Archiving the Heart: Greg Brown on Music, Family, and Throwing Out Old Notebooks, ep. 266

Archiving the Heart: Greg Brown on Music, Family, and Throwing Out Old Notebooks, ep. 266

Author: The Bluegrass Situation June 20, 2024 Duration: 44:27
Iowa folk music icon Greg Brown is living that retired life. After playing his farewell retirement concert in 2023, he's returned with a new book: Ring Around The Moon: A Songbook, which highlights a song selection personally picked by the songwriter himself, as well as family photos, personal anecdotes and self-penned drawings. The book features a foreword by Seth Avett (The Avett Brothers) who calls Brown's songs "plain ​spoken ​expression ​of ​the ​nearly ​inexpressible." In our conversation, we touch on topics like inner peace, happiness, personal growth and self-acceptance. He speaks of how art has impacted him in ways the artist will never understand. He talks about what it's like to be on both the receiving and sending end of this exchange. It especially impacted him when he learned the poet Allen Ginsberg listened to an album of his while he was dying. I asked him about his music archives, which he calls "a ​bunch ​of ​old ​notebooks ​on ​a ​shelf" and "a ​couple ​boxes ​of ​old ​photos," which assisted him in recalling family connections for the songbook. Going through the photos and old songs instilled a sense of music nostalgia, including collaboration with Iowa musicians at the Wednesday Night Jam at The Mill. Music nostalgia surfaces several times through the pages like his incredible story of founding the successful and beloved Red House Records. There's also discussion on a few choice Greg Brown songs like "If You Don't Get it at Home," addressing replacing love for materialism and drug use. We talk about "Brand New '64 Dodge," chronicling Brown's personal experience with JFK's assassination in 1963 and "Two Little Feet," written in Alaska where he was inspired by Native American myths he heard and felt in the area. Greg Brown's songbook was an awesome trip down memory lane for some of the best folk songs ever written from one very serious, yet very silly songwriter. It was an honor to dig in with one of the best to do it! 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

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.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Basic Folk
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