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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.

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Copyright: © All rights reserved.

Latest Episodes:

Alex Sturbaum, ep. 87 Sep 24, 2020

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Ellis Paul, ep. 86 Sep 17, 2020

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Ellis Paul! The one and only. This has been a long time coming. The Maine-born musician is famous for helping establish the “Boston Songwriter Sound” in the late 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s. He grew up on a potato farm and became a national track star, which earned him a scholarship to Boston University. Ellis started learning and playing guitar after an injury sidelined him. He began seeking out open mics in the city and came across Club Passim in Harvard Square, Cambridge, where he now holds the record of the most shows played there ever. We talk about the early days, playing over 200 shows a year, Woody Guthrie, living with Dupuytren Syndrome and how that has affected his playing.

He’s been a favorite of mine for a long time and it was great to be able to prepared for this interview and listen to all his songs again, including his latest album The Storyteller’s Suitcase. We talk about a couple of standouts on that album including a song where he explains the afterlife to his 5 year old daughter. Oof. Ellis Paul! Thanks for listening!

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Jamie Fox, ep. 85 Sep 10, 2020

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A special episode of Basic Folk features First Nation person Jamie Fox, who is one of the only people in America playing a style of fiddle called "Métis" of the Aaniih and Nakoda tribes in Montana. Métis means "mix race" and essentially it means that Jamie has native and European heritage. She grew up on a reservation in Montana being able to celebrate both sides of her heritage. Jamie explains how the Métis developed their own culture and how that fit into music specifically the fiddle. She and her brother learned at the feet of a local legend, Fatty Morin, who would make them practice tapes that explained the importance of the music. This is truly a special episode of the podcast because of Jamie's mission to preserve her style of playing and also the insights she offers in her background. Previously, she has traveled around to camps and festivals teaching the music of the Métis. Jamie doesn't have recorded music out there, so she's not here promoting anything. This is really an opportunity to learn something new about her culture. I'm so honored that she is on Basic Folk today!
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Laura Cortese, ep. 84 Sep 03, 2020

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Laura Cortese is on her way to legendary status in the fiddle community. Born in San Francisco, she has has worked for years honing her sound: bringing together traditions learned at fiddle camp, a love of songwriting and experimental lush indie soundscapes. She has performed under Laura Cortese and the Dance Cards for the past two albums and with her new release Biter Better, the imagined LC + The DCs sound has been achieved.

In our conversation, Laura takes us back to growing up with divorced parents, discovering a love of creating music through community, melding all her musical interests, her iconic self-drive that has achieved so much and FASHION. Obviously. Also life after trauma and living in Belgium with her musician partner while expecting their first baby.

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Forest Sun, ep. 83 Aug 27, 2020

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Beatrice Deer, ep. 82 Aug 20, 2020

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Now based in Montreal, growing up in Northern Quebec. Beatrice Deer spent a lot of time outside in her Inuit community of Quaqtaq. Her village was small (population of about 350/400) and very tight knit. Raised in a big family, her parents brought music into their house and would often play around the house as well as expose Beatrice to music in their church where they served as pastors. Even though her town is so remote, you can only access it by plane, she had access to plenty of popular music: Disney soundtracks, Grease, Michael Jackson and so many music videos from MuchMusic (the MTV of Canada). Because MuchMusic was not available at home, she would tape videos while visiting Montreal. She sings in English and French, but she mostly sings in her native Inuktitut, which she feel most comfortable in expressing herself. Through the influence of her community and the pop music she loved growing up, she created a genre of music: "Inuindie" and has released three albums in that style.

Beatrice has overcome a lot in her life: sexual abuse, alcoholism, toxic relationships, depression and thoughts of suicide. The starting point for her latest album, My All To You, was a desire to relive the moment in when she decided to transform her outlook and do some serious work on herself. Now an advocate for mental and physical well-being as well as for her Inuit community, she travels the North in Canada visiting First Nation communities. She plays with her band, performs speaking engagements about overcoming trauma and offers professional development training. I'm grateful to Beatrice for sharing her story on the podcast!

