Basic Folk

If you do a web search for Steve Tilston, most of the results will be about John Lennon. Lennon wrote a letter to a young Steve offering him advice, but Steve did not know about the letter until decades later. His story would eventually become the 2015 film Danny Collins starring Al Pachino. Steve's talked about this subject probably one thousand times and it might be the biggest thing that defines his career. However, there is so much more to talk about with Steve! He's worked with folk legends Fairport Convention, Bert Jansch, Maggie Boyle, Chris Smither and many more. His latest album, Such Times, has incredible energy and his signature British folk guitar playing.

Steve talks about his partnership with the late Maggie Boyle and how she was instrumental in deepening his interest and knowledge of Irish music. He reflects on how his children's interest in music has kept him engaged and involved. This is the 50th anniversary of Steve starting up in the music business! We talk about all this.... and yes, we talk about the Lennon letter, too.

Alec Spiegelman has been making folk music weird for years. Recently, his partnership with Ana Egge has put him on the radar as one of the most creative producers for folk musicians, working with people like Taylor Ashton, David Wax Museum and Sadie Gustafson-Zook. He's a part of the innovative indie folk band, Cuddle Magic, who just released a record in 2020. Alec also found time during quarantine to release a solo album, which is filled with his signature charm and weirdness highlighted by brass and woodwinds. Alec's personality is very playful, which translates really well into his solo work and the albums he produces.

A Harvard graduate, Alec talks about the strange hierarchy found on campus and how if the classes were easier, he may have turned out to be an engineer. Lucky for us, he was swayed in a musical direction. After Harvard, he attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and developed life-long friends and collaborators in his band Cuddle Magic and the musicians surrounding that scene, including Lake Street Dive. His new album, Airplane Mode, features his song "Hurt a Little," which was co-written with Ana Egge. Ana's also recorded a version and you can also find a recording of it on Cuddle Magic's latest. It's gotta be one of the best songs I've ever heard. I wouldn't be surprised if more people recorded it.

Raye Zaragoza has strong spiritual leader vibes and I believe everything she says. Originally raised in New York City, she and her two siblings and parents somehow all lived together in a studio apartment. New York has been a strong influence on her identity and her work ethic. She's a person who's always moving and moving fast. Raye's mom is an immigrant from Japan and her dad is of Mexican and Native American heritage, which also very much impacts her life and music. Her songs walk the line of activism and poetry. She manages to make a great pop song with an important message. No matter if she's writing an anthem for protesters at Standing Rock or an old fashioned love song, centered in her message is fearlessness, bravery and vulnerability.

Her latest album, Woman in Color, “was inspired by the current crusade to bring justice and equality to all those who have been marginalized, maligned and generally shunned at so many different levels.” Zaragoza has grown more confident and changed her perspective about adding her voice to that narrative. She writes songs about loving yourself no matter what you look like that reaches out to anyone that feels different. Even a song like "The It Girl" resonates with people who do not identify as female. All this to say, Raye is also a great hang. She's fun, quick-witted and like all cool people, has her own podcast, Create Well with Erica Elan. Enjoy Raye! She's the real deal!

The Suitcase Junket's Matt Lorenz was guest #3 on this folk podcast and I'm thrilled to welcome him back to break down the latest album song by song. Released in November 2020, The End is New, was produced by Steve Berlin (Los Lobos), who was working remotely (because of Covid precautions) from the West Coast. Matt describes how that changed the way the album turned out as well as several themes like climate change and overall support for science and reason.

Matt set out to make a "doom-folk" album and at first listen and not knowing exactly what that is, I feel like he's done it. We talk about what that might mean. The Suitcase Junket is known for his incredible live shows, which feature a one man band, Lorenz, playing instruments made of out items found in the garbage. Performing live is a big part of Matt's identity and we get to talking about what his life has been like without performing. Matt is just so awesome: open-hearted and verryyyy funny. It's a pleasure to have him on the podcast again. Enjoy and go buy that album!

Patty Larkin is a monster on the guitar. Although starting on the piano, after her uncle gave her a guitar it was all over for young Patty. The main appeal of the instrument was the privacy in which one could play. She holed up for hours playing. In high school she furthered experimented with different ways to play, while working on her singing and writing. She moved to Boston in the 70's to study jazz guitar. She played in several rock bands on electric, but switched her focus to acoustic in the 80's which broadened her range. She rediscovered jazz styles and studied the work of Richard Thompson among others. Around that time, she became an integral part of the New England Folk circuit along with people like Bill Morrissey, Jonatha Brooke and Martin Sexton. For decades Patty Larkin has been a household name within the folk world as she continues to wow us with her intricate style and sophisticated work that has a particular high level humor within her writing and delivery.

