POST CATEGORY : Folk

Campfire Social – ‘Speak Louder

North Walian five-piece Campfire Social trade in lavish, heart-melting folk-tinged indie-pop; a sound brimming with charm, sweet seduction and heavy on hooks you could hang your hat on.

The brand new single ‘Speak Louder’ clearly and concisely parades the endearing nature of their charming, country tinged jangle. Abounding with colour, charm and melodic sweetness, beautiful lilting vocals and soaring choruses glide above the hazy meander, whisking us away on a sojourn to warm and swooning sliding guitar-led alt-country world of lush sunshine, carefree abandon and end of summer sweetness. ‘Speak Louder’ is colourful, charming, super sweet and bursting with passion – and utterly irresistible.

Listen to ‘Speak Louder’ below, you will not be disappointed. Also, check out ‘Isolation Song’ (Lockdown Session 2020 aired on BBC Radio Wales) over here – it too, is sublime.

Michael Clark – ‘Winter Song’

UK musician Michael Clark has shared ‘Winter Song’, half of a double A single that will be released in its entirety on May 1.

‘Winter Song’ is a gentle, woozy wander, that strolls along meandering melodies and whimsical wondering, through a hazy and melancholic atmospheric world. A gently glistening strum, snappy snare and twinkly synth are intricately woven through the cloak of swirling mist while lilting, heartfelt vocals depict rich vein of imagery. Clark’s stripped-down, folk-inspired compositions create an enchanting sound that bewitches from the rumble of the first note – beautiful.

You can listen to the wistful enchantment of ‘Winter Song’ below:

Ex Norwegian – ‘Jove Was At Home’

Miami Beach psych-rockers Ex Norwegian are spending their 2020 releasing new music almost every Friday, mostly obscure covers of favourites, like this one from Irish psych-folk troupe Dr. Strangely Strange’s 1971 track ‘Jove Was At Home’. 

The original, a gentle, playful and pristine psych-folk jaunt is afforded an electric make-over into a psych stomper. While retaining the sweetness and melody of the original, this re-imagining it saunters along a swaggering groove and stomping beat amid a heady haze of warm fuzz and distortion as guitars buzz, riffs fizz and fuzz with hazy, nonchalant vocals loom large in the background. A superb and very easy on the ear tune, this is one of the more unusual things to cross my path recently but a welcome one at that. I had the pleasure of seeing Dr. Strangely Strange live a few years back (on my Dad’s recommendation who is a big fan) and they were really enjoyable. 

Listen to Ex Norwegian do Dr. Strangely Strange and ‘Jove Was At Home’ below:



Freedom Fry – ‘Tell Me It’ll Be Alright’

The ever prolific LA duo, Freedom Fry will follow up their delightful 2018 debut LP, Classic, with Songs from the West Coast on May 29th.

Ahead of the album’s release, we had ‘West Coast’ back in January and now they have shared a new single ‘Tell Me It’ll Be Alright’.

The duo, Marie Seyrat and Bruce Driscoll, have regularly brightened up our lives with charming, catchy and bright indie-pop songs, and ‘Tell Me It’ll Be Alright’ being no different – it could not have come at a more opportune time. It is lush blend of warm sunny tones, gently undulating grooves, sweet acoustic strum and twinkle of xylophone, all whisked together into a beautiful confection melodic, dreamy and hazy allure. As is so often the case, the pièce de résistance of Freedom Fry’s sound is the wonderful harmonies and beautiful vocal interplay from the pair. A simply beautiful song and one that will leave you all the better for letting it into your life.

Listen to ‘Tell Me It’ll Be Alright’ below now:


Jinx Lennon Shares ‘North Louth’; New Album Out Now

Jinx Lennon is a unique talent – a national treasure to be exact – and one of Ireland’s most insightful songwriters who is influenced as much by hip hop and post-punk, Jinx is the embodiment of a modern folk singer. 

Whether it is an acoustic guitar or sampled disco beat, raw garage noise or breakbeats his are songs of raw truth that push us to confront uncomfortable home truths in our society while kicking back against the humdrum bullshit of the modern world. Jinx’s new album Border Schizo Fffolk Songs for the Fuc**d was released on Friday last, and came accompanied by single ‘North Louth’. The tune, and the video, are immense. ‘North Louth’ is a hard-edged tune but one that has more than modicum of infectious allure, not to mention extremely danceable. While bristling with rawness as Jinx delivers his powerful lyrics in his distinct and brilliant manner, fizzing synths, frazzled electronics and break-beat add the dancey grooves.  Jinx Lennon’s music isn’t for everyone, sure but there is no one else quite like him and it hard to be unique nowadays but Jinx does it with ease and is searingly brilliant as always.

