NPR Music

After over 40 years, the weekly Celtic music program The Thistle & Shamrock has come to an end. Fiona Ritchie, who has been the host and producer since she created the program in 1983, wrapped up her last program on September 30.

From Hand Habits to a violin concerto that includes whistling, this week's All Songs Considered has some surprises along the way. Hand Habits is the music of Meg Duffy. On their new EP dirt, we hear the climactic tune "4th of July," filled with Meg's intriguing guitar. It was also the guitar that attracted me to Miss Grit, the music of Korean American Margaret Sohn. She takes on the imposter syndrome, a fear many of us face when coming of age. We play the title track from her self-produced EP called Impostor.

In this candid conversation, the singer reveals he hasn't felt compelled to write a new song in years, talks about the desire to better know himself and reflects on the very meaning of life itself.