Basic Folk

The Bluegrass Situation
  • 4.9 (78)
  • MUSIC INTERVIEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Basic Folk

Basic Folk features honest conversations with folk musicians hosted by Cindy Howes, a well-versed public radio DJ, and singer/songwriter Lizzie No. While we’re not gassing up the banjo, fiddle, guitar and mandolin, Basic Folk approaches interviews with warmth, humor and insightful (invasive?) questions. This podcast fosters the folk community and showcases a genre that is often misunderstood. Our definition of “folk” is extremely broad, so you’ll hear interviews from Molly Tuttle, Ben Harper, John Hiatt, Chris Thile of Nickel Creek, Joy Oladokun and many more. Basic Folk is dedicated to showcasing the best in folk, bluegrass, acoustic and americana including Black, Brown and Queer folx who have been excluded, or felt like they did not belong, in the folk world. Both Cindy and Lizzie bring unique perspectives to our honest conversations and are dedicated to changing the landscape and the gatekeepers of the folk music community.

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

    1 DAY AGO

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

    I (lizzie) first came across Becca Stevens via her collaboration with string group The Attica Quartet. Her new album, Maple to Paper, is really different from her previous releases. If you think you know everything that there is to know about Becca Stevens as a singer, songwriter, arranger, and producer, you are wrong. And you are going to be so amazed by this new record. It's completely stripped down, featuring just her guitar and her voice. During the pandemic, Stevens started getting inspired to write songs about her family, about her mom, about grief, about becoming a mother. She decided to record Maple to Paper in her home in Princeton, New Jersey. The result is a super intimate and adventurous, bold and personal album which is full of amazing performances. In our Basic Folk conversation we also got to talk about some of her notable collaborations. The most interesting one, to me, was hearing about how she considers the late David Crosby a continuous spiritual co-writer. In addition to her friendship with Crosby, Stevens has collaborated with so many more incredible musicians including Jacob Collier and Sufjan Stevens on the Illinoise Broadway musical. She has a really unconventional approach to infusing pop, jazz, and folk into her work. Maple to Paper became an instant classic for me the minute I heard it. I'm really excited for our listeners to hear the song, "Shoulda Been There for Me," which feels like an old school R&B tune, but arranged for a contemporary folk record. Follow Basic Folk on social media: https://basicfolk.bio.link/ Sign up for Basic Folk's newsletter: https://bit.ly/basicfolknews Help produce Basic Folk by contributing: https://basicfolk.com/donate/ Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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

    NOV 14

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

    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 the song "After Midnight (Nothing Good Happens)," which is about how difficult it can be to take care of yourself on the road. It's hard to eat healthy and exercise, it's hard to go to bed at a reasonable hour. Plus: we finally find out what time one should go to bed at fiddle camp. It's always earlier than you think. Follow Basic Folk on social media: https://basicfolk.bio.link/ Sign up for Basic Folk's newsletter: https://bit.ly/basicfolknews Help produce Basic Folk by contributing: https://basicfolk.com/donate/ Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    1h 20m
  3. Edie Carey & Sarah Sample: remain Cool despite Comfort, Cajons and Dream Catchers, ep. 286

    NOV 7

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

    Friends and collaborators, Edie Carey & Sarah Sample teamed up in 2014 for their first album Til the Morning: Lullabies and Songs of Comfort. The pair both had babies and were wanting to do a project that centered around calming music for both children and adults. They were shocked at the album's reception by adults (aka non-babies) who listened after experiencing grief, trauma and huge loss. This type of music certainly had an important place in the world. Now, they have done it again, but with more of a focus on calming music for adults with their follow-up: Lantern in the Dark: Songs of Comfort and Lullabies, which includes some originals, their first co-write and new interpretations of songs by Wilco, The Beatles, Cyndi Lauper and James Taylor. In our conversation, we tackle the concept of comfort. What is a good balance of comfort and what they experienced in the surprise reaction from their first record. It was also a great time to talk about their experience as touring musicians with young babies... the types of questions they would get asked that they are sure their male counterparts with young children would not get. They talk about the songs on the album, one of which was written by Edie in the aftermath of her mom's sudden and recent passing. We wrap it all up, of course, by hearing each of their James Taylor stories and a delightful bedtime-themed lightning round. Follow Basic Folk on social media: https://basicfolk.bio.link/ Sign up for Basic Folk's newsletter: https://bit.ly/basicfolknews Help produce Basic Folk by contributing: https://basicfolk.com/donate/ Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    1h 8m
  4. The Sound of Women's Voices: A Shorty Bonus on a Weird Ass Day

