awards, including 10 for "Bass Player of the Year." Her latest album, "Highlander," showcases Raines' mastery of the bass alongside an ensemble of top-tier musicians from Nashville (her home base for the last 34 years) and beyond, blending traditional bluegrass with innovative twists.

Throughout our conversation, Raines reflects on her deep connection to Appalachian culture and the Appalachian Mountains, which have profoundly influenced her music. We explore her experiences performing live at music festivals and the evolution of bluegrass music. We recount the passion her family felt for music touching on the story of her mom and aunt crying their eyes out over John Duffy leaving their favorite bluegrass band, The Country Gentlemen. She also talks about taking care of her late brother Rick, who died in 1994 from AIDS at the age of 39. Through that experience, she was empowered to help others whose loved ones were also dying and suffering from HIV and AIDS. With her unique blend of banjo and fiddle music and her activism in a normally conservative genre, Raines continues to push the boundaries of the genre while staying true to its roots, making her a trailblazer in the world of Americana and folk music. Our conversation was in depth, fun and enlightening - I had high hopes for this one and I was not disappointed!

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Bob Hillman's Rock and Roll Return: From Beach Volleyball to Marketing to Musician, ep. 253

21 mars 2024 | 55 min

Joe Pug Will Not Ossify, ep. 252

14 mars 2024 | 58 min

Hannah Connolly is Finding Her Happy Little Emo Heart Again, ep. 251

7 mars 2024 | 58 min

Singer songwriter Hannah Connolly, originally from Eau Claire, WI (same as Justin Vernon and the Bon Iver crew!) has just released her second solo album, Shadowboxing. Written to reflect musical and life transitions, it was recorded in beautiful Idyllwild, CA, just outside of her new hometown of Los Angeles. While in the mountain town, Hannah reconnected with nature through hiking and found joy in connecting with her friends and collaborators in music. The process of making the record was crucial for her mental health in music that was celebratory and fun. Her debut album centered around the trauma and healing she and her family faced after her little brother Cullen was killed by a drunk driver in 2015. Born with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Cullen was the life of the party and a bright light in every room he entered. Being able to process and mourn his loss through the making of her first record was not only extremely difficult, but also very necessary for Hannah. We talk about who Cullen was and how he continues to influence Hannah's life and music. These days, Hannah is looking for the fun and lightness again, which is exactly what her little brother would want her to do.

Even though Hannah's visual storytelling and folky roots are strong, they are no match for her love of emo music, which has influenced her since she was a teenager. She even performed, recorded and toured in an emo band prior to going solo. Hannah gets into her emo past, her childhood stint in musical theater and, of course, cheese curds. She also gives us the all important update on wedding planning! She recently got engaged to Eric Cannata of the alternative rock band Young the Giant. I'm so happy for Hannah not only for her future marriage, but also for creating this joyful new album.

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Lizzie No: the GOAT on Gender, Tiaras and Leveling Up, ep. 250

29 februari 2024 | 73 min

Bestie Lizzie No has just released their career-defining new record Halfsies and we are 100% here for it on our 250th episode!! lizzie, who co-hosts Basic Folk, put her entire being, identity and creativity into this project. There's a lot going on with their main character, the avatar Miss Freedomland, and we're getting to the bottom of it in our conversation. Our hero's journey begins even before the main character is born. Her inception grew out of disdain for childhood beauty pageants, which lizzie's mother actually won back in the early 60's at a now defunct amusement park called Freedomland. And there are photos of Little Catherine Quinlan with a look of disgust on her five year old face. lizzie grew up with this story and as she got older, she began to think hard about societal expectations and the stock put into women and children's emotional expression through their faces. Lizzie also grew up hearing and saying the word "No," hence the stage name.

Enter Miss Freedomland (also the name of lizzie's new record label)! She has been tasked with a journey to become free, which will require inner healing, exploration of self-identity and giving up performance of gender that just feels wrong. The album starts with our main character trying to level up (because, yes, this is a video game) with her own self-expression, revisiting past traumas and shedding the baggage and the hot garbage that got her trapped in the first place. In our conversation, we go track by track through this showstopper of a record and even get some solo live performances. I hope you enjoy exploring lizzie's world as much as I did. These songs are brilliant and the concept executed remarkably. Thanks to Studio 9 in North Adams, MA for the use of their beautiful studio!

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Dinty Child Dreams Up Tunes on Island Time, ep. 249

22 februari 2024 | 50 min

Dinty Child, founding member of Session Americana, the beloved Boston roots music collective, who've accidentally been a band for twenty years, has just released his second solo album, Letting the Lions In. The new songs feature co-writing on all tracks between Dinty and Boston area songwriters like Mark Erelli, Kris Delmhorst and Dave Godowsky. A self-proclaimed slow-writer, the majority of these songs were written on the annual Sub Rosa songwriting retreat Dinty runs on Three Mile Island (no, not that Three Mile Island) on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. Owned by the Appalachian Mountain Club, Dinty's family has been working at the island for over 100 years. Dinty currently serves at the off-season manager, putting his musician and carpenter skills to good use hosting songwriter friends at said retreat like Rose Cousins, Rose Polenzani, Rachael Price, Miss Tess and many more, as well as Miles of Music, a summer camp run by Dinty, Kristin Andreassen and Laura Cortese.

Letting the Lions In was co-produced by Zachariah Hickman (Josh Ritter, Ray LaMontagne) and recorded at Great North Sound in Parsonsfield Maine over the course of three days in the spring of 2021. Dinty says: "I often trade construction work for studio time there." During our conversation, we dig into why these songs needed to be recorded. Our consensus is that legacy and spreading joy to his community are the top two reasons. Also, Dinty, who says an annoyingly large percentage of his songs start as dreams, talks about what kind of sleeper he is, what's with the lion and his thoughts on drinking thanks to the handful of alcohol songs on the new album. Dinty is a dear friend to the podcast and an important part of the New England musical landscape, we're thrilled to have him on the show!

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Tyrone Cotton: The Louisville Legend You Must Hear

15 februari 2024 | 34 min

Radio Waves to Musical Bliss: Talia Schlanger's Harmonious Journey, ep. 248

8 februari 2024 | 62 min

Elise Leavy is the Faerie Kid of Folk, ep. 247

1 februari 2024 | 51 min

Strings of Support: Sarah Jarosz's Mentors and Co-Writing Magic, ep. 246

25 januari 2024 | 60 min

Sarah Jarosz is what happens when young women are taken seriously. A huge part of the mandolinist’s story is that she had supportive male mentors and that has added to her confidence. We all know the age old story of “Young woman shows promise, gets exploited by the patriarchy and it affects her work.” We need to hear stories like this. Starting in her hometown of Wimberley, Texas, just 45 minutes outside of Austin - the live music capital of the world, Sarah found the mandolin at ten years old. Labeled a prodigy and thanks to the encouraging spirit of folk music, she found music mentorship with seasoned professionals like David Grisman, Ricky Scaggs, Tim O’Brien and Bela Fleck. After her time at The New England Conservatory of Music, she moved to New York and would go on to collaborate with people like Chris Thile in the Live From Here House Band and her trio I’m With Her, featuring Aoife O’Donovan and Sara Watkins and won four Grammys.

After making the move to Nashville, on her latest album, the very impressive and sonically expansive Polaroid Lovers, Jarosz collaborated with producer Daniel Tashian, which originally was just a low-stakes co-writing project. The success of her first co-writing experience with Daniel led her to pursue other songwriting sessions with Ruston Kelly and Natalie Hemby. The collaboration found on the record has opened Sarah up to new sounds and new experiences. In our conversation, we talk about Sarah stepping into her own voice with confidence on this record and knowing her musical self enough at this point in her life. She describes her experience with confidence using the Dunning–Kruger effect, in which people with limited competence in a particular domain overestimate their abilities. AKA Fake it till you make, AKA Leap and the net will appear. She also talks about her parents' influence on her early musicality and how her mom is doing with her cancer remission. An overall theme of this conversation is that Sarah never lost sight of her goal: keeping it all about the music and don’t let noise get in the way of your important work.

Also! For those interested in Sarah's #1 skincare product: HERE YOU ARE.

ORDER/STREAM LIZZIE NO'S NEW ALBUM HALFSIES: https://orcd.co/halfsies

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Imaginary People Chronicles: Viv & Riley's Tradition and Innovation, ep. 245

18 januari 2024 | 62 min

Rachael Kilgour's Tribute to her Extraordinary Ordinary Dad, ep. 244

11 januari 2024 | 60 min

Crying in Music: Darrell Scott's Honest Artistry, ep. 243

4 januari 2024 | 77 min

Folk Legacy: Celebrating 25 Years of Club Passim's campfire. Festival

28 december 2023 | 61 min

Maya de Vitry & Ethan Jodziewicz are Seriously Playful, ep. 242

14 december 2023 | 60 min

Rosanne Cash is Not a Regular Mom, ep. 241

7 december 2023 | 30 min

Iron & Wine: Navigating the High School Reunion of My Music Career, ep. 240

30 november 2023 | 67 min

Long before the world fell in love with the music of Iron & Wine, and even before he knew that he wanted a career in music, Sam Beam knew that he loved making things. His parents, who didn’t necessarily understand their artsy kid but wanted to support him, kept Sam well-supplied in drawing paper and art supplies so that his imagination could run free. Sam knew that he was different from other kids but that didn’t bother him. In his early days of making music, Sam obsessively honed his skills as a producer so that he could present the most polished songs possible. It wasn’t until later that he realized that live performance was just as important a part of his craft. Following his own curiosity has enabled Sam to remain intellectually energized throughout two decades of touring and releasing music.

One thing you might not know about Iron & Wine is that he has worked with the same manager for his entire career. When he met Howard Greynolds, Sam’s music career was just beginning to take off. Howard quickly proved that he cared more about the music than about getting money and credit. Their relationship has deepened and evolved over the years as Iron & Wine has become one of the most beloved singer-songwriters in folk music, and the music industry has reinvented itself in the age of streaming.

Iron & Wine is notoriously private and mysterious, but that might be about to change with the release of ‘Who Can See Forever,’ a meditative documentary. The project started as a concert film but the director, Josh Sliffe, was able to convince Sam to sit for a series of interviews reflecting on his life, his work, parenthood, creativity, craft, and legacy. Those conversations find Sam looking back but mostly looking forward with curiosity and acceptance.

