Basic Folk podcast, eps. 319 – Kora Feder
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Kora Feder talks about her new album Some Kind of Truth as well as reflects on the incredible changes and growth she’s experienced since last we spoke (February 2020). The impacts of the pandemic on her music career have included the necessity of exploring other artistic ventures like crafting hats and lino-cutting. She’s relocated from Philly to California, finally settling in Detroit. Kora, originally from Northern California and daughter of songwriter Rita Hosking, went slightly viral during the pandemic thanks to her song “In a Young Person’s Body.” In the poignant early pandemic composition, she pays tribute to John Prine, old friends she hasn’t spoken to in years and somehow captured better than anyone.
She discusses the passing of her grandparents, who she moved back to California to be with before they died. Their lives and deaths both deeply influenced her new record. Kora also opens up about the nuances of her gender identity, the importance of historical friendships that allow for unfiltered creativity, and her approach to writing both personal and political songs. We go through many of the tracks on her new album, including, what I think is the best break-up song I’ve ever heard, “Paragraphs.” Kora Feder is a really incredible leave-you-breathless songwriter. Here’s hoping that she doesn’t wait five more years to release a record because we’re gonna need her.
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