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Basic Folk — Music
Basic Folk

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.

Welcome to Basic Folk.

Follow Basic Folk on social media: https://basicfolk.bio.link/

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Copyright: © All rights reserved.

Latest Episodes:

Leon Timbo, ep. 172 Jul 07, 2022

Show notes

Help produce Basic Folk by contributing at https://basicfolk.com/donate/

Editor’s note: Lizzie No interviews Leon Timbo on Basic Folk! Be sure to go back and listen to Lizzie’s previous guest host spots on the pod and subscribe, so you never miss Lizzie!

When Leon Timbo was a teenager, he prayed for a singing voice. As a young poet and the child of a preacher, he was a born storyteller, but he dreamed of being able to sing. Leon’s remarkable artistic journey has been the answer to that prayer.

Timbo started writing and performing songs on DIY solo tours in his native Florida, eventually expanding his reach across the United States. He focused on connecting with each audience member and immediately started building a loyal following. It was on one of these tours that musician and actor Tyrese Gibson fell in love with Leon’s music and storytelling and invited him to open for him. Gibson’s mentorship helped Leon hone his sound and opened massive doors of opportunity.

Each step of Leon’s musical path has been guided by faith, spirituality, and the power of human connection. He has performed with the legendary Fisk Jubilee Singers and hung out at a bar with Quincy Jones. He has a unique take on Americana, R&B, gospel, and folk music. His new album, ‘Lovers & Fools, Vol. II,’ is a vehicle for his hopeful worldview, and of course, for his spectacular voice.

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Backstage Preview: Dietrich Strause Friend Hang Jul 02, 2022

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This preview of Backstage (Basic Folk's bonus episodes) features Dietrich Strause. Dietrich, who just appeared in our main feed (ep. 171), hangs with Cindy and Lizzie: talking about music at weddings, what it's like to play a wedding and the main difference between Baz Luhrmann and Tchaikovsky

Hear the entire Friend Hang with Dietrich: http://basicfolk.com/Backstage

Contribute and gain Backstage access: http://basicfolk.com/donate

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Dietrich Strause, ep. 171 Jun 30, 2022

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Help produce Basic Folk by contributing at https://basicfolk.com/donate/

Dietrich Strause, raised in Lancaster, PA, was classically trained on trumpet growing up, but the allure of songwriting and performing his own music pulled him into the Americana world. He found his way to the Boston area and into the super collaborative and supportive community found there. On his new album, You And I Must Be Out Of My Mind, Dietrich found himself more in control of the creative process thanks to spending years cultivating his skills at Great North Sound in Parsonsfield, Maine. Under the mentorship of producer Sam Kassirer, he became empowered in his craft by offering up his services as a session player, engineer and studio handyman. The record took several years to record, but due to his experiences with Sam, he was able to see the way that bands made decisions in the studio and how a record takes shape, which all culminated on his latest record.

Dietrich’s known in the Boston area for sitting in on sessions and live shows with people like Rose Cousins, Kris Delmhorst, and Session Americana. He’s built a home and a community there. Now, Dietrich is in the process of moving his base to London, which sounds challenging to do at any time, never mind during a global pandemic. He talks about how it’s been a strange move and how the pandemic has impacted his relationship with touring. Full disclosure: Dietrich is a close pal of mine and one of my favorite hangs. When I spend time with Dietrich, I feel like a little kid: anything is possible and the day is ours. His music gives me that feeling, too. Hope you enjoy getting to know Dietrich and his perfect songs.

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Edie Carey, ep. 170 Jun 23, 2022

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Edie Carey's last solo full length album was in 2010 (holy smokes!), so we are more than ready to dig into her new record The Veil, encompassing themes like motherhood, infertility, love, being a lady while raising a girl and all the things that make you cry in your cereal. Edie first appeared on Basic Folk on episode 18 and if you haven't, you should listen. Not only does she talk about her history, but she very openly details her experience with infertility, including winning her son in a raffle (TLDR: her husband won a free IVF treatment at an infertility conference, which then turned into their son Luca). In this conversation, Edie and I go track by track on her new album, which is a JOY because #1 I love Edie's songs and #2 I love Edie. A winning combo.

