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It's 2024 recap time on Basic Folk! Cindy & Lizzie dive into a most special year-end reflection, featuring highlights from our honest conversations with folk musicians. We revisit THE top episode of the year, Anna Tivel & Jeffrey Martin's insightful discussion on navigating artistic challenges and living a simple life. Cindy shares her favorite episode featuring her co-host Lizzie No talking about her career-defining album, Halfsies (our 250th episode!). In turn, Lizzie's favorite honest convo came from Leyla McCalla onboard the Cayamo Cruise. We sat in the ship lounge and dug in with Leyla about the "folk process" and her thoughts on cruising, as a Haitian-American, as we ported in Hispaniola aboard a luxury cruise line. (Spoiler: it is complex!)
Basic Folk checks in with friend Jontavious Willis about his biggest lesson of 2024 and what defining success as an independent artist looks like as he has just released his latest West Georgia Blues. We also welcome Rose Cousins' heartfelt words on embracing change as she prepares to release her next record, Conditions of Love - Vol. 1 (out March 14, 2025). As the episode ends, Lizzie leaves us with some words of wisdom:
"We are at a time of year where your body wants to be doing less. We've just survived a chaos clown show of violence in the election. Our culture is shifting rapidly. It's okay if the things that used to work for you don't work anymore. You're allowed to start over. You're allowed to try new things. You're allowed to tell people in your life, 'I've changed.' You're allowed to listen to new artists. You're allowed to change how you dress. You can do it all. 2025 is a new year and you have freedom. And that's my blessing to you." - Lizzie No.
Goodbye 2024!
Episodes featured:
Anna Tivel & Jeffrey Martin: https://basicfolk.com/anna-tivel-jeffrey-martin-eyeballs-ice-cream-and-portland-oregon/
Lizzie No: https://basicfolk.com/lizzie-no-the-goat-on-gender-tiaras-and-leveling-up/
Leyla McCalla: https://basicfolk.com/leyla-mccallas-joyful-rebellion-sun-without-heat-and-the-freedom-of-play/
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Dave Simonett, lead singer and songwriter of the bluegrass-adjacent Trampled by Turtles, is a talented musician AND a great outdoorsman. From the small town of Mankato, Minnesota, to the vibrant music scenes of Duluth and Minneapolis, Simonett shares his upbringing in a musically-inclined, nature-loving family, shaped by the sounds of church hymns and classic rock. In our Basic Folk conversation, he opens up about his dual passions for music and the great outdoors, recounting his experiences with pheasant hunting and conservation efforts in Minnesota. He reflects on the parallels between the camaraderie found in hunting and playing music, emphasizing the importance of trying new things and embracing the unknown. We also delve into the evolution of Trampled by Turtles' unique sound – described as a "butterfly's heartbeat" – and the band's journey from traditional bluegrass to their own distinct style.
Elsewhere in the episode, Simonett talks about the challenges and rewards of maintaining artistic integrity in the music industry while balancing creative growth with commercial pressures. He shares insights on his band's latest project, Always Here, Always Now, a dual EP featuring recordings by both Trampled by Turtles (Always Here) and his solo project, Dead Man Winter (Always Now). He wrote five songs and instead of picking a band to record the tracks, he handed them over to both bands to do what they will to the music. The results are very cool to listen to side by side. The episode wraps up with a fun lightning round, where Dave reveals his dream supergroup and favorite hunter orange accessory (gotta be safe out there!).
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I (lizzie) first came across Becca Stevens via her collaboration with string group The Attica Quartet. Her new album, Maple to Paper, is really different from her previous releases. If you think you know everything that there is to know about Becca Stevens as a singer, songwriter, arranger, and producer, you are wrong. And you are going to be so amazed by this new record. It's completely stripped down, featuring just her guitar and her voice. During the pandemic, Stevens started getting inspired to write songs about her family, about her mom, about grief, about becoming a mother. She decided to record Maple to Paper in her home in Princeton, New Jersey. The result is a super intimate and adventurous, bold and personal album which is full of amazing performances.
In our Basic Folk conversation we also got to talk about some of her notable collaborations. The most interesting one, to me, was hearing about how she considers the late David Crosby a continuous spiritual co-writer. In addition to her friendship with Crosby, Stevens has collaborated with so many more incredible musicians including Jacob Collier and Sufjan Stevens on the Illinoise Broadway musical. She has a really unconventional approach to infusing pop, jazz, and folk into her work. Maple to Paper became an instant classic for me the minute I heard it. I'm really excited for our listeners to hear the song, "Shoulda Been There for Me," which feels like an old school R&B tune, but arranged for a contemporary folk record.
