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

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Ava McCoy

‘Sedona’

[indie folk/dream pop]

New York City based  singer-songwriter Ava McCoy’s ‘Sedona’ is an alluring indie folk & dream pop amalgam, and according to McCoy “is a  short story about a girl who lived in a tree house in my head”. Lovely and sweet!

Press Notes:

Ava McCoy is an Indie-Folk singer-songwriter from New York City. Her sound blends her love of Americana, Dream Pop, Folk and Indie Rock. Ava’s music feels like wind blowing through a dense, damp forest.

Manuel Bellone

‘Take It Easy’

[folk rock/singer-songwriter/americana]

The third single from a trilogy that comes before the release of Italian Manuel Bellone’s next album, is a powerful folk rock ballad with americana elements and finds the artist at his very best form, feeding our appetite for his full-length!

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).

Wild Whispers

‘Trace the Lines’

[indie folk/adult contemporary]

Western Maryland duo Wild Whispers combine soaring vcal harmonies, with beautiful, gentle melodies, in their latest, transcendent single ‘Trace the Lines’… Folk and pop with a magic touch!

Press Notes:

Wild Whispers is a harmony-driven cinematic pop duo formed by Eli Lev and Megan Leigh.

After various solo ventures and a cross-country tour in 2019, the pair came back to Western Maryland and began writing songs for a trilogy music project. Their first single, Icarus Rising, is scheduled for release in September of 2020.

Produced in Nashville, TN, Icarus Rising features strong male / female vocals and a full, ethereal sound. With catchy melodies, unexpected harmonies, and thoughtful lyrics, the song has mainstream appeal but utilizes unique arrangements that push the sonic envelope.

It is the debut release from the newly formed group and will be followed by two more singles in 2021 to form a trilogy based on the Greek myth of Icarus’s journey to the sun.

Building on a breakout Tiny Desk Contest video submission, Wild Whispers began releasing live performance videos of their original music on YouTube.

With rare live appearances in their first year of formation, Wild Whispers are building their worldwide community online and via private invitation-only live shows.

Jenny Berkel

‘You Think You’re like the Rain’

[folk/singer-songwriter]

An almost poetic folk track with a compelling vocal performance and an ideal, accompanying visualizer by the Canadian singer-songwriter Jenny Berkel…

Press Notes:

Since releasing her sophomore album Pale Moon Kid in 2016, a lot has changed for Canadian artist Jenny Berkel. Known predominately as a singer-songwriter, Jenny has begun to garner a literary audience in the course of stepping out as a poet. The new vinyl reissue of Pale Moon Kid—with reimaged artwork, printed lyrics and never before released digital B-sides—comes at a time when she has several poems slated for publication, in addition to her recent chapbook Grease Dogs with Baseline Press. For Jenny, the re-celebration of Pale Moon Kid comes with revisiting, to particular moments when the songs came to life, and the realization that her passion for scene painting in song was the seed of a poetic trajectory that has now begun to bloom.

Praised for its emotive storytelling and vivid lyricism, Pale Moon Kid is an album of postcards that serendipitously foreshadows a poetic practice rooted in observation and introspection. Now, with music and writing both central to her artistic identity, Jenny stands out as an all-around storyteller—with an evocative practice that explores the relationship between poetry and song, and hinges powerful narratives on the intricacies of a multifaceted musicality.

Pretty Archie

‘Reasons’

[country]

A great, country, break-up song by the Canadian outfit Pretty Archie, is the best way to celebrate their 10th anniversary as a band. Stay tuned for the band’s 6th album dropping soon!

Press Notes:

Pretty Archie have long been regional favourites, with a stack of Music Nova Scotia and East Coast Music Award nominations to their credit. The Cape Breton-based roots quintet is celebrating their 10th anniversary as a band by releasing their finest work to date, a self-titled album via Curve Music and Warner Music.

Smoky Mountains

‘The Baptism’

[country/americana]

Smoky Mountains’ debut single ‘The Baptism’ is a lovely first sample of their outlaw country sound, featuring a memorable vocal performance by Frances Lawson and a haunting pedal steel guitar, while the story of a woman’s quest for redemption unfolds…. 

