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Folk Files — Music
Folk Files

Welcome to Folk Files, a podcast hosted by Olivia Harding that seeks to uncover the mysteries of folk music throughout the ages and dive deep into the tangled history of murder ballads, sea shanties, rebel songs, and other music that has withstood the test of time!

Copyright: © Olivia Harding

Latest Episodes:

Episode Swap - Basic Folk: Carolyn Kendrick's Devilish Detour Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

Surprise! This is not an episode of Folk Files: It's an episode of Basic Folk! Basic Folk, produced by the Bluegrass Situation, is a podcast that features honest conversations with folk musicians. Hosted by Cindy Howes and Lizzie No, Basic Folk approaches 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.

This episode features Carolyn Kendrick, whose latest project explores the complex themes of moral panic, tradition, and the figure of the devil aka Satan aka Lucifer. The LA-based songwriter opens up about the inspiration behind her album "Each Machine."

She shares her unexpected journey into researching the devil, sparked by a podcast project that ended up overtaking her life, leading her to interview the leader of the Satanic Temple, among many others. This deep dive into the topic became a way for her to process the overwhelming political and cultural landscape.

Check out the links below to hear more from Basic Folk!

https://basicfolk.com/

https://www.facebook.com/basicfolkpod/

https://www.instagram.com/basicfolkpod/

Carolyn Kendrick Links:

Each Machine on Bandcamp: https://carolynkendrick.bandcamp.com/album/each-machine

Website: ⁠https://www.carolynkendrick.com⁠

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolynbkendrick/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolynkendrickmusic

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@carolynbkendrick

Folk Files #2.2 - Bedlam Boys Are Bonny Feb 13, 2025

Show notes

He goes bare, he lives by the air, and he wants no drink nor money…or does he? In this episode, we explore the songs and stories surrounding Tom of Bedlam. Where did the modern tune come from? And why is the title misleading? Hold on to your hat and your sanity for this musical journey to Pluto's kitchen and beyond.

Host: Olivia Harding

Special thanks to: Aaron J. Morton

Check out Basic Folk: https://basicfolk.com/

Musical excerpts:

ARTIST: Heritage

WORK: Mad Tom of Bedlam

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gAxNVcyKm4

ARTIST: The Halliard

WORK: Boys of Bedlam

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0EUadGMU3Y

ARTIST: Catherine Bott

WORK: Mad Maudlin

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSNoYGtdDiU

ARTIST: Tim Edwards of the Country Dance & Song Society

WORK: Tom O'Bedlam's Song

SOURCE: https://cdss.org/publications/listen/song-of-the-month/january-2022-song-of-the-month/

ARTIST: David Pryor (Recorded by Alan Lomax and Mary Elizabeth Barnicle

WORK: When the Whale Get Strike

SOURCE: https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-alan-lomax-collection-deep-river-of-song-bahamas-1935/2675148

ARTIST: Kate Price

WORK: Mad Tom of Bedlam

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubPeBpchVxM

ARTIST: Old Blind Dogs

WORK: Bedlam Boys/Rights of Man

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMkmbfW_XKE

ARTIST: Steeleye Span

WORK: Boys of Bedlam

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz9tggUNlIU

ARTIST: Music the Gathering

WORK: Tom of Bedlam

SOURCE: LVL 3 - https://www.musicthegathering.com/store/lvl-3-digital-album

Folk Files #2.1 - A-Fishin' For The Whale Jan 24, 2025

Show notes

Greenland Whale Fisheries is the featured song in this episode of Folk Files. While delving into the origins of the song, we will explore other ballads about Greenland and dip our toes into the extensive history of whaling. Well row'd, jolly trouts!

Host: Olivia Harding

Special thanks to: Pegmouth, ARRR!!!, and Aaron J. Morton

Musical excerpts:

ARTIST: ARRR!!!

