WATCH: Caitlin Canty, “Bird Dog” (Featuring Matt Lorenz)

Artist: Caitlin Canty
Hometown: Danby, Vermont
Song: “Bird Dog” Featuring Matt Lorenz
Album: Night Owl Envies the Mourning Dove
Release Date: June 26, 2025 (single); October 2, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “‘Bird Dog’ is the most recent single from my new record, Night Owl Envies the Mourning Dove, and features the intrepid Matt Lorenz as my duet partner. It is pure joy to sing with Matt (you likely know him best as The Suitcase Junket). Matt and I first met at Club Passim’s Campfire open mic years ago, and he sang backing vocals on my Reckless Skyline way back in 2015. We were long past due making music again, and his fiery vocals are an essential thread in my new record coming this October.

“Brian Carroll, who filmed and edited this video, has been such a steadfast creative partner behind the lens and microphone. I first got to know his work when he shot some gorgeous live videos in lightning fast sessions at Green Mountain Bluegrass and Roots and I’m thrilled to be working with him on some live video versions of songs from Night Owl Envies the Mourning Dove.

“I wrote the chorus of ‘Bird Dog’ a few years back when I lived in Nashville and then finished it at our new home in the mountains in Southern Vermont. Our dog Bell sparked the song with her barking and carried on through much of the writing process. I suppose that makes her my muse?” – Caitlin Canty

Video Credits:
Caitlin Canty – Vocals, guitar
Matt Lorenz – Vocals, guitar
Filmed and edited by Brian Carroll.
Mixed by Dave Sinko.


Photo Credit: Lead image by Brian Carroll; alternate image by Laura Partain.

Basic Folk – Amy Ray

Amy Ray is best known for being one half of Indigo Girls with Emily Sailers, a band that’s been going strong since the late 80’s. She’s also known for her activism and love for all types of music. On her latest solo album, If It All Goes South, Amy’s bringing us songs of comfort and healing. Recorded live to tape in Nashville, this album features an incredible lineup of guests like Brandi Carlile, I’m With Her, Allison Russell, Phil Cook and Alison Brown. She’s confronting racism, homophobia, religion and mortality in her songs and we go deep into those topics in this episode.

LISTEN: APPLE • SPOTIFY • STITCHERAMAZON • MP3

Aside from exploring gender identity and being comfortable in your own body, I had an agenda in our interview. I’ve talked about this a little on the podcast, but recently our dog Willis suddenly and unexpectedly died. Amy’s new album features the song “Muscadine,” which was written when her oldest dog passed away. The song’s about “learning to love and receive love in the purest way, and to not be picky about life, but to stay the course with curiosity and gratitude.” I was grateful for Amy’s words of wisdom about the loss of a dog and am happy to share them with you. Actually, Amy’s full of wisdom and is always so open to whatever questions come her way. Enjoy this conversation with a very, very good person.


Editor’s Note: Basic Folk is currently running their annual fall fundraiser! Visit basicfolk.com/donate for a message from hosts Cindy Howes and Lizzie No, and to support this listener-funded podcast.

Photo Credit: Sandlin Gaither

WATCH: Saugeye, “Keystone Lillie”

Artist: Saugeye
Hometown: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Song: “Keystone Lillie”
Album: Saugeye
Release Date: January 29, 2021
Label: Horton Records

In Their Words: “The chorus of ‘Keystone Lillie’ came to me the day after my pup Lillie passed, as I was observing some of the holes she dug in the yard. The rest of the song unfolded soon after and became a tribute to our time together. Saugeye had been playing the song live at shows so we wanted to include it on this first record. Lillie was a rescue dog, but truth be told she rescued me.” — Jared Tyler


Photo credit: Phil Clarkin. L-R: Seth Lee Jones, Jared Tyler, Jake Lynn and Casey Van Beek