Tag: podcast

Basic Folk: Hrishikesh Hirway

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

If you have been paying attention to music circles for the past 25+ years, you will be familiar with Hrishikesh Hirway. He formerly released music under the moniker The One AM Radio and has also produced and hosted the premiere music podcast of the 21st century (the only century with podcasts so far, so clearly we feel strongly): Song Exploder. Until recently, his name had not been front and center on any of his projects until his newest album, In the Last Hour of Light. Hrishi grew up in Massachusetts the son of Indian immigrants, immersed and in love with music. After releasing music as The One AM Radio until 2011, he started the podcast Song Exploder in 2014. He’s hosted and produced numerous shows and has been a crucial part of the podcasting landscape for 12 years.

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In our Basic Folk conversation, Hrishi expands on the power of grief after his mother died and how his came gradually because of her long illness. He spoke of his name and what it’s felt like to reclaim it in a public space in 2026 versus 1999, and he gives a little shout out to Obama. He gets into his feelings about his speaking voice and the person who likes it the most (his wife). We also hear from Hrishi about what it’s like to be a figure in music that can offer musicians a bigger platform with his podcasts. He is someone who enjoys connecting and collaborating with others, but I wanted to know how it felt when sometimes the equation doesn’t always add up. Overall I give this interview a 10/10! It was a pleasure getting to know the wonderful Hrishikesh Hirway.

Photo Credit: Elisha Christian

The Other 22 Hours: Ruby Amanfu (Reissue)

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

This week, we dive into our archives for this special reissue of our conversation with GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter, producer, activist, and chef Ruby Amanfu. Known for her profound collaborations with H.E.R., Brandi Carlile, Alicia Keys, and Beyoncé, Ruby has navigated the highest peaks of the music industry while fiercely protecting her inner peace. In this episode, we explore the structural collisions that force us to speak our truth, the reality of reclaiming your identity outside of financial validation, and what happens when we finally release our death grip on how we thought our lives would look.

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In This Episode:

– Sam and Ruby
– Porter’s Call
– Andy Little
– MusiCares
– Lee Ann Womack
– Willie Nelson
– Love Rising Concert

Go Deeper:


Watch: View this entire conversation above or on YouTube.
Explore: Find similar conversations in these themed playlists.
Connect: Join the conversation on Instagram.

The Other 22 Hours is hosted by Aaron Shafer-Haiss (producer, mixer, musician) and Michaela Anne (songwriter, artist, creative coach). More about Aaron’s work. More about Michaela Anne’s work.

Produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Original music written, performed and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss.

Photo Credit: Lead image by Anna Haas; portrait alternate image by Jillian McQuerrey; square alternate image by Shervin Lainez.

The Other 22 Hours: Yancey Strickler (Reissue)

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

What happens when creative people stop looking for a seat at the table and build a table of their own? For generations, society has treated an artist’s life as an economic sideline, a romanticized piecemeal struggle. Today, we are witnessing a structural revolution. With Colorado recently passing the nation’s first Artist Corporation legislation (the Colorado Artist Company Act) in June 2026, we are reissuing our definitive conversation with the architect of that very movement, Yancey Strickler.

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As the co-founder of Kickstarter, Metalabel, and the Artist Corporations Foundation, Yancey has dedicated his life to equipping creators with the structural tools to act as real entrepreneurs. In this expansive conversation, we trace the line between blue-collar artistry and private equity, explore why the industry trades meaning for convenience, and look closely at how interdependent networks can finally break the cycle of artistic exploitation.

In This Episode:

– A-Corps
– Colorado Artist Company Act, June 2026
– Metalabel
– The Creative Independent
– Hipgnosis
– Nirvana
– The Royal Alberta Advantage
– Ep 68 – Evan Honer
– “All The King’s Men”
– Virgil Abloh
– Bentoism
– “The Inner Ring,” CS Lewis

Go Deeper:

Watch: View this entire conversation above or on YouTube.
Explore: Find similar conversations in these themed playlists.
Connect: Join the conversation on Instagram.

The Other 22 Hours is hosted by Aaron Shafer-Haiss (producer, mixer, musician) and Michaela Anne (songwriter, artist, creative coach). More about Aaron’s work. More about Michaela Anne’s work.

Produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Original music written, performed and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss.

Photo courtesy of the artist.

The Working Songwriter: Chicago Farmer

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Our guest this week on the Working Songwriter is Cody Diekhoff, better known as Chicago Farmer. He grew up in the small farming community of Delavan, Illinois, before moving to Chicago in 2003. Over the past two decades he has built a devoted following through relentless touring, first as a solo performer and more recently with this band, the Fieldnotes.