WORK: Greenland Whale Fisheries

SOURCE: Plunderstruck (2010)

ARTIST: Peter, Paul, and Mary

WORK: Greenland Whale Fisheries

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKsJrFy4Q_E

ARTIST: The Watersons

WORK: The Greenland Whale Fishery

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzMQYfRexUU

ARTIST: A.L. Lloyd

WORK: The Greenland Whale Fishery

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEOzI4IEkF0

ARTIST: David Pryor (Recorded by Alan Lomax and Mary Elizabeth Barnicle)

WORK: When the Whale Get Strike

SOURCE: https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-alan-lomax-collection-deep-river-of-song-bahamas-1935/2675148

ARTIST: Stan Rogers

WORK: Northwest Passage

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVY8LoM47xI

ARTIST: Clanna Morna

WORK: Bonnie Ship the Diamond

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i51KjpPvRKU

ARTIST: Judy Collins

WORK: Farewell to Tarwathie

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV29xK2xyZ4

ARTIST: Whales! (recorded by the Oceania Project)

WORK: Whale Song

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WabT1L-nN-E

Folk Files #12 - Of All The Trees Dec 13, 2024

Show notes

Happy Holidays! In this episode of Folk Files, we will explore the history, lore, and significance of plants in Christmas carols, with a special emphasis on the Holly and the Ivy!

Host: Olivia Harding

Special Thanks To: Aaron J. Morton

Support Folk Files: https://www.patreon.com/c/FolkFilesPodcast

Musical excerpts:

ARTIST: Trio of Nyckelharpas (from The Nyckelharpa Effect)

WORK: The Holly and the Ivy

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86dkwTJWWZk

ARTIST: Golden Bough

WORK: The Holly and the Ivy

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmOshQR0ohI

ARTIST: Sara Stowe

WORK: Green Groweth the Holly

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK8lhhhJMrw

ARTIST: Magpie Lane

WORK: The Holly and the Ivy

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U75XxVMNPf4

ARTIST: Cornwall County Youth Choir

WORK: St. Day Carol

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7blutTNm1E

ARTIST: Jean Ritchie

WORK: Cherry Tree Carol

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnAVmDszkEA

ARTIST: The King's Singers

WORK: Es ist ein Ros entsprungen

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7y05TrzeHo

ARTIST: Apollo5

WORK: A Spotless Rose

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzN1UzVa7zA

ARTIST: Vienna Boys Choir

WORK: O Tannenbaum

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9U1gJy8AvE

ARTIST: Kate Rusby

WORK: Mistletoe Bough

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJD8Q9d3_6c

ARTIST: Steeleye Span

WORK: Mistletoe Bough

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTM7fZNxLiY

ARTIST: The Bird and the Bee

WORK: 12 Days of Christmas

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh55aMvP-lU

ARTIST: St Mary's College Choir

WORK: Pukeko in a Ponga Tree

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uV7xoRU7Fw

Folk Files #11 - Filk Files Nov 25, 2024

Show notes

Welcome to Filk Files! But what is Filk? And why are there so many aliens, adventurers, hobbits, muppets, and nerds in this episode?

Host: Olivia Harding

Guest Speakers: Daisy O'Danny, Marc Gunn, Andrew McKee, Dan Marcotte

You can find the full interviews with each guest speaker (including a video interview with the Brobdingnagian Bards!) as well as other goodies on the Folk Files Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FolkFilesPodcast. All the proceeds from this month's purchases will be donated to the RESCU Foundation.

