Basic Folk – Dietrich Strause

Dietrich Strause, raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was classically trained on trumpet growing up, but the allure of songwriting and performing his own music pulled him into the Americana world. He found his way to the Boston area and into its super collaborative and supportive community.

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On his new album, You And I Must Be Out Of My Mind, Dietrich found himself more in control of the creative process thanks to spending years cultivating his skills at Great North Sound in Parsonsfield, Maine. Under the mentorship of producer Sam Kassirer, he became empowered in his craft by offering up his services as a session player, engineer and studio handyman. The record took several years to record, but due to his experiences with Sam, he was able to see the way that bands made decisions in the studio and how a record takes shape, which all culminated on his latest record.

Dietrich’s known in the Boston area for sitting in on sessions and live shows with people like Rose Cousins, Kris Delmhorst, and Session Americana. He’s built a home and a community there. Now, Dietrich is in the process of moving his base to London, which sounds challenging to do at any time, never mind during a global pandemic. He talks about how it’s been a strange move and how the pandemic has impacted his relationship with touring. Full disclosure: Dietrich is a close pal of mine and one of my favorite hangs. When I spend time with Dietrich, I feel like a little kid: anything is possible and the day is ours. His music gives me that feeling, too. Hope you enjoy getting to know Dietrich and his perfect songs.


Photo Credit: Sam Kassirer

LISTEN: Catie Curtis, ‘Please Explain’

Artist: Catie Curtis
Hometown: Boston, MA
Song: "Please Explain"
Album: While We're Here
Release Date: February 3, 2017
Label: Catie Curtis Records

In Their Words: "I wrote 'Please Explain' during the breakup of a long-term relationship. The essence of the song is grappling with profound changes ahead. Our culture is suddenly in uncharted waters and everything we thought we knew is being turned upside down. We’ll need courage to move forward, seeking and speaking truth!" — Catie Curtis


Photo credit: Paul Janovitz

LISTEN: Julie Rhodes, ‘Faith’

Artist: Julie Rhodes
Hometown: Boston, MA
Song: "Faith"
Album: Bound to Meet the Devil
Release Date: February 26

In Their Words: "When I started writing songs for Bound to Meet the Devil, it was all sort of uncharted territory for me. I had just started writing not long before that. I don’t even think I had played my first show yet, and here we were making a record. There was a lot of fear to get over in a pretty short amount of time. I found myself reaching out to Jonah [Tolchin] for reassurance a lot during those first few months. From those conversations came this song, 'Faith.'

Jonah sent me a message one day while I was at work saying, 'I wrote this song for you, we should record it!' The track was just an iPhone recording of him and an acoustic guitar. With the underlying message that you have to believe that things are going to work out if you’re going to be happy in this world, it was perfect for what I was going through at that time. We recorded the track live outside, basically in the middle of the woods at Dirt Floor Studio, then did additional tracking at FAME Studio in Muscle Shoals. The funny thing about the album version of 'Faith' is that we went into it thinking we were recording a demo, but as soon as we all started playing together, there was this incredible unspoken feeling of 'I think we have something here.' It ended up being one of my favorite songs on the record." — Julie Rhodes


Photo credit: Roberto Terrones