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

***taa=6 (Muisca numerical system)***

Sarah MacDougall

‘Baby, I know’

[folk]

Press Notes:

Over the past few years, Swedish/Canadian songwriter Sarah MacDougall has won and been nominated for multiple awards for her last two records The Greatest Ones Alive and Grand Canyon, and her songs have been placed in TV series such as The Vampire Diaries. Described as a mesmerizing performer, she has played international festivals such as Iceland Airwaves and Reeperbahn, as well as had the honor to share the stage with artists such as Bruce Cockburn, Cat Empire, Tallest Man on Earth, Buffy St. Marie, Passenger, among others. Swedish magazine Nöjesguiden declared her ‘one of Sweden’s best singer/songwriters’, and Belgian Rootstime called her ‘One of the greatest talents of our era’.

‘All The Hours I Have Left To Tell You Anything’ captures the urgency of life, and surrendering to its immediacy. While the nine Folk/Pop/Rock songs are hard to pin down to only one genre, they have been described as having an epic Coldplay or a Monsters and Men-like quality, and there’s even a little hint of Abba in there. Sarah’s music is undoubtedly influenced by her Swedish roots and the vast and dark beauty of the Canadian North where she now resides.

MK Ellison

‘Nothing but the Rain’

[folk/singer-songwriter]

Press Notes:

“Nothing but the Rain,” the first single from indie singer-songwriter MK Ellison’s upcoming Good October EP, is three minutes of quiet intensity and Ellison’s special brand of strangeness. With an energetic solo guitar and evocative vocal, “Nothing but the Rain” touches upon themes of addiction and isolation. The accompanying music video uses footage from The Sky (1928) to otherworldly effect.

Indie singer-songwriter MK Ellison’s debut EP, Good October, will be released on January 4, 2019. With its roots in the alt-country, folk, and indie-rock genres, Good October features rich vocals, layered harmonies, and world-weary storytelling. M.K. Ellison is based in Nashville, Tennessee.

 

Archie Faulks

‘Blackout’

[folk/acoustic]

Press Notes:

Archie Faulks has released his released his brand new single ‘Blackout’. The song premiered on the Radio 1 ‘Chillest Show’ with Jamz Supernova in for Phil Taggart last night. Phil previously called Archie, “a serious talent”.

‘Blackout’ is a beautiful ballad influenced by love, as Archie explains, “‘Blackout’ is a song for all the dreamers and fantasists out there – when falling in love seems almost a weekly occurrence (on the tube, brief exchange in the smoking area, dare I say it… Instagram) closing your eyes and ‘blacking out’ makes these fleeting fancies romantic and just a touch from reality.”

‘Blackout’ follows the release of Archie’s debut single ‘It Rains’ earlier this year. The song received support from Radio 1 and Radio X and has clocked up over 700,000 streams and counting across Apple Music & Spotify.

The release led Archie to sell out his debut headline show at London’s Servant Jazz Quarters, and also saw him taken out on European tours with Rue Royale where he played three shows in Holland & Isaac Gracie where he performed four dates in Germany.

Archie will be playing his next London headline show at St Pancras Old Church on November 12th. He has also just announced his first ever US show where he will play at Communion’s ‘Candle Light Sessions’ in New York on November 8th as he proves himself and enticing live draw on both sides of the Atlantic.

Kris Gruen (featuring The Bones of J.R. Jones)

‘Half Way Down’

[americana/bluegrass]

Press Notes:

Kris Gruen writes songs about grownup life infused with a mystic wonder, softening the world’s sharp edges like a glass of exceptionally fine bourbon. Kris grew up steeped in classic records. His Americana influenced new folk is grounded in the tradition of great narrative songwriters like Cat Stevens and Paul Simon and yet Kris’s voice is strikingly current. A New York City native who’s put down roots in Vermont, Kris effortlessly blends sagacious wit and emotional depth.

The new album Coast & Refuge is an album both about and created by partnerships where the sonic and thematic threads feel constant, equally at home in the old townships of Vermont where the new folk- artist lives, as it is in the new frontiers of Scandinavia, and the California coastline where much of it was written. The songs retain folk roots, but bring a contemporary urgency and a big sound. The result draws comparisons to Matthew Perryman Jones, Pete Yorn, Elbow, Griffin House and Ryan Adams.

Over a four year period Kris worked with LA writer/producers Brad Gordon (Vance Joy, Dan Wilson),Justin Gray (James Bay, John Legend,) and Ramin Sakurai (Supreme Beings of Leisure), Finnish singer-songwriter Peppina, and LA artist AM. During his 2015 European tour supporting Jesse Malin, Kris was led to Stockholm to work with Peter Morén (of Peter Bjorn and John). Gruen also collaborated with filmmaker Melissa Miller- Costanzo on the song “Coming Down Around Me” for her feature film “All These Small Moments” starring Molly Ringwald and Jemima Kirke, which premiered at The Tribeca Film Festival this past April. Longtime producer Charles Newman (The Magnetic Fields, The Bones of J.R. Jones) produced the track in his Brooklyn based Cottage Sounds studio, as well as The Morén duet and the album closer, “2008,” a beautifully nostalgic ballad co-written with Los Angeles based artists Jim and Sam.

