folk Archive
02 Feb 2026
30 Days Out, February 2026 #1: Dar Williams, Mdou Moctar, Pleasantly Wild, Stephane Wrembel
February in Asheville used to be a kind of secret season: the tourists stayed home (or wen elsewhere), and locals had a brief respite during which we could get a […]
02 Jan 2026
David Wilcox: Making a Hero’s Journey
Plenty of songwriters take a conventional approach to making albums; they think to themselves,” I’ve written ten new songs since the last record, and here they are.” There’s nothing wrong […]
22 Nov 2025
Album Review: Jess Wayne – Ancient Door
This Taos, New Mexico singer-songwriter describes his music as “electric bourbon folk.” There’s potentially a lot to unpack in such a description. Listening to Ancient Door, one hears a breezy, […]
03 Nov 2025
30 Days Out, November 2025 #1: Beach Fossils, Furious Bongos, They Might Be Giants, David Wilcox
If there’s a thread connecting the disparate array of artists spotlighted in this rundown of music coming to Asheville in the next 30 days, it’s critical praise. All are admired […]
01 Feb 2025
30 Days Out, February 2025 #1: Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, Fantastic Negrito, Judy Collins, Michael Marcagi
Great artists from here (Asheville) and there (everywhere else), from now (Fantastic Negrito) and then-to-now (Judy Collins). Those are among the highlights for the the third 30DO of this new […]
01 Jan 2025
30 Days Out, Jan. 2025 #1: Chuck Brodsky, Heavy Mountain Fest, Coverfest IV, Hiss Golden Messenger
This edition of 30 Days Out marks the 11-year anniversary of the twice-monthly article (which in its early years ran in our local altweekly). Doubling down on the local/regional emphasis, […]
19 Sep 2024
Jewel’s Journey to Now (Part 4 of 4)
Continued from Part Three… Early on, you began co producing and then producing your own albums. What did that mean to the kind of music that you were able to […]
18 Sep 2024
Jewel’s Journey to Now (Part 3 of 4)
Continued from Part Two… Did the success – even belated success – of your first album put pressure on you when making Spirit? By the time my second album came […]
17 Sep 2024
Jewel’s Journey to Now (Part 2 of 4)
Continued from Part One… The way it’s often told, the circumstances of your “discovery” some years ago are kind of a fairy tale story… That was a very intense and […]
16 Sep 2024
Jewel’s Journey to Now (Part 1 of 4)
Jewel (Kilcher) has defined success on her own terms. With a fascinating and unusual backstory, the Alaska native sailed against the prevailing musical tides of ‘90s grunge, proving that there’s […]