Border Schizo FFFolk Songs For The Fuc**d is out now – watch the superb video for ‘North Louth’ below:

TOLEDO – ‘Lovely’

Revolving around the Brooklyn-based pairing of Dan Alvarez and Jordan Dunn, TOLEDO have have kept us well supplied with irresistible, lush and melodic indie-folk delights.

The pair have returned with a new single called ‘Lovely’; a charming, sweet and dreamy confection that is, as its name suggests, ‘lovely’. It flows along a gentle, understated melodic groove with a patter of percussion, breezy air, alluring strum and tender vocal imbued with emotion and pang of melancholy. With its dreamy allure, easy-listening vibes and distant brass, we are whisked off to simpler times of hazy summer evenings, and bewitching us in the process.

Listen to the dreamy delights of ‘Lovely’ below:

Orpine – ‘Sondern’

Orpine are Eleanor Rudge and Oliver Catt, an indie-folk pairing with a flair for harmonies, ear for melody and pitting rhythmic with the rumbustious.

Rudge and Catt introduce themselves with stunning first single ‘Sondern’. Lifted from debut album Grown Ungrown due in May 2020, ‘Sondern’ is about grief and defeat and written around the time of the first Brexit deadline. It opens with a burst of melodic exuberance before retreating to gentler more sombre surroundings, plateauing to a place of calm where duetting vocals and harmonies wash against gentle strums. The latter increases in pace in tandem with the percussion before bounding back into life with ebullience as propulsive groove is reborn. An absolutely stunning introduction, a masterclass in melody, harmony, rhythmic prowess and of course, juxtaposition.

Listen to ‘Sondern’ below and watch out for Grown Ungrown, it is due for release in May.

Oddnesse – ‘All American Lie’

Oddnesse is the fruitful collaboration between musician Rebeca Arango and producer Grey Goon, two east-coast heads based in Los Angeles with a shared affinity for catchy hooks, heavy grooves and apocalyptic hypotheticals.

Together they have produced a steady stream of lush, dreamy and alluring indie-pop gems – ‘Are You Down’, ‘I Used To, ‘Donut Shop’ & ‘Lover’s Calling’ instantly spring to mind – and the pair have shared their first release of 2020, ‘All American Lie’; an elegant and intimate slice of lavish indie-pop. It oozes sophistication and melodic allure as we are treated to a dazzling blend of subtle guitar-lines, glistening chords, sleek synths and lush tones that shimmers and drip with a rich melody while the pristine honeyed vocals are a perfect pairing for this glittering pop. As has been the case so many times in the past, Oddnesse deliver a beautiful, melodic and lush pop treat – and one that will be bobbing around your head all week.

Listen to ‘All American Lie’ below now:

Simen Mitlid – ‘Weeks’

Simen Mitlid is a Norwegian singer-songwriter hailing from the woodlands of Os, who has a precocious talent for lush, dreamy indie-folk.

This statement is backed up by two sublime albums – 2017’s Everything is the Same & 2019’s Neutral – and mere months after releasing the latter, Mitlid is back with ‘Weeks’, a first offering from a new forthcoming album Birds. Featuring Norwegian contemporaries Tuvaband, ‘Weeks’ is a beautiful, dreamy and heart-melting beautiful slice of indie-folk. It is lush and dreamy, tender and intimate as woozy layers and textures abound as atmospheric tones swirl around a gentle, melodic strum. ‘Weeks’ is brimming with blossoming pop euphoria as Mitlid’s lilting vocals, imbued with warmth, add another level of  innate tenderness and compassion that is wholly irresistible. It is yet another charming, heartwarming and utterly bewitching slice of indie-folk – that new album can’t come quick enough.

Tune into ‘Weeks’ below:


Chloe Foy – ‘Callous Copper’

Manchester-based singer, songwriter and folk artist Chloe Foy introduced her beautiful, expansive and melodic folk sound with ‘Oh You Are Not Well’ and ‘Without You’ last year, and Foy is kicking 2020 a new EP, Callous Copper.

Released on February 21, the EP is an intimate selection of songs, old and new, that have been re-imagined with the added stirring beauty of a string quartet. With its release, Foy has shared title track ‘Callous Copper’ as an introduction to the EP; an intimate selection of songs, old and new, that have been re-imagined within the setting of a string quartet. Pacy, sumptuous strings and drifting melody afford the perfect backdrop to Foy’s striking and silk, smooth vocals and distinctively bittersweet songwriting. Simplistic but stirring, ‘Callous Copper’ sweeps by with a touching tenderness and compelling swell of emotion, the poignancy of which is enhanced by the soaring levels of her stunning vocal performance. Effortless in its delivery, it is an utterly stunning single.

Listen to ‘Callous Copper’ below: