She's the Fresh New Face of Folk Music: A Chat with

Host Jason English welcomes Stella Prince, hailed as the face of Gen Z folk, for a conversation recorded at AmericanaFest after her first official showcase at Nashville’s female-owned venue, Anzie Blue. Prince reflects on growing up in Woodstock, New York, singing as a child with artists like Pete Seeger, and her early drive to work in music, including being a 12-year-old radio DJ spinning 1930s–40s big band and writing music reviews. She discusses making folk mainstream again, the generational appeal of the genre, and inspirations like Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, and Judy Collins, plus contemporaries like Laufey. Prince describes building an all-women team, recording her debut EP in Laurel Canyon, and releasing her first sync—a Hallmark film featuring her reimagined “(They Long to Be) Close to You.” She also shares songwriting shaped by Gen Z anxiety, inflation, and newfound independence, and performs “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” and her original “Good Luck Is Hard to Find.”00:00 Folk Across Generations00:28 Podcast Intro and Guest Setup02:42 AmericanaFest Milestone04:38 Why Folk Feels Real Now05:34 Making Folk Mainstream Again06:13 Gen Z Jazz Inspiration08:21 Woodstock Roots and Early Magic09:27 Radio DJ and Big Band Years11:00 DIY Hustle to Building a Team13:04 All Women Team and Industry Gaps13:45 Women on the Road14:42 Laurel Canyon Recording Dream15:23 Career First at 2116:26 EP Plans and Hallmark Sync17:57 Songwriting From Independence18:35 Gen Z Pressure and Anxiety20:55 Curiosity and Defining Success23:14 Live Performance Session26:04 Original Song Closing