Patty's latest is a record that sets poetry to her original music. Work by Billy Collins, Natalie Diaz, Nick Flynn, Marie Howe all make their way onto 

Bird in a Cage

. In our conversation, she discusses why she was intrigued to combine music and poetry. She would work the practice of reading poetry out loud into her mornings in order to inspire herself into her day. This left her amazed enough to dedicate an entire record to the process. The project also happened to be the last collaboration Patty completed with the much revered and loved producer, Mike Dennen, who sadly died in 2018. She and Mike co-produced 

Bird in a Cage 

and she speaks of their connection and how they would work together. Also, she has the most epic lightning round answer to "Where is the most beautiful place you've ever visited," so I hope you listen all the way to the end!

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Wesley Schultz has one of the most recognizable modern voices in folk music. His band, The Lumineers, are arguably the most popular group of the genre embarking on stadium tours worldwide to support their chart-topping records. From afar, he also seems like one of the most humble and good-natured people to have lived. After doing a deep dive into his history and being able to talk to him in this capacity, I can confirm that the rumors are true: Wesley Schultz is very kind, thoughtful and generous. Well, at least I can confirm, he is the nicest person I've talked to that also has a signature Frye boot.

Wesley grew up in Ramsey, NJ with his parents, including his clinical psychologist father, who sadly died during Wes' teen years. He became very close with his future bandmate Jeremiah Fraites after Jeremiah's brother and Wes' good friend Josh died of an overdose. The two bonded through grief, which they expressed through performing music. Eventually they would make their way to Colorado as The Lumineers and found massive success with their debut album, which included the huge hit "Ho Hey." Two more hit albums followed. 2020 included plans for a world tour in support of the latest record, III. Once the pandemic hit and the world stopped, Wes and Jeremiah found themselves with free time. Jeremiah just released a beautiful instrumental album, Piano Piano. Wes also released his solo debut album, Vignettes, a covers album as a way to introduce people to songs they might not know. He performs songs by Springsteen, Sheryl Crow, Tom Waits, Counting Crows and for me, it came at exactly the right time. The album is calming and it grounded me in a way that only music can do. I am so fortunate for the opportunity to talk to Wes about his music. I hope you enjoy and learn something new about this very special musician!

There is a lot going on with Sadie Gustafson-Zook. Raised in a supportive Mennonite community near Goshen, Indiana, Sadie was playing in her parents' folk band from the age of 6. Homeschooled until grade 5, she learned to channel her feelings through writing. After graduating from Goshen College, she moved to Boston in order to experience life outside of her community and to further her education. She recently completed a master's in Jazz voice at Longy School of Music in Boston. The way she incorporates Jazz brings a refreshing burst of energy into her original music.

The songs on her latest release, Vol 1., were finished recording before the pandemic started. Sadie worked with the delightful Alec Spiegelman, who WILL appear on a future episode of Basic Folk. She talks about their creative connection and what he brought to the project. There are plans for the full length, but who knows when that will be in this world of uncertainty. That very topic of uncertainty is something that she's quite familiar with and has reflected on in her songs even as a person in her early twenties. We talk about the ability to cultivate wisdom at a young age. There has also been a pretty significant arc in her presentation of gender. She talks about how this her first release as an out lesbian and the evolution of her relationship to gender. Still based in Boston, Sadie is one of the most exciting up and coming songwriters coming out of the next generation of Passim musicians and I'm excited to welcome her to the podcast!

Anjimile Chithambo, who uses his first name on stage, is a genderqueer Black singer songwriter making his way onto a larger radar with the debut album, Giver Taker. The artist appeared on some high-profile Best of 2020 lists (Namely NPR) and picked up two recent Boston Music Awards. Originally from outside of Dallas, Jimi was raised by Malawian parents, father a doctor and mother a computer programmer, his sisters encouraged him to join the choir and taught him harmonies at a young age. The guitar came along around 10 or 12 and soon an infinity with the instrument began, particularly with finger picking. Moving to Boston for music in 2011, he developed a drinking problem that led to entering rehab in 2016. During treatment, Jimi discovered that he was a trans and non-binary person. That realization led to the inspiration for many of the songs on the new record. Particularly the song "The Maker," which compares a redefinition of gender to one of faith. In talking about the song he says “I very much link my queer identity to my spirituality.”

Talking to Jimi was a pleasure and I'm grateful how open he is about his story. In his experience with taking testosterone, he learned that he'd have to forever change the way he takes care of his voice. That rich deep sound that you hear coming out of the young performer, would no longer be taken advantage of. It was also fun to hear Jimi talk about his playful side: "I think I've always been a dumbass and once I got sober I was able to use those powers for good." The music reflects a more serious side that calls to mind Sufjan Stevens, a major inspiration for Jimi along with the music from Malawi that his parents would play in the house growing up. Keep your eye on this guy!