Fresh Cuts: Grief is having a moment
Fresh Cuts! Here we are. Cindy’s picks. Cindy hosts. We have the ED of FA, Sarah LaDuke, writing about some of the songs for the Fresh Cuts blog post. Where is that? You’re reading it right now.
Cindy’s weekly Fresh Cuts radio hour airs every Friday at 2pm ET / 11am PT on Folk Alley’s 24/7 stream — available on our website, mobile app, or your smart speaker. You can always hear the best new folk music around on our Fresh Cuts stream.
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Molly Dowling – “In Loving Memory”
Molly Dowling is in the Irish folk duo Antuala with Harry Burns. This is her second solo song released this summer.
In the new single, out today, Dowling unearths vivid moments from that odd passage of time and sense of place you experience when someone who was always there is no longer anywhere that you can see them. The melody and lyric hold the impact of huge loss – even as it dilutes but never disappears.
Grief is having a moment (how could it not be) and I say: bring on the songs that articulate and share the experience. Life is hard and it’s going to end* – tuneful connection can help.
*As distilled by Caleb Heron/Bowen Yang on this week’s “So True” podcast.
John Prine – “World Without Love”
Speaking of tuneful connection: our beloved John Prine always brought it in spades — I don’t need to tell you.
A summary of the gift we get this fall, from provided press materials: “Oh Boy Records – which is celebrating its 45th Anniversary in 2026 – has announced the October 9th release of ‘Found Dogs,’ a newly curated John Prine archival release celebrating the 30th anniversary of Prine’s 1995 LP, ‘Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings.’ Assembled from the original recording sessions and demos from the era, ‘Found Dogs’ collects alternate takes, acoustic solo performances, and five previously unreleased Prine originals, offering listeners an intimate look at his songwriting and studio process during a pivotal time era of his career.”
“World Without Love” is one of the outtakes from the 1995 album. The official music video (above) features marvelous, grainy, warm Super 8 footage of Prine on vacation in the 1970s.
Steve Earle & Los Lobos – “Volver a Celaya”
Steve Earle: “The character speaking to you in this song is based on guys that I worked with framing houses, right after I dropped out of High School in 1971. At first I worked with other guys who looked like me – anglos on crews that worked from 7:00am til 3:30 and then knocked off and headed to the nearest beer joint. Minimum wage was $1.60 an hour and I never took home a check bigger than 85 bucks – until I discovered Mexican crews worked from ‘can’t see to can’t see,’ sometimes putting in 50, even 55 hours a week. Shortly after starting with those guys, I held a hundred dollars in my hand for the first time in my life. It was simply a different way of thinking about making a living. These guys put in all the hours they could, brought the money home to their family on the westside – or back across the border to Mexico. […] These days, with the word ‘immigration’ on the tip of everyone’s tongue, I found myself wondering where Cruz, Armando, and Eusebio are today and what they would make of this mess, so I set to putting words in their mouths.
Cindy also includes “Sticks and Stones” (a current FAvorite) by Bronwyn – whose album, ‘Rattlin’ Bones,’ is out today. We have a review from Henry Carrigan on the website. (He loved it.) We also have Kate MacLeod’s generous “I Will Sing My Heart Out,” Sierra Ferrel’s “Trying to Love You,” and (you guessed it) more.
Fresh Cuts:
Bronwyn – “Sticks and Stones”
Howley – “Wild One”
Caroline Cotter – “Grounded In Love”
Alex Dupree – “You’re A Dog, Don’t Talk to Me”
John Prine – “World Without Love”
Riley Downing – “Helen & Gene”
Laura Veirs – “Flying Into Darkness”
Molly Dowling – “In Loving Memory”
Steve Earle & Los Lobos – “Volver a Celaya”
Kate MacLeod – “I Will Sing My Heart Out”
Phoebe Bridgers – “Lost Boys (Acoustic)”
Mama’s Broke – “Old-Fashioned Love Song”
Sierra Ferrell – “Trying to Love You”
