The Wolfe & Thorn Podcast

Since we last heard from Emily Wolfe (fiddle) and CC Thornley (banjo) they have finished their performances at the Festival of Voices and the Unconformity Festival at Queenstown.  However, since returning home Emily has not been able to find any daycare for the podcast.  So we had to Nan and Pop's place in the country.  CC scares the children.  A large hawk fights two crows for a dead rabbit.  There is drama in the play area.  CC goes over some fingering he developed on some Laing tunes and others.  Emily dusts off an old tune from the vault in C major.  (The "C" stands for complain.) And we examine some voicings of an Esus4 on a Gadd tune.  We also try to promote a gig on November 7 at Mayfairs, Sandy Bay.  But we fail.Tunes played were:1. Richmond Lasses2. Dr Moron Parade with the Derwent Rifles3. Gumnuts Schottische4. Mazurka for a Lost Ship5. Sorrell Windmill6. Black Cat Piddled in the White Cat's Eye/Homebrew 

 Emily and CC continue their valiant effort to complete Season 3 as the Wolfe & Thorn Podcast rolls on. This episode we take you behind the scenes and share with you what it's like when we madly scramble to prepare for a coming gig. Some songs you've heard before as we try to polish a few originals. We skip over some other better known tunes, and brush the cobwebs off some songs not in our regular playlist. It's all business in this episode! No time for for tomfoolery. Maybe a small amount of shenanigans, but certainly no horse play. Keep an ear out for young Georgie, who you'll remember from Episode 6 as still being inside his mum. He's out now and not only joins in singing but offers some insightful infant commentary in baby language. Songs:1. Doin Stuff2. The Wrong Tree: Prelude in Dm3. World of Beatrix Potter4. One Way Ticket/Georgie's Jig/Cape Barren Washerwoman5.  Curacao Valse6.  The Spanish Waltz7. The Onboard Waltz8. Poison (Tom Waits)9. Hush-a-bye Mountain (from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang)

Well, yes.  It's been quite a while.   There were babies, and COVID, and demanding career paths that got in our way.  Turns out Emily's children were force sensitive and we had to go through this whole palaver to un-seduce them from the dark side.  But while the original cast are still alive and not replaced by CGI, we thought we'd better get cracking on finishing Season #3.  Indeed, a lot has happened in between episodes, and yet, strangely, the plot of each one seems remarkably similar.  (That was for you George Lucas, if you're listening.  Yeah we noticed....)In this episode Emily and CC have brunch at the Marigold Cafe in Hobart, across the road from the once iconic Republic bar (now a shadow of it's former self because of the Empire of evil rich bogan pub owners that bought it and turned into a footy & parma palace....but I digress...)  We play some original tunes, and some Trad Tassie tunes of course!  We make guests feel awkward!   We get some Eggs Benedict on the mic!  We also make great use of Fatso, the Cello Banjo.Please forgive us for our long absence, and do enjoy our triumphant return.  Stay tuned, Episode 7 is on the way!Songs:1.  The Wrong Tree: Prelude Dm2.  Kieth & Georgie's Fancy3. World of Beatrix Potter4. Cape Barren Jig (Funky version)5.  Eileen McCoy's Varsoviennas6. Arabanzer7. Dust My Broom (Cello Banjo)

A bonus special episode for you tonight folks!   Emily and CC managed to get a bootleg recording of their concert at the Huon Valley Midwinter Festival, held at Willie Smith's in Huonville.Unlike our regular podcasts that are around 80% talking bulldust and 20% music, this podcast has over 80% music and less than 20% bulldust!Big thanks to Willie Smiths for inviting us to open the festival and to the sound guy who let me stick a spare cable in his hole to get this recording.See you soon with S3E6!

In this episode we lose our guest due to COVID. (Before the show, not during.)  We play 4 new tunes and review and old Steve Gadd tune.  We also talk a whole lotta nonsense, musiuc theory, song forms, technique and about how Emily can talk to the animals.  Mainly birds, who apparently "give her messages." And we discuss upcoming gigs.It's a ripper!Tunes were:1. Whipsnake in the pocket2. Old Barge/Joys of Piping3. Louisa's Air4. One Way Ticket/Raw Rosin5. Araber Tanz

Our special guests in the studio are Mr Paul Sharp (due to problems with his mic you might notice some odd things about his voice.  We apologize!) and the legendary Mighty Murri Man Jalen Sutcliffe, lead singer of the Mentolists, star of the ABC's Black Comedy and Rosehaven.We take a detour today and share with you some of the material we play in our other alter-egos, the Mentolists and the Black Swans of Trespass.  We put the trad Tassie stuff and the new album on hold while we play some of our favorite reggae tunes.  Yes, on banjo and fiddle.  Get over it.  Get ready from some hefty YouTube copyright lightning strikes as we plunder material that isn't ours, and may or may not be public domain.Keep an eye - sorry, ear out, for the return of the Gadbot 3000 as we roll out our toys to impress (and confuse) our guests!One love!  Irie!!