Special Thanks To: Aaron J. Morton

Musical excerpts:

ARTIST: Arthur Rowan

WORK: Trooper's Lament

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgMrUDGiOC4

ARTIST: Rowan and the Rose

WORK: Australian Shore

SOURCE: https://www.rowanandtherose.com/product-page/favorite-things-2016-digital

ARTIST: Daisy O'Danny

WORK: The Irish Rover

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz1SDrNhaLc

ARTIST: Dan the Bard

WORK: Fred the Ranger

SOURCE: https://www.danthebard.com/category/all-products

ARTIST: Weird Al Yankovic

WORK: The Saga Begins

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEcjgJSqSRU

ARTIST: Brobdingnagian Bards

WORK: If I Had A Million Ducats

SOURCE: https://brobdingnagianbards.bandcamp.com/track/if-i-had-a-million-ducats-2

ARTIST: Brobdingnagian Bards

WORK: Hobbit's Dance

SOURCE: https://brobdingnagianbards.bandcamp.com/track/hobbits-dance

ARTIST: Daisy O'Danny

WORK: Boot and Rally

SOURCE: https://www.patreon.com/c/folkfilespodcast/shop

ARTIST: Mikey Mason

WORK: Best Game Ever

SOURCE: https://mikeymason.bandcamp.com/track/best-game-ever

ARTIST: Mikey Mason

WORK: Shades of Gray

SOURCE: https://mikeymason.bandcamp.com/track/shades-of-gray

ARTIST: Roll That Die

WORK: Bard City

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtmZRJMlrFc

ARTIST: Tom Smith

WORK: A Boy and His Frog

SOURCE: https://tomsmith.bandcamp.com/track/a-boy-and-his-frog

Folk Files #10 - Women Without Choices Oct 17, 2024

Show notes

This episode of Folk Files discusses songs involving infanticide. "The Well Below the Valley" and "The Cruel Mother" stand at the center of this heartbreaking voyage through historical records, Scandinavian folklore, and murder ballads.

Host: Olivia Harding

Join the Folk FIles Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FolkFilesPodcast

Special Thanks To: Aaron J. Morton

Note: Because it's always true in folk songs, when I refer to pregnant people in general, I say "women". However, the difficulties I discuss (postpartum maladies, access to medical care, etc.) affect people of all genders.

Musical excerpts:

ARTIST: Christy Moore

WORK: Well Below the Valley

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylZGw7tfAHI

ARTIST: Polly Paulusma

WORK: The Maid and the Palmer

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUILSHtxYWI

ARTIST: Sähköpaimen

WORK: Mataleena på Källebro

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAk_knoRDdE

ARTIST: Brass Monkey

WORK: The Maid and the Palmer

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIeZ953yUc4

ARTIST: Hack-Poets Guild

WORK: Cruel Mother

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pzvqeBHsSg

ARTIST: Alasdair Roberts

WORK: The Cruel Mother

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIOANdvjRqY

ARTIST: Bryndís Sveinbjörnsdóttir

WORK: Móðir mín í kví, kví

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtKTkSMO5Us

ARTIST: Shirley Collins

WORK: The Cruel Mother

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a3DuJrjwts

ARTIST: Ewan MacColl

WORK: Sheath and Knife

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=787wXkYcdHY

ARTIST: Nick Hart

WORK: Lucy Wan

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TihjH0G_0H0

Folk Files #9 - Cuckoos and Nightingales Aug 30, 2024

Show notes

Episode 9 is all about birds! Embark on a journey around the world to sample bird songs and birdsong. Along the way, listen to the mockingbird, help the blackbird find his missing pieces, and rumple up the cuckoo's nest. Note: This was recorded on the road (away from the studio) so please excuse any loss of audio quality!

Host: Olivia Harding

Join the Folk FIles Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FolkFilesPodcast

Musical excerpts:

ARTIST: Beatrice Harrison

WORK: "Actually recorded in Beatrice Harrison's Garden, Oxted"

SOURCE: https://youtu.be/QPxT95WwIBM?si=wreVzzkJVYWt6kWt

ARTIST: Recorded by the BBC

WORK: "Nightingales Sing As RAF Bombers Fly"

