Tag: Laura Cortese

Basic Folk: Dinty Child

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

Dinty Child, founding member of Session Americana, the beloved Boston roots music collective who’ve accidentally been a band for 20 years, has just released his second solo album, Letting the Lions In. The new songs feature co-writing on all tracks between Dinty and Boston area songwriters like Mark Erelli, Kris Delmhorst, and Dave Godowsky. A self-proclaimed slow-writer, the majority of these songs were written on the annual Sub Rosa songwriting retreat Dinty runs on Three Mile Island (no, not that Three Mile Island) on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. Owned by the Appalachian Mountain Club, Dinty’s family has been working at the island for over 100 years. Dinty currently serves as the off-season manager, putting his musician and carpenter skills to good use hosting songwriter friends at said retreat – like Rose Cousins, Rose Polenzani, Rachael Price, Miss Tess and many more, as well as Miles of Music, a summer camp run by Dinty, Kristin Andreassen, and Laura Cortese.

LISTEN: APPLE • SPOTIFY • STITCHER • AMAZON • MP3

Letting the Lions In was co-produced by Zachariah Hickman (Josh Ritter, Ray LaMontagne) and recorded at Great North Sound in Parsonsfield, Maine over the course of three days in the spring of 2021. Dinty says, “I often trade construction work for studio time there.”

During our conversation, we dig into why these songs needed to be recorded. Our consensus is that legacy and spreading joy to his community are the top two reasons. Also, Dinty, who says an annoyingly large percentage of his songs start as dreams, talks about what kind of sleeper he is, what’s with the lion, and his thoughts on drinking – thanks to the handful of alcohol songs on the new album. Dinty is a dear friend to the podcast and an important part of the New England musical landscape, we’re thrilled to have him on the show!

Photo Credit: Sam Kassirer

WATCH: Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards, “Three by Three”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards
Hometown: San Francisco, CA / Ghent, Belgium
Song: “Three by Three”
Release Date: April 28, 2023
Label: Compass Records

In Their Words: “…The song tells the story of a walk [my daughter and I] took together in early Spring 2021. I used her favorite syllables from an old Dutch children’s song in the chorus to see if she noticed. And … she did! The first time I sang it for her, she sang along. So naturally, we had her join in on the track itself.

“After the recording of ‘Three by Three’ in Colorado with Jayme Stone, we headed to Oregon on tour. While there, we were invited by boutique microphone maker, Ear Trumpet Labs, to take a tour of their workshop and film a video using their beautiful hand-built microphones. It had a been a rainy day, but just as we started to play, the sun came streaming through the big glass window at the back of the workshop.” – Laura Cortese

Photo Credit: Marc Ripper

BGS 5+5: Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards
Hometown: Ghent, Belgium, by way of Boston and San Francisco
Latest album: BITTER BETTER
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): Taysee, Cortez, Laur, Cortese

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

It’s such a hard question! But I’m going to say Leslie Feist. I still remember driving on Memorial Drive in Boston and hearing “Mushaboom” on The River 92.9 for the first time and thinking that pop music was about to become a lot more interesting than it had been in the previous 10 years. To me, her songs always seem to be about her own artistic endeavor, as opposed to what she thinks people will like. I find it inspiring and invigorating to try to be more committed to communicating your unique ideas and becoming more yourself, without being too concerned about what genre you’re fitting into.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?

For this album, in particular, I have no specific links to other art forms, but I find that if I don’t live a balanced life — reading books and articles that inspire me, going to modern art museums, watching intriguing films, reading poetry — I begin to feel less inspired and have no well to tap into to write. So I can’t point to a specific poem or piece of art that I experienced in the last three years that led to a song, but I try to engage with other art forms regularly to stay inspired.

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

I wouldn’t use the word “tough”, because it was enjoyable, but “Treat You Better” took a lot of work to get it right. I had the first verse and felt like it was an idea about the struggle that goes into a longterm relationship, but also had an infectious rhythm and symmetry to the words that were used, and it was a challenge to keep that symmetry in the words and also tell the emotional story that I wanted to tell. In the end, there are a lot of co-writers and there was a lot of discussion and a lot of drafts to come to what is “Treat You Better.” The final words were decided at the moment I was singing them in the studio.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

In the studio, one of our rituals is having really good meal times, and making sure the moments of rest are extremely enjoyable. I do occasionally do push-ups before a show because I find that when you walk onto a cold stage, it takes a minute to shake out the cobwebs, get rid of the nerves, and start to really transmit energy. But if you’ve done pushups ahead of time, you’ve already begun that energetic flow before you walk onstage.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

Maybe I’ve just had enough of quarantine and wish I could travel, but Marina Satti is a Greek-Sudanese singer I’ve learned about recently. The video for her song “Kούπες” is particularly engaging. I want to hang with her in Greece and eat at her favorite restaurant, she can order.

