Womenfolk Radio Show Celebrates 20 Years: Q&A With Ellen Stanley
Days before a concert at Parkway Theater in Minneapolis celebrating Womenfolk’s 20th anniversary, we talked to host Ellen Stanley (aka Mother Banjo) about her long-running radio show.
Womenfolk Radio artwork courtesy of Ellen Stanley
On Sunday, Nov. 20, local musician, promoter, radio DJ and podcaster Ellen Stanley will celebrate her 20th anniversary of hosting Womenfolk, a radio show originally created for KFAI Community Radio in Minneapolis. In addition to airing on KFAI every Wednesday 8 to 10 am, the show is syndicated and also available online for on-demand listening. Stanley also hosts a monthly Womenfolk concert at the 331 Club.
As the name suggests, the show focuses on folk and acoustic music from women artists, including Americana, blues, bluegrass, country, singer-songwriter and roots music from all over the world. It’s deeply rooted in the local music scene but also features national and internationally known artists. The 20th anniversary concert at Parkway Theater in Minneapolis will feature an impressive lineup of regional acts that Womenfolk has showcased over the years.
Ahead of this exciting event, we asked Ellen Stanley (who also performs under the name Mother Banjo) to tell us about her long-running show and the stellar roster of artists booked for the celebration show.
Carol Roth: 20 years! How does it feel to be approaching that milestone for Womenfolk?
Ellen Stanley: Surprising! Can’t believe it’s already been 20 years. It feels like yesterday that I moved to Minneapolis, fresh out of college and looking for ways to connect to the Twin Cities music scene. I’d done a women’s folk music show at WOBC when I was a student at Oberlin College, and it was one of my favorite things—an extension of what I had done my whole life, making mixtapes for friends and sharing music I thought they’d like. I already knew about KFAI and the other great public radio in town, and it was one of many musical reasons I decided to move here. I contacted the volunteer coordinator before I even moved into my apartment and was volunteering in the music library less than a month later.
CR: What are some ways the Womenfolk project has evolved over the years?
ES: I like to think I’ve gotten more creative and more intentional. Now that my show is syndicated and has more of an international audience, I think a lot about how I can better represent a greater diversity of musical styles and voices (like expanding to include non-binary artists) and still continue to weave in Minnesota talent to give them a wider audience. I try to mix things up, surprise audiences with weird themed shows and play artists they might not expect on a folk show. I also think I’m a better interviewer than I used to be, trying to go beyond the promo materials and include questions artists might not get asked much.
CR: You’ve interviewed so many artists, from the legendary to the just-emerging. What are some highlights or most memorable moments of your Womenfolk career so far?
ES: I’ve gotten to interview so many of my she-roes like Dar Williams, Joan Armatrading and the Indigo Girls. But interviewing folk icon Joan Baez is definitely at the top of the list. I was delighted when I was able to snag an interview with her before a show at the O’Shaughnessy Auditorium several years back. Her manager told me that I’d only have 10 minutes with her. I agreed, eager to get any time I could with her. When our 10 minutes were up, I thanked her and she graciously said, “I have time if you want to chat some more.” I probably talked with her for another 30 minutes, and she was delightful; so kind and open. When I finally asked her if there was anything else she wanted to share with KFAI listeners, she said, “First, I want to say that you are an excellent interviewer.” I just about died when she said that!
Ellen Stanley, photo by Ellen
CR: Tell me about the upcoming show at the Parkway! How did it come together? What can folks expect if they go to it?
ES: I was talking with an artist this summer, and they asked how long I’d been hosting the show. I had to think about it. When I said 20 years, they said “How are you going to celebrate?” I decided that the best way to mark the occasion was to get artists, fans and community folks together for a great night of music and raise some money for KFAI—the station that’s been home to Womenfolk since long before I started hosting it.
It’s a minor miracle that a scrappy, volunteer-run station like KFAI still exists after 40+ years, and we should not take it for granted. In my other life as a publicist and independent musician, I work with radio all over the country, and I can tell you that stations like KFAI are rare unicorns and should be supported. No one tells me what I can and cannot play, and I don’t report to a music director or committee that has to approve my playlists. And it continues to be a model for what true diversity is—sharing all kinds of music, local news and cultural information in over 13 languages. I often wonder what our world would be like if we had greater access to radio like KFAI.
I’m really excited about the November 20th concert because it will showcase some of my favorite folk, blues, bluegrass and instrumental artists at one of my favorite South Minneapolis venues. With fun cocktails and a beautiful listening room, the Parkway Theater will be the perfect space for a festive evening of eclectic performances by folks who have been mainstays of the show—several of whom have been played on Womenfolk for my whole tenure, including Ann Reed, Ellis Delaney, Becky Schlegel and Jonatha Brooke. Molly Maher was another artist I first heard not long after I moved to town in 2001, playing in an Irish bar with Erik Koskinen. Not only is she a kick-ass guitar player and songwriter, she’s a community-minded artist and promoter that has done so much for our music scene.
Although Mary Cutrufello and I both grew up in Connecticut, I first met her at KFAI, when she was a guest on Jackson Buck’s show—another example of the importance of KFAI in my life, introducing me to so many great artists over the years! Innovative string duo The OK Factor is one of the younger acts that I’ve fallen in love with in the last 10 years. Whether working with youth orchestras, collaborating with top Americana artists like Ellis and Trampled By Turtles or working with award-winning Swedish band Jaerv, cellist Olivia and violinist Karla are superlative musicians that can play any style of music.
All of these artists have a long history with the show, have their own unique voices, and are generous spirits that fit into the mission of keeping Womenfolk a friendly and accessible space for folks to discover new music.
CR: Any other plans or announcements on the horizon for Womenfolk?
ES: Pretty soon we’ll be announcing the 2023 performers for our monthly Womenfolk Radio concert series at the 331 Club. Featuring some of our favorite regional folk artists, the concerts take place the third Monday of the month at 6 pm, right before the Roe Family Singers’ weekly show. The concerts are free and also streamed live on the Womenfolk Radio Show Facebook page. Performers have included Annie Mack, Katy Vernon, Laura Hugo, Maygen & The Birdwatcher, Bad Posture Club, Jillian Rae, JoJo Green, The Good Time Gals and more.
And, as always, looking to nail down those interviews with Dolly Parton and Mavis Staples…
“Celebrating 20 Years of Womenfolk Radio” takes place Sunday, November 20, 2022, at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis (6 pm doors, 7 pm music). Learn more and get tickets below!
Carol Roth. Photo credit: Dan Lee.
Carol Roth is a full-time marketing copywriter and the primary music journalist and social media publicist for Adventures in Americana. In addition to studying the guitar and songwriting, Carol’s additional creative side hustle is writing self-proclaimed “trashy” novels under the pseudonym T.A. Berkeley!