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_MHqW5KVds&t=4s

ARTIST: Sam Lee

WORK: Blackbird

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDQMVFgRv10

ARTIST: Unknown

WORK: Sarika Keo Euy

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-jcF5jr6Ic

ARTIST: Cote Godoy

WORK: En Un Lejano Bosque

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-buGB5jM_IE

ARTIST: Savanna Tríóïð

WORK: Sa ég spóa

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoiihIzaD5g

ARTIST: Mohamed Fawzi

WORK: Zahab al-leil

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdPNR47biiI

ARTIST: The Brown Madrigal Singers

WORK: Of All the Birds That I Do Know

SOURCE: 2010 Holiday Concert

ARTIST: Steeleye Span

WORK: Drink Down the Moon

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sGBhvJuNBw

ARTIST: Oberkirchen Choir

WORK: Kuckuck, Kuckuck

SOURCE: https://youtu.be/s8J8aGe0Pe8?si=RM3Wrkz8fjCdbbK6

ARTIST: Rising Appalachia

WORK: Cuckoo

SOURCE: https://youtu.be/h6ow2Z5Jh9Y?si=0mi84w2KziN1hBtv

ARTIST: Cosmo Sheldrake

WORK: Cuckoo Song

SOURCE: https://youtu.be/cbQyFZmuA58?si=UgLUJ7K6o9B5VHAF

ARTIST: Tonton Dezirab

WORK: Ti Zwazo

SOURCE: https://youtu.be/b5zzeW6YuJc?si=NNm7daTxNo0LONaq

ARTIST: Mitamaiyu Primary

WORK: Kanyoni Kanja

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x4nSfjchvg

ARTIST: Dolly Parton and Stuart Duncan

WORK: Listen to the Mockingbird

SOURCE: https://youtu.be/vqYYkWwfYhs?si=PU0fHePemEcx4jko

ARTIST: Music the Gathering

WORK: Misirloucuckoo's Nest

SOURCE: https://www.musicthegathering.com/store/lvl-3-digital-album-esexe

Folk Files #8 - Peaches in the Summertime Jul 17, 2024

Show notes

"Shady Grove" is an Appalachian folk song that is often linked to the English ballad "Matty Groves". But what is the actual relationship between them? This episode of Folk Files discusses the meaning of "Shady Grove" and untangles the origins of these two songs.

Host: Olivia Harding

Special thanks to: Aaron J Morton.

Join the Folk Files Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FolkFilesPodcast

Musical excerpts:

ARTIST: Doc Watson

WORK: Shady Grove

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0f-dCMSVKQ

ARTIST: Jean Ritchie

WORK: Shady Grove

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFw78zP39Y4

ARTIST: Jennifer Goree

WORK: Shady Grove

SOURCE: https://www.ghostmeat.com/jennifergoree.html

ARTIST: Michael Johnathon

WORK: Shady Grove

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvsTIvwgNI0

ARTIST: Jerry Garcia and the Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers

WORK: Shady Grove

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZBuFXlISkQ

ARTIST: Billy Strings

WORK: Shady Grove

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGScvVTHqQo

ARTIST:The Kingston Trio

WORK: Old Joe Clark

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS7dH-CYed0

ARTIST: Kentucky Thorobreds

WORK: Shady Grove

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46eBbMhB-TI

ARTIST: Hedy West

WORK: Barbara Allen

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzTAsbdztMY

ARTIST: Music the Gathering

WORK: Shady Grove

SOURCE: https://www.musicthegathering.com/store/lvl-3-digital-album-petnc-8c8hy

ARTIST: Peggy Seeger and Ewan MacColl

WORK: Matty Groves

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdyUqIfGa1Y

ARTIST: Martin Carthy

WORK: Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt7-hYd7PdM

ARTIST: Fairport Convention

WORK: Matty Groves

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1it7BP5PckI

ARTIST: Music the Gathering

WORK: Shady Grove

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aacCgKWGoWg

Folk Files #7 - Trousers and Petticoats Jun 18, 2024

Show notes

This month's episode focuses on folk songs from the British Isles where the main character dresses, acts, or lives in a way that challenges gender norms. It also offers a glimpse into the work of "Queer Folk", an English organization that highlights traditional songs with LGBTQIA+ themes.

