Critter Eldridge: On the Punch Brothers, Mighty Poplar, and the Murder Ballad Controversy

I talk with Grammy award-winning guitarist and singer Chris “Critter” Eldridge. A regular collaborator of Julian Lage’s, Critter has lent his talents to Paul Simon, Justin Timberlake, T-Bone Burnett, Fiona Apple, The War and Treaty and more. We discuss the necessity of discomfort as a prerequisite for growth, and how raising a daughter has opened up new insights about failure and its role in personal development. We also got into some bluegrass stuff, discussing the Murder Ballad in traditional music and whether the time has come to retire it. I have a pretty strong opinion on this. Lastly I sat in with the gifted guitarist on a few songs - his arrangement of Little Sadie, and then we just let one rip with a tune we got from a Norman Blake record - Walking Cane Blues. Get full access to Morse Code with Korby Lenker at korby.substack.com/subscribe