Allie, my guest interviewer on Episode 4, is a terrific songwriter, as well as the student and goddaughter of Julie Bonk. She has released a couple of CDs, and you can sample more of her music on her website, alliefarris.com.
David Wilcox recorded his latest CD, Reverie, in front of a hand-picked audience of fans who were instructed NOT to clap until everything was finished. He was also kind enough to video the proceedings, so here’s the opening track.
Sorry to shout, but That’s Soundacious is currently the number one Folk podcast at Podomatic, beating out “professional” titles like Folklandia and Sing Out!
That's Soundacious is now the #1 folk podcast at Podomatic!
Thanks to all my listeners. Please pass the ‘cast along to friends who you think might like it. I’m curious how long I can stay at number one. The ratings are determined daily, so I’ll keep you posted here.
***EDIT 6/27 – Still there!
***EDIT 6/28 – That was fun while it lasted, but I’ve been knocked down to #2 by perennial favorite Celtic Roots Radio.
This is the transcript for the interview in Episode 4. If you listen at the same time you read, you may notice a few minor differences. That’s because I did a little editing to make the audio flow better. You’re welcome.
— John
DW: Hey, this is Dave Wilcox. I’m at Kerrville. I love being at Kerrville, I’ve been coming here for 25 years. And I remember when I first came here. It was kind of bewildering seeing these song circles and hearing these beautiful songs, some of them from people who’d just started playing, some of them from people who’d been playing all their lives. And they were on equal footing. The authority of the song is what spoke, and not any sort of industry credentials. And around the campfire when you can’t even see whose face it is, the character that comes into view is the character in the song.
And so you listen and you get transported into these wonderful other worlds where there’s beautiful characters and drama and the song paints a whole beautiful picture. And the fun part, and the frustrating part, is that, you know, on one level we’re all equal and the songs find their way into our hearts with no problem. And then on another level you wonder, how do you ever get your music out there when it’s not just a campfire? And I remember, y’know, 25 years ago when I was just starting, I had so many questions about, well, what do you do first? Should I buy a sound system? Y’know, should I get a manager? Should I try to, y’know… there was so many questions.
But I think one fun way to talk about this was, last night I got into a conversation with a wonderful songwriter who I just heard for the first time. Allie has just come to Kerrville this year, and y’know, she’s 20 years old and she’s right where I was way back then when I was feeling like, What do you do next? So I’d like to introduce you to Allie. I forgot your last name, what’s your last name?
AF: My name is Allie Farris.
DW: Allie Farris. So y’know, even though we’re talking to lots of people through this magical airwaves, I would love to just hear sort of how this festival feels to you, where you’re going from here, if you have any questions that might … help all of us, y’know, the ones who have been doing it for a while and forget how magical it is, the ones who are just starting out and want to get a perspective on sort of how we get to where we’re going. So, what’s on your mind?
This is the first half of an extraordinary interview between Allie Farris, a fiercely talented young performer looking for the secrets of songwriting success, and one of my musical heroes, David Wilcox. The end result is not just an overview of the logistical problems facing struggling musicians, but also a lesson in conscious and adventurous living that can apply to anyone trying to eke out a more creative existence. I feel privileged to have been at the right place and time to just put a microphone between these two.
I play several fragments and songs of Dave’s through the course of this show, and you can hear them complete and buy your own copies through the following links:
The second part of this talk will be available in two weeks, on Monday, August 8. Cheers!
Allie Farris and world-renowned folk musician David Wilcox join me under the Camp Stupid tent at Kerrville for a fascinating talk about the intentional creative life. You can hear the result (or part one of the result) this Monday in episode 4.
In this episode, we hear the second half of our visit with the 2011 finalists of Kerrville Folk Festival’s University Songwriters competition. We also get a lesson in KFF history from “eco-troubadour” Bill Oliver
Want to hear more of this week’s University Songwriters Finalists?
Here are the websites of this episode’s featured artists:
Incidental music:
Episode 4 will be available Monday July 25, and will feature an interview with renowned folkie David Wilcox.