How Irish folk music inspired Trapper Schoepp’s ‘Siren Songs’

During the pandemic, Trapper Schoepp found himself listening to a song from Paul Brady called “Arthur McBride.” It was his gateway into the world of Irish folk music. At it’s heart, Trapper’s new album, Siren Songs, is very much inspired by the traditions and themes of Irish folk, but it’s not beholden to it.

Schoepp recorded the album at the family cabin of another guy who made folk music his own, Johnny Cash. In this session, the Wisconsin singer-songwriter talks about making Siren Songs, and he’ll tell us how he ended up finishing a Bob Dylan song that had been sitting in a desk drawer for half century.