Benjamin Dakota Rogers is a new voice with the sound of an old soul. At just 25, this Gen Z-er is already a four-time international songwriting competition winner, and from his first word to his newest single, music has infused every part of his life. Now Benjamin tells Cheryl how he came to live and work in a barn, his songwriting secrets, and how he became a social media sensation, literally overnight.

It's International Women's Day, so FolkPod brings you a very special episode with not just one, but TWO of Cheryl's favorite women! Mama's Broke is our first Canadian duo (and first duo EVER on FolkPod). Don't miss a minute of them sharing their gorgeous harmonies, incredible chemistry and the stories behind the songs.

Mary Gauthier has so many accolades it's hard to even list them all... Grammy Nominee, International Folk Music Awards Artist of the Year Winner, GLAAD Media Awards Nominee, and many, MANY more! Plus, her songs have been covered by by performers including Tim McGraw, Dolly Parton, Blake Shelton, Kathy Mattea, and Jimmy Buffett. Finding success, however, was a bumpy road. Now, Mary has a wide-ranging chat with Cheryl about protecting herself from falling iguanas, her first spark of inspiration, starting over at 40, the myth of sex, drugs, & rock and roll, her healing work with Songwriting with Soldiers, and of course, her new book "Saved by a Song," which Cheryl calls a must-read! 

From New York City's High School of Music and Art, to Sundays in Washington Square Park and Woodstock, Happy Traum has been the heart and soul of the American folk music scene. He's cold-called guitar legend Brownie McGhee, hit the big time with his brother Artie, played with dozens of folk music luminaries, and taught hundreds of thousands how to play through Homespun Music. He even designed his own signature guitar to rave reviews! Now hear him tell Cheryl his 60 year story in under an hour! Plus, he even plays a previously unreleased song just for our FolkPod fans! 

Long-time listener, first time guest Darryl Purpose chats with Cheryl about his journey from world-class blackjack player to globetrotting musician, how a protest march turned into the first ever stadium concert in Russia, and a run-in with the law that jumpstarted his music career. Plus, hear how he won a million dollars sitting in a Starbucks and about the dream about Darryl that Dave Carter turned into a song. 

Happy One Year Anniversary, FolkPodders! We're turning the tables by having Cheryl interviewed by our friend of more than 20 years, fellow musician, and guest host extraordinaire Carolann Solebello! Cheryl's been drumming pretty much as long as she can remember, but if think performing and schmoozing come naturally to her, has she got stories for you! Plus how she saved Lou Reed's voice AND David Bowie's birthday, all in one week! Find out (almost) everything you wanted to know about Cheryl Prashker when she hits the guest chair and in the hot seat with guest host Carolann Solebello! It's our very special anniversary gift to YOU! Thanks for being the best listeners ever!

John Davidson's been everywhere! From Broadway to Vegas, to The Hollywood Squares, The Tonight Show, and now to Club Sandwich, John's talents as an actor, comedian, TV host, singer/songwriter, and all around entertainer are truly incredible! He really HAS done it all! John talks to our own Cheryl Prashker about figuring out what to do with your life, his philosophy on buying your own shoes, and what you'll really get at Club Sandwich. (Hint: It's not a deli!)

You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll listen again & again! Don't miss Cheryl Prashker's incredible interview Joe Crookston. Joe believes in showing up as your quirkiest, truest, most essential self, and he believes in taking chances...even when that means playing a famous cover in an industry showcase where he only gets two songs. Learning the stories of people he meets in his travels and writing songs from their point of view, Joe's music elicits a deep, emotional reaction. Just take Blue Tattoo, his song about Holocaust survivor Dina Jacobson who immigrated after the war, settling near the Finger Lakes, where Joe happens to live. Hear the whole story of this song and many of his others this week, on this must-listen episode.

Meet L.A. guitarist, singer-songwriter, Janet Robin...or as Cheryl likes to call her, Cousin Janet. When one of your first guitar teachers is Randy Rhoades who played with Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osborne, you're already off to, shall we say, an unusual start. Playing in Precious Metal before she was old enough to drink, Janet was only allowed in for sound checks and shows at some of the hottest clubs on the L.A. scene. She moved on to tour with Lindsey Buckingham, Meredith Brooks, Michelle Shocked, and Air Supply, and had a solo album “Everything Has Changed,” produced by John Carter Cash. Janet talks to Cheryl about all she’s done, and the one gig she turned down that taught her never to say “no.” Plus find out who was her toughest boss, what IS The String Revolution, and what on Earth has Janet done to the Blues???

Sonny Ochs is the older sister of legendary sing-songwriter and activist, Phil Ochs. She has also been a teacher, an ambulance driver, a tireless festival volunteer & concert series organizer, a folk music DJ, and so much more. Now, she sits down to talk to her dear friend and our host Cheryl Prashker to talk about it all. How did this all happen? Some of it she was born into, some of it was a mailman named Gus, and a lot of it was kind of an accident.