The mission to create the second Wolfe & Thorn album continues, despite rocketing property prices, CC being ravaged by the COVID plague, and gross generalizations as the entire Music Industry PTY LTD in Tasmania collapses.Randall Muir, who played on our last album, joins us today to accept the brief of playing accordion on the new project.  R.G.Muir is well known in Tasmania for his work in music, teaching at the Conservatorium, running Rektango, (Hobart's most treasured gig,) and in bands such as Stitch.  Also, Emily and CC were there, too, as well.Here's the songs:King Pippin's Polka,Moscow Jig,Fedora's Dilemma,Uncle Affie's Tap,Minor Swing

Hello  listeners and welcome back to the Wolfe & Thorn podcast, Season 3 Episode 1!  We have been going through ch-ch-ch-ch changes!!  Emily has had a baby and is now allowed back out in public (under supervision, of course,) and CC has a job and has joined society, begrudgingly.  Yes, it's been a while, and everything is different.  We're now dropping the podcast once a month, and we have a new focus.  You still will get 5 songs every podcast!  You still will get Tasmanian tunes!  However, this season will document our journey as we put together not one, but THREE new recording projects that include:  A new Wolfe & Thorn album of traditional heritage Tassie music, CC's solo project AND Emily's solo project!  And we will fill you in on a few other adventures with the Black Swans of Trespass.This video features The Rokeby Amateur Motorcyclists and Crystal Meth Enthusiasts club, every single resident of Rokeby deciding to mow their F#%*#!G lawns when we try to record, emotional roller coaster rides, severe self flagellation and detailed observations of us watching each other play with ourselves.  Wait....that...er...came out weird....sorry.  Songs we play are:The Cape Barren JigDown Longford WayThe Contemporary Proletariat's Adventures in Neo-FuedalismGlen Huon Waltz King Pippin's PolkaEnjoy!  or not.  Do what you like.  It's up  to you.  

Well it's come to that time.  We say goodbye for another season, CC ventures off to some other podcast projects and Emily retires to her nest to have a baby.  In this last episode we look back at ten of our favorite tunes that we've encountered during the season.  So many tangents, so much disinformation, but plenty of good, proper folkie banjo & fiddle music.  We hope you get some tunes and tips out of this season and meet some new friends!  We'll see you again in 2022....Songs we play are: Miss officer’s waltz; Spanish Waltz; The Jasmine; Leo's Prince Of Wales Schottische; Cape Barren Washerwoman; The Patchwork Reel; Kieth & Georgie’s Fancy; Gran McCoy’s Schottische; The shotgun; Waterloo

A quiet night in once our guests finally leave.  We look back on some of the new additions and contributors to the Tasmanian folk heritage.  From the complex chords of the Harrison-Day sister's patchwork to some good old fun time tunes of Paddy Riley, all these tunes (except for one guy) are all 21st Century tunes.   CC discovers where Emily keeps her plumbis.  Many tangential rabbit holes are explored.  Also, a bonus tune is hidden somewhere in here, about the subject of  *ahem* gardening...The songs are: The Patchwork Reel; Bush Ravioli; Sirkieci; The Unforgettable; Bush Caprice

In our final special for Season 2 we are joined by veteran folkie Fred Pribac.  He regales us with stories of sweary dance callers, FIFO politicians, and his many experiences in the folk scene around Australia, Tasmania and Cape Barren.  He also brings with us two packets of biscuits that we kept, and also 5 songs!  Correction - make that 2 songs, and 3 tunes.  Yes, the tunes have words in them thus making them songs.  Or so I'm told.  I dunno, I wasn't really paying attention.  Will this be on the test?Songs were: Home Sweet Home; A Ringtail Possum & A Kangaroo; Mark Walters Set Tune; The Shotgun; C'mon You White Mark Boys