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Travis Book is a Practical Romantic, ep. 239

16 november 2023 | 71 min

After two decades in The Infamous Stringdusters, the Grammy-award winning neo bluegrass band, Travis Book releases his rock americana debut: Love and Other Strange Emotions. That's not to say that Book, who thrives on collaboration, got here on his own. The Colorado musician (now residing in Western North Carolina), was raised by parents who went out their way to ensure that young Travis respected music and had access to instruments. His mother bought him his first bass guitar and his dad allowed him to buy Red Hot Chilli Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magik (even though it had a parental advisory sticker on the cover). As Travis went off to college in Durango, CO, he found a supportive and vibrant Bluegrass scene where he encountered future members of Greensky Bluegrass (Anders Beck), Leftover Salmon (Andy Thorn) and The Jon Stickley Trio. Those musicians would form their first bluegrass band Broke Mountain Bluegrass Band, which has just reissued a remastered version of their album Cabin in the Hills.

In our conversation, Travis talks about his brief time in Nashville, after he auditioned for The Stringdusters and got the gig as their upright bass player and vocalist. Spoiler alert: he felt VERY intimidated. We get into why he loves collaborations so much and has chosen to create his variety show turned podcast, The Travis Book Happy Hour, into an engine for unique performances with guests like Lindsay Lou, Jim Lauderdale, Sierra Hull and many more. The Happy Hour, which started in Spring 2020, was first set without an audience, which made Travis let go of his attachment to their reaction using wisdom borrowed from Eastern philosophy. He also explains how he is romantic, yet practical in everything he works to accomplish. Travis is a literal ray of positivity, so if you're having a bad day, I promise that this conversation's gonna lift you up in a seriously not-cornball way. TRAVIS!

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Caroline Cotter: Home is Where the Ocean Is, ep. 238

9 november 2023 | 55 min

Former trumpet player and anxious adventurer Caroline Cotter had been constantly on the move performing hundreds of live shows since 2015. At the dawn of the pandemic she had a full album in the can and ready to go. When the world shut down, so did she. She set her songs to the side and didn't pick up her guitar for a long while. She left her city of Portland, Maine and headed even more north to the Acadia region and reconnected with nature: i.e. hugging as many trees and rocks and one woman can. Also during that time, she had the opportunity to sit with her shelved album. She discovered something amazing in that stillness: She, along with co-producer Alec Spiegelman, had made a fucking bomb record. She went forward with release plans, blew up her Kickstarter goal and finally gave us her third album, Gently as I Go, this past August.

In our conversation, Caroline talks about what she's like to work with in the studio (hint: she is not a relaxed and calm dreamboat) as well as her relationship to rest. As someone who has struggled with anxiety, she did not take to rest naturally, however, she’s cultivated a yoga and meditation practice in order to maintain calm. We also dig into her history: talking about how the ocean has remained a constant in her relationship to home. Growing up in Rhode Island, she and her siblings all took piano lessons. Heading to college, she majored in art with a minor in Spanish. She has a reputation for being a globe-trotter, which began in her travels to Thailand, Spain and Portugal as an international educator. She quit her day-job in 2015 to pursue music with a basically nonexistent fanbase. These days, Caroline's fans are many and they are dedicated. You don't find many independent musicians with such a devoted crowd as Caroline: they buy her music, they attend her shows, they put her up when she's in town. So hello all you Cotter-Kickers, hope this conversation does your favorite songwriter justice.

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Jobi Riccio is an Outdoor Kid, ep. 237

2 november 2023 | 78 min

Billy Keane: Curiosity, Luck, & Drive, ep. 236

26 oktober 2023 | 55 min

Folklore Forensics with Alice Gerrard, ep. 235

19 oktober 2023 | 67 min

Tré Burt, ep. 234

12 oktober 2023 | 51 min

Antje Duvekot, ep. 233

5 oktober 2023 | 59 min

Antje Duvekot confronts trauma with a newfound wisdom and fierceness on her new record, My New Wild West, her best in her 20 plus year career produced by her friend Mark Erelli. To put it plainly, Antje, who moved to America from Germany at age 13, had a really rough time as a teenager. She was transplanted to a totally new universe with a new language she barely understood with unsupportive and abusive parents. She soothed herself with music, her first love. She sang and played guitar very quietly, which has translated to the musician she has become. Her voice can be soft, child-like and playful, but it can also be strong and deep. The control is incredible. Not to mention, this woman's observation of the world is profound. In each song, she creates worlds that come to life with her poignant lyricism. It's arresting and always unexpected.

This interview was different for me in that Antje and I have known each other for over two decades. That's happened before on Basic Folk, but it feels like our careers started on the exact same day and we've grown together in this messy business. The story is that we met at Club Passim (maybe it was a Gillian Welch tribute night and thanks to Matt Smith) in Cambridge, MA around 2002. It took one song and I was floored. She gave me her CD, I took it and played it over and over on the WERS Coffeehouse (the morning folk show). Every Coffeehouse DJ knew how to spell her name and would expect to field calls every time we played her music. That just doesn't happen anymore; it was right at the end of an era when radio could do that. From there, Antje's career took shape. I'll be forever grateful to her for that experience. It really felt like radio at its best: connecting a community with something really needed in an organic way. It's good to get back together in our conversation. Please excuse me if I'm a little too casual in this one!

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Your Career vs Your Soul, ep. 232

28 september 2023 | 61 min

Jenny Owen Youngs, ep. 231

21 september 2023 | 64 min

Buffalo Nichols, ep. 230

14 september 2023 | 57 min

Rising Appalachia, ep. 229

7 september 2023 | 59 min

Sisters Leah Song & Chloe Smith grew up in Urban Atlanta, they also lived in New Orleans and outside of Asheville. The pair are deeply rooted in their Southern identity as evidenced in their band, Rising Appalachia. Although their parents are not professional musicians, music was a constant part of the family. Their parents were dedicated students of early Appalachian music. The sisters played music everyday, were classically trained, attended fiddle camps and music festivals among other musical activities. The sisters developed their own taste in Atlanta’s 90s rap underground scene. There was a time when the two didn’t want anything to do with their parents' music, however, eventually they came back to it and decided to pursue Appalachian music thanks to some time spent away living in Mexico.

Aside from music, activism and purpose remain very important to Rising Appalachia. Leah's idea for "The Slow Music Movement" came out of the desire to sustain the troubadour lifestyle over participating in the traditional touring musician industrial complex. While touring, the band requests local food in their rider, invite tabling from non-profits, and work to create relationships with the local community. They also will seek out alternative methods of transportation: trains or smaller vehicles that use non-fossil fuels. Rising Appalachia has been known to do hub shows where they stay for a few days and create relationships with the community. This past July, they hosted Catalyst, their first annual music art and education festival in Asheville. Leah and I dug into how being musicians helped them create a space where artists felt welcome and taken care of. We also talk about Chloe's new baby and how touring might be looking different this fall. Check them out and their latest album, Live At Preservation Hall.

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Nina de Vitry, ep. 228

31 augusti 2023 | 60 min

Ben Harper, ep. 227

24 augusti 2023 | 41 min

Taylor Ashton, ep. 226

17 augusti 2023 | 69 min

Raye Zaragoza, ep. 225

10 augusti 2023 | 59 min

Meg Hutchinson, ep. 224

3 augusti 2023 | 59 min

It’s been ten years since Boston-area Meg Hutchinson has released an album and she did it super quietly, so no shade if you didn’t realize that your favorite middle sister is back with some seriously devastating songs. Meg grew up just outside of Great Barrington, MA where she had an idyllic childhood surrounded by woods and framed by her desire to become a folk singer. That dream was realized after she graduated college, quit her organic lettuce farm job and moved to Boston in the early 2000’s. There, she wove herself into its vibrant folk community gigging around New England, performing in the subway and getting signed to the prestigious Red House Records, where she released three albums.

Throughout her life she has suffered from several mental illness, experiencing her first major bout of depression at age 19. Not understanding, she felt ashamed and hid her illness for nine years. After a huge whirlwind 2006 tour in England where she experienced a high never felt before, Meg came home and felt mania and severe depression all at once. She called her family to help and it was her younger sister, Tessa, who eventually got Meg professional help. After a long road stabilizing and healing, Meg has a grasp on her bi-polar disorder, which she calls by its former name: manic depression. She’s discovered her calling as a palliative care hospital chaplain and hospice worker. She’s no longer working music. She’s playing music and that’s how she approached this new album: All The Wonder All The Beauty, an album she says “is about things we don’t want to talk about.” She writes about her mental illness, midlife and death. This is an intense discussion with one of my favorite people! I’m so happy she’s released this album and excited for you to get to know Meg Hutchinson.

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Molly Tuttle, ep. 223

27 juli 2023 | 63 min

Kara Jackson, ep. 222

20 juli 2023 | 61 min

Tim O'Brien, ep. 221

13 juli 2023 | 58 min

Brian Dunne, ep. 220

6 juli 2023 | 69 min

Ethan Setiawan, ep. 219

29 juni 2023 | 51 min

Caitlin Canty, ep. 218

22 juni 2023 | 65 min

Rissi Palmer & Miko Marks, Ep. 217

15 juni 2023 | 70 min

Performance vs Authenticity, ep. 216

8 juni 2023 | 65 min

Matt Sucich, Ep. 215

1 juni 2023 | 62 min

Hanneke Cassel, ep. 214

25 maj 2023 | 59 min

Dom Flemons., ep. 213

18 maj 2023 | 63 min

Libby Rodenbough, ep. 212

11 maj 2023 | 60 min

David Wax Track by Track, ep. 211

4 maj 2023 | 72 min

Alice Howe & Freebo, ep. 210

27 april 2023 | 60 min

The Tallest Man on Earth, ep. 209

20 april 2023 | 56 min

William Prince, ep. 208

13 april 2023 | 74 min

Kimaya Diggs, ep. 207

6 april 2023 | 61 min

Brett Dennen, ep. 206

30 mars 2023 | 56 min

Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek, ep. 205

23 mars 2023 | 52 min

Adeem the Artist, ep. 204

16 mars 2023 | 55 min

Lyrics vs Melody, ep. 203

9 mars 2023 | 48 min

Sam Phillips, ep. 202

2 mars 2023 | 58 min

Anna Tivel & Jeffrey Martin, ep. 201

23 februari 2023 | 60 min

SistaStrings, ep. 200!

