Finding Lucinda
Finding Lucinda
Podcast Description
Finding Lucinda follows a young singer-songwriter on a road trip of self discovery to trace the roots of their musical hero Lucinda Williams. Amidst self-doubt and uncertainty, ISMAY sets out from the family ranch in Northern California and travels to Texas, Louisiana and Tennessee. There ISMAY meets Lucinda’s early collaborators, digs through the archives to uncover hidden treasures, and visits the studios and venues where Lucinda got her start. Interviews include Charlie Sexton, Buddy Miller, and Mary Gauthier. Finding Lucinda is ultimately a story about not knowing whether you have what it takes to be the artist you want to be, and looking for answers on how to move forward anyways. It’s about finding a small way to be more like your hero.Finding Lucinda is distributed by The Bluegrass Situation Podcast NetworkInterested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on themes of self-discovery, artistic struggle, and musical heritage, with episodes exploring the impact of Lucinda Williams on contemporary musicians, the significance of various venues in her career, and personal reflections on the creative process. Specific examples include discussions with collaborators like Buddy Miller and analysis of the emotional challenges faced by artists mirroring their idols.
Finding Lucinda follows a young singer-songwriter on a road trip of self discovery to trace the roots of their musical hero Lucinda Williams. Amidst self-doubt and uncertainty, ISMAY sets out from the family ranch in Northern California and travels to Texas, Louisiana and Tennessee. There ISMAY meets Lucinda’s early collaborators, digs through the archives to uncover hidden treasures, and visits the studios and venues where Lucinda got her start. Interviews include Charlie Sexton, Buddy Miller, and Mary Gauthier. Finding Lucinda is ultimately a story about not knowing whether you have what it takes to be the artist you want to be, and looking for answers on how to move forward anyways. It’s about finding a small way to be more like your hero.
Finding Lucinda is distributed by The Bluegrass Situation Podcast Network
Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods
In this episode of the podcast, Ismay sits down with 'Finding Lucinda' director Joel Fendelman. They discuss how Joel approached the making of the documentary and concepts like developing the language of a film to build trust with the audience, the artist’s experience of not being where you thought you should be a certain age – including how to constructively confront that – and the idea of trusting others in collaborations. They also talk about how there is overlap in the craft of filmmaking and music-making, including ideas like contrasts and consistency.
With roots in Miami, Austin, and New York City, Fendelman has written, produced, and directed a number of award-winning narrative and documentary films. An award-winning filmmaker, he is dedicated to telling stories that reveal the underlying connections between us all. His documentary 'Man on Fire' received an IDA Documentary Award and premiered nationally on PBS’s Independent Lens (2018–19 season). He went on to direct 'North Putnam,' which won the Indiana Spotlight Award at the Heartland International Film Festival. In 2016, his short film 'Game Night' premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and won Best Super Short at the Savannah Film Festival. His second narrative feature, 'Remittance,' earned multiple festival awards, including Best Actress and Best Screenplay at the Brooklyn Film Festival, and is distributed worldwide. His debut feature, 'David' (2011), won the Ecumenical Prize at the Montreal World Film Festival. His most recent short film, 'The Spiritual Advisor,' is premiering at DOC NYC 2025 and is being distributed by Rolling Stone Films.
Soundtrack out 11/7/25
CD, Vinyl and Download: https://ismay.bandcamp.com/album/finding-lucinda-music-from-the-documentary
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/ismay/1340597459
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/77sFDwywxshHFqKu6rVXIp?si=xlKBJrMMRFyvU0HYQ_F18Q
Tickets to upcoming screenings in Boston, Brooklyn, Hudson NY, Providence RI and Chicago at www.findinglucinda.com
Watch Finding Lucinda online: https://www.freestyledigitalmedia.tv/film/finding-lucinda/
credits:
Finding Lucinda is Distributed by The Bluegrass Situation
Produced, recorded and mixed by Avery Hellman for Neanderthal Records LLC
Music by ISMAY
Special thanks to: Rose Bush, Liz McBee, Mick Hellman, Jonathan McHugh, Sydney Lane, Jacqueline Sabec, Rosemary Carroll, Lucinda Williams & Tom Overby
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