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

***mhuɣcâ=4 (Muisca numerical system)***

Photo by: Sénamie Steward

Janne Saaristo

‘Yesterday’

[country/americana]

Press Notes:

This is the featured track on my new album Never say ever again. It’s an up-tempo americana tune with a steady shuffle beat.

About the artist

My name is Janne Saaristo and I’m a musician who never quit my day job. In April 2015 I’ve got myself a record deal and while producing the album I’ve also been writing this blog telling about the process.

What is there to tell then? I mean except the therapy? Well, good question. Maybe it could be interesting to hear what triggers a 42 year old full time working family father to spend his precious spare time writing, recording, talking his fellow musicians in to assist him during his studio sessions – all while knowing that there might not be any interest at all on the music when it’s released – despite the record deal. Or maybe not – that’s up to you.

However, for me this project is channel for my creativity. I have been involved in a lot of fun projects through the years. And my job as an Art Director at a content marketing agency is highly creative. But lately I have had a lot of creative ideas, and now I feel ready to launch this kind of project on my own. We’ll see if this is just a crazy idea, I mean, we’ll see how crazy this idea is.

David Ellis

‘Baby She Roam’

[acoustic/indie]

Press Notes:

From the Debut Album of David Ellis (guitarist of Razorlight)  released 22nd October 2018 with 1 music video dropping every week subsequently.

About the artist

While not writing and performing with internationally acclaimed UK indie band Razorlight, David Ellis can be found sat cross legged bopping away on his left handed guitar with his acoustic quartet.

“I was living in a little house next to the Byrdcliffe Colony in Woodstock when I began writing this record… the forest was my garden and every morning I would venture out with my guitar. This is where I wrote and recorded most of the album.”

Lucky for us, he gives us a glimpse into his bucolic recording process in the album teaser youtube link on this page.

Ellis’ self proclaimed ‘Pagan Rock’ cleverly sews together earthy rhythms with heartfelt melodies and impassioned singing. In this latest incarnation there’s still something of the rocking troubadour he is warmly known as (T.Rex / Syd Barrett immediately get name checked at Ellis’ live sets) in the deft arrangements and earworm guitar lines, but the thematic focus has headed inwards, conjuring images of Avalon or Shangri-La.

Here he has offered up a full-length debut that definitively breaks stride with the last wave of synth heavy, overwrought alt-indie, and instead guided his band further toward the familiar folk-hippy tradition of Donovan, Vashti Bunyan and early Marc Bolan.

David Ellis has left the New York’s and London’s of the world far behind in search for a musical pastoralism that’s as richly adorned with musical genius as it is deep with influences. Misty Heights’ bucolic style, optimism and heartfelt poeticism is a rarity in today’s musical landscape.

 

Box of Moxie

‘Irish Sea Lovers’

[folk]

Press Notes:

Box of Moxie’s body of work is a collaboration between Virginia band founder and Frontman Stephen Jacques & Nationally recognized Multi-Instrumentalist, Producer & Recording Engineer Alan Weatherhead (The Cardigans, Cracker, Magnolia Electric Co., Camper Van Beethoven, Hotel Lights, Sparklehorse). Alan is an exceptional, prolific & insightful musician with an extensive list of credits in the Music industry. Stephen (vocals, guitar, lyrics) began writing the 1st of over 60 songs & ballads following the crash of the 2009 American Real Estate market. A silver lining of sorts as Moxie was launched out of the starting blocks.

Box of Moxie has been described as a lot of things over the years: alt-rock, Americana, Folksy Rock, Avant-garde. But mostly, there’s a lifetime of working in the real world that has essentially delivered the goods in terms of the lyrics by Stephen. He spent over 25 years working before the first lyrics were ever penned – as an engineer, custom builder, TV show host, and actor- strumming his Acoustic along the way.

Josh Collins

‘Hold You Back’

[folk]

Press Notes:

Where do you go when you need peace of mind? If you’re like London based singer songwriter Josh Collins, you’ll be driven to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and embark on a journey of escapism. Sometimes, a change of perspective can be just what you need.

Experimenting with music at university, Josh discovered his untapped talent in 2012. Ever since, he has been dedicated to his unique sound and vision, inviting the listener to plunge into his songs and become one with them. Influenced at a young age by the likes of Jamie T and legendary British musical icon Paul Weller, he has internalized their talents to inspire him. He has hit his stride, coming in the form of his wonderfully crafted debut EP, Porky Pies. Cockney rhyming slang for “lies”, it echoes his east London roots. The EP artwork shows a colorful self-portrait, notable for the absence of his mouth hinting at words unspoken. Described by BBC6 Introducing DJ Tom Robinson as having “lovely vocals and sharp lyrics”, Porky Pies is only his first chapter as he opens up to unravel his otherworldly lyrical and raw sonic abilities.

His latest music video for “Hold You Back” takes place in the Lake District, a beautiful national park located in northwest England. Directed by Tom Precey, Yannick Hausler, and Molly Tebbutt, Josh clears his head in the great outdoors as he reflects about his life. Caught in a corner of his own obsessive thoughts, he breaks the cycle and starts to fully take in his surroundings. He ends on the crest of a spectacular view and begins to realize the need to embrace the path he’s on. As the video closes, he accepts that his journey is not as toxic as he paints it out to be and that there is no use in trying to hold someone back from going their own way.