16 februari 2023 | 64 min

Eliza Edens, ep. 199

9 februari 2023 | 46 min

Mark Erelli, ep. 198

2 februari 2023 | 59 min

Ruthie Foster, ep. 197

26 januari 2023 | 50 min

Tom Wilson, ep. 196

19 januari 2023 | 59 min

Anthony D'Amato, ep. 195

12 januari 2023 | 63 min

Courtney Marie Andrews, ep. 194

5 januari 2023 | 45 min

Zach Williams of The Lone Bellow, ep. 193

15 december 2022 | 50 min

John Calvin Abney, ep. 192

8 december 2022 | 63 min

Lissa Schneckenburger, ep. 191

1 december 2022 | 58 min

Melissa Carper, ep. 190

17 november 2022 | 48 min

Patrick Haggerty of Lavender Country, ep. 189

10 november 2022 | 70 min

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A note before we begin: our guest on this episode, Patrick Haggerty of Lavender country passed away on October 31 at the age of 78 several weeks after he’d had a stroke. This episode was produced before his death. We are grateful to be able to share this conversation with Patrick and we hope our listeners will take some time to learn about Patrick’s remarkable life, especially his pro-LGBTQ+ and pro-working class activism. We are sending love to his many fans, friends, and especially his family at this difficult time.

Patrick Haggerty, the frontperson of Lavender Country, is a legend of queer country music. He made history when he released the first openly gay country album in 1973. In a lot of ways, Nashville still isn’t ready for queer folks to be our outspoken selves, but in 1973 it was almost unthinkable. Patrick walked into the cultural storm consciously, knowing that his story needed to be told even though few were ready to hear it.

After being shunned from the music industry, Patrick continued to do important work in the communities he cared about. He worked for decades as a social worker, community organizer, gay rights activist, and anti-racist activist. He got married and raised children. Then, a wild twist of internet fate took place. One of Lavender Country’s songs got posted to youtube and Patrick found himself signed to a record label and creating his second album. He re-emerged into a world that was more gay friendly, and to a new legion of fans who had found his music on the internet.

It was a special honor to speak with Patrick and his husband, JB, after spending time on the road with them this past spring during the “Roundup” queer country tour. Their steadfast relationship, humor, activism, and dedication to building a better world have taught me so much about what it means to make a life in music as a queer person. We at Basic Folk are honored to share this conversation with you.

CONTENT WARNING: this episode contains mentions of self-harm, suicide, and homophobia.

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Ondara, ep. 188

3 november 2022 | 59 min

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Lizzie No talks to Ondara

When Ondara was a little boy growing up in Nairobi, Kenya, music was both everywhere and just out of reach. He walked around the market listening to vendors playing music from stereos, stopping to listen when he heard something that caught his attention. His family couldn’t afford musical instruments, and the household radio was constantly in demand so he would wait until everyone was asleep so that he could listen to music by himself. He began writing poems, and eventually a cappella songs. He figured that if Bob Dylan could create a legacy setting insightful poems to music, so could he.

In 2013, Ondara won the green card lottery and moved to Minneapolis, because a. He had a family member there, and b. His hero Bob Dylan came from there. Ondara quickly discovered that Minnesota was a little different than he had dreamed. He was working temp jobs to buy his first guitar, writing dozens of songs that would eventually become his debut album, ‘Tales of America,’ and getting his foot in the door in the Minneapolis open mic scene. But he found that it was difficult to put a band together, that the life of a songwriter was lonely, and that, in America, the color of his skin came with a whole set of expectations about how he should behave (and even about what kind of music he should create).

Ondara has worked to understand the expectations without bowing to them. He shared during our conversation that being Black in America means joining a tradition of art and resistance, and that helping The Cause matters to him. And his ability to contribute to the cause has grown exponentially, since Ondara hit the road in support of his hit debut album and opening for artists like Neil Young, Lindsey Buckingham, and the Lumineers.

Since then, Ondara has looked outward for subject matter, releasing a pandemic-inspired album in 2020 based on his friends’ stories of quarantine dating and struggling to pay the rent. He has also undertaken a significant spiritual journey as he struggles to reconcile fame and the demands of capitalism with his desire to become a grounded, useful, wise, grown-up adult. His solution, for now, comes in the form of the Spanish Villager, the hyper-performative character at the center of his new album.

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Mali Obomsawin, ep. 187

27 oktober 2022 | 68 min

Caroline Spence, ep. 186

20 oktober 2022 | 53 min

Will Sheff, ep. 185

13 oktober 2022 | 60 min

Caleb Caudle, ep. 184

6 oktober 2022 | 66 min

Brittany Haas, ep. 183

29 september 2022 | 55 min

Amy Ray, ep. 182

22 september 2022 | 61 min

Ken Yates, ep. 181

15 september 2022 | 59 min

Kyshona, ep. 180

8 september 2022 | 51 min

Lauren Balthrop, ep. 179

1 september 2022 | 56 min

Molly Tuttle, ep. 178

25 augusti 2022 | 48 min

Peter Mulvey, ep. 177

11 augusti 2022 | 59 min

Adia Victoria, ep. 176

4 augusti 2022 | 58 min

Hannah Read, ep. 175

28 juli 2022 | 66 min

Tami Neilson, ep. 174

21 juli 2022 | 60 min

Backstage Preview: Willi Carlisle on Field Music

16 juli 2022 | 2 min

Willi Carlisle, ep. 173

14 juli 2022 | 59 min

Leon Timbo, ep. 172

7 juli 2022 | 66 min

Backstage Preview: Dietrich Strause Friend Hang

2 juli 2022 | 3 min

Dietrich Strause, ep. 171

30 juni 2022 | 52 min

Edie Carey, ep. 170

23 juni 2022 | 75 min

Cristina Vane, ep. 169

16 juni 2022 | 60 min

Grant-Lee Phillips, ep. 168

9 juni 2022 | 70 min

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Former Grant Lee Buffalo frontman, Grant-Lee Phillips' latest solo album, All That You Can Dream, is -quite- dreamy. During the pandemic, Grant's been contemplating many things and figuring out how to spend his time away from the road. One interest he's been cultivating is painting. He's been sharing his paintings on social media and even used a painting of his beloved silver headphones, which you can also find on the liner notes for Grant Lee Buffalo's Mighty Joe Moon. He worked on this album from his home in Nashville where he produced, engineered, mixed, and recorded himself. And in addition to a few other musicians, he's joined by the crack team of bassist Jennifer Condos and drummer Jay Bellerose. It's always a treat to hear this dynamic duo! He said working on the album at home "pushed me to take the wheel as an engineer, mixer and producer. Consequently, so many nuances remain in the final mix, all the weird stuff that sometimes gets lost in the polishing stages of production." I'm all about that on a GLP recording. It sounds rich and raw at the same time, which feels very good in the chest. All That You Can Dream is filled with his signature songwriting: “using rich historical references to illuminate modern truths.” Grant says "I'm always juxtaposing the events that we're all going through with similar events in history.”

In our conversation, we talk about Grant's early life in Stockton, CA. He grew up knowing his family included Native American on both parents' sides. He made an album in 2012, Walking in the Green Corn, which explored his indigenous heritage. He gets into how David Bowie opened up his world, why he started playing guitar and what he likes about playing a 12 string versus a 6 string guitar. He talks about how acting has been a constant in his life; from being a professional magician at age 10 to appearing regularly as The Town Troubadour on Gilmore Girls. Hope you enjoy this interview with one of my favorite people!

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S.G. Goodman, ep. 167

2 juni 2022 | 59 min

Richard Thompson, ep. 166

26 maj 2022 | 55 min

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Richard Thompson's memoir, Beeswing: Losing My Way and Finding My Voice 1967 - 1975 (now out in paperback) is a page-turner of a read about a legend at the dawn of British folk rock. Thompson details his early days with Fairport Convention, one of the most influential folk bands of all time. He writes how they strived to be different and sought out then-unknown songwriters like Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen while adapting a modern sound for traditional British folk songs, some that were over 500 years old. He recounts tragedy when the band suffered a huge loss: the 1969 car accident that killed their drummer, Martin Lamble and Richard Thompson's girlfriend of just two weeks, Jeannie Franklyn. He writes about their first experiences in America: rolling around Los Angeles with the likes of John Bonham and Janis Joplin and their triumphant debut at The Philadelphia Folk Festival.

RT was game to get into anything I threw at him: talk about experiencing such excruciating grief at a young age, what British fortitude means to him, did he ever really get to know his parents, being outwardly calm and inwardly chaotic. There's a chapter in the book where he details some session work he did in between the time he left Fairport Convention in 1971 and his solo work and work with his then-wife, Linda Thompson. I had a blast looking up all these albums on YouTube, especially Lal and Mike Waterson's Bright Phoebus from 1972. Very fun music and fun that RT is playing on it! I highly recommend his memoir and hold out my hopes that there may be a part two in his future. I think there is much left to write: his days after the very public breakup with Linda, establishing himself as a solo act and then coming back to work with his extended family in the group Thompson in 2014 on the album Family. Richard's got a busy summer ahead of him with a couple of cruises and the tenth anniversary of his writing camp, Frets and Refrains. I'm grateful he was able to make some time for us on Basic Folk!

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John Doe, ep. 165

19 maj 2022 | 53 min

Backstage Preview: Song Premiere – "Animal" by Jean Rohe

14 maj 2022 | 16 min

Steve Forbert, ep. 164

12 maj 2022 | 46 min

Lily Henley, ep. 163

5 maj 2022 | 66 min

Help produce Basic Folk by contributing at https://basicfolk.com/donate/

Fiddler and singer/songwriter Lily Henley's latest album, Oras Dezaoradas, is a full-on celebration of her Sephardic Jewish Heritage. The lineage of Sephardic people can be traced back to the Iberian Jews expelled from Spain and Portugal in 1492. For Jewish people, there are many diasporas and lots of different ethnic heritages and practices that have been adopted and blended from many other groups along the way. Lily's heritage is different from the Ashkenazi Jewish people, which is the most represented Jewish sect in The United States, who can be traced back to Eastern Europeans. Lily graciously gives a very brief overview of the diaspora (which is pretty amazing to take in) and the geographical and cultural differences.

Lily grew up moving around a lot and talks about how that act of moving from place to place impacted her as a young person and how it still affects her. She found a sense of belonging and home at the fiddle camps she attended alongside other musicians her own age. At camp, she learned to play Celtic, Old-time and Cape Breton style tunes. While at home, she played traditional Sephardic tunes, sung in the Ladino language, also called Judeo-Spanish, a combination of Spanish with Hebrew, Arabic, and Turkish elements and is spoken by less than 100,000 people. As an adult, she was inspired by living in Tel-Aviv for three years and immersed in Sephardic culture. She was awarded a Fulbright research grant and is currently an artist residency at the Cite Internationale des Arts in Paris. She recorded her latest album in Paris: on a label run by a Sephardic community leader while being embraced by and collaborating with the Sephardic community there. OH!: Lily has another new non-Ladino album on the way: Imperfect By Design coming January 2023. It's an Indie-Folk anthology about love, belonging, independence, and change. Look out for that and enjoy this deeply educational conversation!

