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Samantha Crain Made 'Gumshoe' with Reciprocity and Vulnerability as Its CoreGrowing up in Oklahoma, Choctaw singer-songwriter Samantha Crain found solace and calm in mid-20th-century film noir, Westerns, and Broderbund Software, Inc.’s cult Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? media franchise. Along the way, she developed a soft spot for the vernacular term for a private detective, "gumshoe." "I’d always…

Indigenous Voices

Marlon Williams' 'Te Whare Tīwekaweka' Is a Homecoming Like Never BeforeWhen he was in his early twenties, Marlon Williams watched a series of major earthquakes flatten Ōtautahi/Christchurch, the largest city in Te Waipounamu (the South Island of New Zealand). In the wake of that tragedy, the Māori New Zealand artist ascended onto the national and later international stage as a…

Indigenous Voices

On 'Pathways,' Julian Taylor Looks Inward Rather Than OutwardMuch like the songs on his latest album Pathways, the sounds swirling around Canadian singer-songwriter Julian Taylor on our recent phone call for BGS were also filled with curiosity, emotion, and the subtle, intrinsic tones of a modern world unfolding. Walking the streets of his native Toronto, the introspective depths…

Indigenous Voices

Cary Morin's 'Innocent Allies' is An Unfiltered Palette of the American WestGuitarist Cary Morin’s (Crow/Assiniboine) new album, Innocent Allies, includes a striking painting on its cover created by renowned Western painter/sculptor Charles M. Russell (1864-1926), who spent his formative years as an artist in Morin’s home state, Montana. Innocent Allies, Russell’s work, depicts horses, cowboys, and settlers, routine subjects for the…

When You Listen the Land Speaks

LISTEN: Cary Morin, "Whiskey Before Breakfast"

Texas, Townes, and the Truth

WATCH: Ethan Lyric, "I Love You More"

Indigenous VoicesAug 10, 2023

Basic Folk: Raye Zaragoza

The headline for Los Angeles-based Raye Zaragoza's new album Hold That Spirit is that after she broke off her engagement, she used her wedding budget to fund the recording. She wrote the songs the year she turned 30 while she was thinking of the expectations placed on women in society to have everything together at…

Indigenous VoicesApr 13, 2023

Basic Folk - William Prince

William Prince spent a long time recording his debut album. By the time Earthly Days was released in 2015, Prince had lived a lot of life and was ready for the sort of instant stardom that would throw a lot of emerging singer-songwriters for a loop. A number of extraordinary things happened followed the release…

Indigenous VoicesFeb 3, 2023

LISTEN: William Prince, "When You Miss Someone"

Artist: William Prince Hometown: Peguis First Nation – Manitoba Song: "When You Miss Someone" Album: Stand in the Joy (produced by Dave Cobb) Release Date: April 21, 2023 Label: Six Shooter Records In Their Words: "Time has been on the forefront of my mind. This record is making up for the time I lost to…

Indigenous VoicesJan 19, 2023

Basic Folk - Tom Wilson

By the mid-2010’s, Canadian rock legend Tom Wilson’s life was already pretty epic: he had perfected his blue collar roots rock sound in his bands Blackie and The Rodeo Kings and his seminal 90’s outfit Junkhouse. He was a home-grown rock and roller with humble Hamilton, Ontario roots. In addition to his musical output, he…

Indigenous VoicesNov 10, 2022

BGS 5+5: Mali Obomsawin

Artist: Mali Obomsawin Hometown: Farmington, Maine Latest album: Sweet Tooth Personal nicknames: Boms What's your favorite memory from being on stage? Every time I play my country-punk song "White People" it seems to change the energy in the room a bit. A lot of uncomfortable laughter, a lot of lulu'ing from Native audiences, and a…