Basic Folk
The Bluegrass Situation
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About This Podcast
Basic Folk features honest conversations with folk musicians hosted by Cindy Howes and Lizzie No. We approach interviews with warmth, humor and insightful questions. Since 2018, this podcast has dignified under the radar roots musicians by providing a platform that they might not otherwise have. You’ll hear interviews from Three-time Grammy-winning guitar gods like Molly Tuttle, Haitian American folk legends like Leyla McCalla and deep feelers like songwriter John Hiatt.
Basic Folk is dedicated to showcasing the best in folk, bluegrass, acoustic and americana including Black, Brown and Queer folx who have been excluded, or felt like they did not belong, in the folk world. Cindy & Lizzie each bring a unique perspective to these honest conversations with folk musicians. We are equally dedicated to repainting the broad landscape of folk music as we are to tearing down the ivory towers of the music industry. What would Bruce Springsteen do if he ever got the keys to that mansion on the hill? Let's find out together on Basic Folk.
Basic is an official production of The Bluegrass Situation. Thanks for listening.
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Recent Episodes
Milk Carton Kids Are Making a Mountain out of a Molehill, ep. 345
Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan, the Milk Carton Kids, are calling their latest album, 'Lost Cause Lover Fool,' "the one." They have finally figured out how to feel and sound like themselves with a…
Club Passim's Matt Smith on 30 Years of Building Community, ep. 344
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…
Folk State of the Union: Rissi Palmer, Rose Cousins, Kaïa Kater & Jobi Riccio Live on Cayamo, ep. 343
Well, is this not an excuse to get the girlies together if we've ever heard one!? For our final live interview aboard Cayamo, we arranged a check-in with some of our favorite folks to talk about the…
Abraham Alexander & Kashus Culpepper: Handsome Club Convenes at Sea, ep. 342
We are live at sea aboard Cayamo 2026 with Abraham Alexander & Kashus Culpepper! The pair had not met prior, but we found a couple of very cool parallels between them, so we decided to interview…
Dawes Welcomes Inner Critic, Says "No, Thank You" To The Comment Section
We are so excited to kick off our Interviews at Sea series with DAWES! We had the chance to talk to brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith aboard Cayamo: A Journey Through Song during their 18th…
Julian Taylor's Folk Evolution: From Misfit to Musical Storyteller, ep. 340
One of the things I [lizzie] really enjoyed about interviewing Toronto-born singer-songwriter Julian Taylor is his relationship with the truth. He has a really peaceful attitude towards learning and…
The Mammals Do Not Want Your Old Farm Equipment, ep. 339
Mike and Ruth Merenda have been making music together as the Mammals since 2001, with a little break in 2008 to play as Mike & Ruthy. They've been back as the Mammals since 2017 with a couple of…
Joe Henry & Mark Erelli Wanted to Hang Out, So We Let Them, ep. 338
Joe Henry has released 15 studio albums, apprenticed for legendary producer T Bone Burnett and, in turn, has produced many other musicians' albums on his own, including three GRAMMY Award-winning…
Laurie Lewis' Bluegrass Love Letter to California, ep. 337
A foundational participant in the '70s Bay Area bluegrass scene, Laurie Lewis knows the power of collaboration. She's been a part of an ensemble in recent years that's called "Laurie Lewis & the…
Naomi Westwater is Spiritually Creative, But Also Very Very Organized, ep. 336
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…
Great Lake Swimmers' Tony Dekker: Accidental Bandleader, ep. 335
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…
Mary Chapin Carpenter is the Woman in the Truck, ep. 334
Mary Chapin Carpenter's latest album, 'Personal History,' is as lush in production and color as the beautiful farmland she calls home in Virginia. Carpenter will often wake up early for sunrise walks…
2025 Wrap-Up: Gals Chat, A Corn Cob, Alaska, and One Man, ep. 333
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…
Madison Cunningham is Embarrassed All the Time. ep. 332
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…
Frazey Ford Revisits the Subtle Grooves of 'Indian Ocean', ep. 331
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 Barr Brothers Rally Around Mysticism, ep. 330
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…
David Wilcox Can Heal Your Heart in Two Minutes, ep. 329
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…
Kathleen Edwards: Making up for 30 Years of No Tears, ep. 328
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…
Peter Rowan: The Bluegrass Buddha's Tex-Mex Roots, ep. 327
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…
Rissi Palmer & Miko Marks: "Buckle Bunny," No Cringe, and My Black Country, ep. 326
This time on Basic Folk, we are checking in with country singer-songwriter and Color Me Country radio host Rissi Palmer and Americana country artist Miko Marks. The two close friends both came up as…
Frequently Asked Questions
Basic Folk has published 372 episodes since October 2018, covering topics in Arts, Music.
Basic Folk is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 56m.
Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Basic Folk, including email and social media links.
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