Press Notes:

Consisting of married singer/songwriters Adam Lazio and Frances Lawson, Smoky Mountains forge classic outlaw country and Americana to create a sound all their own. From different parts of the continent, they met in Los Angeles and started playing music together in 2019..

Madeleine Kelson

‘Joker’

[folk/singer-songwriter]

Nashville-based Madeleine Kelson’s ‘Joker’ is a melodious folk ear-candy about a destructive roommate/friend the artist had, and serves as the best taster of her upcoming debut full-length solo album, ‘While I Was Away’, due out in April 2022, Flawless!

Press Notes:

Nashville-based artist Madeleine Kelson has been writing and performing music since childhood, developing a unique, country-leaning style of Americana laced with elements of rock and blues. She spent her early career performing with her twin sister as The Kelson Twins in Chicago before branching off to launch her solo career in Music City. Inspired by artists like Patty Griffin, Jason Isbell, and Noah Gunderson, she’s a dynamic and down-to-earth storyteller, using her own life experiences as fodder for poetic, yet accessible, lyrics. With the April 2022 launch of her debut solo album, While I Was Away, Kelson blends haunting melodies and driving percussion with a particularly human warmth.

Born and raised in Chicago, Kelson started studying violin at four years old, adding vocal training and later picking up bass, guitar, and piano. Surrounded by the city’s vibrant rock and blues music scenes, her earliest influences were rock and blues legends Mavis Staples and Bonnie Raitt, as well as her mother’s favorite country and bluegrass artists Dolly Parton and Lucinda Williams. Kelson wrote and produced her first album in eighth grade, raising thousands of dollars via Kickstarter for pressing vinyl records. The Americana/Country compilation featured other Chicago area musicians as part of an independent study program at her school.

Eve Simpson

‘Eve Simpson’

[folk/adult contemporary]

A captivating blend of folk and adult contemporary with heartfelt vocals, which is more than ideal for fans of Laura Marling, Rachel Sermanni, and Courtney Marie Andrews…

Press Notes:

Inspired by the greats Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, and Laura Marling, SandDancer Eve Simpson has supported the likes of Beth Nielsen Chapman, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, UB40, Cattle & Cane, The Lake Poets, and Callum Pitt. Touring the English folk festival scene with Kathryn Tickell & Superfolkus, Eve was also a featured artist at the 2018 English Folk Expo ‘Both Sides Now’ Industry Showcase, as well as scoring the North East segment of ‘A Kind of Seeing’ film, winning a FOCAL International Film Award. Eve has also received regular airplay and festival support from BBC Introducing in the North East, as well as BBC 6 Music.

Captains of Industry

‘I Know You Know’

[americana/indie rock]

‘I Know You Know’ is a fine blend of americana with indie rock, by Boston’s Captains of Industry, with charming guitar work, and immediate melody, which according to its creators is similar to the Band of Horses’ ‘The Funeral’…. Welcome to “Harmonious-ville”!

Press Notes:

Taking inspiration from Laurel Canyon, Nashville by-way-of New York City, and Seattle‘s folk-rock scene, Boston-based Captains of Industry build upon the timeless foundation of American roots rock and add to it warmth, wisdom, and a hefty dose of pop sensibility. Their lyrics explore the profound spectrum of delight and sadness that accompanies growing into middle age in 21st century America.

Copperhead Jones

‘No One Givin’ Up’

[country/Southern rock]

Copperhead Jones’ ‘No One Givin’ Up’ features an authoritative, baritone vocal performance and is a genre-bending single containing elements of outlaw country, Southern rock and indie rock… With a soundtrack like this, “we will be running from the law”!

Press Notes:

A unique, smooth sounding Texas country singer and authentic songwriter, Copperhead Jones first started writing songs in 2012 while deployed with the United States Navy. 
 The three most important places he has spent his life are Georgia, Florida, and Texas. With the small-town feel of the southeast, the big city power of Dallas-Fort Worth, and building on the influences of the Texas red dirt movement, Copperhead Jones bridges the gap from traditional Nashville to Texas Red Dirt. 
 After working with the one and only Bart Rose at the acclaimed Fort Worth Sound Recording Studio, Copperhead Jones independently released his debut single ‘No One Givin’ Up’ in December 2021

Photo Credits: Todd Classy

[All Press Notes provided by the artists]

Compiled by: Christos Doukakis