(originally recorded October 31, 2017)

What happens when a group of talented musicians get together for a short period of time in a small space with a gigantic wood stove? Musical magic, according to Kris Delmhorst. She talked about this and the making of her 2017 album, 'The Wild' when she and her husband and musical partner, Jeffrey Foucault stopped by Beehive Productions studio for an exclusive Folk Alley Session.

(originally recorded October 31, 2017)

What happens when a group of talented musicians get together for a short period of time in a small space with a gigantic wood stove? Musical magic, according to Kris Delmhorst. She talked about this and the making of her 2017 album, 'The Wild' when she and her husband and musical partner, Jeffrey Foucault stopped by Beehive Productions studio for an exclusive Folk Alley Session.

In order to embrace change and in order to embrace her own voice as a songwriter, Courtney Hartman knew she needed to get away from a lot of the noise in her life. And so she set off on a truly epic, hundreds-of-miles-long trek, accompanied only by the lightest guitar she could find. Hartman shares insights into her epic journey - which turned into a new album, Ready Reckoner during our exclusive Folk Alley Session.

Here's a simple truth: Change isn't always easy and change isn't always something we want. And here's another simple truth: Change is unavoidable. Courtney Hartman sensed big changes were fast approaching in her life and, in order to try to be in the best space possible to accept them, she decided to do something a little different. She decided...to walk.

In order to embrace change and in order to embrace her own voice as a songwriter, Hartman knew she needed to get away from a lot of the noise in her life. And so she set off on a truly epic, hundreds-of-miles-long trek, accompanied only by the lightest guitar she could find.

It was over the course of that journey that she become very aware of the rhythm, the feel, and the sound of walking: "The rhythm of walking allows melodies to come in a very different way than sitting still," she says. Hartman shares more insights into her epic journey - which turned into a new album, Ready Reckoner - during an exclusive Folk Alley Session recorded at Beehive Productions studio in Saranac Lake, New York.

Here's a simple truth: Change isn't always easy and change isn't always something we want. And here's another simple truth: Change is unavoidable. Courtney Hartman sensed big changes were fast approaching in her life and, in order to try to be in the best space possible to accept them, she decided to do something a little different. She decided...to walk.

In order to embrace change and in order to embrace her own voice as a songwriter, Hartman knew she needed to get away from a lot of the noise in her life. And so she set off on a truly epic, hundreds-of-miles-long trek, accompanied only by the lightest guitar she could find.

It was over the course of that journey that she become very aware of the rhythm, the feel, and the sound of walking: "The rhythm of walking allows melodies to come in a very different way than sitting still," she says. Hartman shares more insights into her epic journey - which turned into a new album, Ready Reckoner - during an exclusive Folk Alley Session recorded at Beehive Productions studio in Saranac Lake, New York.

During an exclusive Folk Alley Session that North Carolina progressive sting band, Mipso, did for Folk Alley, the group eloquently talks about "the how and why" of their evolution as a band and the decision to push their musical boundaries in the first place.

(this Sessions originally posted December 20, 2018)

“At this point, we are wide open, I think.”

That’s how the band Mipso talks about the evolution of their sound. Starting as a tried-and-true string band at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill several years ago, the band, earlier this year, released their fourth album, Edges Run. And it was with this album that they decided they no longer wanted to limit themselves to, as they say, “just strings.” Edges Run is a record that lets this group of talented young musicians experiment and push the boundaries of their sound. And, during the exclusive session they did for Folk Alley at Beehive Productions Studios in Saranac Lake, New York, this group eloquently talks about how and why they decided to push those musical boundaries in the first place.

(this Sessions originally posted December 20, 2018)

“At this point, we are wide open, I think.”

That’s how the band Mipso talks about the evolution of their sound. Starting as a tried-and-true string band at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill several years ago, the band, earlier this year, released their fourth album, Edges Run. And it was with this album that they decided they no longer wanted to limit themselves to, as they say, “just strings.” Edges Run is a record that lets this group of talented young musicians experiment and push the boundaries of their sound. And, during the exclusive session they did for Folk Alley at Beehive Productions Studios in Saranac Lake, New York, this group eloquently talks about how and why they decided to push those musical boundaries in the first place.

Sarah Lee Guthrie has been on stage almost since birth. But she has never been up there alone. She started (and still performs) with her father, Arlo, and the rest of her talented family. Sarah Lee partnered with her husband, Johnny Irion, and even though they had great success, there was a folky voice that wanted to be heard. Now, she's out solo for the first time, giving full and glorious attention to the folk music that is her birthright. She sat down with Folk Alley at the 2017 30A Songwriters Festival to play some songs and talk about this exciting new turn in her life.

(Session originally published in 2017)

As Woody Guthrie's granddaughter, Sarah Lee Guthrie's lineage is undeniable. But if you close your eyes and forget that her last name is synonymous with the river-legacy of a widening current of American folk music, you'd still be drawn to the clarity and soul behind her voice. There is a gentle urgency to her interpretations of the songs she sings and the classic music of her heritage.

Over the last two decades on the road and in the studio, she and her husband Johnny Irion have created a signature pop-fused folk-rock sound that is appealing and engaging. Now, she's out solo for the first time, giving full and glorious attention to the folk music that is her birthright, and traveling with the Hoping Machine, singing the songs that have empowered people during trying times.

Sarah Lee sat down with Folk Alley at the 2017 30A Songwriters Festival to play some songs and talk about this exciting new turn in her life.