These days, Edie is residing in Colorado Springs, working with area musicians, touring occasionally (when Covid is not raging) and raising her two young kids. Something that's extraordinary about Edie is that she is not afraid of saying things out loud that most people are. She experienced burn-out after her first baby was born, longed for her pre-baby life and felt guilty about it. The good news is that she turns emotions like this into fully formed songs where people can see themselves through her experience and then be okay with talking about hard things. Enjoy this conversation, Edie is so fun and inspiring!

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Cristina Vane, ep. 169 Jun 16, 2022

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Help produce Basic Folk by contributing at https://basicfolk.com/donate/

Editor’s note: Lizzie No interviews Cristina Vane on Basic Folk! Be sure to go back and listen to Lizzie’s previous guest host spots on the pod and subscribe, so you never miss Lizzie!

Blues musician Cristina Vane has lived many lives. She grew up in Europe listening to an eclectic mix of emo, pop, and rock. She came to the US to study comparative literature at Princeton before moving to Los Angeles to pursue her songwriting career. Determined to get her music out there on her own terms, Cristina embarked on a life-changing solo tour that took her across the United States. She slept in her tent, took in the majesty of the National Parks, and learned more about American culture than most Americans learn in a lifetime.

Vane’s new album, ‘Make Myself Me Again,’ is a sonic homecoming that showcases her remarkable talents as a guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist. Ever a student of the blues, Cristina pays homage to her forebears while telling her own stories with vulnerability. Some of the highlights of our conversation include central New Jersey deli memories, tour stories, Cristina’s approach to finding the perfect guitar tone, and a roundabout journey to identity.

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Grant-Lee Phillips, ep. 168 Jun 09, 2022

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Former Grant Lee Buffalo frontman, Grant-Lee Phillips' latest solo album, All That You Can Dream, is -quite- dreamy. During the pandemic, Grant's been contemplating many things and figuring out how to spend his time away from the road. One interest he's been cultivating is painting. He's been sharing his paintings on social media and even used a painting of his beloved silver headphones, which you can also find on the liner notes for Grant Lee Buffalo's Mighty Joe Moon. He worked on this album from his home in Nashville where he produced, engineered, mixed, and recorded himself. And in addition to a few other musicians, he's joined by the crack team of bassist Jennifer Condos and drummer Jay Bellerose. It's always a treat to hear this dynamic duo! He said working on the album at home "pushed me to take the wheel as an engineer, mixer and producer. Consequently, so many nuances remain in the final mix, all the weird stuff that sometimes gets lost in the polishing stages of production." I'm all about that on a GLP recording. It sounds rich and raw at the same time, which feels very good in the chest. All That You Can Dream is filled with his signature songwriting: “using rich historical references to illuminate modern truths.” Grant says "I'm always juxtaposing the events that we're all going through with similar events in history.”

In our conversation, we talk about Grant's early life in Stockton, CA. He grew up knowing his family included Native American on both parents' sides. He made an album in 2012, Walking in the Green Corn, which explored his indigenous heritage. He gets into how David Bowie opened up his world, why he started playing guitar and what he likes about playing a 12 string versus a 6 string guitar. He talks about how acting has been a constant in his life; from being a professional magician at age 10 to appearing regularly as The Town Troubadour on Gilmore Girls. Hope you enjoy this interview with one of my favorite people!

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S.G. Goodman, ep. 167 Jun 02, 2022

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Help produce Basic Folk by contributing at https://basicfolk.com/donate/

Editor’s note: Lizzie No interviews S.G. Goodman on Basic Folk! Be sure to go back and listen to Lizzie’s previous guest host spots on the pod and subscribe, so you never miss Lizzie!

S.G. Goodman’s Kentucky upbringing is front and center in a lot of her songwriting. She is an artist concerned not just with her roots, but also with what it means to stay and invest in community even when it is hard. We started our conversation digging into the DIY music scene that inspired SG’s Jim James-produced debut album, ‘Old Time Feeling.’

Goodman’s new record, ‘Teeth Marks,’ portrays the scars of love and grief. It is a complex, rock-inflected album rooted in relationship. Whether telling a story of romantic love, playfully establishing a connection between the artist and audience, or interrogating a community’s attitude toward the ‘other,’ these songs made me think long and hard about what we are really doing when we talk to each other.

SG was also down to talk religion and politics, addressing which issues she wishes more artists would discuss in their works. She is a serious person, a singular artist, and a fascinating person to talk with.

