Mike and Ruth Merenda have been making music together as the Mammals since 2001, with a little break in 2008 to play as Mike & Ruthy. They’ve been back as the Mammals since 2017 with a couple of great albums, most recently ‘Touch Grass’ Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. Mike, born and raised in New Hampshire, picked up the banjo after he met fiddler Ruth Unger. Ruth is the daughter of Jay Unger, a much loved folk musician who is…
Joe Henry & Mark Erelli Wanted to Hang Out, So We Let Them
Joe Henry has released 15 studio albums, apprenticed for legendary producer T Bone Burnett and, in turn, has produced many…
Laurie Lewis’ Bluegrass Love Letter to California
A foundational participant in the ’70s Bay Area bluegrass scene, Laurie Lewis knows the power of collaboration. She’s been a…
Naomi Westwater is Spiritually Creative, But Also Very, Very Organized
Something you might notice about Boston musician Naomi Westwater is that they have both sides of the brain on lock.…
Great Lake Swimmers’ Tony Dekker: Accidental Bandleader
Accidental bandleader and beloved Canadian Tony Dekker joins us to talk about Great Lake Swimmers’ new album, ‘Caught Light.’ Tony…
Mary Chapin Carpenter is the Woman in the Truck
Mary Chapin Carpenter’s latest album, Personal History, is as lush in production and color as is the beautiful farm land…
2025 Wrap-Up: Gals Chat, A Corn Cob, Alaska, and One Man
To send 2025 off into the great abyss, we have a sensational year-end Basic Folk roundtable featuring Lizzie’s group chat:…
Madison Cunningham is Embarrassed All the Time
Our episode with Madison Cunningham was one of those all-time Basic Folk moments where a guest gets really deep really…
Frazey Ford Revisits the Subtle Grooves of ‘Indian Ocean’
Frazey Ford has always loved soul music. She fell in love with Otis Redding at age 11 and discovered people…
The Barr Brothers Rally Around Mysticism
In the eight years since The Barr Brothers last released an album, Andrew has been drumming with people like Feist,…