Basic Folk

Basic Folk

Author: The Bluegrass Situation Language: English Episodes: 367
There's a certain magic that happens when musicians are given the space to talk not just about their craft, but about the life that feeds it. That's the heart of Basic Folk, a series of conversations that feel more like catching up with an old friend than a formal interview. Hosts Cindy Howes and Lizzie No bring a genuine curiosity and easy warmth to each episode, creating an environment where artists often share stories and insights they might not elsewhere. Since 2018, this podcast has carved out a vital niche, actively seeking to honor and platform the incredible, sometimes under-the-radar, voices within the roots music world. You'll find a beautifully diverse tapestry of sound and experience here, from technical wizards and Grammy-winners like Molly Tuttle to culturally pivotal figures like Leyla McCalla, all united by their connection to folk music's expansive tradition. Produced by The Bluegrass Situation, each episode digs into the personal journeys, creative struggles, and quiet triumphs that shape the music. It’s less about celebrity and more about substance, offering listeners a chance to intimately understand the people behind the songs. Tune in for thoughtful, humorous and deeply human dialogues that remind you why folk music, in all its forms, remains a powerful force for storytelling and connection.
Episodes
Jenna Nicholls, ep. 25 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:46
Jenna Nicholls was the imaginative kid who was friends with trees and believed furniture was alive. Raised in Western Pennsylvania, she was raised on jazz, classical and Irish music. Her music is reflective of the golden…
Ethan Gruska, ep. 24 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:13
Cinematic, multi-talented, mystical/magical, human-songwriter Ethan Gruska is a grounded and extremely likable person. Ethan’s 2017 Slowmotionary, for me, was a personal lifesaver during a hell of a year. He may have com…
Marissa Nadler, ep. 23 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:58
It is wonderful to have songwriter Marissa Nadler on the pod! Ethereal, goth, ambient and gauzy are often used to describe her sound. She has collaborated with musicians like John Cale, Sharon Van Etten and black metal b…
Jonatha Brooke, ep. 22 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:27
I have always really liked Jonatha Brooke. She's one of those writers who always knows what to do, which is the basis for why we like pop music. Her songs take you to the place you wanna go while still hitting vulnerabil…
Jocie Adams of Arc Iris, ep. 21 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:02
Magic musical human wonder Jocie Adams (Arc Iris) is a very funny, grounded and kind person IRL; on stage she is a mystical badass alien superhero who expressively emerges from a giant vagina at the start of her live sho…
Bonus: Erin McKeown is Folk Wikipedia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:18
A bonus ep of Basic Folk where Erin McKeown gets particularly basic about her former project Voice on The Verge. She explains their origin and intention behind the group and I started getting v into all the obscure folk…
Erin McKeown, ep. 20 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:24
Erin McKeown has been queering the folk world for over two decades with her unpredictable and relentlessly unwavering superhuman musical gifts. Erin gets real in our conversation. She talks about (my favorite) summer cam…
Bill Deasy, ep. 19 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:54
Bill Deasy is one of Pittsburgh's big 90s success stories due to his band The Gathering Field scoring a record deal in 1996 with Atlantic Records. While they only released one album on a major label, the band and Bill ha…
Edie Carey, ep. 18 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:57
Ready to ugly cry? No? Ok, I will give you a moment to prepare... Because tuning into the most vulnerable, intimate and secret human feelings is what songwriter Edie Carey is all about. Born and raised in Suburban Boston…
Amy Ray, ep. 17 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:26
Amy Ray, one half of the legendary folk rock band Indigo Girls, is known for her strong Southern roots, fierce devotion to all types of music, her activism and (unbeknownst to her) her image as a gay fashion icon (and ho…