Various Artists - The Long Memory: 20 Years of Free Dirt Records

Cat. no: DIRTLP0135
Format: LP
Barcode: 877746013515
Release Date: 06 Nov 2026
Genre: Folk

For twenty years, Washington, DC's Free Dirt Records has quietly shaped the modern roots landscape by championing emerging, tradition-steeped artists - The Long Memory: 20 Years of Free Dirt Records celebrates two decades of independent music with twelve unreleased tracks from the label's vault

Unreleased demos, b-sides, and live cuts from Willi Carlisle, Cinder Well, Kaia Kater, and Viv & Riley run alongside brand-new material, capturing a community forged in tradition and a forward- thinking DIY spirit. Named for Utah Phillips' belief in folk music's collective history--and guided by his motto, "Making a living, not a killing"--the collection honors Free Dirt's three GRAMMY nominations, six NPR Tiny Desks, and a fercely independent legacy of helping artists build a home in the genre.

Limited vinyl release

Tracks: Liv Green - I Can't Know Now (Demo) / Rum Drum Ramblers ft. Pokey LaFarge - Brick by Brick / Viv & Riley and Rachel Baiman - The Long Game / JP Harris - Walk On By / Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves - Cumberland Gap / Kaia Kater - Part of an Echo / Willi Carlisle - Railroading on the Great Divide / The Montvales - Carolina (Trio Version) / The Wilders - I'm Going to Memphis (Live) / Caleb & Reeb - Old Friends / Cinder Well - One Morning in May / Nathan Evans Fox - Reckonings