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Hot off the heels of Twisted Pines' latest release, Love Your Mind, Kathleen Parks is here to dig into her uncelebrated polka origins. Daughter of renowned trumpetist Eric Parks, the younger Parks grew up in New York's Hudson Valley in a very creative family (her mother was also a dancer and the one who made Kathleen practice all the time). She started young on the violin and was surrounded by her dad's polka music, as he was a member of The Jimmy Stir's Orchestra, which my dad – also a Polka-Head – calls "the top polka band revered by all polka bands." Parks even sat in with the band as a teen, when she would occasionally fill in for their violinist. She fully embraced her strong Irish roots not only in music, but also dance, which she calls her second love. After accepting a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, she started meeting and jamming with bluegrass musicians in the area, especially at the Cantab Lounge, famous for its weekly bluegrass night. This is where her new band Twisted Pine scored a residency and started building a following.
On their new record, Kathleen is the de facto lead singer, which she's just fine with. She also explains the band in one phrase: "Let's see what happens." That philosophy is definitely present on the new record, which is filled with wild vocal performances and sees the band operating at its highest level. In our Basic Folk conversation, we explore the mental health themes highlighted in “Funky People,” a song about how difficult it can be to take care of yourself on the road and the relief you find in people you meet. Plus, we cover “After Midnight (Nothing Good Happens)” and finally find out what time one should go to bed at a bluegrass festival. It's always earlier than you think.
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Friends and collaborators, Edie Carey & Sarah Sample teamed up in 2014 for their first album Til the Morning: Lullabies and Songs of Comfort. The pair both had babies and were wanting to do a project that centered around calming music for both children and adults. They were shocked at the album's reception by adults (aka non-babies) who listened after experiencing grief, trauma and huge loss. This type of music certainly had an important place in the world. Now, they have done it again, but with more of a focus on calming music for adults with their follow-up: Lantern in the Dark: Songs of Comfort and Lullabies, which includes some originals, their first co-write and new interpretations of songs by Wilco, The Beatles, Cyndi Lauper and James Taylor.
In our conversation, we tackle the concept of comfort. What is a good balance of comfort and what they experienced in the surprise reaction from their first record. It was also a great time to talk about their experience as touring musicians with young babies... the types of questions they would get asked that they are sure their male counterparts with young children would not get. They talk about the songs on the album, one of which was written by Edie in the aftermath of her mom's sudden and recent passing. We wrap it all up, of course, by hearing each of their James Taylor stories and a delightful bedtime-themed lightning round.
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I woke up today and my wife told me the news. I went for a walk in the woods and found myself thinking about We Shall Overcome and singing it by myself surrounded by fallen leaves and pine trees. I put on Dawn Landes’ new album: The Liberated Woman’s Songbook, I thought about women of the past and how they found their strength. I started posting clips of women who appeared on Basic Folk this year. As I was listening, I wanted to put these voices together all in one spot because I found strength and comfort here. I hope it helps you, wherever you are, whoever you voted for.
Take care today. We’ll be here for you.
Featuring voices of: lizzie no, Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O'Donovan, Dawn Landes, Amy Helm, Missy Raines, Peggy Seeger, Michaela Anne, Ana Egge, Denitia, Liv Greene, Kaïa Kater, Humbird, Leyla McCalla.
Feedback? Email us: [email protected]
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We're starting with the end in our conversation with Kasey Anderson. On the pod, we've covered a lot of firsts; debut album, origin stories and the beginnings. Ever since I (lizzie) have known Kasey, his social media bio has been "gradually retiring songwriter." I'm always teasing him about "What does that mean? When are you going to retire?" Officially, this latest album, 'To the Places We Lived,' is Kasey's "last album." I want to put that in very heavy quotes because I hate to imagine a world where a great songwriter friend of mine is not making records. I think his insistence on this album as the last one has more to do with saying goodbye to parts of the music industry that he wants to release and ways of being in the world that he doesn't want to engage with anymore. What do we need to let go of? What do we need to release? That's the place where this album begins.
