Mulligan Stew Podcast

EP 321 | The Fretless – With new album GlassWing

September 28, 2024 Mulligan Stew Podcast

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The Fretless guest on The Stew.
Karrnnel Sawitsky and Trent Freeman – one-half of The Fretless join us.
Saturday in the first hour.
Their album – GlassWing is brilliant. With 3 songs cowritten and sung by Madeleine Roger.
Classically trained, raised on rock, jazz, blues, folk and heritage roots, they take all those influences and combine them into a sound unlike any other
group.
They take 100 year old shanty’s and reshape the song without losing the original melody so it can last another 100 years.
In GlassWing, they write all their own tunes. Three co-written with Madeleine Roger.
There is such joy in hearing violins, violas and cellos driving the beat where normally the drums and bass would be.
Impressive my friends.  Very impressive.
Have a listen to Pipe Dreams!  
The Queen Nancy – named after a car and a make-believe BC Ferry.
Icarus – a Madeleine beauty
Or the lead track Lost Lake.
 
This marks a new chapter The Fretless. With Lights, sound and stage design created especially for this album, these songs and this tour.

The Fretless GlassWing Tour 

  • Oct 3  Fanny Bay
  • Oct 4 Comox
  • Oct 5 Victoria
  • Oct 6 Van
  • October 10 Calgary
  • October 11 Edmonton

 

EP 320 | Donovan Woods and his latest album Things Were Never Good if They’re Not Good Now.

September 21, 2024 Mulligan Stew Podcast

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This week we welcome Donovan Woods and his latest album Things Were Never Good if They’re Not Good Now.

Wonderful insight into his songwriting and his place in the music business.

The first time he played in Victoria, he couldn’t believe the audience knew the words to his songs.

And in the past year, he played in Australia and remembers an audience in Perth who sang the words louder than he could.

He has come a very long way has Donovan.

Struggling to find things to sing about or sing at all.  A series of failures led to an addiction counselling program and committed himself to getting to “the bottom of myself“

He changed his mind about a lot of things.

” It turns out the truth does really set you free” 

“I won’t be cheesy and say I  feel like this is my first album, but it certainly feels like a new start”

EP 319 | 2 Guests, Joel Plaskett and Leeroy Stagger both with New albums!

September 14, 2024 Mulligan Stew Podcast

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Joel Plaskett’s eleventh album—One Real Reveal is special for several reasons.

Joel sat down with a small Telefunken KM56 microphone and a 4-track recorder and recorded the tracks for One Real Reveal ON CASSETTE TAPE starting with the brilliant High Summer.

This album and its music is bare.  Because it is, you find yourself focusing on the music and especially the lyrics.  These are words and melodies that will still  the air in a concert hall.

IF you can get in.

Joel’s current tour out west is Sold Out. Fittingly, the tour ends at Massey Hall in Toronto.

It too will be Sold Out.

Discover the new sounds of Joel Plaskett. Just like the old Joel Plaskett only quieter, more reflective.

I’ve been waiting many years to have Joel to myself. Just to exchange ideas and passions.

My timing couldn’t have been better. One Real Reveal was well worth the wait.

www.joelplaskett.com

 

 

The other welcome guest is our pal Leeroy Stagger.  Host of Dirty Windshields Radio Hour on CKUA Saturdays.

But before Leeroy joined us, he was a highly respected singer/songwriter and he continues to write, record and perform his very personal songs.

Leeroy has just released his latest album 3 am Revelations.

In it, Leeroy reflects the life around him. The road, family, social issues and seeking the answers to all his inner questions.

3 am Revelations rocks.  Bangers like Watermelon Pink, Count to 10, These Days.

Then finds balance with reflective gems like It’s gonna be alright (someday), Alberta Stars, Life’s a Drag, etc.

It’s good to have friends and partners like Leeroy Stagger.  Great album Leeroy!  You nailed it.

www.leeroystagger.com

 

EP 318 | Blues Master Robert Finley interview at Edmonton Folk Festival

September 7, 2024 Mulligan Stew Podcast

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Terry David Mulligan joins Blues lifer Robert Finley in the media tent at the Edmonton Folk Festival.

Robert spins the stories of how he went from losing most of his sight to becoming the hot new voice in the blues.

It’s quite a story he tells.

Inviting himself to do a cold walk-on at the Blues Festival in St Helena.  The crowd loved him and that moment set things in motion.

The Music Maker Relief Foundation, a non-profit blues support system,  heard him busking in the streets and offered to help.

Finley released his first album “Age Don’t Mean a Thing” in 2016.

Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys heard him and they started recording together – with Dan as producer.

They’ve now done 4 albums together. Each one is bigger and better.

The latest is Black Bayou.

There will be no more busking for Robert Finley. He’s 70 years old and an overnight sensation!!  

www.robertfinleyofficial.com

 

EP 317 | Madeleine Roger Interview and new Album ‘Nerve’

August 31, 2024 Mulligan Stew Podcast

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I’ve been waiting for new music from Winnipeg’s Madeleine Roger for four years.

That’s how long it’s been since I discovered her voice, playing and gifted songwriting.

Maddy took a solo career detour through the stellar chops of The Fretless.

They needed an exceptional vocalist who understood and was comfortable with, classical music.

Madeleine needed a different “band” to shine with. Perfect!

So here we are in early September and both artists are releasing new albums.

Madeleine has just released NERVE a new album filled with tales of lost love and found freedoms.

Produced by Josh Kaufman (Anais Mitchell, Bonnie Light Horseman)  Recorded in four days. They threw away the headphones and sat 8 feet apart..making music .