Host: Olivia Harding

Special thanks to: Shiloh DeFabia, Lafayette Matthews, and Aaron J Morton.

Learn more about Queer Folk: https://www.queerfolk.co.uk/

Join the Folk Files Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FolkFilesPodcast

Musical excerpts:

ARTIST: Sophie Crawford and George Sansome (Queer Folk)

WORK: Jack Went A-Sailing

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sRO-DVLprA

ARTIST: Philip Langridge, arr. Benjamin Britten

WORK: Sweet Polly Oliver

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ7ulITPfqs

ARTIST: Gog Magog Molly

WORK: The Polychromatic Parrot (at Sidmouth)

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVELKeXEf8Q

ARTIST: TransAction Theatre

WORK: The Ballad of the Female Husband

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbKZuYRL5VM&t=0s

ARTIST: Sophie Crawford (Queer Folk)

WORK: Our Captain Calls All Hands

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9e7nWijLR0

ARTIST: Ian Robb

WORK: The Female Rambling Sailor

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdWBhmsktJU

ARTIST: Gavin Atkin

WORK: Short Jacket and White Trousers

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FDJsEtgrns

ARTIST: A.L. Lloyd

WORK: Sovay the Female Highwayman

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh_KXPXmgI8

ARTIST: Cilla Fisher and Artie Trezise

WORK: Billy Taylor

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34HIv_MgH54

ARTIST: Finbar Furey

WORK: New York Girls

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGqSEFaa94Y

ARTIST: Nic Jones

WORK: Barrack Street

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nmS1iCbqe4

ARTIST: Bryony Griffith and Alice Jones

WORK: The Tailor's Breeches / New Year's Day
SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqjiL7PWUZA

ARTIST: Amy Thatcher and Holly Clarke (Queer Folk)

WORK: That Lulu Business

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx6ecSBsjPQ

Folk Files #6 - Summer Is A-Comin' In May 16, 2024

Show notes

April is dead and summer is a-coming in! This episode of Folk Files explores the tradition of May songs and festivals, specifically focusing on Hal an Tow and the Flora Day celebrations in Cornwall. Morris dancing, maypoles, and the origin of May Day are also discussed.

Host: Olivia Harding

Special thanks to: Stephen Winick, Donna Smith, Aaron J. Morton, The Soup

Musical excerpts:

ARTIST: Marc Block

WORK: Hal an Tow

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgBzSNOc3A8

ARTIST: Ranarim

WORK: Maj vare välkommen

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7wXcJiGH-o

ARTIST: The Halekulani Girls

WORK: May Day is Lei Day

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3GuJp2PZPU

ARTIST: The Watersons

WORK: Hal an Tow

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5kyvYoiS8c

ARTIST: Helston Flora Day, recorded by artcornwall.org

WORK: Hal an Tow

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rftBZKbZRg

ARTIST: Shirley Collins And The Albion Country Band

WORK: Hal-an-Tow

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5vUj6j8hjI

ARTIST: David Hansen

WORK: The Helston Furry Dance

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tGk9RODnRw

ARTIST: The Ashdown Forest Morris Men, recorded by Britclip

WORK: May Day 2024

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXhh8ClqDaw

ARTIST: Lillian Short

WORK: Robin Hood

SOURCE: Vance Randolph Collection AFC 1941/001: AFS 5263 B2 (https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2022/05/more-about-hal-an-tow-early-evidence-of-a-may-song/)

ARTIST: Roger Miller

WORK: Oo-De-Lally

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsyG3-IlY3Y

ARTIST: Richard Thompson

WORK: Sumer Is Icumen In

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKikjYdf1DA

ARTIST: Lisa Knapp

WORK: Till April is Dead

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe-WWMHQASg

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