The real McCoy and the actual Steve Gadd (not the robot!)  Welcome to our Eileen McCoy special!  Steve & Marjorie Gadd have a special connection with Eileen McCoy who stayed with them shortly before she passed away in her late 80's.  Steve & Marjorie tell us many stories of her and her tunes, reminisce about the beloved Dawson family, and also give Emily and CC their report cards.  (Basically - "could do better had they applied themselves.")  Also in this episode, while Emily and Marjorie play harmonies together, Steve gets on the banjo (and some other instruments,) and CC discovers the Cello Banjo!  Songs we played together: 1,2,3,4; Captain Jig; Grab McCoy's Schottische; The Railway Porter/ Frog Puddles; Black Velvet Waltz

In this episode Emily gets her pizz on, and CC plays every chord available to the banjo except the right one.   We play something old, something new, something borrowed, but mostly major keys and not a huge amount of blues.  Special disappointing guest appearance from Trevor the bogan and his V8 ute from down the road.   An episode packed with fiddle & banjo tips.Songs played are: Mrs G.S. Laing's Hornpipe; Kieth & Georgie's Fancy; Ms William Downie's Hornpipe; Waterloo; Back & Bootless

Merinda Jane joins us to teach us some NEW TUNES!  From Cape Barren!  We talk about the history of the tunes and and her experiences growing up and learning them.  we also speak to Palawa man Cody Summers about his experiences with Cape Barren music and growing up indigenous during a very racist time in Tasmania's modern culture.    Cape Barren tunes hold a very special place in the Tassie folk canon, being tunes developed by the indigenous communities up on the island and have a flavor all of their own that's fun, rollicking and invite participation.  Songs we play in this episode are: The Black Cat Piddled in the White Cat's Eye; Little Burnt Potato (The Cape Barren Jig); The Cape Barren Washerwoman; The Muttonbirders' Jig; Uncle Affie's Tap; Old Clog.

We go dancing with David Wanless at the annual Steampunk ball, and talk about what a dance is like from the musician's perspective.  Includes actual samples of the actual dances being actualized, acoustically!  Songs include:  The Chess Set; The Ireland Quadrille; The Cuckoo's Next & Growling Old Man and Cackling Old Woman; Soldier's Joy; The Spanish Waltz.

We look at a few very recent editions to Tasmanian folk music given to us from friends in China, Scotland, and Ireland.  Emily's cat causes issues with its wants and needs.  Some irrelevant but brief pop cultural references regarding the Journey to the West by Wu Cheng En.  We discuss what makes a folk songs folk without reaching any real or useful conclusions.  Also, Emily reveals her teen fan idolization of the Scottish band Fiddler's Bid.Songs include: The Jasmine; Michael's Mazurka;  Hamnataing; The Ortaba Waltz; Inisheer.

Despite numerous setbacks, our heroes triumphantly get Episode 2 done.  They say there are no coincidences...This episode we take a quick look backstage at the podcast with some analytics and discover how the reptilian overlords that run Youtube use copyright to destroy human civilization.    We play quite a few Schottishces, and some polkas.  Songs include: Leo's Prince of Wales Schottische; The Pretty Lips (or "Lollypop) Schottische; School Polkas 1 & 2; The Sorrell Windmill; and the Gumnut Schottische.

SEASON 2 commences with a special event, LIVE at the PROVIDENCE CAFE!  (42 Newdegate St, North Hobart, special thanks to Danning and all the wonderful staff!  MMMmmmmthat pulled pork sandwich!)We kick off with a live audience whose heckling is now preserved on the internet FOREVER.Songs include: The Opera Reel, Miss Officer's Waltz, Eileen McCoy's Varsoviennas #1&2,  Slow Stream, The On Board Waltz, and then, we play some EXTRA tunes! The tnago classic Para Una Cabeza,  CC and Emily play their winning entries to the FFT Song & tune comp, respectively: Doin' Stuff and Baked Spud/Toppings,  and we finish with a bit of a curve ball, the Jamaican folk classic, Sly Mongoose.

In this episode we accidentally turn the Steve Gadd Bot 2000 to "evil" setting with spectacular results.  Emily plays with bandages on BOTH hands and CC gives away even more forbidden banjo secrets further reducing his chances of ever receiving redemption from the Banjo Players Guild.Songs we play are:Mrs G.S. Meredith's FavoriteThe Gloriana ReelForks In The FireWorld of Beatrix PotterWhipsnake in the Pocket

The second episode of the Wolfe & Thorn Heritage Fiddle Podcast!  We start the show by reading various corrections we were forced to make for legal reasons.Then we can begin.  (There is a traffic alert due to an accident involving an elephant and a cart of cabbages on the Southern Outlet.  There may be delays.)Songs include:Miss Officer's WaltzThe Joys of PipingThe Little Varsovienna/Paddy Dawson's VarsoviennaCuracao ValseUncle Affie's Tap/King Pippin's Polka