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Grace Givertz, ep. 162

28 april 2022 | 59 min

Amy Correia, ep. 161

21 april 2022 | 73 min

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LA-based singer/songwriter Amy Correia will tell you that she is not a prolific writer, which… okay maybe she doesn’t write a million songs in one year, but holy crap, those songs and that voice will wallop you. Originally from Lakeville, Massachusetts, Amy’s musical roots lay in New York City’s lower east side in a scene that produced Jeff Buckley, Richard Julian and Jesse Harris. She discovered her musical voice while recovering from a back injury her junior year of college. She was actually a big fan of laying in bed and doing nothing but writing songs and playing around on her guitar. After college, she was playing around and got offered a major label deal, recorded an album with seven different producers and countless musicians, left her label and signed another deal, which would eventually become the place where she released her debut, Carnival Love in the year 2000. Another album followed in 2004 (fan funded) and another in 2010 (also fan funded). She opened for big acts like Chrissie Hynde, John Hiatt, Richard Thompson and Marc Cohn. She started living in Boston, fully embraced by “a collective of musicians who uplifted her with their creative camaraderie,” which included Kimon Kirk who turned out to be one of her most important friends and collaborators.

Kimon encouraged Amy to record this new batch of songs on her latest release, the EP As We Are, which just came out in March 2022. During our conversation, Amy revealed that the recording session took place in 2015, but she wasn’t ready to release the music until now. Kimon had persuaded her to revisit the songs during the pandemic and the plan was set in motion for the EP. We also discussed Amy’s connection to spirituality, her affinity and experience in the theater world and letting go of control. She also opens up about her relationship to her singing voice, which is so special and always digs deep in me every time I hear it. I hope you enjoy this wonderful and vulnerable conversation with Amy Correia!

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BF Presents: Why We Write

17 april 2022 | 40 min

Editor’s note: Basic Folk is pleased to introduce our listeners to one of our favorite podcasts by sharing an episode in our feed! Why We Write features conversations between folk music reporter Kim Ruehl and a hand-picked array of great songwriters, presented by Folk Alley.

So much goes into a song—the songwriter’s intimate life, their upbringing, their worldview, what they see going on in the world. What moves them to put pen to paper? How do they do it? When, where, and why? Ruehl explores all of this with some of the finest songwriters working these days—old favorites, up-and-comers, and everything in between.

Kim is one of my favorite music writers and (frankly) one of my favorite people. Her laid back demeanor is easy to vibe with and does well for her scholarly approach. Kim is basically a folk-brainiac and cannot be stopped. I first met her while she was the editor in chief at No Depression. She's since gone on to publish her first book A Singing Army: Zilphia Horton and the Highlander Folk School. A former singer/songwriter herself, Kim not only brings her big writer's brain and cool attitude into these conversations, but she has a unique musician's perspective that her guests can feel and relate to.

Basic Folk is pleased to share Kim's interview with Rosanne Cash (This episode was originally published on June 9, 2021). There is much that could be said about Rosanne Cash’s number-one hits and Grammy awards, her family legacy and her celebrity. But whether she’s writing songs, articles, essays, or books, Cash is always a writer’s writer.

She has a knack for catchy, chorus-worthy turn of phrase, sure, but she also has a generally superb literary sensibility. Thus, the opportunity to discuss writing with her for this episode of Why We Write was a bit of a no-brainer.

One of the things that strikes me most about Cash’s songwriting is the way she sets her songs and stories very strongly in a specific place. So, we began our conversation with the relationship between story and place. Press play and come along for the ride.

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Backstage Preview: Amy Helm on Field Music

16 april 2022 | 2 min

Mason Jennings, ep. 160

14 april 2022 | 56 min

Tatiana Hargreaves, ep. 159

7 april 2022 | 53 min

No No Boy, ep. 158

30 mars 2022 | 58 min

Julian Saporiti is the brilliant mind behind No No Boy, a recording project that tells the incredible stories of historical triumphs of Asian Americans making their way in the United States. Julian, an Italian American and Vietnamese American, has always been drawn to history and music and has used his two passions to elevate these stories. He was truly inspired by his doctoral research at Brown University on “Asian American and transpacific history focusing on sound, music, immigration, refugees and everyday life.” Julian began to explore his family’s history, pore over archival material, and conduct interviews; and found untold musical stories of Asian American artists like himself.

Julian got the No-No Boy name from Japanese Americans who were forced to live in internment camps during World War II, soon after the Pearl Harbor attack in 1942. They were asked to serve in combat and swear allegiance to the United States. Those who answered “no” to those two demands on the government’s “Loyalty Questionnaire” became “No-No Boys.” and Those who refused were sent to concentration camps. It’s also a novel by Asian American author John Okada (also a song by The Spiders). Our conversation covers his own family history, in which he also unabashedly shares his perspective on the concept of “generational trauma” (he’s not super into it). He expands on the influence of Asian musicians who have learned and perfected the music of the oppressor, like the George Igawa Orchestra, which was a jazz band held at an internment camp led by the Los Angeles musician George Igawa. When he was forced to relocate to the camp, he could only bring what he could carry, which, to him, meant his instruments. He formed a group in the camp where they would play parties and even outside beyond the confines of the camp’s barbed wire.

Julian’s identity and the identity of No No Boy is solidly rooted in his Asian American experience, but I decided to start our interview with questions about his dad’s work in the music industry. Julian’s father was a major player in Nashville’s country music industry and he would often take Julian with him to work. This left huge impressions on young Julian, so of course, I had to dig into that first thing!

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Brent Cobb, ep. 157

24 mars 2022 | 64 min

Suz Slezak, ep. 156

17 mars 2022 | 57 min

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Enter to win the Basic Folk/BGS Sweet Prize Pack: https://woobox.com/2mythq or http://basicfolk.com/news

Suz Slezak is one-half of the extremely talented and thoughtful band David Wax Museum. Suz, along with her husband David, has been touring and performing their Mexican-inspired, Americana folk act since 2009. Along the way, the two got married, had a couple of kids, and settled pretty finely into the pandemic with bi-weekly and then weekly live streams. All the while, Suz has been living with her bipolar disorder, which has impacted her life in incredibly unbelievable ways. She's also been pretty vocal, especially lately, about how she interacted with her brain health, mental health, and treatment for both of those elements, which includes her intense journey with medications. Her Instagram is filled with brutally honest posts about the difficulty of finding meds that continuously help her stabilize her brain.

On her new album, Our Wings May Be Featherless, Suz is addressing her life from the perspective of a person who is bi-polar, a mother, a touring musician, and a creative person. She digs into the power of acceptance, traumatic birth, and grief. In our conversation, we talk about what a special musician she is and how she's been able to cultivate and keep a childlike wonder alive through her playing. This conversation is heavily rooted in Suz's journey with her bipolar disorder and you'll learn a lot about her experience as she is very open. She addresses the choice to share her experiences publicly and how the sharing impacts her. About the album she says: “I hope you will also hear the way that a song, or any piece of art, can transform haunting pain into sounds and rhythm, allowing it to finally diffuse. I have needed to make this record for a long time. The relief I feel that it is finally emerging into this physical realm for you to enjoy is immense.” SUZ!

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Backstage Preview: Hang with Maya De Vitry

12 mars 2022 | 4 min

Maya De Vitry, ep. 155

10 mars 2022 | 74 min

Help produce Basic Folk by contributing at https://basicfolk.com/donate/

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Maya De Vitry released her third solo record, Violet Light, earlier this year and I, for one, am happy that my fiancée has a new Maya record to play endlessly in our house. Lol j/k. I love Maya and this album is perfect. Maya’s originally from Lancaster, where she lived and met the members of her old band The Stray Birds. Since the dissolution of the Birds, she’s been incredibly prolific with all these solo albums, co-writes and the like. If you’re not familiar, this record is a great intro to the genius of one of the greatest musicians on the scene today. The vibes I’m getting on this record are John Prine, Patty Griffin and, of course, Gillian Welch/Dave Rawlings. We. Are. Digging. IN!

I’m so happy Maya was up for going through this beauty of a record track by track! It’s a brilliant collection that subtly knocks you to the ground over the course of its eleven songs. Produced at home with her partner, the much in-demand bassist and producer, Ethan Jodziewicz (The Milk Carton Kids, Sierra Hull, Aoife O’Donovan, Darol Anger, Tony Trischka), Violet Light actually contains a ton of collaborations from Maya’s extensive musical community. This includes her own family; her siblings all collaborated for the very first time on tape for the song “Real Time, Real Tears,” about losing a favorite uncle. Yeah, you try not to cry during that one. Anywoo. It feels like a gift to be able to turn these songs over and over, contemplate their meaning, their creation and then be able to talk directly to the brains behind it all. I implore you to check out this whole episode and then go buy Maya’s new album, preferably on Bandcamp. Support an independent artist who’s music is meaningful and worth getting paid for. She’s a once in a lifetime artist.

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Joy Oladokun, ep. 154

24 februari 2022 | 55 min

BF Presents: American Songcatcher

20 februari 2022 | 81 min

Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats, ep. 153

17 februari 2022 | 55 min

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Fruit Bats have been on the indie rock radar since the early 00's, so I'd say that calls for a double album compilation documenting their 20 years of music! However, the brains behind FBs and it's only regular member, Eric D. Johnson, is a man who tends to solely look forward. Thankfully for us, he rolled up his sleeves, dug into some old hard drives and sifted through two decades of MP3s, WAVs, AIFFs and the like that make up the band's brand new collection: Sometimes a Cloud Is Just a Cloud: Slow Growers, Sleeper Hits and Lost Songs (2001–2021). On Basic Folk, Eric talks about growing up constantly moving around and the impact on him then and now. He also gets into his time working at Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. His time there allowed Eric to evolve and embrace his folk musicality as well as the punk side he was nurturing in Chicago's scene.

He also gets into reframing career aspirations after he saw a lot of his friends' careers, who came up in indie rock at the same time he did, reaching new heights that Fruit Bats just simply weren't. He was affordable many amazing opportunities before he was ready, recording Fruit Bats debut album with Tim from Califone and then getting signed to Sub Pop thanks to The Shins and Modest Mouse's advocacy. He talks about how he felt about those chances back then and how he reflects on them now. His time playing with The Shins allowed him to "climb into someone else’s work a little bit," which gave him perspective on his own. There was a time when Eric ditched the Fruit Bats name to record under his initials, EDJ, in what he calls “career stalling move,” but I pressed him to expand on the fact that it might have been a really necessary move for him personally. He's been recording and playing under Fruit Bats again since 2015, which he sees as a new era for Fruit Bats, which he gets into. I also brought up Bonny Light Horseman and the incredible vocal pairing of himself with Anaïs Mitchell, who he calls his "main singing partner" these days. Eric D. Johnson is the nicest guy in indie rock and I'm here for that!! Enjoy!

