Young folks focuses on the best, fresh folk, acoustic, singer-songwriter indie folk & alt-country jams. Turn it up Folks!
***guêatas aſaqɣ mhuɣcâ=24 (Muisca numerical system)***
Kaeley Jade
‘Bittersweet’
[indie folk]
Press Notes:
Kaeley Jade is a folk-pop singer/songwriter based out of Edmonton, Alberta. Armed with a soulful, velvety voice, Kaeley crafts moving and evocative lyrics to create a sound distinctly her own. As a multidisciplinary artist, Kaeley brings elements of each of her disciplines into her songwriting to create arrangements that are deep, embodied and well-rounded. Recorded with the Juno-nominated team at Velveteen Audio, Kaeley’s debut EP, Years Ago, is a spirited blend of folk-pop inspired by artists such as Vance Joy, The Lumineers, Brandi Carlile and Bahamas.
An award-winning Métis artist, Kaeley has performed at events such as the Big Valley Jamboree, the Tim Horton’s Brier, and the Canadian Country Music Awards Week, and has been featured as a vocalist with the Edmonton Pops Orchestra. Kaeley’s song “Elijah” was placed in Link to the Past Productions’ feature film No Apology, which made its Canadian screen debut in October 2019.
Natalie Jane Hill
‘Emerald Blue’
[folk/singer-songwriter]
Press Notes:
Azalea is Austin-based folk musician Natalie Jane Hill’s debut record release. A Central Texas native, Natalie began writing songs once moving to the Blue Ridge Mountains in 2013. While being immersed in the folk and primitive guitar scene, she started creating her own finger picking styles and progressions, adding a contemporary feel to them. From spending some years around the southeast, Natalie’s performances have ranged from farm festivals to eclectic house shows and intimate listening rooms. Her songs are intricately layered with melodious and descriptive thought.
Gus Miller
‘Perfect Fool’
[americana/country]
Press Notes:
Heavily influenced by the Outlaw and Cosmic Country sounds of the early 70’s (Gram Parsons, Jerry Jeff Walker, Waylon Jennings), Austin TX based Gus Miller’s alternative approach towards Country and Roots music is refreshingly authentic and raw. It shows conscious songwriting that shines with little effects/post-production, making for an organically warm sound that feels live.
Over the years, he’s had the opportunity to share bills with artists such as Ray Wylie Hubbard, The Wood Brothers, Jason Boland and the Stragglers, Them Damn Quails, Zac Wilkerson, Jackie Venson, Andrew W.K, Tenth Mountain Division, and many others. In 2017 he was a winning finalist in The Kerrville Folk Festival’s Songwriting Competition, earning himself a slot at the festival. The following year in 2018, while performing as frontman for Light Horse Harry, he released the record “San Pedro” with the group, which saw regional success. With that release, he and the group were awarded “Artist of the Month” by the Austin Music Foundation.
In Feb of 2020, Gus unveiled his solo project with the release his debut single “Perfect Fool”. Followed up with his second single “Midnight Wind” in March of 2020. He has plans to release more music under his name and eventually hit the road as Covid-19 lets up. Follow Gus Miller on Spotify to hear the latest tracks.
Steven Blane
‘The Shopping Mall’
[americana]
Press Notes:
Steven Blane is a Pop-Americana Jazz infused Singer-Songwriter in the style of Leonard Cohen, Billy Joel, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Billy Bragg and Neil Diamond
He is inspired by Elvis, Roy Orbison and Chris Isaac and plays guitar, ukulele and piano. He self-produces his work and gigs constantly in NYC and South Florida.
During this Corona Virus Pandemic, he has been journaling his experience by writing and producing songs/videos of his take on the pandemic. One of his lyrics was featured in an article in Vanity Fare.
Among his most recent releases are a cover of Neil Young’s “After the Goldrush,” a song version of Robert Frost’s “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening” and Alfred Noyes’ classic poem “The Highwayman,” a Passover EP, a chill electro-pop track entitled “Dumbo” and an inspirational pop ballad called “Fly Again.”
Secret Emchy Society
‘Hell Is a Hard Place’
[americana, alt-country]
Press Notes:
Recently dubbed East Oakland’s First Lady of Queer Country – Cindy Emch (or “Emchy” as her friends refer to her) could never be labelled as ordinary. No Depression christened her “Equal parts June Carter Cash, Nick Cave and Murder By Death.” From Under the Basement magazine summed her up by saying, “Imagine Bill Monroe and Sid Vicious having kids together.” Common Folk Music went a step further, suggesting a sound equivalent to “the glint of a switchblade held to your throat.”
Consequently, while Emch chose to dub her latest project the Secret Emchy Society, the truth is she’s always remained clear and concise when it comes to her convictions. A singer, songwriter, author, poet, radio host and outspoken advocate for causes affecting the LGBTQ community, she’s pursued both cause and craft since first opting to become a performer from the time she was a child, while singing classic cabaret songs with her mother. At age 14, she picked up her first guitar and learned to play via the Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen songbooks. Since then, her career has blossomed, thanks to time with her bands Vagabondage, Feral, Sinners Tonic, and her bluegrass band, convincingly titled Rhubarb Whiskey, whose offshoot Oakland Wine Drinkers Union, Local 88 helped broaden her musical palette. At the same time, she found herself sharing stages with other Bay Area favorites, including T Sisters, 5 Cent Coffee, Mark Growden, Pony Hunt, Foxtail Brigade, and more.
