today’s audio is “every oyster” from my guest katie castagno’s new album our queer elders which arrives august 22. the first audio you heard was katie’s live demo, as she wrote it, which then transitions to the final album version. we’ll get into the process of arriving at that version later in this episode.
i had the great joy of producing our queer elders all the way through, from the beginnings of the songs katie was researching and writing all the way through to producing, arranging, and playing on the album.
in the following conversation we mention many of the elders represented on the record, but we didn’t mention some of our fabulous guest musicians who include patty larkin, pamela means, gretchen phillips, armand aromin, natalia zukerman, and many more.
i cant say enough how proud i am of the work that katie did on this record. and of my own work too. it was a tremendously satisfying creative experience, with fantastic partners and process. what a gift. i cant wait for you to hear it. but first… my conversation with katie castagno.
…
you can pre-order our queer elders right now on katiecastagno.bandcamp.com, on CD or digital. plus there’s a fantastic set of hand drawn stickers that accompany the album.
i also highly recommend visiting ourqueerelders.com where katie has posted her research, photos, and musical credits for each song.
we’re going to finish with “the long trail”, katie’s song about catherine robbins, kathleen norris, and hilda kurth who, in 1927, were the first women to hike vermont’s long trail. the recording features the voice of char priolo of the fabulous dyketones.
[alright! that’s it for this episode, this is a good one to visit the substack for behind the scenes photos and links to katie’s work. thanks for listening, see yall soon!
katie, myself, and engineer & musician jon evans
jon sets katie up for a take
carl visits with violinist carla kihlstadt
i had the great honor to arrange and conduct for the Outer Cape Chorus. my first time!!!
if you’re in new england and want to play the fall weekend lottery, i’ll be leading a hiking concert at Peaked Mountain in Monson MA on Sept 27. like my other hiking concert offerings, we’ll hike, i’ll play, then we’ll hike some more. unlike recent offerings, this is a more robust hike than usual. tickets and info about the route can be found on erinmckeown.com/shows
there will be plenty more fall and winter shows confirming soon, including a rare trip to the west coast of the US for some much needed anti-holiday spectaculars, so stay tuned. meanwhile, i am launching a new show, VIRGINIA, a cabaret version of my staged-musical memoir. the first performance will be november 21 at the friendly confines of the Iron Horse in Northampton MA. please consider traveling to join me, i need a supportive audience net.
as a reminder, this fall i’ll be out on the road with my favorite podcast Welcome To Nightvale. we’ll be hitting TX, OK, KS, MO, IN, OT, and MI. if you’d like to help me sell merch, you’ll get a pair of premium tickets to that night’s show, plus the chance to meet some incredible listeners. email erin@erinmckeown.com to join us.
tickets and info for all of these shows can always be found at erinmckeown.com/shows
after 20 years, i am moving. such is the life of a renter. to celebrate and mourn, i am holding one last Cabin Fever livestream. mark your calendars for Sunday, September 28 at 3p ET and stay tuned for more information.
and finally, the world is on fire, so i think i’ll open my teaching practice back up! i can help you with songwriting, homerecording, album planning and production, curriculum creation, and music business envisioning. find out more at erinmckeown.com/cabincollege or email me erin@erinmckeown.com. i’d love to help you!
as always, thanks for subscribing, for supporting the pod with your subscriptions, and for telling friends about the Fax of Life!
¡ME GUSTA! : SOME OF MY FAVORITE THINGS!
i forgot to find/save some things for ¡ME GUSTA! so there’s this
and this, both of which are AWESOME!!!
UPCOMING SHOWS
2025
now - June 2026 - Fredericksburg VA
Fredericksburg Area Museum
Out And About: The Walk-in Closet
VISIT
September 27, 2025 - Monson MA
Hiking Concert at Peaked Mountain
TICKETS
September 28, 2025 - ONLINE 3P ET
CABIN FEVER: THE FINAL FRONTIER
INFO
October 22, 2025 - Austin TX
As The Weather with Welcome To Night Vale
TICKETS
October 23, 2025 - Dallas TX
As The Weather with Welcome To Night Vale
TICKETS
October 24, 2025 - Oklahoma City OK
As The Weather with Welcome To Night Vale
TICKETS
October 25, 2025 - Lawrence KS
As The Weather with Welcome To Night Vale
TICKETS
October 27, 2025 - St Louis MA
As The Weather with Welcome To Night Vale
TICKETS
October 28, 2025 - Indianapolis
As The Weather with Welcome To Night Vale
TICKETS
October 30, 2025 - Toronto ON
As The Weather with Welcome To Night Vale
TICKETS
October 31, 2025 - Detroit MI
As The Weather with Welcome To Night Vale
TICKETS
November 21, 2025 - Northampton MA
Erin McKeown’s VIRGINIA
TICKETS
DECEMBER 2026 - WEST COAST ANTI-HOLIDAY TOUR!!
2026
April 10-May 10, 2026 - Chicago IL
World Premiere of OUT HERE @ Court Theatre
TICKETS & INFO
