Young folks focuses on the best, fresh folk, acoustic, singer-songwriter indie folk & alt-country jams. Turn it up Folks!

***guêatas aſaqɣ hubchìhicâ taa=36 (Muisca numerical system)***

—In memory of Mac Davis— 

Nate Todd

‘Too Much’

[americana/indie folk/singer-songwriter]

Press Notes:

Nate Todd is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, writer and producer. From performing in Colorado group Whiskey Tango, to becoming a successful music journalist, to the release of his debut EP and now LP, Todd finds himself confronting the pervasive issues that plague American society today. His forthcoming debut slated for October 30th, Revolutionary Loser, ultimately attempts to convey that the road to a better world must be traveled no matter how difficult and seemingly unending.

Folkus

‘Boy All Alone’

[folk/acoustic]

Press Notes:

Raised on the outskirts of the Rocky Mountains, Dylan James the singer-songwriter behind Folkus pulls inspiration from the land and culture that encompasses where he grew up.

A native of Calgary, Alberta, where the ever-changing weather and mood of the rockies meeting prairie’s is felt in the music Folkus creates. Deep, dark, beautiful tones and soul searching lyrics layer the songs throughout his catalog. The rich and long history of folk, rock, and country music that flows through Western Canada has had a considerable influence on the direction of Folkus’s musical evolution as well as an eclectic taste for world music and anything that stirs emotion.

Genre bending and melding, introspective and heartfelt, he sees his songs as stories of the lives lived and experiences had around these parts – harsh winters shape the mindsets while the rugged wilderness shows reality and inspires purity, all amalgamating to mould a sound uniquely his own.

Envisioning his debut singles as night and day, “Oh Maria” is a reflective step inside the hard and heavy half while “Blue” is a misleadingly soft and dreamy tale. Recorded over the summer months of 2020 in Canmore, Alberta, the two singles will be part of a debut EP set for release in winter of the same year.

Folkus is on a journey that has no end, a working man’s musician hammering away to stay consistent and persistent and pure in search of a better self and hopefully in turn wiser songs.

Elina

‘Remember’

[indie folk]

Press Notes:

Elina is an Ivor Novello-nominated singer-songwriter from Sweden.

She’s solidified a strong reputation in the industry in recent years, most notably for having co-written the multi-platinum 2016 single ‘Sexual’ for NEIKED, and having penned songs for Zara Larsson and Astrid S, amongst others.

As a testament to the strength of her songwriting, Elina has been nominated for several awards in her native Sweden, including winning ‘Song of the Year’ at the 2017 Swedish Publishing Awards and being nominated at the prestigious Denniz Pop Awards in 2015.

Following her songwriting success, Elina launched her artist career in April 2018, with the release of her cinematic debut single ‘Wild Enough’, which was championed by music blogs worldwide, and quickly reached over 20 million streams on Spotify. Follow up singles, ‘Here With Me’, ‘Champion’ and ‘Mirage’ were also released to similar acclaim, with her project having collectively amassed over 45 million streams to date on Spotify alone.

Her project has also been championed by magazines, blogs and TV shows alike, with coverage in Wonderland Magazine, Clash Magazine and The Line of Best Fit, her songs regularly featuring in the top charts on The Hype Machine, and a notable sync for ‘Here With Me’ on US network show The Bold Type.

Elina’s songwriting comes from the heart, and she isn’t afraid to write about things that aren’t perfect or pretty in topic, with her music addressing self-belief in one’s own ability and the fear of being seen as inadequate. Her solo project aims to break from today’s strict genre formats, and instead focuses on an approach of stripped down instrumentation coupled with timeless songwriting.

N. Kerbin

‘A Boy and a Man and a Satellite’

[indie folk]

Press Notes:

N. Kerbin is Poughkeepsie-born, Virginia-bred, Brooklyn-burnt, LA-based songwriter Nathaniel Wesley Fenton House Kerbin (who obviously spent a lot of time coming up with a name).

Formerly of the post-hardcore outfit Arrow to the Sun, N. Kerbin explores a quieter, more restrained approach. Drawing inspiration from the forthright melancholy of Elliott Smith, the instrumental experimentation of Bon Iver, and the genre-bending of artists like Choker, Kerbin’s sound is at once familiar and surprising.

Rubin Kates and the Revival

‘Lines of You’

[country]

Press Notes:

Rubin Kates and the Revival consists of Rubin, who plays guitar and is the songwriter and lead vocalist; Todd Porter on drums, Manny Degrandis on bass, Jenna Gallagher on backing vocals and violin, and Chris James on lead guitar. Their debut album entitled Vivian Road was released in 2019, and featured cameo appearances by legendary blues harp player Jerome Godboo. Their upcoming album Twilight Tales is due out later this year, and will feature new songs written by Rubin and some revamped and remixed songs from Vivian Road. Rubin’s songs are acoustic guitar based and lyrically driven folk-americana compositions in the spirit of Bob Dylan and John Prine.

The Dennis Brothers

‘If One Thing Leads to Another’

[americana/country]

Press Notes:

The Dennis Brothers (Dalton and Dryden Dennis) wrote this song for their sister (Dabney Dennis) when she graduated high school and left for college. Dabney Dennis also sings on the song.

Shayna Adler

‘Stagecoach Sally’

[folk/americana]

Press Notes:

Imagine a time-travelling troubadour from a medieval, whimsical world…The marvelously illustrated music of Shayna Adler is a Folk-Rock wonder of adventures and stories just waiting to be told.

Shayna’s affinity for the soaring melodies of Celtic and American Folk music have shaped the bloom of her aesthetics and imagination. Her deeply descriptive lyricism exemplifies what it means to be a storyteller, and to transport a listener to another place and time.

Feminism and the enrichment of women’s lives are a constant underlying theme in her songs: with heroines and female warriors portraying Shayna’s empowering narratives as inspiring, yet relatable characters. Shayna’s hometown is Long Beach, California, where she is a local performing artist and recording engineer.

The Dustbowl Daddies

‘O Little Fire, O Little Light of Wisdom’

[country/americana]

Press Notes:

With steel string jangle, swinging trumpet, and plenty of stomp and twang, The Dustbowl Daddies’ high energy folk-pop songs combine lush harmonies, lyrical intensity, and an infectious, melody-infused, driving beat to get the dance floor hopping. The Dustbowl Daddies’ new album, Boom and Bust Economies of Love, will be launched in the coming year.

The band donates most of the proceeds from its live shows and has raised more than $5000 for some of the amazing charities working in Ottawa (including the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre, Ottawa Inner City Health, Families of Sisters of Sprit).

While the band is based in Ottawa, members Paul Saurette, Paul Tyler, Rob Sparling, Mat Paterson, Kevin Grignon, Lee Jacobs and Chris Leite hail from across the country and beyond, and remain deeply connected to places as varied as Vancouver Island, Winnipeg, Toronto, North Bay and northern England.

Between them, band members have published almost a dozen books on topics as varied as climate change, humiliation, poetry, corruption, populism, car culture, political rhetoric/communications, philosophy, international relations and beyond.

Spencer Burton

‘Memories We Won’t Soon Forget’

[country/americana]

Press Notes:

Spencer Burton came to prominence as the guitarist/vocalist for Attack In Black alongside Daniel Romano before moving on to perform with City and Colour and finally embarking on his own solo career. He’s previously performed all over the world and has been featured at American Songwriter, Exclaim!, PopMatters, iheartradio and more. New single “Memories We Won’t Soon Forget” is a pensive country/folk ballad that finds Burton ruminating on the images in life that stick with us for eternity, his voice floating atop layers of guitars, sweeping pedal steel, textural organ swells and accented by a gospel choir.

Jim and Sam

‘After So Many Days’

[folk/singer-songwriter]

Press Notes:

After a decade of making music together, Jim and Sam, a recently married singer/songwriter duo from Los Angeles, were not the conventionally successful band they hoped they’d be. Feeling stuck and anxious about their future, the duo made a spontaneous decision to go “all in,” making a pact to play one show every day for a year. With suitcases and a guitar, the troubadours ventured out for a 365-day tour down unexplored roads and onto unexpected stages, bringing their music to new audiences throughout 14 different countries. After So Many Days, is an intimate front row seat to the highs and lows of what it’s like for two people to pursue a dream, together.

Compiled by: Christos Doukakis