We talk about Kasey's whole songwriting career. The moment where he went surprise viral for one of his political songs, "The Dangerous Ones." We talk about his time being incarcerated and what that taught him about himself, what it taught him about the world, what it taught him about white supremacy. We talk about his family. We talk about his sobriety and his work in helping others get clean and stay clean, and what staying clean means in a holistic and gentle sense. The songs on this album are mournful, literate, and very, very fun. My favorite is "Back to Nashville;" it's a rock and blues song. Kasey is the type of artist who can write a really contemplative song about self reflection or grief or loss, and then a blues rocker that makes you want to shake your ass in the next second.
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Editor’s note: For this episode, we invited our friend Mark Erelli to interview Chuck Prophet. The two are familiar with each other's work through songwriting together for Mark's latest album Lay Your Darkness Down (2023). We're thrilled to welcome Mark back as guest host!
Chuck Prophet has been a mainstay on the indie and Americana music scenes since the 1980s, before either designation was a common part of the rock ’n’ roll lexicon. Through his guitar work in the seminal psychedelic desert rock band Green On Red, musical collaborations with Kelly Willis, Kim Richey, and Warren Zevon, and a string of over a dozen solo records, Prophet has carved out a respected niche in rock music history with his “California Noir” sound. It’s a streak he probably could have kept riding for the rest of his career, if not for his sudden diagnosis with lymphoma a couple years ago. During his treatment and eventual recovery from cancer, Prophet found solace in his record collection—in particular the vibrant rhythms and danceable energy of Cumbia. He eventually sought out a favorite local band in the genre to jam, and then formally collaborate on Wake The Dead, Prophet’s first new solo album in four years. The project blends his longtime band The Mission Express with members of the Cumbia outfit Quiensave, and the result is equal parts familiar and fresh.
I have firsthand knowledge of Prophet’s freewheeling collaborative process, having worked with him and his longtime songwriting partner Klipschutz on a song for my 2020 album Blindsided. I once taught with Chuck at a folk festival songwriting school, and was relieved to be able to play before him at the instructor open mic, because no one wants to follow Chuck Prophet. His musical catalog is so deep and broad that it’s both inspiring…and a bit overwhelming. It was a joy to re-connect with him for a wide-ranging conversation about his new album, that also touched upon his sense of humor, guitar playing techniques, surfing culture, and even his favorite Bob Seger song.
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Oh how I've longed to talk to Liv Greene. Every once in a while you come across a young artist that seems older and wiser than her 26 years. Liv's been giving me that impression since I met her in 2019 when she was at Club Passim waiting tables and breaking hearts on the stage at just 21 years. Ok enough about being young. Liv's been writing, studying music and going to music camps since she was 12. Arguably she's been studying music all her life with her Americana loving parents who were filling the house with the sounds of Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris and Shawn Colvin, to name a few women In music in heavy rotation at the Greene house. Being the only of her friends that liked that kind of music, Liv attended many DC-area concerts with her mom, taking in the magic of live music at a very tender age. Speaking of tenderness, that's what Liv Greene is all about and she digs into it in our conversation. She started writing and playing shortly after she was inspired by a Taylor Swift concert. From there, she took off on the instrument and even sought out music education in camps like Miles of Music in New Hampshire. It was at that camp as well as the arts academy Interlochen High School, where she started meeting peers with similar interests. She found herself living for summers with her music camp friends. Prior to her senior year at Interlochen, Liv was a closeted queer at her all girls Catholic school mostly writing fictionalized stories into her songs because she could not deal with who she was.
She attended and graduated from The New England Conservatory of Music and released her debut album (produced by Isa Burke) right in time for the pandemic in May of 2020. Shortly after that, she moved to Nashville and has spent the last several years on an intense path of self-discovery. Liv found her community, came out, wrote and self-produced her new album, Deep Feeler. On this album, you can hear the growth she's experienced and you can hear Liv thriving in her corner of the Nashville Music scene that includes the indie folk music scene. We talk about all of this including what it means to have a neurodivergent brain, music production, the roller skating community and her favorite Taurus personality traits.
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The Oregon-bred indie folk music outfit Blind Pilot goes on a deep spiritual journey on their new album In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain (produced by Josh Kaufman). The music inspiration for frontman Israel Nebeker lay in his songwriting process. After struggling with writing for years (this is the first Blind Pilot album in 8 years), he set aside the songs he *had* been working (which will be included on a new solo record in 2025). Nebeker gave himself a month to write an album's worth of songs to present to the band. He demoed the songs and headed out for a trip centered around spiritual growth in Norway.