Photo credit: Beth Chalmers

Best of: Folk Alley Sessions

Posted on by Editor

In 2003, Folk Alley began streaming music online to bring the best acoustic, Americana, singer/songwriter, Celtic, traditional, and world music to listeners across the globe. While their website has a whole host of things to check out, from playlists to radio shows and blog posts, we always end up on the sessions tab watching live performances by our favorite artists. Here are five performances you don’t want to miss:

The Secret Sisters — “The Tennessee River Runs Low”

We at the BGS have not been shy about showing our love for the Secret Sisters. In this performance of “The Tennessee River Runs Low,” Lydia and Laura Rogers show off their vocal blend and knack for awe-inspiring harmonies.

Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn — “Shotgun Blues”

Husband-and-wife duo Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn truly are the king and queen of the banjo. Washburn puts us in a trance right from the start of “Shotgun Blues” with her haunting vocals and steady beats on the banjo.

Twisted Pine — “Easton”

Between the mandolin chops of Dan Bui, the steady drive of bassist Chris Sartori, and the vocal harmonies of front-women Rachel Sumner and Kathleen Parks, Twisted Pine is bound to take roots music by storm in the years to come. Check out this performance of “Easton” from their debut album, Twisted Pine, to see for yourself!

Charlie Parr — “Delia”

Charlie Parr and his trusty silver resonator guitar are a perfect pair. Add in a slide, and the results are magical. In this video, Parr performs “Delia” from his 2015 album, Stumpjumper, showcasing his forward-moving picking style and beautiful but sad lyrics.

Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards — “California Calling”

Girl Power! String Power! These two phrases come to mind every time we watch a video Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards. Their arrangements and tight harmonies leave us speechless every time.

LISTEN: Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards, ‘California Is Calling’

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards
Hometown: Boston, MA
Song: "California Is Calling"
Release Date: February 5

In Their Words: "I’ve scattered pieces of myself from Morocco to Sweden to Bangladesh and back. Whenever I return home to California, I am whole again. Thanks to Sam Kassirer (Lake Street Dive, Bhi Bhiman, Josh Ritter) for making the Dance Cards' first foray into the studio as a band such a cozy experience. Between his guidance and the welcoming vibe of Great North Sound Society, we managed to capture the power of longing for home." — Laura Cortese

Photo credit: Patrik Bonnet

WATCH: Adam Moss, ‘Stolichnaya’

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Adam Moss with David Moss & the Campfire Choir
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Song: “Stolichnaya"
Album: Introducing the Music of Adam Moss
Release Date: February 26

Every year since 2011, about 100 songwriters and lovers of traditional roots music convene for a week on a tiny island in Lake Winnipesaukee for an event called Miles of Music Camp. This year, for the first time, camp founders Kristin Andreassen and Laura Cortese invited a videographer to come along. He captured this night of mayhem around a bonfire, featuring identical twin brothers Adam and David Moss leading a rowdy band of fiddles, cellos, drums, tuba, banjo, accordion and marshmallow roasters.

In Their Words: "'Stolichnaya' is my anthemic drinking song from an American boy whose roots are in Eastern Europe. I've been singing this song for a long time, and it's always been an immediate sing-along. But I think the perfect manifestation of any sing-along is on a secluded island surrounded by some of your favorite people. David and I wrote this song after a hard day’s work, waiting for a huge musician gathering to form in Austin, Texas. It turned into a great party that night.” — Adam Moss

Photo credit: Manny Moss

WATCH: Laura Cortese, ‘Three Little Words’

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Laura Cortese
Hometown: Boston, MA
Song: “Three Little Words"

This video is the first release from a project documenting the creative happenings at an event called Miles of Music Camp. Every year since 2011, about 100 songwriters and lovers of traditional roots music convene on a tiny island in Lake Winnipesaukee to teach, learn, and make music with each other. This year, for the first time, camp founders Kristin Andreassen and Laura Cortese invited a videographer to the island. His videos document works in progress and special collaborations like this one.

In Their Words: "The week before Miles of Music, Zack Hickman (bass) and I spent an afternoon on my porch talking about new love and old habits, and writing this song. On the first night of camp, we always have an instructor concert, so we taught this brand new creation to Kristin Andreassen (vocals), Oliver Craven (mandolin), Jefferson Hamer (guitar), Taylor Ashton (banjo), and Dinty Child (accordion), and then we performed it for the campers. That night, the lyrics were a little different. While teaching songwriting classes throughout the week, I found myself coming back to the images in the song and looking for stronger words to express them. Luckily, I was surrounded by many inspiring friends and peers who helped shape the song as you hear it in this video. And, since then, I've settled on a few more changes that you’ll have to come hear at a live show.” — Laura Cortese

Photo credit: Amanda Kowalski