It's not too often that alt-folk musicians are profiled in high-impact publications like The Guardian and The New York Times, but singer-songwriter Joan Shelley was, last week. The Lousiville, Kentucky, native just released her latest album, The Spur, which is garnering international attention. Also on today's show, new music from Eddie Berman, Heidi Talbot, Sharon Shannon, Kevin Morby, Bella Hardy, Vieux Farka Toure, and much more.

Listening Lyrics is proud to present Didar Singh Khalsa. Joining Didar is Jeff Brooks, percussion. Didar has played guitars for 52 years, but started writing, singing and recording songs only six years ago, inspired by six consecutive trips to the guitar/songwriting camp taught by the amazing Richard Thompson. He claims the muse is relentless and not even very intermittent. Let’s test that theory.

A new compilation explores how American roots music has always been inexplicably linked to riding its rails, with tracks from Dave Alvin, Robert Rex Waller, Jr., Dom Flemons, John Fogerty, Peter Case, and others. Also, what's Edinburgh's and Tuscon's musical connection? Hint: it's not a railroad. 

My first question for Amanda Portier (pictured), this year’s top graduating senior at UC Davis, was how she managed to achieve straight A’s in her classes while chairing Picnic Day for 2022 and doing everything else she did as a student here. As you might imagine, she’s been asked this question more than once the last few weeks. Insights she gained from synchronized swimming are part of the answer. On today’s Davisville we also talk about community and regional development (her degree), using statistics to influence people (she minored in statistics) in a culture that seems to pay more attention to individual expression and personal experience, and what she’ll take from Davis as she leaves.