Raina Rose is so cool. A friend for many years, she moves through the world as a mom, friend, artist, and human in a way I really admire - in tune with the earth & her community. She grew up in Portland and I feel like you can hear the sound of the Pacific Northwest in her gorgeous folk tunes. (Her album Caldera is a fave!)

Raina has toured relentlessly for the better part of the last ten years, supporting such acts as Jill Sobule, The Bacon Brothers, Loudon Wainwright III and Tracy Grammer, and sharing the stage with contemporaries such as John Elliott, Rebecca Loebe, Jonathan Byrd, AJ Roach, and Anthony da Costa. Now married to bass player, Andrew Pressman (Jimmie LaFave, Sam Baker, Ben Kweller, Carrie Elkin) and a mother of two young boys, Raina tours less often and more succinctly.

After 8 years of living in a car and playing over 200 dates a year, this is a welcome change. Her travels have taken her everywhere across the USA and Europe, including such venues and gigs as the High Sierra Music Festival, Vancouver Island Music Festival, The Kerrville Folk Festival, The Cactus Cafe (Austin, TX), The Kessler Theater (Dallas, TX), Club Passim (Boston, MA), and The Birchmere (Alexandria, VA).

After becoming a mom, Raina made a really cool pivot into the world of herbal skincare & launched her Folk Potions line several years ago & now you can't go to Kerrville Folk Festival without seeing bottles of her Magic Face Oil & salves everywhere.

I loved talking to her about all of this & where she is now in her career (about to release a new album yay!) & motherhood. She was one of the first mamas I reached out to when I became pregnant to ask for advice so it was special to revisit that time & journey into the present. Enjoy!

About Raina Rose

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Folk Potions

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Podcast theme song:
Song for the Lost Mamas, written & performed by Suzanna Choffel ©2019

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@suzannachoffelmusic

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Suzanna Choffel

Wendy Colonna is just a damn delight! So excited to talk to a longtime friend, peer, mentor & all around badass human & mother.

Wendy Colonna, a Louisiana native, immersed in the music-rich culture of Cajun Country, started singing early, shaped by her diverse heritage. She fell in love with music through church choir, strumming guitars on porches, and her parents’ record collection.

After moving to Austin in 2000, she thrived in its vibrant music scene, earning recognition and commercial success, even contributing to an Ad-Week topping Coca-Cola ad.

She’s released nine commercial albums and has been described as “ethereal” by the NY Times, “a gifted singer-songwriter” by the Wall Street Journal, and the Austin American Statesman calls her “a force of nature.”

Wendy talks openly to me about the myths around motherhood and the music industry as well as the power of human connection within songwriting. We share some sweet memories, both old & new that hopefully will give you some perspective on what it's like to make the tricky but beautiful choice to be a mom as a working musician.

Listen to Wendy here

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Wavemakers

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Podcast theme song:
Song for the Lost Mamas, written & performed by Suzanna Choffel ©2019

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@anothermotherpod
@suzannachoffelmusic

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Suzanna Choffel

Wow, what a dynamic human being!

I'm so happy to offer you my official first interview of 2026 with Erin Walter of Austin's indie punk-pop activist power trio Parker Woodland. (We spoke during our recent TX ice storm & it was such a much-needed hour of joy for me!)

Erin is not only a bandleader, bassist, songwriter & vocalist but she is a true leader in the Austin community & beyond serving as an award-winning Unitarian Universalist justice leader for Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry and yes, she is also a mom to two teens!

The fact that Erin started this interview off by leading us in some deep breaths says a lot about her personality & how she operates...holistically & humanly! We dig into her justice work, her two new singles out this week (also see: justice work), how she came to be a musician, the loss of her dad & how that grief has informed a lot of how she moves through life, and her secret self-care pro tip!

Erin serves on the advisory council for The SIMS Foundation, which provides mental health and substance use recovery services, and was the board president for Girls Rock Austin. Due to their commitment to the betterment of their hometown, the Austin City Council made a proclamation at City Hall to create an annual Parker Woodland Day on September 12th in honor of their album There's No Such Thing as Time. Two-time recent Sonic Guild grant winners, Parker Woodland plans to release their sophomore full-length later this year.

Official Parker Woodland site

Listen to Parker Woodland here

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Erin's justice ministry

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Podcast theme song:
Song for the Lost Mamas, written & performed by Suzanna Choffel ©2019

Follow on Instagram:
@anothermotherpod
@suzannachoffelmusic

Facebook:
Another Mother Pod
Suzanna Choffel