x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Basic Folk

The Bluegrass Situation

Basic Folk features honest conversations with folk musicians hosted by Cindy Howes and Lizzie No. We approach interviews with warmth, humor and insightful questions. Since 2018, this podcast has dignified under the radar roots musicians by providing a platform that they might not otherwise have. You’ll hear interviews from Three-time Grammy-winning guitar gods like Molly Tuttle, Haitian American folk legends like Leyla McCalla and deep feelers like songwriter John Hiatt.Basic Folk is dedicated to

music music interviews

All Episodes

61:25

The Barr Brothers Rally Around Mysticism, ep. 330

Basic Folk ·

2025/10/30

In the eight years since The Barr Brothers last released an album, Andrew has been drumming with people like Feist, Mumford & Sons, and Broken Social Scene while Brad released a solo record and underwent incredible personal change. Brad made the huge decision to get sober, which he talks about candidly in our Basic Folk interview. Anything you read about the new record, 'Let it Hiss,' might allude to his newfound sobriety while not mentioning it directly. The band made a conscious

en

71:03

David Wilcox Can Heal Your Heart in Two Minutes, ep. 329

Basic Folk ·

2025/10/16

Asheville-based songwriter David Wilcox has been through some s-h-i-t. A difficult childhood in Northeast Ohio sent him seeking answers – mostly on his bicycle – in an attempt to get away. He has spent his lifetime leaning into his problems and digging into their roots at the source: his own heart. He decided to see what lessons his heart had been trying to teach him and, at 67 years old, he's still listening and learning. He claims to have the answer of how to heal your heart and how to do it

en

67:00

Kathleen Edwards: Making up for 30 Years of No Tears,...

Basic Folk ·

2025/10/02

Kathleen Edwards claims that she's now a pretty frequent crier after not crying for the first 30 years of her life. One reason for this change is the connectedness she has been feeling since leaving music and starting her coffee shop, Quitters. In our Basic Folk conversation, Edwards tears up talking about the cover of her new album 'Billionaire,' which was shot by a former Quitters employee, Riley. Riley – along with a fellow employee Amanda – traveled to Nashville in 2019 to watch

en

68:54

Peter Rowan: The Bluegrass Buddha's Tex-Mex Roots,...

Basic Folk ·

2025/09/18

Legendary Massachusetts-born, California-based musician Peter Rowan is best known for his bluegrass roots. A practicing Buddhist, he did time in Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys as well as in the short-lived and epically important Old & In the Way with Jerry Garcia and David Grisman. However, his latest album 'Tales of the Free Mexican Airforce' celebrates the music of the Southwest and draws a throughline from Tex-Mex to bluegrass. Rowan has a long history with this music from his very

en

67:02

Rissi Palmer & Miko Marks: "Buckle Bunny," No Cringe,...

Basic Folk ·

2025/09/04

This time on Basic Folk, we are checking in with country singer-songwriter and Color Me Country radio host Rissi Palmer and Americana country artist Miko Marks. The two close friends both came up as Black women in country music in the early part of the 21st century where they experienced gatekeepers and discrimination in the industry, but undeniable love from listeners. Both stepped away from music for several years, but have since come back and found their audiences, artistic grooves, and industry

en

72:09

Vibe Coaches: Maya de Vitry, Ethan Jodziewicz, Joel...

Basic Folk ·

2025/08/28

Maya de Vitry, Ethan Jodziewicz, Joel Timmons, and Shelby Means are on Basic Folk today talking about their new collaborations. Maya produced both Shelby and Joel's debut solo albums this year; Joel and Ethan play in Maya's band; and the two couples (Joel & Shelby are married and Ethan & Maya are partners) are all very close friends. They met in Nashville, where Maya & Ethan still live, while Joel & Shelby live in Charleston. Joel talks about the huge gesture Shelby made in

en

54:33

Paul Brady on Tina Turner, Irish Music and Not Being...

Basic Folk ·

2025/08/21

Bob Dylan once called Paul Brady a "secret hero" and meant it as a compliment. The Irish songwriting legend has not been bothered by the fact that his profile has not risen as high as some of his peers. Starting off in the world of traditional Irish music, Brady spent time in the hugely influential Irish group Planxty until they disbanded in 1975. After that, he and bandmate Andy Irving recorded a record of trad music together. In 1981, he released an album of original songs titled 'Hard

en

49:59

Everyone Has a Friend in Joe K. Walsh, ep. 323

Basic Folk ·

2025/08/14

Originally from northern Minnesota, Joe K. Walsh grew up in Duluth and became enthralled with the mandolin (his primary focus, currently) after hearing the first David Grisman Quintet record. His dad got the young Joe his own mando. He ended up getting very serious about the instrument and found himself studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston (where he is now on faculty in the string department). Joe, in fact, was THE FIRST mandolin student at Berklee in a town that is now flooded with

en

52:36

Everyone Belongs at the Olive Klug show, ep. 322

Basic Folk ·

2025/08/07

Olive Klug and I (Cindy) recorded this interview in my closet while they were in Portland, Maine to play a show. They stayed along with their band Cori, Haley, and Payton and it was a real pleasure to be around them for a few days. You can tell that Olive is at their best around their band and it is a true collaboration on stage. Shoutout to the whole crew for leaving such a remarkable impression on me and my wife and for assembling some baby furniture while they were staying at our house. In our

en

65:37

Gina Chavez: From Choir Kid to Latin Grammy Nominee,...

