Thursday, January 28, 2021, 4:15pm
Raye Zaragoza named her 2020 album, "Woman in Color," because she saw it as "a coloring book, and every song was a like a little bit of me coloring in my story, of my past and my present and my future."
"Being a woman of color in America and someone of mixed race, I’ve always felt like identity is something that weighs on me very heavily and something that I really wanted to write about in this record," she said.
Zaragoza recently talked with me and shared some solo acoustic performances off her album. We’ve played the recording quite a...
Wednesday, October 30, 2019, 1:30pm
Mary Gauthier's 2018 album "Rifles & Rosary Beads" was written with veterans and their families as a way to share their stories of war and beyond.
Wednesday, September 2, 2020, 3:05pm
Science and spirituality have often been portrayed as opposites or enemies, but for singer-songwriter Peter Mayer, they are intimately connected. His music has been described as spiritual or mystical, but, he said in a recent interview, "If I would think of myself as a mystic, I would also think of myself as a mystic who is very respectful and interested in science."
Tuesday, August 20, 2019, 12:55pm
When so often the latest thing is considered the greatest thing, Eilen Jewell prefers her music with the word "early" in front of it.
Wednesday, May 1, 2019, 5:40am
"Music is magical." That’s the way singer-songwriter Kari Arnett described the process of creating her latest album, "When the Dust Settles."
Wednesday, March 20, 2019, 11:45am
For the band Lula Wiles, folk music isn't just about passing on the music, but also passing on the possibility to other women.
Sunday, March 10, 2019, 9:20am
For Noel Paul Stookey, one-third of the iconic 1960s folk trio, Peter, Paul and Mary, music still plays an essential role in today's society.
Tuesday, February 19, 2019, 9:00am
Bluegrass, like so many genres of music, is a mix of styles: old-timey string band music, with a little bit of blues and jazz from down South, some English and Scottish influences from the Appalachian Mountains, and a pinch of gospel music as well. The members of Nashville quartet the Barefoot Movement share how they came upon their version of bluegrass music.
Wednesday, January 23, 2019, 11:25am
“Where would we be without music?!” That was a question that musician Johnsmith recently pondered during an interview for WPR’s Simply Folk. “Sometimes you’re driving down the road and Simply Folk comes on or some song comes on and you didn’t even think that some issue was up in your heart or like you were stuck about something ... and all of a sudden you got a tear in your eye or you’re really laughing. You’re really thinking about some little thing and it just kind of opens you up.”
Johnsmith is from Trempeleau County in Wisconsin’s Driftless region, and...
Thursday, January 3, 2019, 10:25am
Lil Rev and Larry Penn talked with "Simply Folk" host Stephanie Elkins back in September 2013 when they shared a performance of their classic, "I'm a Little Cookie."
Thursday, December 6, 2018, 9:55am
We Banjo 3 is a four-piece string band from Galway, Ireland, that plays a blend of music they call "Celtgrass." This recording is from an in-studio interview the group did on "Simply Folk" on May 5, 2016.
Wednesday, November 21, 2018, 10:40am
Rivka Maizlish is a doctoral student in the history department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a focus on folklore, particularly folk music. She stopped by WPR to talk with Dan Robinson, the host of "Simply Folk," about folk music and her work as a folk historian.
Sunday, August 26, 2018, 7:00pm
WPR's Sheila Shigley had the good fortune to interview Wisconsin-born artist Jeffrey Foucault this summer, and to capture some great tunes in Buck Studio -- take a listen!
Friday, August 17, 2018, 9:15am
Art Stevenson and High Water brought their brand of traditional bluegrass, sterling instrumental work, and wonderful harmony singing to the Simply Folk Shindig this past June. They’ve been at the heart of the Wisconsin string band community for years, and the crowd loved their performance this summer!
Thursday, August 9, 2018, 2:10pm
Joseph Huber and his band brought their high-energy show to Rothschild and the 2018 Simply Folk Shindig in June. Joseph had the crowd up and dancing for most of his performance!
Friday, August 3, 2018, 10:10am
The Simply Folk Shindig returned to the Rothschild Pavilion in June 2018, including a fantastic performance by Milwaukee duo, Nickel and Rose - Carl Nichols and Johanna Rose. Here's their set that opened the evening ... enjoy!