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Backstage Preview: Anais Mitchell XLR

12 februari 2022 | 5 min

Anais Mitchell, ep. 152

10 februari 2022 | 86 min

Erin Rae, ep. 151

3 februari 2022 | 67 min

Aoife O'Donovan, ep. 150

27 januari 2022 | 59 min

Backstage Preview: Aoife O'Donovan 2014 interview

22 januari 2022 | 3 min

Tré Burt, ep. 149

20 januari 2022 | 48 min

Eliza Gilkyson, ep. 148

13 januari 2022 | 57 min

Backstage Preview: Music Hang with Christopher Pappas (The Everyday Visuals)

18 december 2021 | 5 min

MC Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger, ep. 147

16 december 2021 | 58 min

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It’s hard to put into words why I love MC Taylor so much, but I know when it started. His band, Durham’s Hiss Golden Messenger, stopped by to play live at WYEP in Jan of 2017. They were the first band I interviewed after Tr*mp was inaugurated. Like a lot of people (and like the white liberal woman that I am), the state of things had shocked me awake. I decided to use my platform differently and this was the first interview where I attempted that and Mike picked up what I was laying down. I got him to talk candidly about Trump, he declared his band was against Trump and stood with marginalized people, but still invited anyone who supported Trump to his show. After that interview I felt some pressure and anxiety inside of me release and then I never forgot his grace and bravery. This guy is so full of wisdom and we get to experience that through his music and his person. I’m so thrilled to talk to him about his music and latest album Quietly Blowing It. Although he’s also just released a Hiss Golden Messenger holiday album, O Come All Ye Faithful, and a companion holiday release from his new project, Revelators which he refers to as “spiritual jazz and dub-influenced.” The guy is prolific.

Mike was always playing music, thanks to his music loving parents. His dad played guitar; outside of his school teaching career he would play occasional gigs around their home in Orange County, California. He spent some time in San Francisco in a hardcore punk and alt country band. He became burnt out on playing music and headed East to The University of North Carolina to study folklore. He decided to start writing and recording some music under the name Hiss Golden Messenger (an homage to his complicated feelings about religion and love the the lo-fi). He’s since released a dozen or so albums and EPs under that name with a rotating cast of players backing him up. In our conversation we cover topics including uncertainty, boundaries and the state of music journalism. He also told me what the C stands for in MC Taylor. He said no one ever asks that and no one knows, so I’ll just keep that one to myself.

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Brad Kolodner, ep. 146

9 december 2021 | 58 min

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Once Baltimore claw-hammer banjoist, radio host and community organizer Brad Kolodner got a banjo in his hands, it was game over. Brad had previously played the cello in the school orchestra and had held a strong interest in sports, but his true passion for old time was realized at Meadowlark Music camp in Maine. He signed up for the banjo for beginners class after his father (the renowned fiddle and hammer dulcimer player Ken Kolodner) brought him along to the camp under the condition that he was to play some kind of music that week. While Brad had grown up around traditional music through his father's performances with his band Helicon, dad's recordings and music lessons at the house, he wasn't drawn to that particular style of music. Once he started on the banjo, however, he began going down YouTube rabbit holes, going out to jams and soaking in as much as he could. Brad went to school in Ithaca, NY, where he started hosting a folk radio show that further deepened his love of old time. Once he returned home to Baltimore, he became invested in community organizing with weekly jams and music festivals.

Brad's released albums with his band Charm City Junction, as Ken & Brad Kolodner and recently, he's put out his debut solo record, Chimney Swifts. The album focuses on what he calls “private music.” This is what musicians play when they first pick up their instruments, it’s familiar and evokes time and place. In our conversation, he goes into detail about what that means and how the pandemic has impacted his practice of "private music." He also talks about his most recent project The Birds' Flight with Pete Sutherland and Timothy Cummings. Pete and Tim were working on Scottish songs and then decided to bring Brad in since he has an affinity towards genre-mixing and is a kick-ass banjo player. As a DJ, you can hear Brad on Folk Alley, Radio Bristol for the Old Time Jam and on Bluegrass Country Radio, you can find him playing at the Baltimore Old Time Jam, Baltimore Square Dance, Baltimore Old-Time Music Festival. And you can find him online teaching banjo and making everyone feel comfortable at the slow jam.

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Miko Marks, ep. 145

2 december 2021 | 35 min

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Miko Marks’ story starts in Flint, MI where she was immersed in music, specifically country music (Loretta Lynn and Kenny Rogers were in heavy rotation) and in the music found in Black church at the Church of God in Christ. As a young girl, she first sang live in that church and found the experience to be overwhelming when she noticed it was making members of the congregation weep. She got more comfortable with performing once she recognized that it was only people responding emotionally to the music. It’s important to keep in mind HOW talented of a singer Miko is. Her chosen sound is based in roots and country, but this woman can sing ANYTHING. She attended college at Grambling State University, a historically Black school in North Louisiana – FULL SCHOLARSHIP for singing. This fact will also lead you to her Erykah Badu connection which, OF COURSE, I asked her about and OF COURSE she has a very good story.

Miko was living in San Francisco when she won a radio contest for singing. After that, her dream-boat fire-fighting ultra-supportive husband encouraged her to pursue a music career in Nashville. She went for it and started making some traction in the 2000’s. To make a long story short, she found a lot of people that really really loved her music, but she could not find a major label that would sign her because she was too “innovative.” Which, we can assume is code for too Black. She decided to not go after any major label dreams, focused on smaller musical projects and stopped writing. That is, until she had a dream that she was playing with her former bandmates. She texted them both about the dream and they both responded, got together to play, recorded a few songs and then recorded Miko’s first full length album since 2007. 2021’s Our Country was followed just recently by her EP Race Records, which focuses on country songs written by white men. The EP inserts this extremely talented singer/songwriter and Black woman into the songs that she loves. Miko Marks is graceful, generous and holy cow, what a voice and what a spirit. Enjoy!

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Dori Freeman, ep. 144

23 november 2021 | 48 min

Valerie June, ep. 143

18 november 2021 | 55 min

Backstage Preview: KT Tunstall, 2013

13 november 2021 | 4 min

Erin McKeown, ep. 142

11 november 2021 | 80 min

Mary Gauthier, ep. 141

4 november 2021 | 53 min

Help produce Basic Folk by contributing at basicfolk.com/donate

Mary Gauthier's book, Saved By A Song, is a must-read for all humans with feelings that need feeling. Gauthier has been writing and recording songs since the the early 90's, but she actually started her music career relatively late at age 30. She had grown up as an adopted child in Thibodaux, Louisiana, which was something that she didn't realize had greatly impacted her until she was in her 40's. She created a concept album, The Foundling, out of that realization. Some people find that album hard to listen to, but it was deeply healing for her and for other grown-up adopted children. She found herself in the Boston area as a chef in her late 20's. She was arrested for drunk driving the night of her restaurant opening, The Dixie Kitchen. She spent a hard night in jail, got sober and started taking an interest in songwriting. Thanks to encouragement she found at open mics in the area, including at Club Passim, Mary discovered her true passion was writing songs.

She stepped away from her stable career in the restaurant business and started pursued music full time. She's toured, released albums and co-written songs with music professionals for the past 30+ years now. For the past several years, she's been working with soldiers and their families on writing songs together. The process has been rewarding and challenging for her, culminating in her latest studio album Rifles and Rosary Beads. She has continued her writing with professionals and soldiers as well as teaching songwriting classes. Most recently, she's been working with health care workers to write songs in reaction to their Covid-19 experience. Her work is a gift not only to us, her listeners, but it has actually been life-changing to countless individuals and their families. She is brilliant at bringing people to their most frightening and vulnerable places because she is living proof that life is better on the other side of trauma. Thank you for you wonderful work, Mary Gauthier!

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Buffalo Nichols, ep. 140

28 oktober 2021 | 43 min

Lizzie No, Jake Blount, Allison Russell + Kaia Kater: neath the banner of the Black eclectic

21 oktober 2021 | 63 min

Backstage Preview: Field Music "Lazy John"

16 oktober 2021 | 4 min

Dar Williams, ep. 139

14 oktober 2021 | 72 min

Amy Helm, ep. 138

7 oktober 2021 | 58 min

Carolyn Kendrick, ep. 137

30 september 2021 | 61 min

BF Presents: SongWriter with Maia Sharp + Cheryl Strayed

26 september 2021 | 27 min

Martin Sexton, ep. 136

23 september 2021 | 60 min

Alisa Amador, ep. 135

16 september 2021 | 72 min

Chris Thile, ep. 134

9 september 2021 | 60 min

Paula Fuga, ep. 133

2 september 2021 | 70 min

BF Presents: Songcraft with Ani Difranco

29 augusti 2021 | 89 min

Becca Mancari, ep. 132

26 augusti 2021 | 60 min

Andrew Marlin (Watchhouse), ep. 131

19 augusti 2021 | 60 min

Rachel Baiman, ep. 130

12 augusti 2021 | 60 min

John Hiatt, ep. 129

5 augusti 2021 | 48 min

Help produce Basic Folk by contributing at basicfolk.com/donate

John Hiatt's latest is a collab with bluegrass great Jerry Douglas, with Jerry as producer and his band as backup for Hiatt. John's digging into some serious past memories for these songs, which include a song about his older brother Michael. Michael died by suicide when John was only 9 and it's only until now where he's chosen to write about the experience in his music in the song “Light of the Burning Sun.” Jerry knew that the material was very serious and approached it very lovingly with John and the band. On the pod, John expands on his grief and giving himself the time and space to mourn. We also talk about the importance of radio in John's young life: he would listen to WLAC Radio from Nashville as a kid around 11 years old. There was a show on Sunday night they'd have a gospel show and they'd go to a different Black church every week and just broadcast the service. John has said “Those gospel shows used to scare the shit out of me." That opened his world to a completely different way to relate to music in terms of faith.

John picked up the guitar at 11 years old to cope with the trauma involved in being an overweight child. This was especially hard because he was a bigger kid at a time when it was rare for a child to be heavier. He discusses how music and surprisingly how drugs and alcohol helped him overcome his weight issue. Which then of course, the drugs and alcohol led him to new problems in his adult years requiring him to overcome that addiction and live a sober life. John talks about his kids, which includes the musician Lilly Hiatt. Lilly said in an interview once: “I was crying over the fact that my career seemed stalled and I wasn’t the flavor of the month, and dad said, “Lilly, we will never be hip. We’re just not those people.”” John's been a steadfast songwriter since the 70's who's written many well loved songs like "Have a Little Faith in Me," "Cry Love" and, of course, "Thing Called Love." The writing on his latest album spans several decades and confronts some of his most vulnerable feelings. To be able to talk to John Hiatt about this project was a sincere privilege and I hope you enjoy!