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Kris Delmhorst, ep. 81 Aug 13, 2020

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William Prince, ep. 80 Aug 06, 2020

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William Prince grew up with the influence of his father's gospel music, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson and a deep love of connecting with family. His parents kept music at the forefront of his young life with performing music around the house and through their DJ business. The house was filled with records and music, so William always felt a strong draw to include it in his life. He also felt a pressure to be successful and able to take care of his family, which lead him to planning a career as a doctor. While that plan fell apart, music scooped him up. He focused on songwriting and performing for over a decade before he released his debut album, Earthly Days. Sadly, right before his album came out, his father passed away. He also ended a serious relationship with the woman who would give birth to his son. All of those major life events certainly impacted the writing for his latest album, Reliever. Even when he had been going through extremely hard times, William said “I had the faith for a better time. That’s all hope really is: borrowing from a time that things will be better." This led him to be more vulnerable in his writing and in many ways put him on the path toward healing.

William is fairly serious and soft-spoken in his answers, but he is so open about his experience. I especially appreciated his willingness to talk about becoming comfortable in his physical body. We also talk about the experience of growing up and attending high school on a reserve. His family moved from Selkirk, Manitoba to The Peguis First Nation when he was 12 years old. There he discovered all this family he had never known before. He has this lovely rhythm to his speech and I totally meant to ask him about it, but forgot in the middle. All I can say is listen to the rhythm in the way he talks and enjoy! Also I'm pleased to mention that for the very first time, William talks about his next album that will be out before the end of this godforsaken year!

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Tami Neilson, ep. 79 Jul 30, 2020

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Big hair, big sound, big personality, big feelings is New Zealand's-by-way-of-Canada's Tami Neilson. A part of her family's Neilson Family band, Tami's been performing and touring since she was a young kid. She and her two brothers spent their childhood's on the road with their parents: playing fairs, churches, dance halls, morning television shows all while tucked tightly into the family caravan. Not only does she gives a run-down of what the sleeping arrangements in the trailer was like, Tami's bed doubled as the kitchen table by day, she paints a picture of how her parents gave her a front row seat to the music industry. The band was opening for Kitty Wells and Johnny Cash and winning awards left and right. Tami took the practice of hustling with her after she moved to the bottom of the globe (New Zealand) where she slowly but sure established herself in the country music world. 16+ years after the move, she has a wonderful family with two boys and has become an absolute staple to the New Zealand music world. After establishing some success in her new country, Tami suffered a great loss. Her father had been a true north in her life and music, he suddenly died a few years back and Tami is pretty candid about how his death and his influence have impacted her life. Tami's known for her incredible beehive hairstyles and awesome handmade stage outfits, that she has been showcasing in her very excellent YouTube series "The Tami Show." We talk about expressing herself and empowering other women through her appearance and music. Another funny thing about this interview is that my power kept going out, so after a while, I had to do the interview by candlelight. So romantic. Tami's music, personality and laugh are all at once rowdy, sweet and unforgettable. Thanks Tami for appearing on Basic Folk!
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Ruth Merenda of The Mammals, ep. 78 Jul 23, 2020

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Ever since I saw her playing with The Mammals in the early 2000'sies, I have had a healthy obsession with Ruth Merenda. She is very easy to obsess over: her soaring musicianship onstage and tape as well as the amazing community she's cultivated along with her husband (and bandmate) Mike Merenda through touring and through their bi-annual music festival, The Hoot. Raised basically with a fiddle in her hand, Ruth spent her childhood surrounded by professional musicians, which included her father, the much loved Jay Ungar, who, along with his wife and bandmate, Molly Mason, is probably best known for his song "Ashokan Farewell." In 1990, Ungar's song was used as the centerpiece to Ken Burns' nine-part documentary "The Civil War" (you are hearing that lonesome fiddle in your head right now, aren't you?).
Although Ruth loved singing and playing fiddle, she saw a different path for herself as an actress. She attended Bard College to study her craft and moved to New York City for a few years after that. There, she was introduced to a group of rabble rouser who loved traditional folk music, which was the music that Ruth had grown up with. What is so funny is that she never realized that other, younger people were interested in that kind of music. She stuck around that group and immersed herself in that style of playing again. Someone who made quite the impression on Ruth was a young indie rock drummer named Michael Merenda. The two started a personal and musical relationship, which eventually morphed into the Mammals. Eventually the pair moved back to Ruth's home in the Woodstock, NY area, took a break from The Mammals, got married, made duo records, had two amazing kids and started recording under The Mammals again (in just the last few years)! There is a lot of say about Ruth and a lot of questions to ask Ruth. We'll have to have her back on, because I was only able to ask about 40% of my questions. Ruth is a treasure and I'm grateful she appeared on the pod!

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