John Smith is Finding Harmony in Chaos, ep. 271

We're starting with the end in our conversation with Kasey Anderson. On the pod, we've covered a lot of firsts; debut album, origin stories and the beginnings. Ever since I (lizzie) have known Kasey, his social media bio has been "gradually retiring songwriter." I'm always teasing him about "What does that mean? When are you going to retire?" Officially, this latest album, 'To the Places We Lived,' is Kasey's "last album." I want to put that in very heavy quotes because I hate to imagine a world where a great songwriter friend of mine is not making records. I think his insistence on this album as the last one has more to do with saying goodbye to parts of the music industry that he wants to release and ways of being in the world that he doesn't want to engage with anymore. What do we need to let go of? What do we need to release? That's the place where this album begins.We talk about Kasey's whole songwriting career. The moment where he went surprise viral for one of his political songs, "The Dangerous Ones." We talk about his time being incarcerated and what that taught him about himself, what it taught him about the world, what it taught him about white supremacy. We talk about his family. We talk about his sobriety and his work in helping others get clean and stay clean, and what staying clean means in a holistic and gentle sense. The songs on this album are mournful, literate, and very, very fun. My favorite is "Back to Nashville;" it's a rock and blues song. Kasey is the type of artist who can write a really contemplative song about self reflection or grief or loss, and then a blues rocker that makes you want to shake your ass in the next second.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

Editor’s note: For this episode, we invited our friend Mark Erelli to interview Chuck Prophet. The two are familiar with each other's work through songwriting together for Mark's latest album Lay Your Darkness Down (2023). We're thrilled to welcome Mark back as guest host!Chuck Prophet has been a mainstay on the indie and Americana music scenes since the 1980s, before either designation was a common part of the rock ’n’ roll lexicon. Through his guitar work in the seminal psychedelic desert rock band Green On Red, musical collaborations with Kelly Willis, Kim Richey, and Warren Zevon, and a string of over a dozen solo records, Prophet has carved out a respected niche in rock music history with his “California Noir” sound. It’s a streak he probably could have kept riding for the rest of his career, if not for his sudden diagnosis with lymphoma a couple years ago. During his treatment and eventual recovery from cancer, Prophet found solace in his record collection—in particular the vibrant rhythms and danceable energy of Cumbia. He eventually sought out a favorite local band in the genre to jam, and then formally collaborate on Wake The Dead, Prophet’s first new solo album in four years. The project blends his longtime band The Mission Express with members of the Cumbia outfit Quiensave, and the result is equal parts familiar and fresh.I have firsthand knowledge of Prophet’s freewheeling collaborative process, having worked with him and his longtime songwriting partner Klipschutz on a song for my 2020 album Blindsided. I once taught with Chuck at a folk festival songwriting school, and was relieved to be able to play before him at the instructor open mic, because no one wants to follow Chuck Prophet. His musical catalog is so deep and broad that it’s both inspiring…and a bit overwhelming. It was a joy to re-connect with him for a wide-ranging conversation about his new album, that also touched upon his sense of humor, guitar playing techniques, surfing culture, and even his favorite Bob Seger song.Follow Basic Folk on social media: https://basicfolk.bio.link/Sign up for Basic Folk's newsletter: https://bit.ly/basicfolknewsHelp produce Basic Folk by contributing: https://basicfolk.com/donate/Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpodsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Oh how I've longed to talk to Liv Greene. Every once in a while you come across a young artist that seems older and wiser than her 26 years. Liv's been giving me that impression since I met her in 2019 when she was at Club Passim waiting tables and breaking hearts on the stage at just 21 years. Ok enough about being young. Liv's been writing, studying music and going to music camps since she was 12. Arguably she's been studying music all her life with her Americana loving parents who were filling the house with the sounds of Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris and Shawn Colvin, to name a few women In music in heavy rotation at the Greene house. Being the only of her friends that liked that kind of music, Liv attended many DC-area concerts with her mom, taking in the magic of live music at a very tender age. Speaking of tenderness, that's what Liv Greene is all about and she digs into it in our conversation. She started writing and playing shortly after she was inspired by a Taylor Swift concert. From there, she took off on the instrument and even sought out music education in camps like Miles of Music in New Hampshire. It was at that camp as well as the arts academy Interlochen High School, where she started meeting peers with similar interests. She found herself living for summers with her music camp friends. Prior to her senior year at Interlochen, Liv was a closeted queer at her all girls Catholic school mostly writing fictionalized stories into her songs because she could not deal with who she was.She attended and graduated from The New England Conservatory of Music and released her debut album (produced by Isa Burke) right in time for the pandemic in May of 2020. Shortly after that, she moved to Nashville and has spent the last several years on an intense path of self-discovery. Liv found her community, came out, wrote and self-produced her new album, Deep Feeler. On this album, you can hear the growth she's experienced and you can hear Liv thriving in her corner of the Nashville Music scene that includes the indie folk music scene. We talk about all of this including what it means to have a neurodivergent brain, music production, the roller skating community and her favorite Taurus personality traits.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

