Young folks focuses on the best, fresh folk, acoustic, singer-songwriter indie folk & alt-country jams. Turn it up Folks!
KAYAM
‘Omens’
[indie folk/acoustic]
Press Notes:
KAYAM is no stranger to creating music that defies the usual expectation, and its most recent release, “Omens,” is a perfect example of what it means to set the bar higher in terms of one-of-a-kind enthusiasm and innovation. This release happens to be the siblings’ sophomore full-length. The duo, which consists of siblings Kim and Mike Rauss, features a huge range of creative influences, to the point that they affectionately refer to their wide-ranging sound as “Falafel Pop,” not only a reference to the fusion of styles that defines their music, but also a tribute to one of their favorite foods: chickpeas!
Little Misty
‘Windmill’
[indie folk/acoustic]
Press Notes:
Little Misty is an indie-folk band founded in Montreal, Quebec and led by Kathryn Samman (vocals) and François Jalbert (guitar). Although firmly grounded in folk music, their repertoire mixes indie-rock with more broad compositions. From cinematic landscapes to wailing guitar solos, the group explores a full range of musical possibilities, always searching for innovative ways to serve their story telling.
They surrounded themselves with some of the finest musicians in town, including Tommy Gauthier on violin, Cédric Dind-Lavoie on bass and Mark Nelson on drums. After releasing their first eponymous record in 2020, the group surprisingly managed to tour between the waves, and write and produce a second album, Nowhere Land, which is set to be released in April 2023.
Wyatt Edmondson
‘Joe Roberts’
[country/americana/singer-songwriter]
Press Notes:
With soaring melodies in his songwriting and harmonica playing alike, Wyatt Edmondson demands listeners’ attention with his expertly-crafted songs and high-energy stage presence. The Montgomery, Alabama-native moved to Nashville in 2017 and has shown no signs of slowing down.
Edmondson has a wide array of live performances under his belt. Having performed at festivals like 30A Songwriters Festival, Opelika Songwriters Festival, Mississippi Songwriters Festival, and venues like The Bluebird Cafe, The Basement East, and 3rd and Lindsley, Edmondson continues to perform live for his rapidly growing fanbase. During lockdown mandates throughout the country, he began writing the songs that would become his first full-length album entitled Made For The Road releasing in 2023. “Dead End Town” is the first single from the project and salutes the small town dreamer who is longing for something bigger and better.
Despite being diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, Edmondson doesn’t let his degenerative eye condition slow him down. “I remember so clearly being 15 and finding out I was losing my vision. But something in me was like, ‘This is your chance to use what’s been brewing and stirring up inside you to help prove that people can do anything they want to in spite of the cards they’re dealt.’ For me, that was music. It’s really been the thing that gets me up in the morning. It keeps me going, and I’m really thankful for that. I hope it can inspire others as well.”
McKane Davis
‘Deliverance’
[folk/americana/singer-songwriter]
Press Notes:
McKane Davis is a veteran folk guitarist, lyricist, and songwriter. He’s performed and toured with various bands and groups over the years. Davis is also a co-founder, producer, and songwriter for the classical-crossover group Cinematic Pop.
Rusty Reid
‘Corner of My Mind’
[folk rock/country/singer-songwriter]
Press Notes:
Rusty Reid is an American independent, indie folk-country-rock singer-songwriter. Many of this songs feature philosophical, political or spiritual (not religious) themes. His latest album is “Bayou Line: Songs from Houston,” released early 2023.
Aisyah Aziz
‘janji kita bertemu lagi’
[indie folk/indie pop/singer-songwriter]
Press Notes:
Aisyah Aziz is a Singaporean born singer-songwriter known for her soulful voice that spans a range of genres, and ethereal presence on both the theatre and concert stage.
Aisyah quickly established herself as a household name through notable accolades and performances both in Singapore and abroad, such as the National Day Parade which featured an original song of hers that she co-wrote with long time friend RHAUN. Beyond music, Aisyah expresses herself through fashion which is a passion of hers, and more recently acting – making her theatre debut in a work by Teater Ekamatra commissioned for the Singapore International Festival of Arts.
