podcast
Naomi Westwater is Spiritually Creative, But Also Very, Very Organized
Something you might notice about Boston musician Naomi Westwater is that they have both sides of the brain on lock. They are very good at community organizing, grant applying, advocating, and other “left-brained” activities. However, they are also a creative, deeply spiritual, open-hearted person, traits typically associated with the right brain. That’s not always something…
Read MoreGreat Lake Swimmers’ Tony Dekker: Accidental Bandleader
Accidental bandleader and beloved Canadian Tony Dekker joins us to talk about Great Lake Swimmers’ new album, ‘Caught Light.’ Tony is up to old tricks again, like recording in a remote and weird place (in a century-old farmhouse in the middle of the woods) and working with his merry band of rotating musician friends, including…
Read MoreMary Chapin Carpenter is the Woman in the Truck
Mary Chapin Carpenter’s latest album, Personal History, is as lush in production and color as is the beautiful farm land she calls home in Virginia. Carpenter will often wake up early for sunrise walks with her dog, Angus and one of several daily cups of coffee (of course) to start the day. She reflects on…
Read More2025 Wrap-Up: Gals Chat, A Corn Cob, Alaska, and One Man
To send 2025 off into the great abyss, we have a sensational year-end Basic Folk roundtable featuring Lizzie’s group chat: Kaïa Kater, Olivia Ellen Lloyd, and Isa Burke. It can feel so challenging to know which media you can trust and whose takes you can really take to the bank. There is no one we…
Read MoreMadison Cunningham is Embarrassed All the Time
Our episode with Madison Cunningham was one of those all-time Basic Folk moments where a guest gets really deep really quickly. I’m so grateful to have had the chance to speak with this brilliant young torchbearer of the folk tradition to celebrate the release of her new album, ‘Ace.’ Cunningham grew up in the church,…
Read MoreFrazey Ford Revisits the Subtle Grooves of ‘Indian Ocean’
Frazey Ford has always loved soul music. She fell in love with Otis Redding at age 11 and discovered people like Ann Peebles along the way, but it was Al Green that really knocked her out. She loved the layers, the expression, and especially his voice. She completely dove in and even started an Al…
Read MoreThe Barr Brothers Rally Around Mysticism
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…
Read MoreDavid Wilcox Can Heal Your Heart in Two Minutes
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…
Read MoreKathleen Edwards: Making up for 30 Years of No Tears
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…
Read MorePeter Rowan: The Bluegrass Buddha’s Tex-Mex Roots
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’…
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