Searching for ancestral connections, Israel sought out the Samí culture and community (a semi-nomadic Scandinavian people), in which he has roots. He participated in a Samí shamanic journey exploring indigenous spirituality. A Sámi shaman took him on a drum journey and invited him to listen for ancestors and visions. He had a vision where his ancestors were beckoning him to a path that led straight to a mountain, which was clearly his family legacy and origin. Back in the studio with the band, he relistened to his songs and was very surprised to realize that the album was about his ancestors. The connection that the rest of the band felt in delivering the music is palpable. The special emotional dynamic that always exists on a Blind Pilot is supercharged on the new album In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain.
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Amy Helm has had one of the most fascinating lives that any person can have. As you might have guessed from her famous last name, she comes from roots music royalty. Amy Helm is the daughter of Levon Helm, the beloved late drummer for the incredible groundbreaking Canadian American group The Band. She also continues to run and uphold the musical legacy of The Barn, a music venue and recording studio built by her dad and Garth Hudson and served as Levon Helm Studios.
In her own career, she has created a new lineage of musical tradition, family, great songwriting, poetry, and a feminine power that emanates off of her. We're talking about her new album, Silver City, but we're also talking about songwriting process and creative writing through letters to women in her life. We're talking about grief, writing about addiction and recovery with Mary Gauthier. We're talking about single parenthood. We're talking about family. We're talking about being on the road. We're talking about how our bodies change over time and how that makes us different as a vocalist and as an artist. Amy Helm generously dives into the emotional storytelling of her new album and the female empowerment she's felt throughout her career and life.
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Looking back at her wildly successful and always adventurous career up to this point, it feels inevitable that Lisa Loeb was always going to be a songwriter and have a music career. But young Lisa probably could have done any creative job well. She grew up surrounded by music, yes, but she also had a passion for theater, and got her degree in comparative literature. It was her theater, voice acting and film side hustles that led Lisa to her first big break. Lisa’s friend Ethan Hawke shared her song “Stay” with Ben Stiller, who included the song in the soundtrack for the film ‘Reality Bites.’ “Stay” was a massive hit, and Lisa was the first-ever artist to have a #1 hit on the Billboard charts without a recording contract.
The second act of Loeb’s career is the main focus of our conversation. This chapter in the book of Lisa Loeb is all about… children’s music! As her latest album, ‘That’s What It’s All About,’ demonstrates, Loeb has managed to keep playfulness and curiosity at the center of her life well into adulthood. She has figured out the delicate balance of making music for kids that adults can relate to as well. Happy memories of music from her own childhood, as well as nods to her elders, make this new record a sonic storybook that listeners of all ages will enjoy.
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The names Bruce Molsky and Darol Anger have come up more often than not when talking to fiddlers on Basic Folk. The pair have single handedly mentored hundreds of our favorites in fiddle music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Darol's online music school, music camps, festivals and more. Darol and Bruce joined us on the occasion of their newest folk music collab: their new album Lockdown Breakdown. Folk music has often been associate with nerdiness, so we get right into their nerdy roots with Bruce's love of fountain pens, his background in mechanical engineering and all facts about American roots music, Bluegrass music and fiddle music you can stand.
They each talk about their origins: Bruce in the Bronx and Darol in Northern California, which eventually led him to co-founding the David Grisman Quintet. We discuss the social aspect of the old time and bluegrass music world and how that has translated into the way they each approach socializing. They discuss the thousands of fiddle lessons they've given younger players and why they like to mentor younger generations. And of course, the album, which was recorded live in a Nashville studio in just a few days. They talk about what the energy was like in the room for all their live takes during the session. It was a pleasure to speak with these two very funny, very influential musicians! They are doing incredible and important work!
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Editor’s note: Basic Folk is pleased to introduce our listeners to one of our favorite podcasts by sharing an episode in our feed!
Do you ever find yourself watching, reading, or listening to something truly amazing and wondering, “How did they do it?”. That's why we wanted to share an episode of American Masters: Creative Spark, the award-winning podcast from PBS.
American Masters: Creative Spark shares the creative journeys of artists and legends across disciplines. Recently, host Joe Skinner sat down with Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jewel to discuss her latest project The Portal: An Art Experience by Jewel, which integrates music, behavioral health concepts, and visual arts into an immersive experience centered around the "three spheres" philosophy. The episode dives deep into Jewel's personal life and career, recounting her journey navigating a traumatic childhood and channeling its challenges into better understanding herself.
Needless to say, American Masters: Creative Spark is the perfect companion podcast to Basic Folk. So make sure to follow American Masters: Creative Spark on your favorite podcast app.
