Hear the Best New Folk Music with Fresh Cuts Friday
Ready for some of the best new music we’ve heard this week? It’s a great list as you’ll see below — and as you’ll hear when you join me for my “Fresh Cuts” radio hour! Listen every Friday at 2 p.m. Eastern, 11 a.m. Pacific via the 24/7 stream on our website, app, or your smart speaker.
Or, just click on the Fresh Cuts stream whenever it’s convenient for you.
In the meantime, check out some of the best new music we’ve been listening to this week.
Anna Tivel – “Disposable Camera”
Buckle up for new Anna Tivel in 2024! A more pop-forward effort this time around, Living Thing (out May 31) was written through the tumultuous eyes of 2020. Tivel shares: “I wrote feverishly in the strange chaos of that year, suddenly out of work and attempting to understand the shifting human fabric, the depth of desperation and the overwhelming tenacity of spirit. The resulting songs felt rhythmic and vital, with more melody and soaring chorus than I’ve explored in the past.” Don’t sleep on this eyeball video.
Check out the Ugandan singer-songwriter, Jon Muq, who’s upcoming debut album Flying Away (out May 31) was produced by Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys). Flying Away tells the story of Muq’s life thus far. From obsessively learning “We Are The World” on CD-R (thus honing his English and best Lionel Richie impression), to being hired as a performer on Norwegian Cruises to eventually making his way to Austin’s local music scene.
Rhiannon Giddens – “The Ballad of Sally Anne”
Rhiannon Giddens contributes a heart-wrenching ballad to the new My Black Country: The Songs of Alice Randall compilation (out April 12). My Black Country is a reclamation of the history of Black contributions to country music. Rhiannon Giddens shares: “After looking at the lyrics of this modern ballad, I did the folk thing. Brought it into my time, my space, my emotions — so it morphed, it swirled, and suddenly ‘Sally Ann’ came through my banjo. Grateful for the opportunity to be a part of Alice’s beautiful black girl magic reclamation.”
Bonny Light Horseman – “When I Was Younger”
“When I Was Younger” is the dreamy new song from the trio of Anaïs Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson, and Josh Kaufman. From the band: “There’s a whole genre of trad songs with this ‘domestic frustration’ sentiment, like ‘Single Girl Married Girl,’ ‘Wish I Was A Single Girl Again,’ etc. This song is inspired by those, but we wanted to write it as a duet, to tell two sides of a story.”