The Pride Month celebration continues here on FolkPod with the always engaging Ellis Delaney! At once open-hearted and introspective, Ellis is a feel-good musician on a mission to connect people through her songs. With an infectious laugh and music that is by turns funny and deeply emotional, Ellis finds joy in the everyday and refuses to shy away from the bigger issues we all face. Her conversation with Cheryl covers it all, from her love of fancy caffeinated beverages and writing under pressure to how living in Minneapolis in the summer of 2020 changed her. We promise lots of laughs and tons of music with Ellis Delaney on FolkPod! (One mild instance of profanity.)

Celebrate FolkPod’s first ever Pride Month episode with the inspiring Crys Matthews! In a family filled with fantastic singers, Crys thinks she probably wouldn’t win the family talent competition, but we disagree. Growing up in the South as a Black, lesbian, daughter of a preacher in the '90s was a tumultuous journey, but Crys tells Cheryl and our listeners that those difficult times helped shape who she is today. From writing early college tunes about romance to her transition to composing social justice songs, Matthews seeks to change the world in profound ways through love. Maybe that’s why she’s been called “the next Woody Guthrie.” Find out about Crys’ theories of “pandemic perks,” including the chance to collaborate with Heather Mae. Plus, a previously unrecorded song played live, exclusively for FolkPod!

When we say David Amram has worked with everyone, we mean EVERYONE, including Aaron Copeland, Dizzy Gillespie, Theolonious Monk, Pete Seger, Jack Kerouac, and more! An American composer, arranger, & conductor, David composed the music for The Manchurian Candidate, and in 1966, David was chosen by Leonard Bernstein as the first composer in residence for the New York Philharmonic. Now you might wonder what all of this has to do with folk! David has been attending folk music conferences and festivals forever. Jamming with other musicians until the wee hours of the night, David's always the one closing down the house!  His youthful energy and spirit are practically boundless, and now we are lucky enough to have him share his stories, filled with wit, wisdom, and grace with FolkPod's own Cheryl Prashker. 

Eliza Gilkyson started her professional life by singing on Disney demos written by her father Terry Gilkyson, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his work on "The Bare Necessities" from "The Jungle Book." With music in her blood, Eliza always knew this life was her destiny. Now Eliza tells Cheryl about her early influences, the difficulties of being signed as a young woman artist, and the pitfalls of being both a mother and musician, as well as her journey from back-to-the-land hippie to true political activist working through her art to enact change.

Vance Gilbert makes us laugh like no one else. From how he met Ellis Paul (not in a bordello) to his big, big dreams (being a cocktail singer) to his heart's most secret desire (to be Shawn Colvin), Vance sees the world from a slightly different perspective than other people. Listen to his chat with Cheryl for road stories from Vance's days as an opening act for George Carlin, the truth about how many pairs of airplane pajamas he really owns, and how to get the guitar out of your damn way. 

Celebrate our 10th episode with the incredible Ellis Paul, a musician and storyteller with a gift for making personal stories feel universal. Through music, poetry, and illustration, Ellis is an unparalleled creative force. From tiny open mics in Boston, to sold-out shows and Hollywood soundtracks, to his latest chapter as a mentor, teacher, and on-line artist, Ellis never stops looking towards the future and for ways to improve his music. Because of this, he continues surprise us all, taking the last year as an opportunity for a huge leap into digital performance. Don't miss this personal conversation with Cheryl about his life in music, getting a song in Me, Myself, & Irene, and the time he helped stop a nearly naked carjacker in the snows of Wisconsin!

Pat Wictor defies simple descriptions. He's a singer-songwriter, world traveller, Brother Sun alum, a cappella improv impresario, paleo baker, and even that doesn't begin to cover all of his accomplishments. He's played trumpet, saxophone, guitar, slide guitar, and sung with some of the finest musicians of the blues, jazz, and folk scenes. From Phil Ochs nights to Brother Sun to a week with Bobby McFerrin, Pat talks to Cheryl about the unparalleled diversity of his experiences and how he folds all of it into his music. Plus, we get the amazing treat of a never before recorded song, performed live, exclusively for our FolkPod fans! 

How do you get the nickname "Banana," you ask? Turns out it's a long and winding road from a childhood in California immersed in music, to flipping off the college Dean, and then sleeping on floors on your way up to becoming a founding member of 1970's hit band The Youngbloods. Plus Banana fills Cheryl in on how a dinner party intro gone wrong and his personal motto landed him the gig of a lifetime with Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. 

Scarlet Rivera was a rock violin goddess even before Bob Dylan discovered her walking down the street in the Village. From her first night improvising on stage with Dylan and Muddy Waters to the Rolling Thunder Revue, jazz fusion, Celtic music and now a solo career as a singer-songwriter, Scarlet gives Cheryl an inside look at how music has given her life purpose and direction, and how she has no interest in ever slowing down.

Tracy Grammer has come a long way from singing in a recording booth on a California pier, and that journey has been both colorful and powerful. Now she talks and laughs with Cheryl about everything from her love of the violin to her incredible partnership with the late Dave Carter to her next chapter as a thriving solo artist. Plus, get the skinny on Tracy's theory on dating your bandmates, good (and bad) reasons to uproot your life, her favorite John Denver tunes, and how long it really takes to write something new.