Club Passim’s Matt Smith on 30 Years of Building Community

May 28, 2026

Matt Smith is a living legend with his unbelievable 30-year run at Club Passim, the historic folk venue nestled in a Harvard Square basement. Currently Managing Director at Passim, Matt is the most passionate music lover I know. He has used his platform at Passim to help establish artists like Lori McKenna, Anaïs Mitchell, Lake Street Dive, and so many more. I met Matt while working as a student at WERS 88.9FM, where he brought fantastic shows to a listening…

Vibe Coaches Maya de Vitry, Ethan Jodziewicz, Joel Timmons, & Shelby Means

August 28, 2025

Maya de Vitry, Ethan Jodziewicz, Joel Timmons, and Shelby Means are on Basic Folk today talking about their new collaborations.…

Paul Brady on Tina Turner, Irish Music, and Not Being Too Famous

August 21, 2025

Bob Dylan once called Paul Brady a “secret hero” and meant it as a compliment. The Irish songwriting legend has…

Everyone Has a Friend in Joe K. Walsh

August 14, 2025

Originally from northern Minnesota, Joe K. Walsh grew up in Duluth and became enthralled with the mandolin (his primary focus,…

Everyone Belongs at the Olive Klug show

August 7, 2025

Olive Klug and I (Cindy) recorded this interview in my closet while they were in Portland, Maine to play a…

Gina Chavez: From Choir Kid to Latin Grammy Nominee

July 31, 2025

New bestie Gina Chavez speaks about her journey in music, her deep love for connecting with people, and the influence…

Tony Kamel Believes in Life and You Should, Too

July 24, 2025

You may recognize the voice, face, and vibe of wonderful human being Tony Kamel from his acclaimed bluegrass group, Wood…

Kora Feder: Future of Political Folk Songwriting Also Has Too Many Craft Projects

July 17, 2025

On this episode of Basic Folk, Kora Feder talks about her new album, ‘Some Kind of Truth,’ as well as…

Tami Neilson: On Taking Wynonna’s Call, Her Scary Near-Death Experience, and Willie Nelson

July 10, 2025

In recent years, Tami Neilson has been learning to carry both great joy and great sorrow simultaneously. The New Zealand-based,…

Indigo Girls: Activism Through Fashion and Community Through Food (REISSUE)

July 3, 2025

(Editor’s Note: Welcome to our Reissue series! For the past several weeks, Basic Folk has been digging back into the…

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