You can learn more about “The Portal: An Art Experience” here: https://crystalbridges.org/news-room/jewel-presents-immersive-art-experience-at-crystal-bridges-museum-of-american-art/
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Welcome to another edition of Folk Debate Club, our occasional debate series! To discuss Ambition vs Acceptance, we welcome our panel: music journalist Kim Ruehl, Basic Folk boss Cindy Howes, and yours truly Lizzie No. We would like to extend a very warm welcome to our special guests singer-songwriter Michaela Anne & producer Aaron Shafer-Haiss, also hosts of The Other 22 Hours podcast. In our lively conversation we work through thoughts and feelings about the definition of ambition: a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. We take the approach from a music industry and folk music perspective
It is no surprise that capitalism gets rung right out as a reason that ambition goes wrong for artists. As Kim says "Art is like the nervous system of humanity" and mixing creation with ambition-gone-wrong is a dangerous game that a lot (most?) professional musicians play with at some point in their careers. This episode has everything: navigating our way out of toxic work environments, messy reactions to unpopular yet important political stances and how to not throw away the people who disagree with you. Listen along and enjoy the ride.
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In our episode with Wisconsin-born, New England based Jeffrey Foucault, we had a handful of questions for the singer-songwriter about his background: coffee, the midwest and Mark Twain wisdom. Then we talked about Billy Conway for more than an hour. Conway was Foucault's long-time partner in music, drummer and best friend who died from cancer in 2021. He was a rock and roll roots legend in Boston with his tenure in Morphine and Treat Her Right. He was like a holy man, known for his creative, curious and infectious spirit where even people who met him only one time (myself included) were quite taken and inspired by his presence. The loss of Billy Conway hit the music community hard. In 2023, a tribute album showcasing the songwriting of Conway recorded by some of his closest friends (Chris Smither, Foucault, Kris Delmhorst, Billy's wife Laurie Sargent) was released. And now, with his latest album release, Jeff's given us a working wake for his friend Billy, The Universal Fire.
We talked about what was going on with Jeff when he met and started working with Billy in 2013. What state of mind made this spectacular friendship and collaboration completely click. How conscious Jeff has been about his reaction to Conway's death and processing grief when it comes to being an example for his teenage daughter (who is also getting into folk music and live performance- hi Hazel!). We also dig into the new album, The Universal Fire. He paralleled the loss of Billy Conway with a different type of loss: the 2008 fire at the Universal Studios lot in California that destroyed master tapes of hugely influential American recordings. And finally, a check in on how Jeffrey's humanness is faring in the high-tech world in the year 2024.
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Throughout his music career, singer-songwriter Amos Lee has cultivated a large female fanbase and also owes a lot of his early start to Norah Jones (a female!). He's about to hit the road co-headlining with folk music and queer icons, The Indigo Girls. In our conversation, he talks about the atmosphere he's going for in concert and it's not a very bro-centered vibe. His latest album Transmissions further proves his case with a gorgeous sonic palette that includes country music, indie folk, folk rock and acoustic music sounds. Recorded with his longtime band in a studio in rural Marlboro, NY, the songs came out as warm as the reclaimed church wood it was built out of.
Amos dives into topics like how he feels about kids, to his work with cancer patients, to the benefits of caring for your mental health and music. He touches on anxiety and overstimulation (mostly prompted by my anxiety!) and overcoming adversity. He also talks about being a mentor for the Black Opry residency at WXPN in his town of Philadelphia and explains what a Hoagiemouth is. Amaze and delight at the wonderful Amos Lee.
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Maya, Nina and Lyle de Vitry's life, beginning in Lancaster PA, has been music and family, music festivals with old-time music, songwriting and folk music. The de Vitry siblings (including sister Monica, currently teaching art in Western Mass) grew up amongst music and nature in their rural home and even had a family band called Old-Time Liberation Front. Many jams around the campfire, music lessons and encouragement from their parents lead all three siblings to careers surrounding indie folk music (and jazz! thank you, Nina). All three have released albums in the past year: Maya's new album “The Only Moment” is her fourth record in only six years of performing solo in her post Stray Birds career. Lyle JUST released his debut album, “Door Within a Dream,” while simultaneously working alongside other banjo makers at the Pisgah Banjo Company, his current day job. Nina's excellent debut "What You Feel is Real" came out last year, but she's been busy playing on the Noah Kahan tour as "the utility player". Nina's singing harmonies and playing fiddle, mandolin, banjo, guitar and 12-string guitar while finding creative inspiration from the energy of the crowds and her new found musician siblings in Noah's band.
