The Long Memory: 20 Years of Free Dirt Records (Vinyl)

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 fiercely independent legacy of helping artists build a home in the genre.