The Female Bob Dylan

Vashti Bunyan’s 1968-69 horse-drawn caravan trip from South London to the Isle of Skye has become a symbolic heroine’s journey of the British folk revival, but what was Vashti’s own vision for the trip? Drawing from her introspective memoir Wayward, we consider that voyage–with its terrible lentils and terrible men–which required her to let go of so much, including her music career. We discuss her preference for “plain sounds,” her rejection of the folk label, and how through her rediscovery 30 years later, she finally found her artistic agency and adoring audience. 

Riffing on that Richard Thompson song about Anne Briggs (or was it Vashti Bunyan?), haylofts, and steamies.

We have the inimitable Jake Xerxes Fussell on the pod to help us think through the big question: WHAT (not who) is Bob Dylan? We also discuss Bobby D’s fashion choices, the difference between interpreters, presenters, and makers of tradition (and whether that matters), who (or what) Bob Dylan serves, and the difficulty of writing a good song about the current political moment.

Working from a biography with an unreliable narrator, we attempt to shake the great Connie Converse free from its pages and offer a fresh perspective on her music, radical politics, and deep community ties. We consider how to grapple with an artist’s legacy and the cloud of mystery surrounding them in a way that is respectful and ethical, while mindful of a biographer’s positionality, biases, and personal connection to their work.

In the words of the inimitable Garth Brooks this is the week we let the conversation begin. Intro to the pod + Sophie, Sarah, and Emily. And to Bob Dylan (courtesy Chat GPT), and the wonderful Connie Converse (as well as to the book about her, which we did not love). Episode 0! Who is she!

THE FEMALE BOB DYLAN launches Thursday 8/22 with new episodes every other Friday.