Folk Files

Stan Rogers was one of Canada's greatest singer-songwriters, despite his music having never had major distribution or significant radio playtime. In this episode, I discuss the (tragically short) life of the impressive baritone and dissect his songs in order to answer this question: What makes his songs such instant folk classics? Host and Producer: Olivia Harding Assistant Producer: Aaron J. Morton Learn more about TransTrad: https://www.transtradfest.org/ Watch the One Warm Line: The Legacy of Stan Rogers: https://youtu.be/-h9A2RAfv9M?si=EJMzxJbvwi_upiEj Support Folk Files by joining the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FolkFilesPodcast For a full list of musical excerpts, head to the Folk Files website: https://folkfilespodcast.com/season-3/episode-3-5/

A harrowing murder ballad in which an older sister shoves her younger sister in the water (and sometimes a musician makes an instrument from the drowned girl's corpse) can be found all over Great Britain, North America, and Scandinavia. But where did it originally come from? And how has the story changed as it's traveled across seas? Find out in this episode of Folk Files, all about "Twa Sisters." Host: Olivia Harding Learn more about the Spokane Fall Folk Festival: https://www.spokanefolkfestival.org/ For more on this ballad, check out the In the Roud podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj8x5X1kCc0 Support Folk Files: https://www.patreon.com/FolkFilesPodcast Special thanks to Aaron J. Morton For a full list of musical excerpts associated with this episode, head to the episode page on the new Folk Files website: https://folkfilespodcast.com/uncategorized/episode-3-4/  

In this St. Patrick's Day episode, I ask the question: Is it actually Irish? We will explore over thirty songs that are performed in Irish contexts and see if they actually come from Irish sources. Along the way, we'll discuss the Rising of 1798, the history of Dublin, the Great Famine, and the Irish diaspora.  Host: Olivia Harding Learn more about the Albuquerque Folk Festival: https://www.abqfolkfest.org/ Support Folk Files: https://www.patreon.com/FolkFilesPodcast Special thanks to Aaron J. Morton For a full list of musical excerpts associated with this episode, head to the episode page on the new Folk Files website:

Is "The MTA Song" a conservative song or a communist song (or neither)? And why did record companies try to hide the origins of the tune of one of the most prolific early 20th century country songs? Find out in this episode of Folk Files, which discusses "The MTA," "The Wreck of the Old '97," and "The Ship That Never Returned." Host: Olivia Harding Support Folk Files: https://www.patreon.com/c/FolkFilesPodcast Check out the new website: https://folkfilespodcast.com/ Special thanks to Aaron J. Morton Reach out to Folk Files at [email protected] For a full list of musical excerpts associated with this episode, head to the episode page on the Folk Files website: https://folkfilespodcast.com/season-3/episode-3-2/

Welcome to the third season of Folk Files! We are starting off the year with a Robert Burns-themed episode to celebrate Burns Night on January 25th. Learn about the traditions associated with the Burns Night Supper and discover how Robert Burns was indispensable when it came to preserving Scottish folk music.  Host: Olivia Harding Support Folk Files: https://www.patreon.com/c/FolkFilesPodcast Check out the new website: https://folkfilespodcast.com/ Listen to The Rhythm Atlas: https://rhythmatlas.com/listen/ Special thanks to Aaron J. Morton Reach out to Folk Files at [email protected] For a full list of musical excerpts associated with this episode, head to the episode page on the Folk Files website: https://folkfilespodcast.com/season-3/episode-3-1/