Basic Folk

Michaela Anne grew up in a military family that moved a lot: Washington, Michigan, California, Virginia, and Italy. She and her family are currently in the middle of a huge, long move. It seems like there are always SO MANY THINGS going on with Michaela in her family and career.
One of the constants growing up was listening to music and learning to play. In the mid-2000s, she studied at the New School in New York City, where she met her future husband, musical partner and co-host of their show The Other 22 Hours, Aaron Shafer-Haiss. They eventually relocated to Nashville and are in the middle of relocating to New England via Michigan.
In the early 2020s, Michaela's life changed intensely: She got sober, found out she was having a baby, and her mom had a very serious stroke. “My hands were full of the hands of those who needed me,” she says, “and for two years I didn’t pick up my guitar.” She has since released two full-length albums, including 2026's These Are the Days. The new album is her first self-owned album of her career after a decade of recording under traditional indie-label systems.
In our conversation, she speaks to her relationship with chaos and how she prefers many, many things going on at once, versus calm and stillness. She talks about her complicated and evolving relationship with beauty and her own physical appearance as she turned 40 this year. She discusses her relationship to masculinity, which is something she is especially thinking about lately as she and her husband are raising a son.
Like many people, Michaela's career was transformed because of the pandemic. In addition to that world-changing event, she realized that no one has any control over anything and she was going to stop putting off having children. It was something she had always wanted but put aside, over and over, because of her career. This is a very action-packed and inspiring conversation with Michaela Anne. I learned a lot from her in our hour together and I can't wait to do it again!
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Jimbo Mathus grew up in a house full of musicians, and by the time he was 8 years old, he was sitting in on family jam sessions. He dropped out of college, joined the Merchant Marines and eventually settled in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He formed The Squirrel Nut Zippers in 1993, which experienced massive success in the mid- to late ‘90s. The band was swept into the short-lived swing music revival, alongside The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and movies like The Mask and Swingers.
It was a short-lived revival, but the Zippers offered fans something deeper and darker that led to a lifelong career for the ever-curious Mathus. Right around the time the band was rising to stardom, Mathus released the album Play Songs for Rosetta under the name James Mathus and His Knockdown Society. Originally released in 1997, the album was recorded in tribute and as a benefit for Charley Patton's daughter, Rosetta Patton Brown, whom he grew up with. Jimbo learned in his thirties that Rosetta was Charley’s daughter and that she had never received any royalties from his music. (There is a new vinyl addition of the album available for pre-order in a very limited run until Sept. 30, 2026.)
In our conversation, Jimbo opens up about his connection to Rosetta and what he learned about Charley Patton through his very private daughter. He talks about his short film called Postcards to Rosetta, which explores the secret moments in the life of Charley Patton and particularly the relationship he had with his daughter. The short film features marionettes interpreting moments in Charley’s life. Mathus also comments on his ethos on genre and talks his band’s new album, which he has been working on for thirty years. Titled The Squirrel Nut Zippers Starring in "Fat City" (The Ballad of Lil' Tony), the album is based on Mathus’ grandfather’s life as a bootlegger, juke joint operator, and big band promoter in the South.
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For 17 years, Rachel McCartney had set aside a music career and all the anxiety and uncertainty that came along with it. She was in her mid-30s and wanted a family and some stability. Once she started a new life as an ICU nurse and mother to two young children, her musical career and the momentum she had created over the past three decades in New England and Western Pennsylvania didn't much cross her mind.
I met Rachel when I was 18 years old while at Emerson College. It was the year 2000 and the folk scene in Boston was popping with incredible talent: Lori McKenna, Deb Talan (The Weepies), Anaïs Mitchell and many others were selling out shows left and right in listening rooms across New England. Rachel was a frequent name that popped up in the newspaper, on radio, as a busker in the subway and around town at venues like The Kendall Cafe, Toad and of course, the folk mothership, aka Club Passim. It was a lucrative time for the singer-songwriter with a big voice and great songs.
She would frequently appear with another Boston-famous, yet under-the-radar songwriter, the Atlanta-born Brian Webb. Although, their friendship was hard-won after their brief romantic relationship ended. However, they kept performing together as the two were each other's musical kindreds, their voices blending effortlessly. If you were at Rachel's recent album release, you were treated to some Rachel & Brian classics that lit up the WERS Coffeehouse in the early 2000's. Needless to say, I am so thrilled that Rachel's released new music and am very excited that she agreed to be on the podcast today.
In our conversation, we discuss her move from Iowa to Massachusetts as a teen and how the impact of that has influenced the way she makes decisions for her kids. She talks about her relationship to the guitar, her singing and her songwriting. She addresses the allegations that, indeed, she is a horse girl through and through.
She moved to Pittsburgh in her 20s on a whim, something we have in common. She reflects on Pittsburgh, busking in Boston and what it was like to choose a stable life with a family in nursing. Her new album, Taming Dragons, was produced by Zack Hickman and she shares what it felt like to be in the studio after nearly two decades. I was pleased to point out that dragons also appear on Tori Amos' new album (In the Time of Dragons), which then led Rachel to share what the dragon symbolizes for her.
We did this interview in my backyard (like Oprah) and you can hear birds, lawn mowers and Francie in the background, but I think it all adds to the atmosphere. I have interviewed Rachel many times, but it was all before my cerebral cortex was fully formed, so this is basically the first real interview I have done with the fabulous Rachel McCartney! - Cindy
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We are so honored to welcome Keb' Mo' (aka Kevin Moore) on the show for our 350th episode! After many decades of incredible music, his new solo acoustic album, The Breakdown, was written and recorded at his home studio near Nashville following open-heart surgery and personal life changes. He's also recently released his second collaborative album with the legendary Taj Mahal.
We were blown away by Keb' Mo's definition of the blues: "honesty music." There's a lot of debate nowadays whether the blues is something that includes a formal set of requirements. Is it a genre? Is it a type of sound that's trapped in a particular historical era? Kevin didn't even give the time of day to any of those gatekeeper explanations. He said if the music has that honesty, has the moan and the sense of speaking to Black experience for a Black audience who understand what it's like to struggle, that's what the blues is.
There's a spectrum of humility to ego in music. Some artists use music and performance as vehicles for their own notoriety. During this interview, I was struck by how far on the opposite end of the spectrum Keb' Mo' falls. Kevin went from being a kid in Compton asking his parents for a guitar, knowing how much $25 meant in those days, to now being an artist sponsored by so many guitar companies. He still remembers a time when the idea of having a collection of guitars was crazy talk. 
His humility during our conversation is so present. I asked Kevin, "What does success mean to you and do you think you've achieved it?" His answer was, "I get to keep playing and I don't have to get a regular job." Even after all these years and so many accolades, it's a privilege for him to play his own original music in front of people and to be a part of this tradition.
I just wanna shout out how generous Kevin is as a conversation partner. I came into this interview nervous because he's one of the more legendary guests that we've had on the show. I found myself a number of times having to sit back and receive a compliment. He's the first to say, "That was a great question. You're really thoughtful. You're killing it!" So I was really lucky to interview him. - Lizzie No
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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.
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.
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