Basic Folk 113 – David Wax Museum

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David Wax started visiting Mexico in 2001 and there he became enamored with the music of Central Mexico, particularly with styles of son music. He would spend summers going back to Mexico while studying at Harvard: Latin American History and literature. He was able to get a Harvard Fellowship which allowed him to live in Mexico for a year immersing himself in the music through attending fandangos and learning from locals. In 2007, he was introduced to Suz Slezak, an old time and Irish fiddle player who would later become his bandmate, wife and mother of their two kids. The pair lived in the Boston area until about 2015, where they moved to Suz’s hometown of Charlottesville, VA.

They’ve toured like crazy throughout their career, even bringing their kids along and incorporating them into their on-the-road lifestyle. David says: “This band started as a DIY project where we basically said ‘yes’ to the universe, never turned down a gig, and happily played people’s living rooms.” David and Suz have stayed fairly nimble throughout their history and have seen a lot of the industry turn on its head. David Wax Museum have been a buzz band, an NPR darling and the hottest ticket in town, and have come out the other side of that fairly unscathed and grounded. David speaks to the changes he’s experienced over the years with a particular focus on how he’s remained resilient during a year with no touring. Now going into year 2 of lockdown, David Wax Museum are about to release MANY things in 2021. First up, is their new record: Euphoric Ouroboric. They have been releasing new music in advance on their Patreon page, so follow and support them there to stay up to date on the latest! And fear not! Suz will certainly be getting her own episode of Basic Folk!!

David Wax Museum on CBS This Morning (with Alec Spiegelman on sax!!)

David Wax Museum on Spotify