Basic Folk podcast, eps. 277 – Jeffrey Foucault
In our episode with Wisconsin-born, New England-based Jeffrey Foucault, we asked the singer-songwriter a handful of questions about his background, including coffee, the Midwest, and Mark Twain’s wisdom. We also talked about the late Billy Conway, Foucault’s long-time musical partner, drummer, and best friend, who passed away from cancer in 2021. Conway was a rock-and-roll roots legend in Boston, known for his work with Morphine and Treat Her Right. Billy was like a holy man—his creative, curious, and infectious spirit left a deep impression on everyone who met him, even if only once (myself included). His loss deeply impacted the music community.
In 2023, a tribute album featuring Conway’s songwriting, recorded by some of his closest friends (Chris Smither, Foucault, Kris Delmhorst, and Billy’s wife, Laurie Sargent), was released. With his latest album, The Universal Fire, Jeff has given us a ‘working wake’ for his friend Billy.
We discussed what was happening in Jeff’s life when he met Billy in 2013, and how their friendship and collaboration instantly clicked. Jeff also shared how consciously he has been processing Billy’s death, particularly as a role model for his teenage daughter (who is also getting into folk music and live performance—hi, Hazel!). We also delved into The Universal Fire, where Jeff parallels the loss of Billy Conway with a different kind of loss: the 2008 fire at the Universal Studios lot in California that destroyed master tapes of many influential American recordings. Finally, we checked in on how Jeffrey is navigating life in the high-tech world of 2024.
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