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

Listen to Raina

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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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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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Learn more about Wendy's world

Wavemakers

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

Follow on Instagram:
@anothermotherpod
@suzannachoffelmusic

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Another Mother Pod
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

Follow Parker Woodland here

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

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Another Mother Pod
Suzanna Choffel

The brilliant Carrie Rodriguez agreed to talk motherhood & music with me & estoy muy excited porque Carrie, as you might have caught on by now, is a bilingual "Americhicana" y madre - weaving her classical training on the violin & her beautiful voice into folk, country, pop and Latin sounds. We talked about her latest project Laboratorio which is to me one of the most unique collaborative ideas & projects I have ever experienced and so important right now - she writes a lot about the border & multiple cultural identities & has even been working on a Broadway musical about these issues.

Her latest album & project Postcards from the Border is a multimedia theater work with narrative by noted writer Oscar Cásares, and poetic photography of Joel Salcido as they journey along the Texas/Mexico border. (I saw it live & it was breathtaking!) Carrie is so multi-demensional!

We talk about life on the road as a mom, touring with the baby, harsh birthing experiences, and more. We laugh, we cry, we get into all things motherhood & music! Check out her mundo linda at the links below!

Carrie Rodriguez

Carrie Rodriguez - Spotify

Carrie Rodriguez - Apple

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

Follow on Instagram:
@anothermotherpod
@suzannachoffelmusic

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Another Mother Pod
Suzanna Choffel

I'm so excited to welcome you to the world of the amazing Rachel Loy, a songwriter, bassist, & producer who has also been a dear inspiration as a mother. (Though she first inspired me musically at Momo's with her album Love the Mess which could also be another title for this podcast!)

She became a mom just before I did so I looked to her right away for advice as I entered this crazy world and she has been helping me ever since. In this episode you will hear some of the impactful things she told me when I first became a mom that stay with me to this day.

Her bio includes many big names she has played bass for and with, but I adore her original music which you should go check out. When we spoke two years ago she was just releasing her first new album in several years (Swan Dive) which is so heartbreakingly beautiful & raw. She is mainly known as a producer these days and I couldn't believe what she revealed about a childhood list she found about her goals in life...talk about manifesting & knowing yourself from such a young age.

Her giggle and laugh make me so happy...as does her outlook on everything. I hope you enjoy & please go find out more about her, follow & listen to her music at the links below!

Rachel Loy website

Rachel Loy - Spotify

Rachel Loy - Apple

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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

Hello & welcome!

Suzanna Choffel here, longtime singer-songwriter & now mother to two daughters, ages 6 & 10, and two step-kiddos in their 20s...I have been dreaming up this podcast ever since I became a mom in the middle of an upward music career, trying to figure out what to do, how to do it, and who to turn to for advice & inspiration.

My hope is that these conversations with myself and other working musician mothers will serve as some sort of comfort and wisdom for those who might just be entering the world of motherhood as a musician, those who are pondering doing both, and those who are already doing it who want to feel seen.

Support the show

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