Along the way, he has shared stages with Robert Earl Keen, Todd Snider, Greg Brown, the Wood Brothers, Elizabeth Cook, Wayne Hancock, Greensky Bluegrass, Del McCoury, and Gene Ween.

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His album, Flyover Country, was recorded with members of the Band of Heathens and 2026’s Homeaid (released in March of this year) is his first full-length release in six years. Elmore Magazine says he has “the novelist’s gift of building a suspenseful story to a surprising conclusion.” While No Depression declared, “If the Midwest is looking for a voice, the search is over.” The Chicago Tribune praised him for “some of the better roots songwriting in Chicago today.”

Cody is a very, very old friend of mine. We were both coming up in the Chicago folk music scene 20 years ago. He’s one of my favorite modern artists, and he should have been on this podcast many years ago. I got the chance to catch up with him on the phone a few weeks ago to hear about his journey so far.

Photo courtesy of Chicago Farmer.

Finding Lucinda: Episode 14 (An Epilogue)

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

In this final chapter of the Finding Lucinda journey, Ismay gets a surprising message from Lucinda‘s former bass player, Richard “Hombre” Price. Ismay travels to Sarasota, Florida to talk about his memories of playing on Car Wheels On A Gravel Road. They watch rare home movies from the ’90s of Lucinda and the band. Through this intimate conversation, Ismay gains insights about what it means to face your fate as an artist and as a person.

This episode also features a teaser of what is coming next for this project.

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Credits:
Produced and mixed by Avery Hellman for Neanderthal Records, LLC.
Music by Ismay.
Artwork by Avery Hellman.

Find more information on Finding Lucinda here. Find our full Finding Lucinda episode archive here.

Watch Finding Lucinda, listen to the soundtrack, or find a screening near you here.

Photo of Richard “Hombre” Price and Tex Tiles courtesy of Ismay.

Basic Folk: MayaFest (Maya de Vitry)

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Lancaster, Pennsylvania-born, Nashville-based songwriter Maya de Vitry has been on Basic Folk a half dozen times (she’s only second to our fave man-bestie Mark Erelli) because we are so obsessed with her songwriting perspective, from her time in the Stray Birds to her solo work. Every time she’s on the show, we try and do something special. She’s been on with her siblings (Nina & Lyle), her partner (Ethan Jodziewicz), and her musical besties (Shelby Means & Joel Timmons).

When we heard about her fifth studio album, All My Faith, we knew we had to raise the Basic Folk bar on one of the best working songwriters today. When I (Cindy) first heard Maya play these songs live, I thought they were next level. Even though I’m not a musician or songwriter of any kind, I really wanted to know why they were so incredible. I thought it would be a cool exercise to get other songwriter friends of Maya’s together to dig deep and explain what’s happening with Maya’s writing. What is it about the lyrics, the phrasing, the melodies that is really outstanding?

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Maya was down with this idea and invited Ana Egge, Caitlin Canty, John Craigie, Kristin Andreassen, and Oliver Wood on this episode of Basic Folk, so we could hear from some of her favorite writers about these new songs. We had everyone here listen to the record a few times before recording the podcast; Maya shared the lyrics, album credits, and a track-by-track write up for the songs. She chose three songs for each person to specifically dig into, but of course everyone is free to share comments on any songs. We knew it was going to be a great experience, but it turned out even better than we had hoped. The insight these writers share intensify Maya’s new songs and give an even greater understanding of why they make such an impact.

Photo Credit: Ana Egge by Lorenzo Wolff; Oliver Wood by Alysse Gafkjen; Maya de Vitry by Ethan Jodziewicz; John Craigie courtesy of the artist; Caitlin Canty by Noah Altshuler; Kristin Andreassen courtesy of the artist. 

The Other 22 Hours: Hrishikesh Hirway

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

We often treat our creative identities like lanes, fearing that branching out looks like simple dilettantism. This week on The Other 22 Hours, we explore the delicate balance of identity and creative output with singer-songwriter Hrishikesh Hirway, the brilliant mind behind hit podcasts The West Wing Weekly and Home Cooking, as well as the globally acclaimed Netflix series and podcast Song Exploder, which features the likes of Paul McCartney, Billie Eilish, R.E.M., and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

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Despite a decade of monumental success in the podcast and broadcast worlds, Hrishikesh found himself battling a quiet, profound depression born from leaving his primary identity as a singer-songwriter behind. He recently returned to music with his first album in 15 years and joins us for a beautifully tender conversation on breaking through a 10-year writer’s block, navigating the vulnerability of cold-calling collaborators, and learning to sit comfortably within a “queer divine dissatisfaction.”