The Oregon-bred indie folk music outfit Blind Pilot goes on a deep spiritual journal on their new album In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain (produced by Josh Kaufman). The music inspiration for frontman Israel Nebeker lay in his songwriting process. After struggling with writing for years (this is the first Blind Pilot album in 8 years), he set aside the songs he *had* been working (which will be included on a new solo record in 2025). Nebeker gave himself a month to write an album's worth of songs to present to the band. He demoed the songs and headed out for a trip centered around spiritual growth in Norway.Searching for ancestral connections, Israel sought out the Samí culture and community (a semi-nomadic Scandinavian people), in which he has roots. He participated in a Samí shamanic journey exploring indigenous spirituality. A Sámi shaman took him on a drum journey and invited him to listen for ancestors and visions. He had a vision where his ancestors were beckoning him to a path that led straight to a mountain, which was clearly his family legacy and origin. Back in the studio with the band, he relistened to his songs and was very surprised to realize that the album was about his ancestors. The connection that the rest of the band felt in delivering the music is palpable. The special emotional dynamic that always exists on a Blind Pilot is supercharged on the new album In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain. Follow Basic Folk on social media: https://basicfolk.bio.link/Sign up for Basic Folk's newsletter: https://bit.ly/basicfolknewsHelp produce Basic Folk by contributing: https://basicfolk.com/donate/Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpodsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Amy Helm has had one of the most fascinating lives that any person can have. As you might have guessed from her famous last name, she comes from roots music royalty. Amy Helm is the daughter of Levon Helm, the beloved late drummer for the incredible groundbreaking Canadian American group The Band. She also continues to run and uphold the musical legacy of The Barn, a music venue and recording studio built by her dad and Garth Hudson and served as Levon Helm Studios.In her own career, she has created a new lineage of musical tradition, family, great songwriting, poetry, and a feminine power that emanates off of her. We're talking about her new album, Silver City, but we're also talking about songwriting process and creative writing through letters to women in her life. We're talking about grief, writing about addiction and recovery with Mary Gauthier. We're talking about single parenthood. We're talking about family. We're talking about being on the road. We're talking about how our bodies change over time and how that makes us different as a vocalist and as an artist. Amy Helm generously dives into the emotional storytelling of her new album and the female empowerment she's felt throughout her career and life. 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

Looking back at her wildly successful and always adventurous career up to this point, it feels inevitable that Lisa Loeb was always going to be a songwriter and have a music career. But young Lisa probably could have done any creative job well. She grew up surrounded by music, yes, but she also had a passion for theater, and got her degree in comparative literature. It was her theater, voice acting and film side hustles that led Lisa to her first big break. Lisa’s friend Ethan Hawke shared her song “Stay” with Ben Stiller, who included the song in the soundtrack for the film ‘Reality Bites.’ “Stay” was a massive hit, and Lisa was the first-ever artist to have a #1 hit on the Billboard charts without a recording contract.The second act of Loeb’s career is the main focus of our conversation. This chapter in the book of Lisa Loeb is all about… children’s music! As her latest album, ‘That’s What It’s All About,’ demonstrates, Loeb has managed to keep playfulness and curiosity at the center of her life well into adulthood. She has figured out the delicate balance of making music for kids that adults can relate to as well. Happy memories of music from her own childhood, as well as nods to her elders, make this new record a sonic storybook that listeners of all ages will enjoy.Follow Basic Folk on social media: https://basicfolk.bio.link/Sign up for Basic Folk's newsletter: https://bit.ly/basicfolknewsHelp produce Basic Folk by contributing: https://basicfolk.com/donate/Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpodsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

