Banjo Chat

Hilary Hawke
  • 5.0 (21)
  • MUSIC INTERVIEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Season 3 is coming soon! We are returning mid-October with a bunch of new inspiring guests in all styles of banjo playing! Thanks everyone for your patience! Banjo Chat is a music podcast where Musician/Professional banjoist, Hilary Hawke interviews cutting edge and inspiring banjo players every week. They talk about their lives in and out of the music industry; reflecting on stories and ideas that inspire their performing, writing and their albums.

  1. 10/15/2025

    303 Hannah Mayree

    In this episode of banjo chat I sit down with Hannah Mayree — musician, cultural worker, and founder of the Black Banjo Reclamation Project. Hannah shares the origins of the project, born from a deep need and desire to reconnect Black communities with the banjo’s African roots and reclaim its history, sound, and spirit. We talk about growing a healing community around the banjo, putting instruments in people's hands, and reshaping how we understand the banjo's place in American music and Black culture. Hannah also reflects on her early days of train-hopping and hitchhiking across the country, discovering fellow travelers and banjo players along the way. We talk about the intersection of music, spirituality, and belonging, and how audience participation, songwriting, and collaboration shape her creative process in her own music. This is one of the most enlightening conversations I’ve had about the banjo, excited to share with you! To learn more: https://www.blackbanjoreclamationproject.org/

    1h 7m

  2. 10/08/2025

    302 Wes Corbett

    In this episode, we dive into the making of Wes Corbett’s new album Drift. The inspirations behind the music, the collaborators who brought it to life, and insights into the recording process. We listen to a couple of my favorite tracks from the album! We chat about musical influences like Car Talk, Earl Scruggs, and Béla Fleck, and reflect on his upbringing on the West Coast. He shares the subtle complexities of performing with the Sam Bush Band and offers a thoughtful look at his approach to the banjo and composition. And of course, we settle the age-old debate: how do you pronounce “salmon”? (I have my own theories.) Plus, we test his knowledge on the life cycle of salmon—you might be surprised by what he knows.   www.wescorbett.bandcamp.com www.wescorbett.com www.hilaryhawkemusic.com

    55 min

  3. 09/09/2025

    Dueling Banjos Podcasts! Live from Ashokan feat. Hilary Hawke, Keith Billik, BB Bowness, Scott Hopkins, Maggie Shar

    I’m super excited to present a special collaboration with Keith Billik from the Picky Fingers Podcast! Enjoy a special live episode of the “Dueling Banjos Podcasts” hosted by Hilary Hawke and Keith Billik at the Ashokan Center in Ashokan, NY! Get the inside scoop on what’s happening in the lives of banjoists Maggie Shar, Scott Hopkins, BB Bowness, Hilary Hawke and Keith Billick. Stick around for the earth shattering banjo duel at the end of the episode. Featuring the live audience of students at the Banjo Weekend 2024!  Sound and recording by Connor Wenke.    BB’s  New Album  https://bbbowness.bandcamp.com/album/goodtime-revival   Maggie Shar https://www.maggieshar.com/   Scott Hopkins https://scotthopkinsbanjo.com   Keith Billik https://www.banjopodcast.com/meet-the-host/   Hilary Hawke's new album https://hilaryhawke.bandcamp.com/album/lift-up-this-old-world-2

    48 min

  4. 05/22/2024

    211 Season Finale with Alison Brown!

    This is the Season Finale! And my mind is blown hearing Alison Brown talk about her banjos and what she’s playing on the road.  We chat about her music, making records, producing, re-issuing records and the vision for her band. We nerd out about how we like the piano and banjo combo.  What she likes to convey with her music, and how she goes beyond how the banjo is usually portrayed.  We listen to her track Sweet Sixteenths with Sierra Hull on mandolin, and the Alison Brown Quartet.   We talk about Compass records and why it started and she gives advice for getting over your nerves.    “The banjo is a conduit for connecting with other people”   https://www.alisonbrown.com https://alisonbrown.bandcamp.com/album/on-banjo   patreon.com/banjochat https://www.etsy.com/shop/Pickenchickenbooks for Kustom Koozies

    35 min

  5. 05/15/2024

    210 Lukas Poole

    This week on the chat we have Lukas Pool! A fun one where we talk about the ins and outs of the Ozark Banjo Shop, how it all started and when he was was making banjos just to pay the rent!  Apprentices, banjo making, balancing having kids with performing music, horses, and his dad working over at Mountain View Music.  He tells us why he decided to make a living playing music and we get specific about repairs, wood selection, and what he looks for in a banjo.  Also how he approaches arranging a fiddle tune for banjo, and advice for people learning and making banjos. https://ozarkbanjo.com/   https://www.patreon.com/BanjoChat

    50 min

  6. 05/08/2024

    209 Listener Emails Part Two

    This week on banjo chat! As we prepare for the final two episodes in this season we take a moment to get into some more Listener emails! And these ones are doozies.   Thanks everyone and we return next week with our next guest!   https://www.patreon.com/BanjoChat

    14 min

  7. 05/01/2024

    208 Melissa Carper

    This week on the banjo chat!  We have Melissa Carper! We are chatting about being on the road with her band, her debut at the Grand Ole Opry and how she writes songs and stays close to her roots.  We talk about her transformation from being a side person, to how her creativity came alive, and what was stifling her creativity.  Healthy alternatives to drinking and how to get sleep on the road! Also, what has kept her on her path when dealing with frustration, playing in bars over the years.  How she kept on believing in what she could do!   https://melissacarper.bandcamp.com https://www.melissacarper.com https://patreon.com/banjochat

    42 min

  8. 04/24/2024

    207 Kyle Tuttle

    This week we have Kyle Tuttle on the banjo chat! Of course we talk about winning the grammy award with Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway for their City of Gold album!  Yessir!  We are also talking about banjo necks, banjo makers and what life is like in Nashville as a banjo player.  How he loves the music festival scene, playing music and being true to yourself, and different recording techniques on his new album.  We talk about how he approaches improvisation and how you can put yourself into new situations (jamming and playing music) without letting your ego get in the way.    “The truer you are to yourself, is always going to be more beneficial to what your goals are”   http://kyletuttle.com https://www.patreon.com/BanjoChat

    58 min
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5
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

Season 3 is coming soon! We are returning mid-October with a bunch of new inspiring guests in all styles of banjo playing! Thanks everyone for your patience! Banjo Chat is a music podcast where Musician/Professional banjoist, Hilary Hawke interviews cutting edge and inspiring banjo players every week. They talk about their lives in and out of the music industry; reflecting on stories and ideas that inspire their performing, writing and their albums.

Information

  • Creator
    Hilary Hawke
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Banjo Chat

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