In our special conversation with the de Vitry sibs, we talk about how they feel about each other's creative process, songwriter process and musician inspiration. They get into how being at all these music festivals and jams as kids bonded them together. We learn about made-up words that their family uses to this day: stay tuned to find out what a butchabee and a taffy bub is. Also they each talk about how disconnected they feel from the mainstream (Nina had never heard of Noah Kahan's music until she was asked to audition for his band). Also Lyle gets into how being around three sisters, female musicians and female songwriters has impacted him and his musicality. And don't miss a very special de Vitry "Which One" lightning round wrapping up one of the most special singer-songwriter interviews we've done on Basic Folk.
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Editor’s note: Basic Folk is pleased to introduce our listeners to one of our favorite podcasts by sharing an episode in our feed! The Other 22 hours, hosted by singer/songwriter Michaela Ann and producer Aaron Shafer-Haisse, talks to fellow musicians about the helpful tools and routines the use to stay creative, inspired, and sane while navigating a career built on their art. The thing I like about this podcast is that these conversations are between musicians. They're very real. The musicians share insights that go beyond normal bio questions. They talk about things that can actually translate into non musicians' lives. They dive in deep right from the start. I came across this podcast when they interviewed Leyla McCalla and was blown away by that conversation. Some other favorites have been William Prince, Gretchen Peters. Today we're going to share their conversation with Mary Chapin Carpenter. I hope you enjoy and subscribe and follow and support Aaron and Michaela on The Other 22 hours.
Episode SummaryMary Chapin Carpenter is an 18x Grammy nominated, 5x Grammy winning, 6x platinum-selling singer-songwriter with over 16 albums and decades of touring so far in her career. We talk with Mary Chapin about her songwriting process, including her need for solitude and her practice of "song walking," we talk about how she still faces rejection even with all of her accolades and commercial success, how common and easy it is to personalize mistreatment from people in power (and how to combat that), and much more on this very candid final episode of Season 1.
Episode NotesMary Chapin Carpenter is an 18x Grammy nominated, 5x Grammy winning, 6x platinum-selling singer-songwriter with over 16 albums and decades of touring so far in her career. We talk with Mary Chapin about her songwriting process, including her need for solitude and her practice of "song walking," we talk about how she still faces rejection even with all of her accolades and commercial success, how common and easy it is to personalize mistreatment from people in power (and how to combat that), and much more on this very candid final episode of Season 1.
Get more access, including exclusive content, advance knowledge of our guests and the ability to have them answer your questions, special workshops, and more by becoming a member of our Patreon, at this link.
Links:
Mary Chapin CarpenterCarl SandburgTaylor Swift Eras TourSteve PoltzEp 43 - Gretchen PetersEp 22 - Group Text (Erin Rae, Caroline Spence, Kelsey Waldon & Michaela Anne)Kelly ClarksonEp 16 - Rodney CrowellRose CousinsClick here to watch this conversation on YouTube.
Social Media:
The Other 22 Hours InstagramMichaela Anne InstagramAaron Shafer-Haiss InstagramAll music written, performed, and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss.
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Sometimes it strikes me just how much power can emanate from a creative mind. Speaking with Denitia was one of those times. When the indie music artist comes across an unfamiliar musical concept, she goes “sponge mode” until she understands it. Then she seamlessly integrates it into her artistic vocabulary. This relentless curiosity and sense of play can be heard across Denitia’s catalog, from her early work as half of the New York indie R&B duo denitia & sene to her breakthrough country album, “Highways.” Her fluency with multiple genres gives her a refreshing approach to record-making, sound, and fashion alike.
Since moving to Nashville and pivoting from R&B to indie country, Denitia has been grabbing audiences’ attention with her gorgeous voice and catchy-as-hell cool girl indie songwriting. Denitia was selected for the CMT Next Women of Country class of 2024, and her forthcoming album, ‘Sunset Drive,’ delivers on the hype. Denitia and her longtime songwriting partner, Brad Allen Williams, have painted classic country landscapes against which tales of escape from the ordinary are told with longing and warmth. The new record is something of a full-circle moment for the Texas-born artist, and a showcase for her prodigious talents as a vocalist. Lizzie No leads the conversation in our singer-songwriter interview with Denitia where she offers music industry insights, vocal warm-up techniques and music marketing strategies. Also, we definitely dig into FASHION: from her New York streetwear days to thrifting vintage clothes in Nashville.
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