Basic Folk ·

2025/07/31

New bestie Gina Chavez speaks about her journey in music, her deep love for connecting with people, and the influence of her mixed cultural background on Basic Folk. Her parents are of Mexican and Swiss-German descent. Her father, although second generation Mexican-American, was not raised with Spanish language or any Mexican culture. Gina discusses growing up in Austin, Texas, and the role music – or the absence of it – played in her household. She talks about being a choir kid in the '90s

en

41:34

Tony Kamel Believes in Life and You Should Too, ep. 320

Basic Folk ·

2025/07/24

You may recognize the voice, face, and vibe of wonderful human being Tony Kamel from his acclaimed bluegrass group, Wood & Wire. But Tony is on Basic Folk today to talk about his wonderful solo albums, including his latest, 'We're All Gonna Live.' The album, which just came out, is a realist-optimist's guide to navigating a complex and often heartbreaking world. There's something remarkably encouraging about the songs, which are so humane and so empathetic. The music is

en

41:53

Kora Feder is the Future of Political Folk...

Basic Folk ·

2025/07/17

On this episode of Basic Folk, Kora Feder talks about her new album, 'Some Kind of Truth,' as well as reflecting on the incredible changes and growth she's experienced since we last spoke in February 2020. One of the impacts of the pandemic on her music career was the necessity of exploring other artistic ventures like crafting hats and lino-cutting. She relocated from Philly to California, finally settling in Detroit. Daughter of songwriter Rita Hosking, Kora went slightly viral during

en

73:32

Tami Neilson: On Taking Wynonna's Call, Her Scary...

Basic Folk ·

2025/07/10

In recent years, Tami Neilson has been learning to carry both great joy and great sorrow simultaneously. The New Zealand-based, Canada-born powerhouse's new album, 'Neon Cowgirl,' is named after the towering electric figure on a sign that's overlooked Broadway in Nashville, watching over Tami's career since she was 16 years old. The songs were born from a five-month family road trip combined with a major musical tour that would allow Tami the once-in-a-lifetime chance to really

en

57:13

Indigo Girls: Activism Through Fashion and Community...

Basic Folk ·

2025/07/03

(Editor’s Note: Welcome to our Reissue series! For the past several weeks, Basic Folk has been digging back into the archives and reposting some of our favorite episodes alongside new introductions commenting on what it’s like to listen back. This is our last Reissue for now, so please enjoy!This episode featuring separate interviews with The Indigo Girls (Amy Ray and Emily Saliers) and host Cindy Howes was originally posted winter 2019.)Back in 2019, my now-wife and I attended the inaugural Girls

en

51:18

Joy Oladokun Writes Worship Music for Youth Group...

Basic Folk ·

2025/06/26

(Editor’s Note: Welcome to our Reissue series! For the past several weeks, Basic Folk has been 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 Lizzie No interviewing Joy Oladokun, was originally posted on February 24, 2022.)Arizona-born Joy Oladokun grew up listening to her dad’s extensive record collection and falling in love with the wide and wondrous world of rock and

en

45:55

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

Basic Folk ·

2025/06/24

(Editor's Note: Oh, WOW! A bonus, surprise episode with Watchhouse? Yes! And it is a treat. We are pleased to have Jacob Sharp of Mipso as our guest host in conversation with his friends Andrew Marlin and Emily Franz of Watchhouse, talking about their new studio album, 'Rituals.' The record was co-produced with Ryan Gustafson of The Dead Tongues. The new project finds the North Carolina duo exploring themes of identity, awareness, and evolution.We are so pumped about this pairing on the

en

81:20

Chris Thile: Calvin and Hobbes, Classical Music, and...

Basic Folk ·

2025/06/19

(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

en

63:07

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

Basic Folk ·

2025/06/12

(Editor’s Note: Welcome to our Reissue series! For the next several weeks, Basic Folk is digging into the archives and reposting some of our favorite episodes alongside new introductions commenting on what it’s like to listen back. This episode featuring Lizzie No interviewing Dar Williams originally posted on October 14, 2021. Enjoy!)Dar Williams, originally from Mount Kisco, New York, grew up in an era and a household where everyone was tearing down the old ways of doing things while learning new

en

51:06

John Hiatt is Actually Not Scared to Talk about His...

Basic Folk ·

2025/06/05

(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

en

51:22

Anaïs Mitchell: 2019 Pre-Broadway interview on...

Basic Folk ·

2025/05/29

(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

en

357 results

Similar Podcasts

Pasquale Maassen Soundcloud

Pasquale Maassen

Marian Klose

Marian Klose

sevenism

sevenism

Dean Delray"s LET THERE BE TALK

Cactus Radio Network

Word In Your Ear

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Alex Gold