Mi von Ahn

‘Sail On’ 

[folk/acoustic]

Press Notes:

Mi von Ahn is a singer-songwriter with roots in the far north of Sweden. Mi creates suggestive pop with a crisp and beautiful melancholy that touches the depths.

“Sail on“ is the new single from Mi von Ahn. Her lyrics pervade by the down-to-earth seriousness that characterizes her person. The song is based on fragments from an extended and heavy spring. A consolation song

The musical experience can be likened to a rhythmic journey through dramatic landscapes where magnificent mountains alternate with tranquil lakes.

Traditional singer-songwriter genre meets a modern escapism.

Clash Magazine describes the music as “Driving, inspiring and moving …” and draws parallels to The War On Drugs.

Mi has released several singles since 2015. The tracks have also been noted by the Swedish radio show Musikguiden I P3 and circulated on additional Spotify playlists (Best New Music, Indie Highlights, Women of Indie among others). Mi also awarded the STIM scholarship for her songwriting in 2017.

October 26th, 2018 the first full-length album “Signals” will be released.

Wooden Horsemen

‘It Don’t Matter’

[americana/bluegrass]

Press Notes:

Vancouver’s Wooden Horsemen release the second single “It Don’t Matter” off their upcoming album Past Lives due November 2. The band has a couple of upcoming tour dates including their hometown release party at The Wise Hall, event details HERE. See below for full routing.

The band has gone through a full transformation since their introduction to the scene as a folk 3-piece in 2013. Singers Steven Beddall and Missy Cross’s woven harmonies remain at the core of the band’s sound, however the foundation has shifted from delicate acoustic strings to a brassy, electric 7-piece blues-rock outfit. 2016’s EP Sentient gained attention within the Canadian college radio circuit and charted in CBC Radio 3’s Top 20 for four weeks following its release, as the band became a staple in Western Canada’s festival circuit.

Their forthcoming album, Past Lives, stands both as a fiery testament to the American South, and an acknowledgement of the intimate relationship between music and spirituality. Influenced by Alan Lomax’s ‘American Patchwork’ series, tracks such as “I’ve Been Changed” and “You Better Mind” aim to harness the raw spirit of gospel while maintaining the band’s signature modern rock n’ roll sound. Swampy, sweaty and downright dirty blues mix with ethereal harmonies and a blazing horn section, resulting in a gritty, powerful, and ultimately unforgettable live experience.

Tour Dates

10.12 – Rossland, BC @ The Flying Steamshovel

11.03 – Vancouver, BC @ The Wise Hall * Album Release Party *

Siobhan McCrudden

‘The Mermaid in Your Glass’

[folk]

Press Notes:

‘The Mermaid in your Glass’ is the first single from the debut album ‘Icarus Girl’ by Siobhan McCrudden. Icarus Girl is released world-wide on 7 December 2018 via Hungersleep Records/Integrity Publishing.

Noted as ‘one to watch’ by NewSoundWales, Siobhan McCrudden’s voice has been described as ‘fragile, pure and hugely distinctive’. Siobhan crafts songs of intensity and sweetness, recounting personal stories whilst reflecting a vivid fascination with dark folk tales and superstitions.

Now based in Cardiff, Siobhan developed her craft on New York’s coffee house circuit before settling back in the UK.

‘Icarus Girl’ is produced by acclaimed art-rock musician GRICE who brings an understated warmth and intricacy to the album.

Dusky Sunday

‘Oceans’

[folk/indie]

Press Notes:

Dusky Sunday is an indie-folk duo comprising of established musicians Fern Teather and Sam Thurlow. Drawing comparisons to Slow Club, Gabrielle Aplin, and Fleetwood Mac, Dusky Sunday stands out from similar bands and artists with their unique combination of catchy, lyrical songs played on acoustic guitar and hand-percussion – topped with Fern’s smooth yet powerful voice, and tailed with Sam’s bassy backing vocals.

Though Sam has accompanied Fern’s solo music on percussion since 2014, his newly-discovered singing/songwriting talents caused a natural evolution of the pair’s sound over the past year – resulting in Dusky Sunday.

St. Pete Holland

‘Different Hymn’

[folk/acoustic]

Press Notes:

A band from Nashville.

Ryan Davies

‘Beautiful Thing’

[folk/singer-songwriter]

Press Notes:

Welsh singer, songwriter Ryan Davies is a self-taught musician. Although being surrounded by music all his life, Ryan didn’t pick up a guitar until he was 15 years old. Young and passionate, he started playing gigs in his hometown of Swansea.

Within the next year, Ryan gained more public attention impressing the audience with his deep pure voice and got out onto the local music scene, playing gigs in local pubs and clubs. During one of his performances in the French Alps, he got spotted by an A&R working for the Swiss record label The Hana Road who singed Ryan a few months after that.

Ryan is In the process of writing his debut E.P. in Montreux and London.

Compiled by: Christos Doukakis