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Kishi Bashi, ep. 128

29 juli 2021 | 59 min

BF Presents: Get Up in the Cool with Adam Hurt

25 juli 2021 | 80 min

Editor's note: Basic Folk is pleased to introduce our listeners to one of our favorite podcasts by sharing an episode in our feed! Get Up in the Cool is a sweet old-time/bluegrass podcast hosted by Cameron DeWhitt. What's amazing about this podcast is that Cameron has taken "the hang" at the jam and turned it into a podcast. The Jam happens *very* frequently in the old-time, bluegrass, celtic, roots, etc. worlds in the form of informal performances of music among friends and strangers. It's the best place to hear and learn traditional songs, spend time around the campfire and just be with friendly faces connecting in the way that only performing music together can do. I've really loved listened to Cameron's candor with their guests as well as learning about the amazing music that everyone is sharing. Whether you love the jam, love the hang or love 'em both, hope you enjoy Get Up in the Cool! Listen > Subscribe > Support!

Get Up in the Cool: Old Time Music with Cameron DeWhitt and Friends is a weekly interview and jam podcast hosted by banjoist Cameron DeWhitt. Each episode features conversations and musical collaborations with today’s most influential traditional musicians, like Jake Blount, Tatiana Hargreaves, Nic Gareiss, Laurel Premo, and Adam Hurt.

As an interviewer, Cameron balances an effusive curiosity for the potential of traditional music with a dogged respect for its origins. Serving as audience surrogate, they ask illuminating questions to Old Time's best and brightest while telling the larger story of the tradition's modern era. And with over 250 episodes released and no signs of slowing, Get Up in the Cool is one of the largest available archives of new recorded Old Time music.

In this episode of Get Up in the Cool, Adam Hurt returns to play selections from his 2020 release Back to the Earth, the "sequel" to his all gourd banjo album Earth Tones. In between tunes, Adam and Cameron talk about Adam's unique approach to melody with the clawhammer technique, the challenge of arranging for string band around a gourd banjo, and the tension of individual expression and tradition.

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Alex Cuba, ep. 127

22 juli 2021 | 53 min

Alex Cuba grew up 50 minutes west of Havana immersed in the music of his town Artemisa. His father, the musician Valentin Puentes, is a household name in the country and prioritized Cuban music in the house growing up. When Alex was six years old, Valentin told his son not to sing, leading Alex to concentrate on his bass guitar playing. As a teenager, Alex rebelled and started soaking in the sounds of American music; blues, jazz, rock and funk. This has lead him to develop a unique style of Latin music that crosses cultures and appeals to people who don't even speak his language. He sings English, but is most comfortable singing in Spanish. We talk about how even though a lot of his fans are English speakers, they often have an emotional reaction to his music even though they don’t know what he's saying. He expands on how emotions transfer via music no matter what language.

in 1995, Alex was allowed to tour in Canada with his dad's band and met someone who would forever change his life, his future wife Sarah Goodacre. They eventually ended up married with children and living in Cuba. After awhile, they moved closer to her family in Smithers, B.C., where they have single handedly created a Latin music industry in the small Canadian mountain town. Despite not being able to work with major record labels due to the Cuban Embargo with America, Alex has thrived as an independent artist with 4 Latin Grammys, 3 American Grammy nominations, 2 Junos and numerous other accolades. We talk about what changes he experienced in himself while recording his latest album 'Mendó’ during the pandemic. Alex, like many musicians, was forced to change plans and ended up working on the album at his house, while collaborating with other guest musicians remotely. We also talk about how he wanted the cover to reflect his African heritage. Brianna McCarthy, an artist from Trinidad and Tobago, illustrated the cover and Alex talks in depth about its meaning and importance.

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Mali Obomsawin of Lula Wiles, ep. 126

15 juli 2021 | 59 min

Mali Obomsawin is the mighty bassist/songwriter/singer from Lula Wiles, whose musical talents run tandem to her activist spirit. She really had no choice in the matter, seeing that her parents met through their advocacy for Abenaki and First Nations sovereignty battles. Mali's dad is a member of the Odanak Abenaki Nation and her mom at the time they met, was following and supporting tribal land claim initiatives. Along with Lula Wiles, her solo career (which is a bit of a new venture for Mali) and her sideplayer gigs, Mali works with several racial and environmental justice organizations based in Wabanaki homelands, and is the founder and executive director of Bomazeen Land Trust. She is a crucial voice when it comes to speaking out for First Nation representation and justice in the roots music world and beyond. She is generous with her knowledge, but also as her Twitter profile reads: "pay me for educating you." Which you can do! She has her PayPal linked right there.

Mali grew up in rural Maine among five siblings and was constantly surrounded by music in her family. Her dad is a musician and Mali was always the performer as a little kid, constantly trying to make people happy and laugh while being a goofball. She was also made aware of the cruel stereotypes and racism in the world at an early age through mainstream culture. As she became older, she gravitated towards the upright bass and talks in the pod about her jazz sensibilities and what drew her to the instrument. She talks about how she came to songwriting last, but has managed to successfully combine a very rad sweepy dream-like style while "punctur[ing] the dream-haze of our apocalyptic capitalist world." On the new Lula Wiles album, Shame and Sedition, Mali's songs really shine through with highlights being "Everybody, (Connected)" "Do You Really Want The World to End" and "In Dreams." I look forward to more conversations with Mali, hopefully about a solo record... No pressure, Mali :)

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Joe Pug, ep. 125

8 juli 2021 | 46 min

Amythyst Kiah, ep. 124

1 juli 2021 | 60 min

Denison Witmer, ep. 123

24 juni 2021 | 59 min

Sunny War Track x Track, ep. 122

17 juni 2021 | 56 min

Phil Moore of Bowerbirds, ep. 121

10 juni 2021 | 56 min

Oliver Wood, ep. 120

3 juni 2021 | 50 min

Growing up, Oliver Wood thought he'd try the bass guitar, but after 6 months, he handed it to his younger brother Chris. That's right, *the* Chris Wood, virtuosic bassist of acclaimed Medeski Martin and Wood. Even at a young age, the brothers' styles were pretty clear. While Chris was getting intense about the bass, Oliver was meandering on the guitar and forging his own musical path. He ended up in Atlanta and eventually got a spot in Tinsley Ellis’ band, a very well respected blues player. Oliver was playing guitar and singing background vocals, but soon enough he was shifting to the spotlight. It turns out that Tinsley was a really important mentor for Oliver: he taught him the ins and outs of the business and encouraged him to sing. After touring hard for 15 years, Oliver and his brother met up again at a fateful shared 2004 bill. He sat in with MM&W and the brothers immediately felt that familial connection through their performance. They decided to keep up playing together and formed The Wood Brothers.

Coming together in the band, Chris and Oliver discovered that the music of their folk-singing father, Bill Wood, was acting as a huge inspiration. Bill spent time on the folk circuit surrounding Cambridge, MA in the 1950s, performing with legends like Joan Baez. He would settle down with a career as a biology teacher, but kept the spirit of folk music alive for his boys. Oliver talks about how forming a band around that sound made him appreciate his father in new ways. Seven albums later and The Wood Brothers are one of the most beloved bands in the Americana community. Oliver, who is motivated by connection and community, spent 2019 co-writing with various touring musicians making their way through Nashville. While this project was just for fun, he found the results inspiring enough to make a solo album during the 2020 pandemic, resulting in his debut album, Always Smiling. Oliver talks about choosing joy, connection and feeling grounded through meditation, which has helped him immensely through the last 14 months. Thank you, Oliver!

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Katy Kirby, ep. 119

27 maj 2021 | 58 min

Allison Russell, ep. 118

20 maj 2021 | 59 min

Allison Russell's story is unreal and it's hard to know where to begin. Unfathomable childhood abuse: sexual, physical and emotional abuse (at the hands of her white supremacist step-father) is chronicled in searing detail for the very first time on her debut solo album Outside Child. Up until now she was not able to honestly address this story in her other projects: Birds of Chicago (with husband JT Nero), Our Native Daughters (with Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla and Amythyst Kiah) and Po' Girl (with Trish Klein and Awna Teixeira). These days, Allison recognizes that she needed the support system in her life in order to process and use her gift to share her story through music. That support system, which she calls "The Magic Circle," includes her partner JT and her daughter Ida, her chosen family of musicians, her newly found biological father and extended Grenadian family and her ancestors. Mainly learning about her many times great-grandmother, Quasheba, and the extreme hardships she faced as a stolen slave in Grenada. Quasheba's survival allowed Allison to realize that she also had the strength to reclaim agency over her story and break the cycle of abuse.

We talk about her learning where her abuser came from, a sundown town in Indiana, where being Black was basically illegal. Her abuser also made life difficult for Alli's mom, who was struggling with schizophrenia, but loved music. The song "Kathy" talks about her mother putting the music away and she talks about the impact that had on her and on Allison. She ran away at 15 and started living on the streets on Montreal, until she made her way to Vancouver to connect with an uncle and an aunt who supported her interest in music. She began performing on the folk circuit, formed Po'Girl, met JT and started Birds of Chicago, had her daughter, Ida, and joined Our Native Daughters. She talks about how being a mom to Ida really was the catalyst of wanting to end the cycle of abuse and face her trauma. She actually ended up charging her abuser, facing him in court and seeing him sentenced. It was a light sentence, but it validated that what happened to her was wrong. The new album is joyful, which is intentional, everything about the new record is very intentional. Alli thrives in community and has chosen to remain positive and filled with light through this music. Thank you, Alli!

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Tom Rush, ep. 117

13 maj 2021 | 47 min

Help produce Basic Folk by contributing at basicfolk.com/donate

Tom Rush's career is a wonder. After stepping away from record labels and major tours in the 70's, he's managed to cultivate a dedicated audience that has loyally shown up for decades. His relationship to music had a rocky start with a dozen years of unenjoyable piano lessons. Tom talks about his cousins, Beau Beals, who taught him ukulele and how to find joy and fun in music. Rush started college at Harvard as a marine biology major, but switched to English lit and kept his love of music and writing strong throughout school. In fact, he did struggle with focusing on studying due to his very frequent trips to The Club 47, which is right around the corner from the Harvard Square campus in Cambridge, MA. Tom actually was able to start playing around town and soon recorded an album, which was a novelty at the time. He became known as "the guy with the record."

