Whereas the “Two Sisters” murder ballad is a complete, coherent story, “Two Brothers” is messy. What’s the motive? Who are these brothers? Who kills who? In this episode of Folk Files, we search for the answers to these questions… and discover a dark hypothesis for why the story is so vague. (Content warning: this episode discusses themes that may not be appropriate for children).

Folk Files is now a member of the Bluegrass Situation. Learn more about BGS here: https://thebluegrasssituation.com/

For a list of all musical excerpts used in this episode, click here: https://folkfilespodcast.com/season-3/episode-3-6/

Host: Olivia Harding

Explore the Derek Piotr Fieldwork Archive: https://fieldwork-archive.com/

Support Folk Files by joining the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/FolkFilesPodcast

Assistant Producer: Aaron J. Morton

Interested in sponsoring Folk Files? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods

Stan Rogers was one of Canada's greatest singer-songwriters, despite his music having never had major distribution or significant radio playtime. In this episode, I discuss the (tragically short) life of the impressive baritone and dissect his songs in order to answer this question: What makes his songs such instant folk classics?

Host and Producer: Olivia Harding

Assistant Producer: Aaron J. Morton

Learn more about TransTrad: https://www.transtradfest.org/

Watch the One Warm Line: The Legacy of Stan Rogers: https://youtu.be/-h9A2RAfv9M?si=EJMzxJbvwi_upiEj

Support Folk Files by joining the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FolkFilesPodcast

For a full list of musical excerpts, head to the Folk Files website: https://folkfilespodcast.com/season-3/episode-3-5/

A harrowing murder ballad in which an older sister shoves her younger sister in the water (and sometimes a musician makes an instrument from the drowned girl's corpse) can be found all over Great Britain, North America, and Scandinavia. But where did it originally come from? And how has the story changed as it's traveled across seas? Find out in this episode of Folk Files, all about "Twa Sisters."

Host: Olivia Harding

Learn more about the Spokane Fall Folk Festival: https://www.spokanefolkfestival.org/

For more on this ballad, check out the In the Roud podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj8x5X1kCc0

Support Folk Files: https://www.patreon.com/FolkFilesPodcast

Special thanks to Aaron J. Morton

For a full list of musical excerpts associated with this episode, head to the episode page on the new Folk Files website: https://folkfilespodcast.com/uncategorized/episode-3-4/