    NOV 6 · BONUS

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

    I woke up today and my wife told me the news. I went for a walk in the woods and found myself thinking about We Shall Overcome and singing it by myself surrounded by fallen leaves and pine trees. I put on Dawn Landes’ new album: The Liberated Woman’s Songbook, I thought about women of the past and how they found their strength. I started posting clips of women who appeared on Basic Folk this year. As I was listening, I wanted to put these voices together all in one spot because I found strength and comfort here. I hope it helps you, wherever you are, whoever you voted for. Take care today. We’ll be here for you. Featuring voices of: lizzie no, Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O'Donovan, Dawn Landes, Amy Helm, Missy Raines, Peggy Seeger, Michaela Anne, Ana Egge, Denitia, Liv Greene, Kaïa Kater, Humbird, Leyla McCalla. Feedback? Email us: basicfolkpod@gmail.com 🩷 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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

    OCT 31

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

    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. Follow Basic Folk on social media: https://basicfolk.bio.link/ Sign up for Basic Folk's newsletter: https://bit.ly/basicfolknews Help produce Basic Folk by contributing: https://basicfolk.com/donate/ Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    1h 12m
  6. Riffing on Life: Chuck Prophet talks Music, Surfing, and Storytelling with Mark Erelli, EP. 284

    OCT 24

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

    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. Follow Basic Folk on social media: https://basicfolk.bio.link/ Sign up for Basic Folk's newsletter: https://bit.ly/basicfolknews Help produce Basic Folk by contributing: https://basicfolk.com/donate/ Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    1h 16m
  7. Liv Greene on Finding her Tender Little Queer Heart, ep. 283

    OCT 17

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

    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. Follow Basic Folk on social media: https://basicfolk.bio.link/ Sign up for Basic Folk's newsletter: https://bit.ly/basicfolknews Help produce Basic Folk by contributing: https://basicfolk.com/donate/ Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    56 min
  8. Exploring Ancestral Roots with Blind Pilot, ep. 282

    OCT 10

    Exploring Ancestral Roots with Blind Pilot, ep. 282

    The Oregon-bred indie folk music outfit Blind Pilot goes on a deep spiritual journal on their new album In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain (produced by Josh Kaufman). The music inspiration for frontman Israel Nebeker lay in his songwriting process. After struggling with writing for years (this is the first Blind Pilot album in 8 years), he set aside the songs he *had* been working (which will be included on a new solo record in 2025). Nebeker gave himself a month to write an album's worth of songs to present to the band. He demoed the songs and headed out for a trip centered around spiritual growth in Norway. Searching for ancestral connections, Israel sought out the Samí culture and community (a semi-nomadic Scandinavian people), in which he has roots. He participated in a Samí shamanic journey exploring indigenous spirituality. A Sámi shaman took him on a drum journey and invited him to listen for ancestors and visions. He had a vision where his ancestors were beckoning him to a path that led straight to a mountain, which was clearly his family legacy and origin. Back in the studio with the band, he relistened to his songs and was very surprised to realize that the album was about his ancestors. The connection that the rest of the band felt in delivering the music is palpable. The special emotional dynamic that always exists on a Blind Pilot is supercharged on the new album In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain. Follow Basic Folk on social media: https://basicfolk.bio.link/ Sign up for Basic Folk's newsletter: https://bit.ly/basicfolknews Help produce Basic Folk by contributing: https://basicfolk.com/donate/ Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    56 min
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4.9
out of 5
78 Ratings

About

Basic Folk features honest conversations with folk musicians hosted by Cindy Howes, a well-versed public radio DJ, and singer/songwriter Lizzie No. While we’re not gassing up the banjo, fiddle, guitar and mandolin, Basic Folk approaches interviews with warmth, humor and insightful (invasive?) questions. This podcast fosters the folk community and showcases a genre that is often misunderstood. Our definition of “folk” is extremely broad, so you’ll hear interviews from Molly Tuttle, Ben Harper, John Hiatt, Chris Thile of Nickel Creek, Joy Oladokun and many more. Basic Folk is dedicated to showcasing the best in folk, bluegrass, acoustic and americana including Black, Brown and Queer folx who have been excluded, or felt like they did not belong, in the folk world. Both Cindy and Lizzie bring unique perspectives to our honest conversations and are dedicated to changing the landscape and the gatekeepers of the folk music community.

Information

  • Creator
    The Bluegrass Situation
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2024
  • Episodes
    313
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Basic Folk
  • Provider
    Basic Folk

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