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Best Folk Music Blog & Promotion

Bruno Jauregui’s Traditional Mexican Single, Cómo Te Lo Digo, is A Stunning Release of Serotonin

Posted on 21 December 2024

Bruno Jauregui, an artist rooted in Michoacán’s heritage, has rewritten the potential of Regional Mexican music after only a few months in the spotlight. With over 100k streams across platforms—50k in the first month—he’s already proven that earnest storytelling and modern invention can coalesce in impactful ways.

His latest single, Cómo Te Lo Digo, became one of 2024’s most effervescently upbeat productions by freeing expressive inhibitions and weaving intricate layers of sound into every corner of its arrangement.

Expect more than just Spanish guitars strumming in well-worn patterns; this track embraces folk elements to break any lingering monocultural mould. Its meticulously vibrant construction creates a textural depth, while the iridescent vocal lines brim with soul. There’s an unmistakable sense of Bruno’s dedication as each note reverberates with both tradition and fresh perspective. He refuses to settle for the expected, choosing instead to let these diverse influences flourish until they feel as natural as sunlight.

If you want to serenade yourself with the sound of eternal summer, sink into Cómo Te Lo Digo, a stunning release of serotonin (literally and figuratively).

Stream Cómo Te Lo Digo on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Folk Rock Introspection: WLDFLWRS Celebrate the Comfort of Isolation with their Debut, BEST COMPANY

Posted on 16 December 2024

WLDFLWRS’ Americana-inspired debut single ‘BEST COMPANY’ holds a quiet candle to the sanctuary of introversion. The Warwickshire folk rock ensemble crafted a panorama of gentle acknowledgement of how loneliness can sometimes feel like the safest shelter. There’s no forced buoyancy in these southern rock-rooted chords; instead, the guitars and percussion carry a patient hush that intricately resounds everything that needs to be said.

Hints of honkytonk traditions keep the track grounded, while an expressive balance between Bob Dylan’s gravitas and the glimmering cool of The Stones offers a familiar frame. Yet WLDFLWRS colour it with their own hue of raw truth, their vocals authentically aching as they pull listeners into the quiet corners of their world. The resulting sound is a dioramic blend of vintage rock tones that refuses to pander or wilt.

The band’s knack for honest arrangement and subtle swagger allows each note to fall perfectly into place, forming a soundscape which extends connection without stomping on the boundaries between personal reflection and universal resonance.

The official music video for BEST COMPANY premiered on December 6th; stream the video on YouTube now.

Follow WLDFLWRS on Instagram to stay up to date with all the latest releases and tour news.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Indie Pop Meets Folk Symphony: The Dynamic Contrasts of Woodstone’s ‘Touch of Adrenaline’

Posted on 13 December 2024
Woodstone

Woodstone, a rising indie pop singer-songwriter from New Jersey, offers an emotive glimpse into his forthcoming fourth LP with the release of ‘Touch of Adrenaline.’ The track captures the essence of early 2000s indie pop while throwing back a little further to 90s Britpop, evoking memories of Plain White T’s and stoking the nostalgia of Oasis while infusing his own raw, heartfelt style.

This intricately crafted track intertwines folk elements with chamber pop strings, allowing contrasting layers of ornate orchestration and winding folk guitar lines to showcase Woodstone’s skill in bending and blending texture and tone into affecting aural contours. Reflecting on the ephemeral nature of intense feelings, Woodstone demonstrates a sophisticated approach to scintillating the senses of his growing fanbase.

Woodstone Said:

“Touch of Adrenaline is about a relationship with an end date, with both parties knowing it will end, and the last fleeting moments being marked by intensified emotion. 

The single explores what it really means to truly feel and be present with someone you love for the last time while conveying an image of romance in the midst of a dystopian world. 

Like all songs on the upcoming concept album, it was inspired by a relationship that could have worked but wasn’t the right time, and life forced us to drift apart.”

