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

Manuel Bellone

‘Free To Run’

[indie folk]

Press Notes:

Singer-songwriter Manuel Bellone has his roots in the tradition of folk and American country music, fused with a strong spirit of rock ‘n’ roll.

“I’m a folk-rock songwriter from Palermo, Sicily. Last year, me and my band played all over Europe, showcasing songs from my last two albums, “Light From The Grave” and “Split Pot”.

I write and perform my own songs and I’am influenced by many artists, especially Ryan Adams, Gram Parsons and Neil Young. Classic, but unique: that’s what I like, and it’s also how I’d like to be seen.”

Audiences (and music critics) loved the gigs – as did the band – so now Manuel is looking forward to heading out on tour again, with the hope of making the experience even better.

Manuel has played in a number of significant festivals including Live At Heart in Orebro (SWE), the Jazz & Blues Festival in Motala (SWE), and the Folkest Festival (IT).

May Davis

‘Back Pocket’

[americana/singer-songwriter]

Press Notes:

May Davis is an emerging singer-songwriter based in Revelstoke, BC. Her unique and unforgettable sound pulls from blues, Americana and old-time country western with smokey vocals that echo vintage crooners like Bobbie Gentry and Janis Joplin, but the unforgettable stories and songs she brings to the stage are all her own. In 2021, Davis released her first full-length album, One Way Ticket, recorded at Becoming Sound Studio with support from Amplify BC’s Career Development Grant. She has since released a video for the album’s title track and headlined the Lethbridge Folk Festival, and she’s got plenty more tricks up her sleeve for 2022 including a new live-off-the-floor music video supported by FACTOR. Buckle up and stay tuned! A banjo lovin’ , mandolin mornin’, peanut butter jammin’ kinda gal. I hope you enjoy the music.

Lisa Selle

‘Totally Yodelly’

[country/singer-songwriter]

Press Notes:

Lisa Selle is a Denver-based singer/songwriter who comes from a Colorado prairie small town. She is also an eighth-grade language arts teacher, a mom, a reader of books, a gardener, and a little bit of a hippie. Lisa plays regularly around south Denver, where fans enjoy unexpected mash-ups, unlikely acoustic covers (for a middle-aged white lady), as well as originals. Her musical style is best described as acoustic, organic Americana

Mark Rosal

‘Appreciation’

[americana]

Press Notes:

Throughout his life, Canadian singer-songwriter Mark Rosal has gradually refined his craft, making endless revisions to each song until the results are nothing less than perfect. Inspired by Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot, and Van Morrison, each of his songs celebrates a unique story, an introspective look at the world around us and an in-depth view of life’s journey. Rosal utilizes songwriting as a medium of self expression and inner exploration, allowing him to communicate subtle truths which could not be conveyed otherwise.

Blackfoot Daisy

‘Superman Song’

[indie folk/acoustic]

Press Notes:

Blackfoot daisies are hearty wild flowers that grow on the prairies of Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. You can find them growing naturally in the Texas Blackland prairie, which runs from the Red River to the Texas-Oklahoma border. The band is a humble trio (sometimes duo) that plays original, Americana style music. Songwriters, Don Sechelski and Wendy DuMond, joined forces to create Blackfoot Daisy in 2012. Multi-Instrumentalist, Jim Kirkland, joined in 2018. Based in the Atlanta metro area, we are a little haunted by the prairie, the wind, the shifting of tall grasses, the sound of crickets, and a lonesome train whistle drifting through the night.

DragonflyStigma

‘Cast Away’ (feat. Nicholas Berg)

[indie folk/acoustic]

Press Notes:

Dragonfly Stigma is a songwriter and composer hailing from Martinique, a small island nation in the Caribbean Sea.

For her, music has always been a source of shelter and comfort, dating back to her childhood when she first saw her grandfather playing the violin. It is a huge part of her DNA and helps her cope with anxiety.

As an artist, Dragonfly Stigma is driven by a desire to share an empowering message and pay it forward by giving back to others what music has given her. She aims to inspire self-empowerment, acceptance of uniqueness, and bravery in being different through her music.

Dragonfly Stigma is a lover of acoustic instruments and her sound is heavily influenced by a diverse range of artists, from classical composers like Vivaldi and Rondò Veneziano to contemporary indie folk musicians like Bon Iver, Gregory Alan Isakov, Novo Amor, and emotional driven vocalist like Beth Hart.

While her real name is Catherine Samantha Goma, Dragonfly Stigma is more of a concept for her, inspired by the stigma that appears on the wings of dragonflies when they reach maturity. She is also known for her collaborative approach to music-making and enjoys working with a variety of musicians. Overall, Dragonfly Stigma is a deeply passionate artist whose music is sure to resonate with listeners seeking empowering and thought-provoking messages

Universe Narrows

‘In My Bones’

[alt country/americana]

Press Notes:

Father and son JJ & Mark O’Connor began writing and recording songs together in 2003. With interests in a wide range of genres, their music ranges from Beatles-ish pop rock to folk & country. Under the name “Universe Narrows” the two have released 4 full length albums- including the 2022 LP “Hyperboreans”. They are now working on a new project to be released over the course of 2023.

Aaron Wylder

‘Don’t Let Me Down’

[americana/alt country]

Press Notes:

Born and raised in the Cayman Islands, Aaron Wylder is a 25 year old Canadian singer songwriter. Now based out of Victoria, British Columbia, he can be found most often with a guitar in his hands. He is motivated by the prospect of creating resonating songs. His new EP, Adventure Songs, builds on Wylder’s blend of indie folk and Americana.

IZZY DED

‘Mama’s Only Child’

[americana/alternative rock]

Press Notes:

IZZY DED & the Existential Dread are a group of tres hombres out of rural Northeast Texas playing backwoods rock n’ roll.

Somewhere between the teenage angst of the 2000s and the millennial disillusion of the 2020s, we have found our roots in a kind of psych-country garage rock n’ roll that seeded and sprouted out of the very blacklands of the Red River Valley so many of our peers vowed to leave behind but never could.

We won’t settle, and we ain’t trying to leave. We just want to bring you the best this little pocket in a state of chaos has to offer.

It’s noisy, moody, and we’re honestly sick of the excuses of why we gotta keep on making ourselves suffer. IZZY DED is alive and well, and we want to get loud at a dive near you.

Starling Arrow

‘Oh Darlin” (ft. Leah Song, Rising Appalachia, Marya Stark, Tina Malia, Ayla Nereo)

[americana/roots music]

Press Notes:

Starling Arrow is an all-star cast of spirit-folk songstresses featuring Leah Song and Chloe Smith of Rising Appalachia, Tina Malia, Ayla Nereo, and Marya Stark. The members of the female-fronted super-group Starling Arrow share a common devotion for the love of songwriting, which they elegantly captured in their debut album, Cradle, coming out in January 2023. These artists are brought together by a deep mutual love of beauty, the power of music as a sanctuary, and the deep joy of encountering the muse. Powerhouse songwriters in their own right, and innovative leaders within the industry, this joining is a potent gift of synergy.

The ensemble of Starling Arrow was unintentionally conceived during the pandemic’s lockdown. In the wake of canceled tours, the 5 musicians were inspired to meet weekly over Zoom to collectively sing and alchemize the chaos of a changing world into their craft of songwriting. Each week they choose a topic and style of song to inspire their writing. Then, the following week, they would share what they had created, in the round, each taking a turn to unveil their song.

[All Press Notes provided by the artists]

Compiled by: Christos Doukakis