I had the privilege of being joined this week by the singular guitarist, singer-songwriter, (former) guitar maker, and general scene-builder, archivist and custodian of weird acoustic music, Buck Curran. He is most notably recognised for both his solo work, as well as being one half of the folk duo Arborea. He has also curated stellar tribute compilations for guitarists such as Jack Rose, Steffen Basho-Junghans and Robbie Basho, as well as releasing an archival Robbie Basho live album (all of these collections are absolutely essential listening).

We chat about his long a colourful history, blossoming into a guitar maker and eventually a full time musician. It's an intriguing tale, and one which brings wonderful clarity and insight to Buck's rich catalogue of music. With a musical style that frequently blends intricate fingerpicking with haunting vocals, one of the most striking features of Buck's music (to my ears anyway) is his impressive use of space, silence and sustain in his compositions and playing.

We cover a wide range of topics, including life as a full time musician, reflections on how much the scene has changed from the late-2000s heyday of Arborea to our current, post-covid context, the pressure of becoming the custodian of Robbie Basho's legendary 12 string guitar, balancing fatherhood, touring and recording, and a whole bunch of other stuff too.

So go ahead and give it a listen - Buck's passion for guitar is utterly infectious, and deeply inspiring.