After a succession of albums, EPs and guest appearances with such standout artists as Juno-nominated singer Carolyn Mark, the band Unwoman, and longtime collaborator Sean Malroy, Emch expanded her ambitions and founded the aforementioned Secret Emchy Society, a loose collective that features a revolving group of like-minded musicians who hop on her bandwagon during various stops along the tour. The cast currently includes Emch on vocals, guitar and accordion, Hans Winold on bass, Dillie Dauley on viola, and Eric “Scratch” Ingerson on drums.
Cory Grinder and the Playboy Scouts
‘(Honky Tonkin’)All I’ll Ever Do’
[country]
Press Notes:
From Akron and Cleveland, Ohio, Cory Grinder and the Playboy Scouts take honky tonkin very seriously. Grinder started the band in 2016 when multiple hillbilly groups he played fiddle with fizzled out. Along with some other displaced musicians from these bands, The Cory Grinder Band was formed. Stephen Karney, known as “Tebbs,” provides the silky, smooth sounds of the pedal steel which drives the group along with harmony vocals. The low end is expertly handled on upright bass by Jason Willis. Leading the group on guitar and fiddle, Cory Grinder writes original country tunes influenced byfavorites like Merle Haggard, Roger Miller, and Willie Nelson.
2018 saw the release of their first album, Cahoots and Other Favorites, recorded with Grammy and Emmy nominated producer David Mayfield. That year also saw the addition of the very talented drummer Brian Roberts. Since then, the band has taken to the road and toured through Nashville, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Chicago, Texas, North Carolina, Detroit, and more. Performance highlights include featuring Kenny Vaughan from Marty Stuart’s Fabulous Superlatives on guitar for a Nashville show and Dale Watson inviting the group to perform as his backing band for a set at legendary Texas venues The Broken Spoke and Continental Club.
The end of 2019 included an instrumental Christmas album from Tebbs and Grinder called Silver & Gold, Fiddle & Steel. Following the release of their upcoming EP Good Boy, Cory Grinder and the Playboy Scouts plan to release a full-length LP. Lots of good things are coming for these honky tonkers, so join The Playboy Scouts and GET YOUR BADGES!
Sawyer Fredericks
‘Born’
[indie folk/pop]
Press Notes:
19 year-old Singer-songwriter Sawyer Fredericks, hailing from his family's farm in central New York State, is fast establishing himself as an authentic original, Americana artist with an old soul. His deep, beyond- his-years lyrics and melodies, raw, soulful vocals, and powerful live performances have attracted an ever- growing number of devoted fans of all ages, selling out shows throughout the US.
As a folk/blues singer-songwriter, who cut his teeth at local farmers markets, open mics, and iconic New York venues like Caffe Lena, the Towne Crier Cafe, and The Bitter End, Sawyer seemed an unlikely match for reality tv, but quickly won over broad audiences with his genuine delivery and unique arrangements of classic songs, going on to win season 8 of NBC's The Voice.
Fresh from that whirlwind, Sawyer went forward with the release of his major label debut, A Good Storm, with Republic Records, an impressive blend of soulful Folk, blues, and rock, entirely written or co-written by Sawyer. His 2016 A Good Storm Tour included 62 shows across the US.
Rory Payne & The Medicine
‘Last Man’
[americana]
Press Notes:
Based out of McKinney, TX now gaining notoriety in the musical community, Rory Payne is rearing his be-brimmed head and bringing his continuum of poignant anthems to sweet songs and even some comically angry ballads to an ear and heart near you.
Simen Mitlid
‘Birds’
[indie folk]
Press Notes:
Hailing from the lush woods of Os, Norway, singer-songwriter Simen Mitlid crafts lush, Nordic indie-folk a la contemporaries like Sufjan Stevens, Fleet Foxes and Patrick Watson. Since the critical acclaimed 2017 debut album “Everything Is the Same”, Mitlid have been working on his second full length release. Self-produced and recorded in vivid locales in his hometown, the album is playful and nostalgic.
Cody Landress-Gibson
‘Smoke’
[country/americana]
Press Notes:
“Like many artists with punk rock roots and singer-songwriter aspirations, Cody Landress-Gibson cites Texas songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark as influences. Hints of the former’s visceral worldview and the latter’s storytelling gift flavor Landress-Gibson’s new four-song EP Beginner’s Luck.
The rustic analogies in “Beginner’s Luck,” the aptly-titled tales of heartbreak “Misery” and “Leavin’,” and an emotional tussle with losing a grandparent titled “Fade” offer a brief yet potent sampling of a talent who’s fared well over the past year or so in a couple of highly-competitive songwriting contests. Each track captures an artist willing to spill his hopes and fears for the sake of a country song.
Just as Blaze Foley’s infamous songwriting career began while hanging around the West Georgia region, Landress-Gibson comes to us from rural Gordon County.” – Bobby Moore, Stomp and Stammer
Compiled by: Christos Doukakis