Charlene Soraia

‘Now You Are With Her’ 

[acoustic/singer-songwriter]

Press Notes:

From the age of five – when she found her father’s broken guitar behind the sofa and began to teach herself to play – music has been refuge for Charlene Soraia, whether listening to her father play or discovering the music of another time, from the Beatles and Bowie to West Coast psych-rock.

By the age of eight she was attending local up-to-the-mic sessions in Beckenham, either singing and playing or scrutinizing fellow players chord progressions with notebook in hand. Despite not having Music GCSE (to this day she can’t read music) she won a place at the prestigious Brit School, where she was a contemporary of Adele and Katy B. While these were formative years, you get the feeling that much of her education was outside the classroom. Summers were – and still are – spent at Glastonbury taking in the music and playing but mostly hanging out in the Healing Fields. Charlene’s free ranging spirit – always dusted with a touch of the cosmic – can be heard in her eclectic style which adheres to no genre.

In 2011 Charlene signed to UK indie label Peacefrog and recorded Moonchild, a diverse collection of songs that revealed an idiosyncratic songwriting and performing talent. During the making of her debut album she was offered a small fee to record a cover of The Calling’s “Wherever You Will Go” for a TV advert. The song shot to No.3 in the charts and – with over 60 million Spotify hits and counting – continues to capture hearts around the world. Where’s My Tribe sees Charlene return to her roots – playing guitar and singing self- penned songs. Unadorned, unmediated, alone. Straight from the heart.

Simon Lynge

‘Paper Thin’

[folk/indie]

Press Notes:

‘Deep Snow, the brand new album by Simon Lynge, is out world-wide on 23rd November via Integrity Records/Songcrafter Music.

In February 2018, Simon and long-time friend and musical collaborator Richard Lobb isolated themselves in a secluded house owned by a travelling circus clown in the green hills of Trallong, Wales, to record the Greenlandic-Danish songwriter’s new album, later to be caressed to completion in the eclectic atmosphere of Narcissus Studios in London

“I had sworn to myself that this album would truly reflect my soul, rather than attempt to uplift it. It feels like growing up. I cannot pretend to be something I am not; life is too short. The new album is called Deep Snow, because my body feels colder when it is sad and the smallest task can only be achieved through extreme effort.”

Having spent his early years as a shepherd boy in the Greenland tundra, nature and the fragility of life in all its forms feature heavily in Simon’s songs.

Now dividing his time between America’s Pacific Northwest, Scandinavia & the UK, Simon Lynge is no stranger to the British media, having appeared on BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio London, BBC1 Breakfast TV & Sky News and had great reviews of previous releases from the UK & European press.

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COTE

‘Restoration’

[acoustic]

Press Notes:

COTE, the project of Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Taryn Randall, descends from a timeless, song-driven rock tradition. Sparked by unsparing ruminations on heartbreak and accountability, Randall’s keenly observed songs map the peaks and valleys, twists and dead-ends that mark any trip worth taking – be it physical, emotional, spiritual, or somewhere in between.

You can catch the songstress on November 28th for her album release show. Tickets available HERE.

The Lark and the Loon

‘Code of the West’

[americana/bluegrass]

Press Notes:

The Lark and the Loon are a songwriting duo consisting of husband/wife team Jeff Rolfzen and Rocky Steen-Rolfzen. The two bring their distinct writing styles together in what they call an exploration in the etymology of American music. They take inspiration from prewar blues and jazz, Irish dance music, Sea shanties, and traditional American music as well. Their debut album “Songbirds and Fog” was recorded in their cabin home in the Ozarks after a period of heavy isolation and was met with critical acclaim. Earning Folk DJ radio chart placement, an award winning music video, and being included on several “best of” lists from places like Sundilla Radio Hour, Music You Can’t Hear on the Radio, and others. Heralded for their harmonies, duets, and musicianship the two have enjoyed touring extensively both in the United States and abroad. When not on the road they enjoy the comfort of their Ozark home where they garden in the rocky soil, hike the scenic hills, and soak in the tranquility before their next venture.

Ruth Acuff

‘Peace’

[folk/indie]

Press Notes:

“Peace” uplifts the grieving soul and expands its beaming light from behind a dark cloud. A gathering of strings mingles admiringly with Acuff’s harp patterns as they ease through the song, gently layering one tranquil note after another. Plush arrangements create a wave of comfort, leaving one feeling renewed and recharged.

The Salesman

‘Free Again’

[acoustic/indie folk]

Press Notes:

The Salesman is the solo project of Chris Egan—Cincinnati, OH/Northern Kentucky based singer-songwriter.

Influenced by contemporary songwriters such as the prolific Jim James of My Morning Jacket and James Mercer of the Shins, Egan blends folk and guitar rock influences with modern electronic sounds to create catchy and often quirky alternative music.

The Salesman’s debut EP, titled “The Year Was 2015,” was independently released in —you guessed it—2015.

The Salesman’s debut full-length album, Say Something (So We Can Judge You) was released very recently, on November 9, 2018. U.S. touring is being planned for early 2019.

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Compiled by: Christos Doukakis