Basic Folk

It's Lizzie No speaking to you from Dublin, Ireland, where I recently moved! It's fall here which makes my mind wander back to my home state of origin, New Jersey, where leaves are undoubtedly changing and cider donuts are being consumed. I hope you're enjoying autumn wherever you are. This summer I said goodbye to Nashville, Tennessee, where I had been living for the past three years. I also worked on a bunch of projects, rehomed my beloved foster dog Dino, and prepared myself logistically to move to a new country. I don't think it was possible to prepare myself emotionally, but the paperwork is done, thank god. I'm mentioning all of this from my desk in Dublin because it's hitting me how quickly a transition period can become a major chapter of your life, how quickly a temporary living situation can become home, and how all of a sudden things that felt permanent have become memories. This leads me to my interview with Minnesota folk singer Charlie Parr, whose new album, Rooming House, comes out on Smithsonian Folkways on October 16. Rooming House is an emotionally impactful musical story in seven acts. Like a lot of Charlie Parr's music, this album feels like a play where the stakes feel so real that you can't help but walk away more empathetic for having experienced it. The setting is a rooming house, and the characters are the folks from young to old who have been thrown together by circumstance. It's the type of brilliantly observed story-album that we are lucky enough to get when imaginative artists from working class backgrounds have the courage to tell stories. In addition to being a prolific songwriter, Charlie Parr is a fabulous guitar player and student of the blues, so our conversation covers some of his musical backstory in addition to a discussion of the album. On a personal note, in 2020 I made an exhaustive cross-genre list of the songs from the decade of the 2010s which had been most important to me, and Charlie Parr's "Cheap Wine" came in at #1. His songs have accompanied me through a lot of life changes, so today is a big day for me, and a big day for Basic Folk. Before I let you listen to my conversation with this contemporary heavyweight of folk music, I want to read you a passage from Charlie's written accompaniment to Rooming House: Follow Basic Folk on social media: https://basicfolk.bio.link/ Sign up for Basic Folk's newsletter: https://bit.ly/basicfolknews Help produce Basic Folk by contributing: https://basicfolk.com/donate/ Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Jimbo Mathus grew up in a house full of musicians, and by the time he was 8 years old, he was sitting in on family jam sessions. He dropped out of college, joined the Merchant Marines and eventually settled in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He formed The Squirrel Nut Zippers in 1993, which experienced massive success in the mid- to late ‘90s. The band was swept into the short-lived swing music revival, alongside The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and movies like The Mask and Swingers. It was a short-lived revival, but the Zippers offered fans something deeper and darker that led to a lifelong career for the ever-curious Mathus. Right around the time the band was rising to stardom, Mathus released the album Play Songs for Rosetta under the name James Mathus and His Knockdown Society. Originally released in 1997, the album was recorded in tribute and as a benefit for Charley Patton's daughter, Rosetta Patton Brown, whom he grew up with. Jimbo learned in his thirties that Rosetta was Charley’s daughter and that she had never received any royalties from his music. (There is a new vinyl addition of the album available for pre-order in a very limited run until Sept. 30, 2026.) In our conversation, Jimbo opens up about his connection to Rosetta and what he learned about Charley Patton through his very private daughter. He talks about his short film called Postcards to Rosetta, which explores the secret moments in the life of Charley Patton and particularly the relationship he had with his daughter. The short film features marionettes interpreting moments in Charley’s life. Mathus also comments on his ethos on genre and talks his band’s new album, which he has been working on for thirty years. Titled The Squirrel Nut Zippers Starring in "Fat City" (The Ballad of Lil' Tony), the album is based on Mathus’ grandfather’s life as a bootlegger, juke joint operator, and big band promoter in the South. Follow Basic Folk on social media: https://basicfolk.bio.link/ Sign up for Basic Folk's newsletter: https://bit.ly/basicfolknews Help produce Basic Folk by contributing: https://basicfolk.com/donate/ Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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 with her dog, Angus, and one of several daily cups of coffee (of course) to start the day. In our Basic Folk conversation, she reflects on how living in this serene farmhouse has brought her peace, drawing parallels to Carl Sandberg's "creative hush." Mary Chapin also discusses her method of "song walking" as a tool to overcome writer's block, often accompanied by her pets. She goes on to touch on her evolving relationship with fame and the importance of surrounding herself with grounded people; she reveals her younger self was shy, and talks about how being less concerned with others' opinions has empowered her over time. We cover her connection to the Celtic music community and how it inspired her collaborative album 'Looking for the Thread' with Scottish musicians Julie Fowlis and Karine Polwart. That record was her first with Josh Kaufman as producer and it worked so well, she decided to have him produce her new solo album, too. We also chat about "hyphen-gate," due to her double first name, the process of feeling visible and valued, and the impact of Elizabeth Strout on her perspective of songwriting. Follow Basic Folk on social media: https://basicfolk.bio.link/ Sign up for Basic Folk's newsletter: https://bit.ly/basicfolknews Help produce Basic Folk by contributing: https://basicfolk.com/donate/ Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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 young torchbearer of the folk tradition to celebrate the release of her new album, 'Ace.' Cunningham grew up in the church, an environment which shaped her earliest memories of music. From the very beginning she had a sense of togetherness and transcendence in music which remains today and is represented throughout her catalogue. It was fascinating to hear Madison describe how she developed into a commanding solo performer, renegotiating her relationship with spirituality and individuality along the way. After the massive impact of her GRAMMY-winning 2022 album, 'Revealer,' and collaborations with artists like Andrew Bird, Cunningham summoned all her creative, form-breaking powers for her new album. As we talked through the track list and arrangements I got the sense that this is an artist who is always challenging herself to release control. She lets things fall apart and then puts the pieces back together according to her own imagination. This is freedom. Her reflections on heartbreak feel intimate, thoughtful, hopeful, and unique. 'Ace' may or may not be a "Folk" album by aesthetic measures, but it is certainly an outstanding example of world-building in the singer-songwriter format. Whether on piano or guitar, Cunningham has a focused way of expressing herself that makes me want to know what unpredictable gems she will create next. Long live the creativity of independent women! - Lizzie No Follow Basic Folk on social media: https://basicfolk.bio.link/ Sign up for Basic Folk's newsletter: https://bit.ly/basicfolknews Help produce Basic Folk by contributing: https://basicfolk.com/donate/ Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands