What the Folk

Happy Episode 10 of What the Folk! We’re joined by the fabulous and multi-talented Lola Darling for a conversation about how art can heal and how to live your life as an act of resistance. We also get a preview of her new musical oracle project! From Lola’s struggle to claim her own identity to Covid on the reservations, from Kerrville Folk Festival to Mardi Gras, this episode is an emotionally honest and eye-opening journey.

Featured music is “Breath,” “Nothing,” and “Daughter” by Lola Darling, courtesy of the artist.

Episode Image credit: Amy Jo Wisehart www.amyjowisehart.com/

SUPPORT LOLA’S NEWLY LAUNCHED PATREON:
www.patreon.com/LolaArts

LOLA’S MUSIC:
www.bandlab.com/lolaohoyochitto
greatbiglilloladarling.bandcamp.com/releases

What the Folk · Episode 10: Be Your Own Oracle with Lola Darling

On this episode, we are taking a trip with Clayton Ickes, president of Psychedelic Club. We talk about our tendency to see psychedelics as a “savior,” what a legit psychedelic renaissance would look like, and wrestle with thorny issues of colonization and privilege vis-à-vis movements around drug liberation. Oh, and there’s some light discussion of Japanese death cults. Afterwards, Emily and Sarah break down our weird tendency to make people into saviors, specifically in regards to RGB (fare thee well), and discuss how easy it is to make a reasonable, nuanced point that is well received on social media.

www.psychedeliclub.com/

Featured music is “Travels” by Summer Alicia, courtesy of the artist. Check her out on all the streaming platforms and on Instagram @ susummasummz

What the Folk · Episode 9: Why Not Both? with Clayton Ickes

On this special bonus episode we are discussing the extradition hearing of Julian Assange with our friends Lee Camp and returning What the Folk champion Eleanor Goldfield. This episode is entirely focused on the case, so should be a good primer for anyone who is wondering, “Why, with all the things going on in the world, should I also give a shit about this?”

Make sure to check out Lee and Eleanor’s pod, Common Censored!

GET INVOLVED
Assange Defense
https://assangedefense.org/

Article Sarah references:
caitlinjohnstone.com/2019/04/20/deb…ssange-smears/

MUSIC
“Free Assange” (spoken word by Eleanor Goldfield), “Land of the Free” (Emily Yates), courtesy of the artists.

What the Folk · BONUS! Episode 8: Freaking Out About Press Freedom (or) Why We Give a Shit About Assange

Join us for an enlightening discussion with Brittany DeBarros, Organizing Director of About Face: Veterans Against the War. We talk about her journey from soldier to activist, how to address oppressive patterns in movement building, what happens when we win, and how to hold multiple truths at once. We also touch on the joys of task forces and the musical “Hamilton.” Stick around if you want to hear Emily and Sarah reflect further on the idea of imperial privilege — unless you’re a fan of Colin Powell, but, in that case, I’m not sure why you’re even listening to this podcast.

aboutfaceveterans.org/

Featured music is “J.R.O.T.C.” by Brittney Chantele, courtesy of the artist. www.brittneychantele.com/

Book Recommendation: The Militarization of Indian Country 

What the Folk · Episode 7: Striking Back at Empire Privilege with Brittany DeBarros

Settle in for this deep dive with songwriter, musician, yoga teacher, activist, writer and all-around conscious renaissance woman Lauren Flynn. This interview covers a lot of territory — how to live your activism, how to deal with narcissists, and how to turn trauma into passive aggressive country songs, to name just a few highlights. It’s all about working on the internal to affect the external. After the interview, stay tuned if you want to hear a classic Emily Army story and hear Sarah reference Robert Anton Wilson because she’s heady like that.

LAUREN’S NEW EP! (streaming everywhere, but please support her on Bandcamp if you can)
laurenflynn.bandcamp.com/album/outside-one-girl

FOLLOW LAUREN:
www.LaurenMakesMusics.com/

Instagram @ sorceressofnow
Yoga Instagram @ yoga.with.lauren

Featured music is “Supply and Demand” and “Wire” by Lauren Flynn, courtesy of the artist.

What the Folk · Episode 6: Escaping Revolving Doors with Lauren Flynn

We are joined by journalist, performance artist, activist and general doer of amazing shit Eleanor Goldfield! Settle in for this great conversation about mutual aid, her new (and excellent) documentary Hard Road of Hope, and how we keep up our creativity and hope in these troubling times. After the interview, stay tuned for Emily and Sarah’s thoughts on imagining a better world, especially if you enjoy subtle metaphors that describe national politics as a hit-and-run car accident and counter-hegemonic resistance as “poking at holes” (Seriously, are we not doing phrasing anymore?)

HARD ROAD OF HOPE
hardroadofhope.com/

MUTUAL AID DISASTER RELIEF
mutualaiddisasterrelief.org/

MUTUAL AID HUB
www.mutualaidhub.org/

Featured music is “Sick, Tired & Wasted” by Rooftop Revolutionaries, courtesy of the artist.

What the Folk · Episode 5: Unforgetting History with Eleanor Goldfield

We sit down with the awesome Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson, Co-Executive Director of the legendary Highlander Center, for an inspiring and motivating talk about movement building, solidarity economics, liberation practices and real deal education. This interview had us practicing our dance moves to shimmy on the ruins of the old world, so you don’t want to miss it if you’re needing some fuel for your fire. Then Emily gives a post-PDX protest report, and she and Sarah discuss ways to “get in where you fit in” to support M4BL.

P.S. We’d suggest a What the Folk drinking game where you take a shot every time Sarah says the word “consciousness” — but that would likely render you unconscious.

Featured music is by our own Emily Yates!

THE HIGHLANDER CENTER
www.highlandercenter.org/

MOVEMENT FOR BLACK LIVES
m4bl.org/

Emily sits down with Krystal Twobulls (Oglala Lakota and Northern Cheyenne), veteran and executive director of Voices of the Sacred, in Lame Deer, Montana. Voices of the Sacred’s mission is to develop the next generation of healthy organizers from Native Youth and Native Veterans. We talk about what healthy organizing means, global solidarity across liberation movements, and Krystal’s journey from serving in the army to serving her community. Then Emily and Sarah wrestle with technical difficulties and America’s general ahistorical consciousness.

Featured music is “Creation” by Nataanii Means.

Get Involved:
www.voicesofthesacred.org/
aboutfaceveterans.org/

What the Folk · Episode Three: Warrior Stories with Krystal Twobulls

We are joined by Dr. Carol Conzelman for a mind-expanding conversation about the history of the drug war in the United States, her work studying coca and democracy in Bolivia, how to encourage critical thinking about drugs, and our human need to explore inner space. Then Emily and Sarah have a chat that starts with studying the habits of the common American wook and ends with a discussion of the apocalypse, per usual.

Featured music is “Drugs R Bad” by What the Folk’s very own Emily Yates

Carol’s book recommendations:

War and Drugs by The Role of Military Conflict in the Development of Substance Abuse
By Dessa Bergen-Cico
www.goodreads.com/book/show/10260413-war-and-drugs

From Chocolate to Morphine: Everything You Need to Know About Mind-Altering Drugs
By Andrew Weil
www.goodreads.com/book/show/110490…vJUQcV46m&rank=1

Organizations to follow and support:

Drug Policy Alliance
www.drugpolicy.org/

Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
maps.org/

Erowid
www.erowid.org/

Transnational Institute
www.tni.org/en

International Drug Policy Consortium
idpc.net/

Washington Office for Latin America (WOLA)
www.wola.org/

Institute for Policy Studies
ips-dc.org/

What the Folk · Episode 2: Deep-Dive Into Drugs with Dr. Carol Conzelman

As a follow up to Ep. 1, Emily sits down with her fellow Vets for Peace/About Face Vets after their direct action at the Trump rally in Tulsa on June 20th to reflect on what service now means to them during the current (and hopefully-finally-jfc-it-better-be victorious) iteration of the long fight for racial justice. Included in this conversation are Stephen Funk, Ollie, Emily Yates, Krystal Twobulls, and Jade Daniels.

What the Folk · MINI BONUS! Episode 1A: If You’re Ever in Oklahoma