Inland Folk

Sundays 3-4 p.m., 8-10 p.m.

Spokane Public Radio listeners get three hours of Dan Maher’s Inland Folk program on Sundays. The first hour stands alone at 3 p.m. and the following two hours air at their traditional time from 8-10 p.m.

Folk musician Maher shares the music of local and national folk artists on his program, from KWSU in Pullman, WA.

Inland Folk has been rolling down the folk music road for two decades. Dan actually began volunteering for KPBX in 1982, as one of the hosts of Survey of North American Folk Music. When the program ended in 1983, Dan received his own hour-long program to explore contemporary folk, mainly from the Inland Northwest. The only obstacle was the bus commute from Pullman to Spokane.

"I hauled 20 to 30 records up from Pullman, and (former news and Jazz host) Joe Zupan and I would sit down and record two or three shows at once," Dan remembers.

When Pullman got its own public radio station, Dan began recording Inland Folk there, with the understanding that KPBX would also broadcast the program. The show expanded to two hours in 1987.

Dan says he spends four or five hours each week planning and recording each week's program. During Pledge Drives, Dan often comes to the KPBX studios to present Inland Folk live. Dan also performs at various KPBX Kids' Concerts.

"Inland Folk is nothing more or less than to allow people the opportunity to listen to all kinds of really good acoustic music. I just do it because the music's out there and people are listening to it. Hopefully they learn a little bit each time they listen to the show."