John McCutcheon, Musician discusses career longevity, songwriting tips, and latest album

Send us Fan Mail By any normal measure, John McCutcheon, at age seventy-two, should be retired. He’s punched the clock in the international folk music world for over a half century. He’s been a respected archivist of Appalachian music. He was in the forefront of popularizing the hammer dulcimer and is considered a world master on the instrument. He helped revolutionize children’s and family music with five consecutive Grammy-nominated albums. He co- founded and led the fastest-growing Local in the Musicians Union. His songwriting is hailed around the globe and his instruction books introduced thousands to the joys of their own music making. He recorded and released tribute albums to Woody Guthrie, labor musician Joe Hill, and his friend and mentor, Pete Seeger. He even starred in a one-man musical, Joe Hill's Last Will, which toured nationally and internationally. And he has consistently been one of the most popular touring musicians in the folk world. Yes, by any normal standard, he could proudly hang up the banjo and retire. But John McCutcheon is just getting started. “I feel as though I’m finally getting the hang of doing my job well.” During the pandemic, when a lot of the music world shut down, McCutcheon wrote and released three recordings of new material. He proved that Zoom could be used for good as well as for evil by forging online songwriting partnerships with a half dozen fellow writers, not the least of whom was the iconic Tom Paxton. They even released a joint album, Together, which not only won critical raves but was dubbed “the best album I’ve ever done, period.” by Grammy Lifetime Award winner Paxton. And, just when you think he can’t surprise you anymore, he drops album #45: Field of Stars (release date: Janary 10, 2025), a stunning collection of original and cowritten songs people are calling “the best of his career.” Field of Stars was supposed to be recorded and released in 2020. Musicians were hired, studio dates booked. And then came COVID. So, the songs where shelved until it was safe to go into a small windowless space with some of your best mates. But then came the explosion of writing that John produced during the lockdown. Three albums in three years, each seemingly better than the last. After tackling the McCutcheon/Paxton project, he was ready to take the long-delayed 2020 album down from the shelf and get back to work on it. But times had changed....Field of Stars is not only his 45th album in a 52-year career, it just may be his best yet. Media contact: Wendy Brynford-Jones [email protected] www.folkmusic.com Creator/Host: Tammy Takaishi Audio Engineer: Alex Repetti Support the show Visit www.creativepeacemeal.com to leave a review, fan voicemail, and more! Insta @creative_peacemeal_podcast FB @creativepeacemealpod Redbubble CPPodcast.redbubble.com Creative Peacemeal READING list here Donate to AhHa!Broadway here! Donate to New Normal Rep here! Interested in the Self-Care Institute with Dr. Ami Kunimura? Click here Interested in Corrie Legge's content planner? Click here to order!