Wednesday, July 11, 2018, 11:20am
Joseph Huber and his band burned up the stage at the 2018 Shindig in June! Before the concert, the Milwaukee-based musician was kind enough to do an interview and performance with Simply Folk host Dan Robinson, sharing music and stories from his life and career.
Wednesday, May 2, 2018, 5:10pm
The Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers, also known as Nikki Grossman and Joe Hart, came by WPR’s Buck Studio to share their music and some conversation with Simply Folk’s Dan Robinson, covering topics from songwriting to their love of old-time music. They also performed some songs from their latest album, “Don’t Think about Tomorrow Tonight.”
Thursday, March 15, 2018, 4:55pm
The Milwaukee-based duo, Nickel and Rose, aka Carl Nichols and Johanna Rose, will be performing at the Simply Folk Shindig on June 7th. In anticipation of that performance, they were in WPR's Buck Studio recently to share music and conversation with Dan Robinson. Along with talking about their inspirations for writing music, they shared a couple of new songs that will be on an album they'll be recording soon.
Sunday, February 4, 2018, 7:15pm
Kendra Swanson recently brought her strong voice, energetic instrumental work and wonderful musicianship into WPR's Buck Studio recently for a performance and conversation with Dan Robinson. A talented singer-songwriter, Kendra's roots-based music reflects both her personal journey and inspiration from the natural world.
Sunday, January 28, 2018, 9:30pm
Joe Jencks was recently in WPR's Wausau studio with Dan Robinson to share his music and talk about where he draws inspiration for his songwriting. An 18-year veteran of the folk music circuit, Joe is well-known for his solo work as well as his time with the trio Brother Sun.
Sunday, December 3, 2017, 5:00pm
Marlin Ledin was in WPR’s Superior studio for an interview with Dan Robinson recently. Along with sharing music from his new self-titled EP, Marlin discussed how the album came to be and how being in the northwoods has influenced his music.
Sunday, November 26, 2017, 7:15pm
At WPR’s La Crosse studio, Dan Robinson interviewed David Schipper about the folk music community in the La Crosse area, as well as the larger Coulee Region and Driftless area. David, a musician himself, as well as a house concert host and one of the organizers of the Great River Folk Festival, talked about the musicians, venues and events of southwest Wisconsin.
Sunday, November 5, 2017, 7:15pm
Wade Fernandez brought his voice, his guitars, and his flute into WPR's Wausau studio to share his music and his life experiences with Simply Folk host Dan Robinson. Soaring from Menominee Indian Reservation roots to blues, from rock to original music, Fernandez performs a wide variety of music, both here in the U.S. and around the world. All that music and lived experience made for a great performance and conversation.
Monday, October 9, 2017, 3:45pm
On a mild Wisconsin day last June, folk-rock act the Avett Brothers spoke and sang to a modest but spellbound audience of songwriters and musicians at the inaugural Between the Waves Conference.
Sunday, August 6, 2017, 6:00pm
Art Stevenson and High Water have been playing great bluegrass music in Wisconsin and beyond for decades. They brought their tight harmonies and stellar instrumental playing into the WPR studio recently for a performance and interview with Dan Robinson.
Sunday, December 18, 2016, 7:00pm
Door County musician Katie Dahl came out with a new single this month, “In the Dark,” which she says is “a hymn for the longest nights of the year. During times of darkness – in a year, in a life, in a nation – who brings the light?” We just played it this past Sunday on Simply Folk, so we thought it would be good to share this June 2011 interview with Katie and former host Stephanie Elkins. Enjoy!
Tuesday, June 17, 2014, 12:00pm
The band Dead Horses, a four-piece folk/bluegrass ensemble based in Oshkosh that's just finishing up its second album, came in for a session in WPR's Buck Studio. We shared a little conversation, and they provided a preview of five powerful new songs. There was beautiful and effortless four-part harmony on top of very strong instrumental work (featuring guitars, stand-up bass, fiddle and mandolin).
Wednesday, May 18, 2016, 2:15pm
Stephanie Elkins interviews noted Wisconsin musician Robert J!