His sound started off very traditional, recording versions of Lowland Scots and Appalachian folk songs. After a few albums in, he started looking for new material to record and came across a few unknown songwriters for his 1968 album, The Circle Game. Tom Rush was the first person to record songs by unknowns Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Jackson Browne. After a few albums into the 70's, Rush was burnt out, his label dropped him and he needed a well deserved break. In the 80's, Tom reinvented his career and laid the foundation for what it could look like for an independent musician to thrive. He established The Club 47 Concerts at Boston Symphony Hall, an upscale event that allowed his fans to enjoy folk rock in style. He became a champion of up and coming musicians like Nanci Griffith and Shawn Colvin. That nimbleness has followed him throughout the years and has proven most useful during the pandemic. Tom quickly created Rockport Sundays, his weekly video series where fans can support him via Patreon. Tom Rush! Still doing the damn thing in 2021!!

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Chris Pierce, ep. 116

6 maj 2021 | 60 min

Adam Moss of The Brother Brothers, ep. 115

29 april 2021 | 49 min

Mark Kilianski of Golden Shoals, ep. 114

22 april 2021 | 57 min

David Wax Museum, ep. 113

15 april 2021 | 62 min

Yasmin Williams, ep. 112

8 april 2021 | 50 min

Kaiti Jones, ep. 111

1 april 2021 | 56 min

Taylor Rice of Local Natives, ep. 110

25 mars 2021 | 53 min

Steve Tilston, ep. 109

18 mars 2021 | 64 min

Alec Spiegelman, ep. 108

11 mars 2021 | 68 min

Raye Zaragoza, ep. 107

4 mars 2021 | 62 min

Suitcase Junket: "The End is New" Track by Track, ep. 106

25 februari 2021 | 48 min

Patty Larkin, ep. 105

18 februari 2021 | 59 min

Wesley Schultz of The Lumineers, ep. 104

11 februari 2021 | 58 min

Sadie Gustafson-Zook, ep. 103

4 februari 2021 | 55 min

Anjimile, ep. 102

28 januari 2021 | 44 min

Cinder Well, ep. 101

21 januari 2021 | 38 min

Rose Cousins, ep. 100!!

14 januari 2021 | 62 min

Auyon Mukharji of Darlingside, ep. 99

7 januari 2021 | 54 min

Chris Smither, ep. 98

17 december 2020 | 53 min

Almeta Ingram-Miller of The Legendary Ingramettes, , ep. 97

10 december 2020 | 53 min

Kevin Morby, ep. 96

3 december 2020 | 48 min

Shirley Collins, ep. 95

19 november 2020 | 51 min

Lizzie No, ep. 94

12 november 2020 | 51 min

Lori McKenna, ep. 93

5 november 2020 | 59 min

Stella Schindler of Kentucky Avenue, ep. 92

29 oktober 2020 | 85 min

Stella Schindler is one half of the DC area Americana band Kentucky Avenue, who's been (safely) working on their sophomore album throughout the pandemic. Stella, an English teacher at an all-girls Catholic School, has led a transient path throughout her life, but music was always constant. She lived in a number of different places growing up; not living anywhere for more than two years and it wasn't until she started teaching that she remained in one place (DC). Because of all the moving around, she initially felt pretty shy about singing in front of her family. She tells a story about how her mom was surprised when she first heard her perform publicly. Despite that, she is actually really connected to her family, particularly with her name. She's the fourth Stella in a row and talked about that connection and what it was like growing up having the name "Stella."

Stella speaks beautifully about the freedom and delight she felt what she first sang out loud. She is a joyful performer who makes the most eye contact I've ever seen from someone on stage. She is also a devoted Catholic, who loves folk and country, but does enjoy that separation of Church and State when it comes to music during the Mass. Her dad is a theologian and philosopher who encouraged Stella to follow her passions. He told her when she was thinking about college “You can study anything but with one condition, provided that it is not useful.” She followed his advice and majored in Art History at Notre Dame. After college, she found herself in Omaha, Nebraska, moving there on a whim and working at a record store. This is where she had a chance encounter with Bob Dylan! This was also right before she relocated to DC to start a teaching job. Stella is an amazing person and I love listening to her talk and love hearing her sing. Enjoy! Also enjoy the thunderstorm rolling on in the background of this interview. Lookout for Kentucky Avenue's new album, Ballad of the Past, this fall.

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Samantha Crain, ep. 91

22 oktober 2020 | 52 min

Izzy Heltai's “Father” Track by Track, ep. 90

15 oktober 2020 | 52 min

Brittney Spencer, ep. 89

8 oktober 2020 | 51 min

Jonatha Brooke's "The Sweetwater Sessions" Track by Track, ep. 88

1 oktober 2020 | 81 min

Alex Sturbaum, ep. 87

24 september 2020 | 46 min

Ellis Paul, ep. 86

17 september 2020 | 67 min

Jamie Fox, ep. 85

10 september 2020 | 47 min

Laura Cortese, ep. 84

3 september 2020 | 72 min

Forest Sun, ep. 83

27 augusti 2020 | 51 min

Beatrice Deer, ep. 82

20 augusti 2020 | 62 min

Kris Delmhorst, ep. 81

13 augusti 2020 | 50 min

William Prince, ep. 80

6 augusti 2020 | 60 min

William Prince grew up with the influence of his father's gospel music, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson and a deep love of connecting with family. His parents kept music at the forefront of his young life with performing music around the house and through their DJ business. The house was filled with records and music, so William always felt a strong draw to include it in his life. He also felt a pressure to be successful and able to take care of his family, which lead him to planning a career as a doctor. While that plan fell apart, music scooped him up. He focused on songwriting and performing for over a decade before he released his debut album, Earthly Days. Sadly, right before his album came out, his father passed away. He also ended a serious relationship with the woman who would give birth to his son. All of those major life events certainly impacted the writing for his latest album, Reliever. Even when he had been going through extremely hard times, William said “I had the faith for a better time. That’s all hope really is: borrowing from a time that things will be better." This led him to be more vulnerable in his writing and in many ways put him on the path toward healing.

William is fairly serious and soft-spoken in his answers, but he is so open about his experience. I especially appreciated his willingness to talk about becoming comfortable in his physical body. We also talk about the experience of growing up and attending high school on a reserve. His family moved from Selkirk, Manitoba to The Peguis First Nation when he was 12 years old. There he discovered all this family he had never known before. He has this lovely rhythm to his speech and I totally meant to ask him about it, but forgot in the middle. All I can say is listen to the rhythm in the way he talks and enjoy! Also I'm pleased to mention that for the very first time, William talks about his next album that will be out before the end of this godforsaken year!

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Tami Neilson, ep. 79

30 juli 2020 | 53 min

Ruth Merenda of The Mammals, ep. 78

23 juli 2020 | 77 min

Ever since I saw her playing with The Mammals in the early 2000'sies, I have had a healthy obsession with Ruth Merenda. She is very easy to obsess over: her soaring musicianship onstage and tape as well as the amazing community she's cultivated along with her husband (and bandmate) Mike Merenda through touring and through their bi-annual music festival, The Hoot. Raised basically with a fiddle in her hand, Ruth spent her childhood surrounded by professional musicians, which included her father, the much loved Jay Ungar, who, along with his wife and bandmate, Molly Mason, is probably best known for his song "Ashokan Farewell." In 1990, Ungar's song was used as the centerpiece to Ken Burns' nine-part documentary "The Civil War" (you are hearing that lonesome fiddle in your head right now, aren't you?).
Although Ruth loved singing and playing fiddle, she saw a different path for herself as an actress. She attended Bard College to study her craft and moved to New York City for a few years after that. There, she was introduced to a group of rabble rouser who loved traditional folk music, which was the music that Ruth had grown up with. What is so funny is that she never realized that other, younger people were interested in that kind of music. She stuck around that group and immersed herself in that style of playing again. Someone who made quite the impression on Ruth was a young indie rock drummer named Michael Merenda. The two started a personal and musical relationship, which eventually morphed into the Mammals. Eventually the pair moved back to Ruth's home in the Woodstock, NY area, took a break from The Mammals, got married, made duo records, had two amazing kids and started recording under The Mammals again (in just the last few years)! There is a lot of say about Ruth and a lot of questions to ask Ruth. We'll have to have her back on, because I was only able to ask about 40% of my questions. Ruth is a treasure and I'm grateful she appeared on the pod!

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Caitlyn Smith, ep. 77

16 juli 2020 | 49 min

Grace Pettis, ep. 76

9 juli 2020 | 88 min

Jake Blount, ep. 75

2 juli 2020 | 54 min

Pete Bernhard of The Devil Makes Three, ep. 74

25 juni 2020 | 59 min

Isa Burke of Lula Wiles, ep. 73

18 juni 2020 | 51 min

Alice Howe, ep. 72

11 juni 2020 | 60 min

Danielle Knibbe, ep. 71

28 maj 2020 | 44 min

Sunny War, ep. 70

21 maj 2020 | 36 min

Nerissa Nields, ep. 69

14 maj 2020 | 44 min

Letitia VanSant, ep. 68

7 maj 2020 | 49 min

Susan Werner, ep. 67

30 april 2020 | 51 min

Maya De Vitry's "How to Break a Fall" Track by Track, ep. 66

23 april 2020 | 65 min

Tall Tall Trees, ep. 65

10 april 2020 | 73 min

Mark Erelli's "Blindsided" Track by Track, ep. 64

2 april 2020 | 63 min

Anais Mitchell Tribute at Club Passim, ep. 63

26 mars 2020 | 70 min

Jesse Dee, ep. 62

19 mars 2020 | 47 min

Nora Jane Struthers' "Bright Light, Long Drives, First Words" Track by Track, ep. 61