In 2020, Aisyah released her first English EP, ‘Sugar – The Live Extended Play’, which was performed and recorded as a live session, and introduced a different side of her artistry. This was soon followed by the release of an audiophile LP titled ‘Pearls’ through Groove Note Records with Ying Tan at the helm in 2021.
The early years of her musical journey saw Aisyah performing songs that were written for her, and long thought herself to be a vessel for the music. That all changed when she found her creative community who have inspired her to break out of her shell and come into her own as a collaborator, independent singer-songwriter and producer. She has since collaborated with the likes of Charlie Lim, Rizky Febian and YAø just to name a few, and was invited to perform with Malaysian music icon Dato’ Jamal Abdillah during his recent ‘Aku Jamal…My Musical Journey’ show in Singapore.
Armed with a new found confidence, Aisyah is ready to share what she has created with the world and looks forward to releasing new material through various creative projects throughout the year with hopes to bring her music further into the regional and international market.
Kingdom All Stars
‘Willoughby Nights’
[alt country/indie folk]
Press Notes:
The Kingdom All Stars are an award winning band of teenagers from the smallest part of the smallest state in America. The Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.
The band recently won 1st Place in the 2022 “Beats For Good” band contest, was featured as the opening
act at the 2022 DoGood Festival and have opened for world class rock bands “American Authors” and “X
Ambassadors.”
One of our players was selected to play as a guest artist with another world class band – “Pink Martini.”
The band’s songwriting has been critically acclaimed by the International Songwriting Competition and its
original music has been used in television and radio commercials.
The Kingdom All Stars are run by an independent Vermont non-profit organization with a focus on keeping live music and group creativity alive.
Amy Fox
‘Sun Dirt Road’
[country/americana/singer-songwriter]
Press Notes:
Singer/songwriter/composer Amy Fox is a farmer (owner of SunLife Farm) in Central Oregon USA. Amy recorded two full length albums (Austin) early in her career along with several compilation album inclusions for other works. Amy also composed for small film projects and commercial reels while living in NY/NJ.
Double Rider
‘The Ride’
[alt americana]
Press Notes:
Double Rider, formerly known as Third Generation, is a rock trio from Siksika Nation, Alberta. In 2014, they began being their formative year of developing their sound, echoing a classic, but also modern rock. In the first few years of being a band, they performed at local festivals in Southern Alberta. They’ve played notable venues, such as the Rose and Crown in Banff, AB, the Ship and Anchor in Calgary, AB, and have been a frequent band in the Annual Run as One Festival in Siksika Nation.
In early 2020, Double Rider set out on their first tour – The First Nations Music Tour – alongside notable Indigenous Artists. The band has recently recorded their first, long-awaited EP that includes songs written by their grandfather, Matthew Manyheads. The future of Double Rider consists of the recording and the release of their first full-length album and sharing more music composed by their late grandfather.
Dubh Lee
‘Low Again’
[indie folk/singer-songwriter]
Press Notes:
Dubh Lee is an Irish guitarist and singer-songwriter who emerged on the Dublin music scene in 2018 with her lively residency in The International Bar, and she has since entertained countless audiences across Ireland. With wide-ranging influences from folk, blues and rock and an unadorned, honest vocal style she writes songs that examine excess, ennui, heartache and womanhood.
Dubh Lee has performed at festivals and events such as the Ruby Sessions, Electric Picnic, Fuinneamh and the Rory Gallagher festival in Ballyshannon as well as intimate shows opening for acts such as Jack Lukeman, Jerry Fish and Bagatelle. She supported jazz band Jimmy’s Cousin on their Irish tour, which included performances in The Set Theatre in Kilkenny, Dolan’s in Limerick and The Sugar Club in Dublin. Not afraid of experimenting with genre, Dubh Lee’s vocals have featured on the tracks of hip-hop and drum’n’bass artists and her live shows are dynamic, with gentle acoustic tunes building up to intense, electric-guitar driven bangers to get the crowd jumping. In 2020 she released Carousel, a bluesrock stomper with a psychedelic music video and themes of debauchery and despair.
[All Press Notes provided by the artists]
Compiled by: Christos Doukakis