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Roots Culture Redefined
Good Country

Texas, Townes, and the Truth

Vincent Neil Emerson in conversation with Charley Crockett.
Video Premiere

WATCH: Ethan Lyric, “I Love You More”

Artist: Ethan Lyric Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Song: “I Love You More” Album: Saskatoon Berries EP Release Date: October 13, 2023 (single); December 1, 2023 (EP) In Their Words: “The music video was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, throughout the beautiful area of ...
Podcasts

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 ha...
Podcasts

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 follo...
Music

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...
Basic Folk

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...
Indigenous Voices

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 la...
Basic Folk

Basic Folk – Mali Obomsawin

Y’all ready for a crossover? Basic Folk listeners will remember Mali Obomsawin from their work as a bassist, singer, and songwriter with folk trio Lula Wiles, but today we are celebrating Mali’s debut as a jazz bandleader/composer. Mali’s new album, Sweet Tooth, was inspired by field recordings o...
Black Voices

BGS 5+5: Julian Taylor

Artist: Julian Taylor Hometown: Toronto Latest Album: Beyond the Reservoir (October 14, 2022) Personal Nicknames: JT Which artist has influenced you the most … and how? There are so many, but from a songwriting point of view, I would have to say Jim Croce would be one and another would be B...
Black Voices

LISTEN: Julian Taylor, “Wide Awake”

Artist: Julian Taylor Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Song: “Wide Awake” Album: Beyond the Reservoir Release Date: October 14, 2022 Label: Howling Turtle, Inc. In Their Words: “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. I deal with feelings of regret. I know that what I think ab...
Indigenous Voices

LISTEN: Julian Taylor, “Seeds”

Artist: Julian Taylor Hometown: Toronto, Ontario Song: “Seeds” Release Date: June 24, 2022 Editor’s Note: “Seeds” was inspired by a text that Taylor received from his cousin the morning after it was announced that 215 uncovered remains of buried Indigenous children h...
Shout & Shine

Texas Songwriter Vincent Neil Emerson Believes Indigenous Music Is Folk Music

The self-titled country album by East Texan singer-songwriter Vincent Neil Emerson (Choctaw-Apache) oozes of the iconic “Wild West” with honky-tonk sensibilities and bluegrass touches that combine so many favorite textures and styles of country and Americana’s primordial ooze. His personality and...
Indigenous Voices

WATCH: Digging Roots, “Cut My Hair”

Artist: Digging Roots Hometown: Barrie, Ontario, Canada Song: “Cut My Hair” Album: Zhawenim Release Date: 2022 Label: IshkĹŤdĂ© Records In Their Words: “‘Cut My Hair’ is a mishkiki (medicine) song about the Indian Residential School experience which is directly linked ...
Video Premiere

WATCH: Charly Lowry & The Heart Collectors, “Navigating to Hope”

Artist: Charly Lowry & The Heart Collectors Hometown: Charly Lowry: Pembroke, North Carolina; The Heart Collectors: Hinterland Byron Bay, NSW, Australia Song: “Navigating to Hope” from Folk Alliance‘s Artists In (Their) Residence program Release Date: June 1, 2021 In Their W...
Music

BGS 5+5: Lula Wiles

Artist: Lula Wiles Hometown: Our band sort of has two hometowns: we started the band when we were all living in Boston, but we first played music together as tweens at Maine Fiddle Camp, located in Wabanaki (Penobscot) territory (“Montville, Maine”). New Album: Shame and Sedition Personal nicknam...
Indigenous Voices

WATCH: Cha Wa, “My People”

Artist: Cha Wa Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana Song: “My People” Album: My People Release Date: April 2, 2021 Label: Single Lock Records In Their Words: “The message I am trying to send with the ‘My People’ music video is based on ancestral recall. This is a phenome...
Music

WATCH: Samantha Crain, “Bloomsday”

Artist: Samantha Crain Hometown: Shawnee, Oklahoma Single: “Bloomsday” Album: I Guess We Live Here Now EP Release Date: April 9, 2021 Label: Real Kind/Communion In Their Words: “‘Bloomsday’ is the kind of song I never thought I’d be able to write. There is a ce...
Shout & Shine

Afro-Indigenous Songwriter Julian Taylor Connects Family and Folk on ‘The Ridge’

Canadian singer-songwriter Julian Taylor didn’t set out to make a country record with The Ridge, but the album oozes with authentic tinges of the vibrant, pan-Canadian roots music scene. Based for most of his career in Toronto, it’s not surprising that the album (produced by Saam Hashemi) feels c...