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Richard Thompson, ep. 166 May 26, 2022

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Richard Thompson's memoir, Beeswing: Losing My Way and Finding My Voice 1967 - 1975 (now out in paperback) is a page-turner of a read about a legend at the dawn of British folk rock. Thompson details his early days with Fairport Convention, one of the most influential folk bands of all time. He writes how they strived to be different and sought out then-unknown songwriters like Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen while adapting a modern sound for traditional British folk songs, some that were over 500 years old. He recounts tragedy when the band suffered a huge loss: the 1969 car accident that killed their drummer, Martin Lamble and Richard Thompson's girlfriend of just two weeks, Jeannie Franklyn. He writes about their first experiences in America: rolling around Los Angeles with the likes of John Bonham and Janis Joplin and their triumphant debut at The Philadelphia Folk Festival.

RT was game to get into anything I threw at him: talk about experiencing such excruciating grief at a young age, what British fortitude means to him, did he ever really get to know his parents, being outwardly calm and inwardly chaotic. There's a chapter in the book where he details some session work he did in between the time he left Fairport Convention in 1971 and his solo work and work with his then-wife, Linda Thompson. I had a blast looking up all these albums on YouTube, especially Lal and Mike Waterson's Bright Phoebus from 1972. Very fun music and fun that RT is playing on it! I highly recommend his memoir and hold out my hopes that there may be a part two in his future. I think there is much left to write: his days after the very public breakup with Linda, establishing himself as a solo act and then coming back to work with his extended family in the group Thompson in 2014 on the album Family. Richard's got a busy summer ahead of him with a couple of cruises and the tenth anniversary of his writing camp, Frets and Refrains. I'm grateful he was able to make some time for us on Basic Folk!

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John Doe, ep. 165 May 19, 2022

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John Doe's career has gone from poetry to punk to country to acting to punk to folk and back again several times. Frontman for the extremely influential LA punk band X, John was there at the dawn of West Coast punk and has written about it (twice) in his books Under the Big Black Sun and More Fun in the New World. He actually sourced out most of the books’ chapters and had his friends and other people who were there give accounts, which makes them both pretty well rounded. John grew up mostly in Baltimore, under the influence of John Waters and Divine. He worked odd jobs and ran a poetry group there. He moved to Los Angeles in the mid 70's and met his future X bandmates Exene, Billy Zoom and D. J. Bonebrake. John's been in countless films and TV shows since 1987. He kind of stumbled into acting by getting an agent after he was in the indie film Border Radio. You may have seen him in films like Road House or Boogie Nights or series like Carnivale. He's lived in Austin, Texas since 2017 and loves to tell people it's terrible, so no one else moves there.

John Doe's latest album Fables in a Foreign Land takes place in 1890's and surrounds a young man who's found himself alone in a cruel hard world. The album’s sound was developed through weekly jam sessions in his bassist's backyard. This time around, John's played up his interest in folk and roots music, all the while keeping that punk sensibility. John says "These songs take place alone, wandering, searching and hungry accompanied by horses not machines." And speaking of horses, John's got a couple and it seems they've kept him grounded especially during the pandemic, so yeah, I ask the guy about his horses. That and we also talk about controlling the ego, listening to intuition, taking care of your physical health and his cameo in The Bodyguard (yes the Whitney Houston movie). Thanks Joe Doe!

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Backstage Preview: Song Premiere – "Animal" by Jean Rohe May 14, 2022

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This preview of Backstage (Basic Folk's bonus episodes) features the premiere of a new song from Jean Rohe (also of the duo Robinson & Rohe) called "Animal," which tells of her experience with abortion. After the song, I'm joined by Jean and Abby Minor, board member at Abortion Conversation Projects. Check out the full episode by contributing to Basic Folk. Links below!

Hear the entire Backstage with Jean Rohe: http://basicfolk.com/Backstage

Contribute and gain Backstage access: http://basicfolk.com/donate

Editor's note: This conversation was recorded before we knew about the leak of the Supreme Court draft opinion to overturn abortion rights. Although the timing of this release is coincidental, we're honored to be able to meet this difficult moment with a nuanced conversation about abortion experiences, creative process, and the many ways that songwriters and artists approach stigmatized subjects.

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