There are actually four extra songs waiting to be released.

I am here to state – in my opinion –   an exceptional new star has risen – her name is Madeleine Roger.

Enjoy the complete interview and the music included.

www.madeleineroger.com

EP 316 | Rhiannon Giddens Interview 2024

August 24, 2024 Mulligan Stew Podcast

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The last time I had the privilege of interviewing Rhiannon Giddens it was in 2017 at Edmonton Folk Fest.

In the next five years, she became a World star.

For example:

In October 2017, Giddens was named one of the 2017 class of MacArthur “Genius” Fellows.

In 2017 and 2018, Giddens appeared in the fifth and sixth seasons of the CMT‘s

In January 2018, Giddens co-produced Songs of Our Native Daughters for Smithsonian Folkways.

in early 2018, the Nashville Ballet announced that Rhiannon Giddens has been commissioned to write the music for Lucy Negro, Redux. In 2019, Giddens released two studio albums: Songs of Our Native Daughters  and There Is No Other with Italian musician Francesco Turrisi

Giddens earned an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for her lasting impact on the UNCG community and her work in music. In 2023, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music from Princeton University

In other words, the last 5-6 years have been a delightful blur.

Thus my first question was …what do you remember of the last 5 years?

If anyone is going to change music in her lifetime – it’s Rhiannon Giddens!!

Enjoy.

EP 315 | Colin James brings his 21st album

August 17, 2024 Mulligan Stew Podcast

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Colin’s 21st album is called Chasing the Sun.   Today,   Aug 17 is his Birthday. Happy Day Colin

 

Co-produced by Colin Linden in his Pinhead Studios in Nashville.

Colin’s coming to the  Mulligan Stew Podcast with the complete story of how he and his friends wrote and created these outstanding songs.

 

Colin singing a Lucinda Williams song, Protection, with Lucinda in the studio doing harmony. Two tracks with blues harp legend Charlie Musselwhite, co-writing memorable songs with Tom Wilson, Terra Lightfoot, Thompson Wilson, Jesse Obrien and others. A great rhythm section of Darryl Jones (Stones) Charley Drayton (Keith Richards).

A splendid cover of Paul Butterfield’s classic  In my own dream . Also vocals by  The McCrary Sisters and Ruby Amanfu

Colin Linden leading the all-star band and co-writing with Colin James.

It’s their 6th album together.

Colin and I have been doing interviews for a long time but there are  still events and moments in his life that need retelling.

For example, when the two Colins’  met on the Canadian Prairies Colin James was 13 and Colin Linden was 17. Both were into playing the blues.

A short time later Colin, still a teenager, got to play for Stevie Ray Vaughn. Stevie helped him take the next steps in his career.

This is the complete Interview.

It’s here on the  Mulligan Stew Podcast  and the terrydavidmulligan YouTube Channel

His 2021 album Open Road won the JUNO Award for Best Blues Album and was nominated for Blues Foundation Best Blues Rock Album in 2023.

 

Catching the Sun may very well get the best reception yet.

EP 314 | Rhiannon Giddens Interview in 2020 at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival

August 10, 2024 Mulligan Stew Podcast

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Terry sits down with Rhiannon Giddens in 2020 while at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival in 2020.  Tonight Terry will be speaking to her again to catch up On the past 4 years!

EP 313 | Exclusive Interview with The Grapes of Wrath

July 27, 2024 Mulligan Stew Podcast

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Kevin Kane and The Hooper Brothers  Chris and Tommy have been an original Canadian band for over 40 years.

The Grapes of Wrath.

Same three guys. Still making music.

This podcast is their first complete band interview in over 10 years.

Like many, I had presumed that the guys had moved on to solo efforts or other bands or other dreams.

When I saw that they were playing and selling out The Carleton in Halifax I started to dig and found – amazed – that they were in fact playing the Filberg Festival in Comox, Vancouver Island on August 3.

Also Edmonton, The Maritimes, Vernon and  The Dream Café in Penticton.

Bringing with them songs containing people’s memories, whole lifetimes.

 

Peace of Mind

You may be right

These days

And the still brilliant…

All the things I wasn’t.

 

Platinum records, multiple tours of Canada, the USA and Europe.

In 1992 they went separate ways only to rediscover the power of their friendship and music in 2010 at a festival in Surrey, BC.

The same three guys…Let’s celebrate The Grapes of Wrath. Enjoy the stories and the music.

Tour Dates:

www.grapesofwrath.ca

 

EP 312 | The last two folk fest interviews. Terry Wickham (Edmonton) Jenna Klein Waller (Canmore)

July 20, 2024 Mulligan Stew Podcast

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The last two festival directors join us on The Summer Stew –
Terry Wickham – Edmonton Aug 8-11
Many years now the musical leader at  Edmonton Folk Festival.
As you know, he’s a natural storyteller and this year he’s telling stories of the growing indigenous component of the festival. Also how it all started to grow within the fest, it involves the Chieftains.
Terry talks about how he discovers artists, why certain artists strike a chord in him and how he had to keep a headliner booking secret for 7 months.
The complete interview can be heard on the Mulligan Stew Podcast and the video on the terrydavidmulligan YouTube Channel.
Jenna Klein Waller – Canmore  Aug 3-5
It’s year one for Jenna.  She has stayed in touch with the other artistic directors. Learning even more as she went. The one thing the festival wanted to focus on was finding a younger audience.
Jenna talks about the artists that her younger audience wants to see and hear.