The names Bruce Molsky and Darol Anger have come up more often than not when talking to fiddlers on Basic Folk. The pair have single handedly mentored hundreds of our favorites in fiddle music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Darol's online music school, music camps, festivals and more. Darol and Bruce joined us on the occasion of their newest folk music collab: their new album Lockdown Breakdown. Folk music has often been associate with nerdiness, so we get right into their nerdy roots with Bruce's love of fountain pens, his background in mechanical engineering and all facts about American roots music, Bluegrass music and fiddle music you can stand.They each talk about their origins: Bruce in the Bronx and Darol in Northern California, which eventually led him to co-founding the David Grisman Quintet. We discuss the social aspect of the old time and bluegrass music world and how that has translated into the way they each approach socializing. They discuss the thousands of fiddle lessons they've given younger players and why they like to mentor younger generations. And of course, the album, which was recorded live in a Nashville studio in just a few days. They talk about what the energy was like in the room for all their live takes during the session. It was a pleasure to speak with these two very funny, very influential musicians! They are doing incredible and important work!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

Editor’s note: Basic Folk is pleased to introduce our listeners to one of our favorite podcasts by sharing an episode in our feed!Do you ever find yourself watching, reading, or listening to something truly amazing and wondering, “How did they do it?”. That's why we wanted to share an episode of American Masters: Creative Spark, the award-winning podcast from PBS.American Masters: Creative Spark shares the creative journeys of artists and legends across disciplines. Recently, host Joe Skinner sat down with Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jewel to discuss her latest project The Portal: An Art Experience by Jewel, which integrates music, behavioral health concepts, and visual arts into an immersive experience centered around the "three spheres" philosophy. The episode dives deep into Jewel's personal life and career, recounting her journey navigating a traumatic childhood and channeling its challenges into better understanding herself.Needless to say, American Masters: Creative Spark is the perfect companion podcast to Basic Folk. So make sure to follow American Masters: Creative Spark on your favorite podcast app.You can learn more about “The Portal: An Art Experience” here: https://crystalbridges.org/news-room/jewel-presents-immersive-art-experience-at-crystal-bridges-museum-of-american-art/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Welcome to another edition of Folk Debate Club, our occasional debate series! To discuss Ambition vs Acceptance, we welcome our panel: music journalist Kim Ruehl, Basic Folk boss Cindy Howes, and yours truly Lizzie No. We would like to extend a very warm welcome to our special guests singer-songwriter Michaela Anne & producer Aaron Shafer-Haiss, also hosts of The Other 22 Hours podcast. In our lively conversation we work through thoughts and feelings about the definition of ambition: a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. We take the approach from a music industry and folk music perspectiveIt is no surprise that capitalism gets rung right out as a reason that ambition goes wrong for artists. As Kim says "​Art ​is ​like ​the ​nervous ​system ​of ​humanity" and mixing creation with ambition-gone-wrong is a dangerous game that a lot (most?) professional musicians play with at some point in their careers. This episode has everything: navigating our way out of toxic work environments, messy reactions to unpopular yet important political stances and how to not throw away the people who disagree with you. Listen along and enjoy the ride.Follow Basic Folk on social media: https://basicfolk.bio.link/Sign up for Basic Folk's newsletter: https://bit.ly/basicfolknewsHelp produce Basic Folk by contributing: https://basicfolk.com/donate/Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpodsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In our episode with Wisconsin-born, New England based Jeffrey Foucault, we had a handful of questions for the singer-songwriter about his background: coffee, the midwest and Mark Twain wisdom. Then we talked about Billy Conway for more than an hour. Conway was Foucault's long-time partner in music, drummer and best friend who died from cancer in 2021. He was a rock and roll roots legend in Boston with his tenure in Morphine and Treat Her Right. He was like a holy man, known for his creative, curious and infectious spirit where even people who met him only one time (myself included) were quite taken and inspired by his presence. The loss of Billy Conway hit the music community hard. In 2023, a tribute album showcasing the songwriting of Conway recorded by some of his closest friends (Chris Smither, Foucault, Kris Delmhorst, Billy's wife Laurie Sargent) was released. And now, with his latest album release, Jeff's given us a working wake for his friend Billy, The Universal Fire.We talked about what was going on with Jeff when he met and started working with Billy in 2013. What state of mind made this spectacular friendship and collaboration completely click. How conscious Jeff has been about his reaction to Conway's death and processing grief when it comes to being an example for his teenage daughter (who is also getting into folk music and live performance- hi Hazel!). We also dig into the new album, The Universal Fire. He paralleled the loss of Billy Conway with a different type of loss: the 2008 fire at the Universal Studios lot in California that destroyed master tapes of hugely influential American recordings. And finally, a check in on how Jeffrey's humanness is faring in the high-tech world in the year 2024.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