12 mars 2020 | 45 min

Taylor Ashton, ep. 60

6 mars 2020 | 52 min

Kora Feder, ep. 59

27 februari 2020 | 48 min

Dave Godowsky, ep. 58

20 februari 2020 | 56 min

Leyla McCalla, ep. 57

13 februari 2020 | 72 min

Elisapie, ep. 56

9 februari 2020 | 50 min

Crys Matthews, ep. 55

30 januari 2020 | 49 min

Amythyst Kiah, ep. 54

23 januari 2020 | 57 min

Rachel Lynne LIVE at Club Passim, ep. 53

16 januari 2020 | 39 min

Dinty Child LIVE at Club Passim, ep. 52

12 januari 2020 | 56 min

Abraham Alexander, ep. 51

19 december 2019 | 54 min

Rebecca Loebe, ep. 50

12 december 2019 | 51 min

Molly Venter of Red Molly, ep. 49

5 december 2019 | 62 min

Leif Vollebekk, ep. 48

23 november 2019 | 52 min

Jenny Owen Youngs, ep. 47

14 november 2019 | 53 min

Ryan Walsh of Hallelujah The Hills, ep. 46

8 november 2019 | 49 min

Betsy Siggins, ep. 45

31 oktober 2019 | 46 min

Emily Mure, ep. 44

17 oktober 2019 | 49 min

Wallis Bird, ep. 43

26 september 2019 | 53 min

Molly Sarle of Mountain Man, ep. 42

19 september 2019 | 39 min

Joe Troop of Che Apalache, ep. 41

12 september 2019 | 46 min

Amanda Shires, ep. 40

29 augusti 2019 | 45 min

David Huckfelt, ep. 39

22 augusti 2019 | 65 min

Johnathan Rice, ep. 38

15 augusti 2019 | 54 min

Alisa Amador Live at Club Passim, ep. 37

8 augusti 2019 | 55 min

Melissa Ferrick Live at Club Passim, ep. 36

1 augusti 2019 | 52 min

Ben Arthur, ep. 35

25 juli 2019 | 49 min

Bridget Kearney, ep. 34

18 juli 2019 | 51 min

Matt Smith of Club Passim, ep. 33

11 juli 2019 | 47 min

Chris Eldridge of The Punch Brothers, ep. 32

27 juni 2019 | 46 min

Jim Kweskin, ep. 31

20 juni 2019 | 45 min

Corey Laitman, ep. 30

13 juni 2019 | 50 min

Zack Hickman, ep. 29

6 juni 2019 | 49 min

David Dye, ep. 28

30 maj 2019 | 49 min

Izzy Heltai, ep. 27

23 maj 2019 | 52 min

Livingston Taylor, ep. 26

16 maj 2019 | 44 min

Jenna Nicholls, ep. 25

9 maj 2019 | 51 min

Ethan Gruska, ep. 24

2 maj 2019 | 48 min

Marissa Nadler, ep. 23

25 april 2019 | 43 min

Jonatha Brooke, ep. 22

18 april 2019 | 48 min

Jocie Adams of Arc Iris, ep. 21

11 april 2019 | 46 min

Bonus: Erin McKeown is Folk Wikipedia

10 april 2019 | 9 min

Erin McKeown, ep. 20

4 april 2019 | 48 min

Bill Deasy, ep. 19

28 mars 2019 | 50 min

Edie Carey, ep. 18

21 mars 2019 | 50 min

Amy Ray, ep. 17

14 mars 2019 | 52 min

KT Tunstall, ep. 16

7 mars 2019 | 47 min

Emily Saliers, ep. 15

28 februari 2019 | 47 min

Peter Mulvey, ep. 14

21 februari 2019 | 58 min

Rachel Sumner, ep. 13

14 februari 2019 | 49 min

Mark Dignam, ep. 12

7 februari 2019 | 51 min

Maya de Vitry, ep. 11

31 januari 2019 | 46 min

Eleanor Buckland of Lula Wiles, ep. 10

24 januari 2019 | 47 min

Alex Stanton of townsppl, ep. 09

17 januari 2019 | 46 min

Anais Mitchell, ep. 08

10 januari 2019 | 49 min

Dawn Landes, ep. 07

3 januari 2019 | 48 min

Mark Erelli, ep. 06

13 december 2018 | 46 min

Kaia Kater, ep. 05

6 december 2018 | 48 min

Nora Jane Struthers, ep. 04

29 november 2018 | 46 min

Anna Tivel, ep. 03

15 november 2018 | 38 min

Suitcase Junket, ep. 02

8 november 2018 | 43 min

Ana Egge, ep. 01!!!

1 november 2018 | 42 min

Basic Folk Trailer

25 oktober 2018 | 3 min

Basic Folk

Avsnitt

Watchhouse in Conversation with Jacob Sharp (Mipso) (Bonus)

Chris Thile: Calvin and Hobbes, Classical Music, and Curiosity (REISSUE), ep. 315

Dar Williams: Music was Decided for Me (REISSUE), ep. 314

John Hiatt is Actually Not Scared to Talk about His Feelings (REISSUE), ep. 313

Anaïs Mitchell: 2019 Pre-Broadway interview on Hadestown, Lamb Rearing, and Untangling Third Wave Feminism (REISSUE), ep. 312

Morgan Toney on Circles, Elders, and Phil Collins, ep. 311

Kris Delmhorst: Inching Forward through Sleepless Nights, ep. 310

Sara Watkins on I'm With Her's Witchy AF New Record, ep. 309

Mary Gauthier & Jaimee Harris on THE Three Shoes, Alchemy and Weeding out Baddies, ep. 308

Susan Werner on Defining Hard Work, Paid Vacations, and Relaxing as Indie Musician, ep. 307

Jon Muq: Uganda, Cruise Ship Food and His Googly-Eyed Guitar, ep. 306

Ani DiFranco & Carsie Blanton: Menopause, The Wild Child, and Naps to fight Capitalism, ep. 305

Loudon Wainwright III: Oversharing, Family Ties, and Musical Legacy, ep. 304

Olivia Ellen Lloyd: West Virginia to Brooklyn, Finding Ground in Water, ep. 303

Bonnie "Prince" Billy On Making Nashville Musical Magic, ep. 302

Rose Cousins & Edie Carey: Bast Friendship, Music, and the Art of Spatula-ing Life, ep. 301

Sierra Hull: Mandolin Magic and Small Town Roots, ep. 300

Basic Folk Presents: Folk Files: Shady Grove

Gary Louris talks to Mark Erelli on Songwriting, Late in Life Love, and Technology, ep. 299

Lilly Hiatt: Driving Tunes and Life Lessons, ep. 297

*Bonus* Mary Sue Twohy: From Folk Roots to Radio Waves

Sam Moss: Gentle Folk Sounds and Woodworking Bounds, ep. 296

Covered in Moss: Anna B Savage's World of Folk, Birds and Ireland, ep. 295

Carolyn Kendrick's Devilish Detour: Satan's Folk Music, Moral Panic and the Color Red, ep. 294

Josh Kaufman: Imperfect Folk Music & Backstage Snacks, ep. 293

Lutalo: Hip Hop Roots and Folk Future(s), ep. 292

Jerry Douglas: From Steel Mills to Dobro Thrills, ep. 291

Basic Folk: An Official Bluegrass Situation Production

Year-End Reflections with Cindy & Lizzie: A Wild 2024 Ride, ep. 290

Nature Calls for Trampled by Turtles' Dave Simonett: Music, Hunting and Home, ep. 289

Becca Stevens on Grief, Spiritual Co-Writing and Connection, ep. 288

Twisted Pines' Kathleen Parks Secret Polka Past, ep. 287

Edie Carey & Sarah Sample: remain Cool despite Comfort, Cajons and Dream Catchers, ep. 286

The Sound of Women's Voices: A Shorty Bonus on a Weird Ass Day

From Songwriting to Sobriety: Kasey Anderson's Journey to His Final Album, ep. 285

Riffing on Life: Chuck Prophet talks Music, Surfing, and Storytelling with Mark Erelli, EP. 284

Liv Greene on Finding her Tender Little Queer Heart, ep. 283

Exploring Ancestral Roots with Blind Pilot, ep. 282

Amy Helm: Letters to Women and the Legacy of The Barn, ep. 281

From Reality Bites to Nursery Rhymes: Lisa Loeb's Unconventional Journey, ep. 280

Folk Music, Friendship, and Fountain Pens: Nerding out with Bruce Molsky & Darol Anger, ep. 29

Basic Folk Presents: American Masters: Creative Spark feat. Jewel

Balancing Dreams and Reality: A Folk Debate on Ambition, ep. 278

Jeffrey Foucault remembers Billy Conway with Universal Fire, ep. 277

Amos Lee on Friends, Femininity and Folk Roots, ep. 276

From Lancaster to the Limelight: The de Vitry Sibling Soundtrack, ep. 275

Basic Folk Presents: The Other 22 Hours - Mary Chapin Carpenter

Episode Summary

Episode Notes

Denitia’s Musical Journey: From NYC Streetwear to Nashville’s Vintage Vibes, ep. 274

Anna Tivel & Jeffrey Martin: Eyeballs, Ice Cream, and Portland, Oregon, ep. 273

Fake Interviews & Real Talk: Matt the Electrician Reinvents Music Marketing, ep. 272

John Smith is Finding Harmony in Chaos, ep. 271

Peggy Seeger spills Folk Feminist Tea with Dawn Landes, ep. 270

Ana Egge on Dream-Writing, the Truth, and Sinead O'Connor, ep. 269

Soundcheck Stories and Life Lessons: Chris Smither and Peter Mulvey, ep. 268

Steve Poltz Wants to Listen to The Grateful Dead, Watch Laugh-In and Write a Song Together, ep. 267

Basic Folk Presents: Only Vans

Archiving the Heart: Greg Brown on Music, Family, and Throwing Out Old Notebooks, ep. 266

The Reckoning of Montreal Banjo-Witch Kaïa Kater, ep. 265

Guster is a Place, ep. 264

Finding Freedom in a Flip Phone: John Moreland's Quest for a Simple Life, ep. 263

Claps, Covers, and Come Ons: Inside Barnstar!'s Musical Mischief, ep. 262

Fran & Flora Are Reimagining Traditional Yiddish Folk Music, ep. 261

Relevant, Radical & ROTFL: Billy Bragg, Folk Music's Political Poet, ep. 260

Leyla McCalla's Joyful Rebellion: Sun Without Heat and the Freedom of Play, ep. 259

Humbird: From Dinner Table Singing to Dismantling White Supremacy, ep. 258

Navigating the Waters of Folk Music: Community vs Capitalism, ep. 257

Jontavious Willis Says Blues Music is for The Kids, ep. 256

Aoife O'Donovan and Dawn Landes Surf All the Feminist Waves, ep. 255

Appalachian Bluegrasser Missy Raines Explains The West Virginia Thing, ep. 254

Bob Hillman's Rock and Roll Return: From Beach Volleyball to Marketing to Musician, ep. 253

Joe Pug Will Not Ossify, ep. 252

Hannah Connolly is Finding Her Happy Little Emo Heart Again, ep. 251

Lizzie No: the GOAT on Gender, Tiaras and Leveling Up, ep. 250

Dinty Child Dreams Up Tunes on Island Time, ep. 249

Tyrone Cotton: The Louisville Legend You Must Hear

Radio Waves to Musical Bliss: Talia Schlanger's Harmonious Journey, ep. 248

Bonus Mary Sue Twohy: From Folk Roots to Radio Waves