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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

67:36

Fran & Flora Are Reimagining Traditional Yiddish Folk...

Basic Folk ·

2024/05/16

Two long-time collaborators, cellist Francesa Ter-Berg and violinist Flora Curazon, Fran & Flora, have bonded over their obsession with ancient music, rooted in Eastern European and Jewish culture, for over a dozen years. Together and separately, the English musicians have been studying with teachers of ethnomusicology in places like Transylvania and Romania. There, they took in the music as well as the cultural influences. That's not to speak of their higher musical education, Francesca

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64:52

Relevant, Radical & ROTFL: Billy Bragg, Folk Music's...

Basic Folk ·

2024/05/09

Billy Bragg joins lizzie and Cindy on-board Cayamo to talk about songwriting, social justice, punk rock and, of course, The Little Guy (Bragg's nickname for Woody Guthrie). In our interview we talked about using humor as a way to connect to his audience, so that he can bring up his political activism like fighting for transgender rights, the importance of unions and abortion rights. It's interesting to hear how he wants the Americana audience to remain as relevant as he does. Billy talked

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81:36

Leyla McCalla's Joyful Rebellion: Sun Without Heat...

Basic Folk ·

2024/05/02

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

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65:00

Humbird: From Dinner Table Singing to Dismantling...

Basic Folk ·

2024/04/25

Siri Undlin, better known as Humbird, is a talented singer-songwriter from the Twin Cities with deep roots in Minnesota music and the land that surrounds her. Growing up, she was a true cold weather kid who loved hockey during winter In Minnesota, but also loved music and feeding her vivid imagination. Her love of music was nurtured by her parents, religious music, church choir and also her Aunt Joan, who taught Siri guitar at age 12. Hockey actually led her to her first band Celtic Club, with a set

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48:40

Navigating the Waters of Folk Music: Community vs...

Basic Folk ·

2024/04/18

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

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49:38

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

Basic Folk ·

2024/04/11

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

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72:02

Aoife O'Donovan and Dawn Landes Surf All the Feminist...

Basic Folk ·

2024/04/04

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

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67:58

Appalachian Bluegrasser Missy Raines Explains The...

Basic Folk ·

2024/03/28

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

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55:21

Bob Hillman's Rock and Roll Return: From Beach...

Basic Folk ·

2024/03/21

Bob Hillman had a real thing going on in the early 2000's. He had made waves in New York City rubbing shoulders with some of the finest songwriters of the era at places like the open mic, Fast Folk and The Living Room, the singer-songwriter was creatively fulfilled, but not gaining the momentum in order to experience strategic growth in folk music. After opening for a long list of dates for Suzanne Vega, Hillman decided it was time to step away and get back to business.... school that is. He got

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58:11

Joe Pug Will Not Ossify, ep. 252

Basic Folk ·

2024/03/14

Joe Pug will not engage in the Left-Brained Vs Right-Brained debate. His artistry and pragmatic business sense have lived in actual parallel through his music career. His songwriting and creativity are fueled by passion and result in dramatic and exciting songs, as on his new album Sketch of a Promised Departure. He also has stayed ahead of the curve and created an ecosystem where self-reliance, growth and music business thrive especially with his latest venture, The Nation of Heat Vault that has

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57:59

Hannah Connolly is Finding Her Happy Little Emo Heart...

Basic Folk ·

2024/03/07

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

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73:22

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

Basic Folk ·

2024/02/29

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

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50:18

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

Basic Folk ·

2024/02/22

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,

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34:22

Tyrone Cotton: The Louisville Legend You Must Hear

Basic Folk ·

2024/02/15

Tyrone Cotton, a decades-long mainstay of the Louisville, KY music scene just released his 2023 debut album, "Man Like Me." A quick listen to these songs reveals an artist who has spent decades steeped in roots music. Lizzie No spoke with Tyrone and Ray Rizzo, one of the album’s producers, about Tyrone’s journey as an artist and the making of ‘Man Like Me.’ Tyrone grew up listening to his grandfather and his friends in the neighborhood playing guitar. Along with his $60 guitar, Tyrone headed

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62:06

Radio Waves to Musical Bliss: Talia Schlanger's...

Basic Folk ·

2024/02/08

Canada's Talia Schlanger is best known for her work in broadcasting; guest-hosting Q with Tom Power on CBC and Alec Baldwin's "Here's the Thing" podcast, as well as taking over for David Dye on NPR Music's World Cafe in Philadelphia. Before all that, Talia was an actor and singer in many theater productions including Mamma Mia, Queen's We Will Rock You and Green Day's American Idiot. While she has found much success in her two previous careers, something has been

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51:08

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

Basic Folk ·

2024/02/01

Dive into the enchanting world of Elise Leavy, a musician hailing from the picturesque Monterey, California through her latest album A Little Longer. Elise's artistic journey is steeped in the influence of her magical surroundings and a childhood filled with music, thanks to her mom's painting and stepdad's musical talents. Growing up with a deep appreciation for nature and a belief in faeries, Elise shares how these elements shaped her musical perspective.As we explore Elise's

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59:34

Strings of Support: Sarah Jarosz's Mentors and...

Basic Folk ·

2024/01/25

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

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62:00

Imaginary People Chronicles: Viv & Riley's Tradition...

Basic Folk ·

2024/01/18

Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno, known as Viv & Riley, dive deep into the nuances of old-time music, folk influences, and the process behind their album, Imaginary People. The duo, who met at a music camp in Port Townsend, Washington, trace their roots from Riley's disciplined musical practice to Viv's intuitive approach. The two found inspiration from growing up in the Seattle area listening to KEXP (Riley), to living in Portland, Oregon to their current home in Durham, North

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59:35

Rachael Kilgour's Tribute to her Extraordinary...

Basic Folk ·

2024/01/11

Rachael Kilgour unravels the layers of her late father on the album, "My Father Loved Me." Recorded in the cold of Toronto and produced by Rose Cousins (who also joins us for this conversation), this album carries the essence of Canadian roots and is a profound exploration of family heritage through the lens of an ordinary, hard working and humble man who died in 2017. The Duluth-born Rachael, and Rose, based in Halifax, reflect on their cold weather experiences, infusing the recording

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76:39

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

Basic Folk ·

2024/01/04

The cover of Darrell Scott's latest album, Old Cane Back Rocker, immediately sets the tone for your listening experience. The inclusion of the names of the Darrell Scott String Band (Bryn Davies, Matt Flinner and Shad Cobb) lets you know right off the bat that this recording is a band effort. The photo on the album cover gives a visual of Scotts' family roots in rural Kentucky. His cousin Dwight Messer is standing in front of his former childhood home, now abandoned on the family land. The

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361 results

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