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Los Angeles-based Americana singer-songwriter Paula Fong joins Al to introduce him to Gillian Welch’s 1996 album Revival. Paula explores what made Revival instantly appealing to her, and she explains why it continues to be one of her favorite albums and an important influence on her own music. Paula also discusses her new album A Bird on the Wing and her collaboration with Nickel Creek guitarist Sean Watkins on her cover of “Turn! Turn! Turn!”.

For information on Paula’s music, upcoming live dates and more, visit her website paulafong.com. You can also follow her on Instagram and YouTube at @paulafongmusic.

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1:11 Paula’s introduction

2:19 Paula recalls how she first got acquainted with Revival

4:49 Paula explains why she was drawn to the sound of Revival right away

7:40 Paula and Al talk about the authenticity of Welch’s music

9:48 Al had to warm up to the album

10:47 Paula talks about a formative experience she had with Celtic folk music

13:32 Paula and Al talk about the importance of formative experiences in shaping musical tastes

15:18 Paula talks about what she finds particularly striking about the songs on Revival

19:52 Paula and Al have very different reactions to “Paper Wings”

22:42 Paula explains what separates Revival from the rest of Welch’s discography

24:22 Paula notes how influential David Rawlings’ guitar playing has been

25:44 Paula cites the ways in which Welch and Rawlings have influenced her music

30:01 Paula and Al get more clues that they have very different tastes

31:56 Paula and Al talk about the value of repeated listening

33:14 Paula explains how she wound up collaborating with Watkins on her cover of “Turn! Turn! Turn!”

37:46 Paula goes into how her version of “Turn! Turn! Turn!” got arranged

40:30 Paula explains the story behind “What Are We Running From”

44:49 Paula talks about her upcoming live dates

Outro music is from “Up and Out” by Paula Fong.

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