Basic Folk 140 – Buffalo Nichols

Carl Nichols (aka Buffalo Nichols) found out that he liked playing guitar way more than anything else when he was around 12 years old. He took his older sisters guitar (what? she wasn’t using it) and started obsessively learning to play. He’d listen to songs 200 times in a row to get it right. Very … Read more

Basic Folk 139 – Dar Williams

Editor’s note: Lizzie No interviews Dar Williams on Basic Folk! Be sure to got back and listen to Lizzie’s previous guest host spots on the pod and subscribe, so you never miss Lizzie! Dar’s new album, ‘I’ll Meet You Here,’ is out now.  Dar Williams, originally from Mount Kisco, NY, grew up in an era … Read more

Basic Folk 138 – Amy Helm

Amy Helm grew up surrounded by some of the most influential musicians in American roots music, including her father Levon Helm, legendary drummer and singer for The Band. That also meant that her childhood was a “very colorful” experience where she was raised by a “village of brilliant and talented people who were also wrestling … Read more

Basic Folk 137 – Carolyn Kendrick

Carolyn Kendrick‘s California childhood was filled with music: from listening to music to musicians in her family, especially her father, a professional jazz drummer. Having a well revered musician in her family meant overcoming a reputation that preceded her, but it also gave her a special relationship with the beat as a guitarist and a … Read more

Basic Folk 136 – Martin Sexton

Martin Sexton‘s career was built by his work as a street musician on the Boston scene in the 80’s and early 90’s. His audience knows him for being connector by making them a part of the magic he, the performer, creates onstage. On the street, he would use tricks like strategically placing himself in an … Read more

Basic Folk 135 – Alisa Amador

Editor’s note: Lizzie No interviews Alisa Amador on Basic Folk! We’re so pumped for you to hear this conversation with Lizzie and Alisa. Be sure to got back and listen to Lizzie’s previous guest host spots on the pod and subscribe, so you never miss Lizzie! Alisa Amador’s EP Narratives is out on 9/17/2021 It … Read more

Basic Folk 133 – Paula Fuga

Paula Fuga is a magic person. The Hawaiian singer/songwriter has lived through some of life’s horrors. When she was young, her living situation was extremely unstable for several years. She lived with her mom, who suffered from addiction, on the beach around a pretty shady crowd of people. She accounts her survival to her dream … Read more

Basic Folk 132 – Becca Mancari

Editor’s note: This episode of Basic Folk features guest host Lizzie No! Listen back to previous Lizzie interviews with Amythyst Kiah and Kishi Bashi. Subscribe at your favorite podplayer, so you’ll never miss a Lizzie moment! Becca Mancari does things her own way. Raised in New York and Virginia, Mancari found herself living a nomadic … Read more

Basic Folk 131 – Andrew Marlin of Watchhouse

Two years into starting his band Mandolin Orange, Andrew Marlin and his partner Emily Franz were having second thoughts about their band name. Nine years later, they announced their new name: Watchhouse. It’s easy to understand why it took so long: they were putting out records, gaining momentum and quickly establishing themselves with this funny … Read more