In This Episode:

– Song Exploder (Podcast / Netflix Series)
– Alison Russell
– Linda Ronstadt
– Talking Heads
– The Band
– The Grateful Dead
– Bob Dylan
– Phil Weinrobe
– Ep 117 – Maia Friedman
– Jeff Tweedy – How to Write One Song (Book)
– Carl Jung / Depth Psychology
– The West Wing Weekly (Podcast)
– Home Cooking (Podcast)
– Samin Nosrat
– Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (Book)
– Josh Malina
– Allison Janney
– Jenny Owen Youngs
– Yep Roc Records
– John Mark Nelson
– Matt Ross Spang (Memphis TED Talk)
– Agnes de Mille
– Martha Graham

Go Deeper: 

Watch: View this entire conversation above or on YouTube.
Explore: Find similar conversations in these themed playlists.
Connect: Join the conversation on Instagram.

The Other 22 Hours is hosted by Aaron Shafer-Haiss (producer, mixer, musician) and Michaela Anne (songwriter, artist, creative coach). More about Aaron’s work. More about Michaela Anne’s work.

Produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Original music written, performed and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss.

Photo Credit: Elisha Christian

Folk Files: I Got the Blues

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

According to many textbooks, the blues is a genre that was born in the rural Mississippi Delta with roots in the “sorrow songs” of enslaved people. It’s easy, however, to poke holes in this origin story and instead start to see the blues as a joyful, rebellious musical expression that formed in an urban environment.

In this episode of Folk Files, we’ll take a look at different theories about the origin of the blues, separate fact from fiction, and uncover the reason why the Mississippi Delta narrative was promoted so strongly.

(Content warning: this episode has occasional explicit language and sexual references.)

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For a list of all musical excerpts used in this episode, click here.
Visit the Delta Blues Museum.
Support Folk Files by joining our Patreon.

Host: Olivia Harding
Assistant Producer: Aaron J. Morton

The Other 22 Hours: Amy Grant

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

What does it mean to inhabit a creative life when that container itself changes? We sit down on The Other 22 Hours with GRAMMY-nominated, multi-platinum crossover superstar Amy Grant. Having shaped the landscape of pop and contemporary Christian music for over four decades, Grant found herself navigating an unexpected wilderness following a series of medical setbacks – including a traumatic bike accident – and a rewritten relationship with her own processing speed. In this soulful, luminous conversation, she explores the deliberate art of slowing down, the creative sanctuary of “Craftopia,” and why she now views aging not as a loss of identity, but as a continual invitation to let go.

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In This Episode:

– Vince Gill
– Eagles
– Mac McAnally
– Jimmy Buffett
– Coral Reefer Band
– Barefoot Republic
– NPR’s Wildcard podcast
– Ray Charles
– Cicely Tyson
– Roots (miniseries)
– Viktor Frankl
– Man’s Search for Meaning
– Gene Miller
– Dr. Jim Netterville
– Suleika Jaouad

Go Deeper: 

Watch: View this entire conversation above or on YouTube.
Explore: Find similar conversations in these themed playlists.
Connect: Join the conversation on Instagram.

The Other 22 Hours is hosted by Aaron Shafer-Haiss (producer, mixer, musician) and Michaela Anne (songwriter, artist, creative coach). More about Aaron’s work. More about Michaela Anne’s work.

Produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Original music written, performed and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss.

Photo Credit: Ed Rode

The Working Songwriter: Tedeschi Trucks Band

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Our guests this week on the Working Songwriter are Gabe Dixon and Mike Mattison of Tedeschi Trucks Band, the GRAMMY-winning roots ensemble led by Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. Formed in 2010, their debut album, Revelator, won the GRAMMY Award for Best Blues Album. The group has since become one of the country’s premier live bands, selling out Madison Square Garden and playing more than 20 shows at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

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Mike Mattison has been working with Derek Trucks for more than two decades. He joined the Derek Trucks Band as lead vocalist in the early 2000s and became a founding member of Tedeschi Trucks Band thereafter. He is also one of the group’s principal lyricists and co-wrote one of its best-known songs, “Midnight in Harlem.” Keyboardist and singer-songwriter Gabe Dixon joined TTB in 2019. Before that, he led the Gabe Dixon Band and build a solo career of his own. Within Tedeschi Trucks Band he has become a key songwriter, vocalist, and instrumentalist.

TTB have appeared on Austin City Limits, the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! NPR called the band “a deeply skilled and spirited ensemble” while Rolling Stone has praised their “freewheeling, soulful sound.”

I got a chance to catch up with Gabe and Mike to hear about their musical journey so far.

Photo Credit: Chapman Baehler