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Touch of Adrenaline will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify, from December 13th, with Woodstone’s fourth album, Glass Skin, set to follow in early 2025.

Follow Woodstone on Instagram to stay up to date with all of his latest releases and news.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ben Joyner’s ‘Audrey (Nice Name)’ is a love letter scrawled in indie folk blues threads

Posted on 12 December 2024

With Audrey (Nice Name), Los Angeles-based filmmaker and musician Ben Joyner twanged his Southern roots into an indie-folk soundscape laced with bluesy undertones. Joyner’s North Carolina upbringing whispers through the raw, weathered production, evoking the nostalgic warmth of back-porch serenades. Yet, there’s a cinematic depth to his storytelling—unsurprising from someone who knows his way around both a melody and a narrative arc.

The single feels like the love child of Elliott Smith’s emotional vulnerability and Bob Dylan’s effortless breeziness, with a rugged charm that never veers into self-indulgence. The simplicity of the arrangement amplifies its emotional punch, striking listeners with the same visceral authenticity that made Grandaddy and The Flaming Lips cult favourites in indie circles.

While the track humbly avoids overwrought polish, allowing the magic to permeate through the endearing imperfections. Like a page torn straight from Joyner’s diary, the lyrics unashamedly bare the heart of a diehard romantic, exuding an effortless intimacy that many polished productions fail to capture.

It’s rare to encounter a track so uncontrived in its affections, yet refined enough to avoid straying into cliché, but sure enough, with Audrey (Nice Name), Joyner more than lives up to his name.

Stream Audrey (Nice Name) on Spotify now, and connect with the artist via Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Denim Dan sought sanctuary in his latest seminal 70s folk-rock single, ‘Circe’s Song (Save Me)’

Posted on 9 December 2024

With another album to round out the year, Denim Dan has served the airwaves once more with his tender harmonies, nostalgia-beckoning instrumentals and lyricism that always knows which emotive triggers to aim for.

As the standout single on Circe, the 70s-inspired orchestral folk-rock ballad, Circe’s Song (Save Me) exhibits Denim Dan at his most affecting; while he never comes in heavy-handed, the delicate ornate grace of this release allowed the singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist to reach his diaphanous zenith.

The way the chamber orchestral strings pull against the steady rings of the acoustic guitar beneath Dan’s organically aching timbre ensures this plea for sanctuary resounds with raw humanist realism.

Between the reflections on existential plight and the poetic projections of a need to find a soul to bolster your own, everyone can find a fragment of themselves within Circe’s Song (Save Me); the lucky will meditate on the single with gratitude for kindred spirits and soul mates, while the lonely will find consolation that they’re never as alone in their alienation as they feel they are.

Stream Denim Dan’s latest album, Circe, in full on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Scared of Sharks Interview: From Chaotic Tales to Live-to-Tape High Octane Fidelity

Posted on 7 December 2024
Scared of Sharks

Scared of Sharks sit at the intersection of humour, raw energy, and unapologetically Australian references. Ahead of their debut EP, ‘Double Happiness’, the trio shared insights into their creative process, the chaos that inspired their latest single, ‘Last Train to Wyong’, and their live-to-tape recording approach. From their roots in Mogareeka to their presence on the East Coast, the band unpacks how geography, storytelling, and collaboration shape their sound, offering a fresh perspective on how authenticity and live performance energy translate into their recorded material.

Scared of Sharks, welcome to A&R Factory! Thanks for connecting with us ahead of your next release, Last Train to Wyong. The track stems from quite a chaotic and humorous personal experience. How did this specific event inspire the tone and narrative of the track, and do you think storytelling in this vein defines Scared of Sharks’ approach to songwriting?

Thanks For Having Us!

Yes and no. We’ve got a couple of songs that are a bit more narrative-based and then a few that are a bit more personal to Taylor. Wyong is the first song that all three of us wrote together. We kinda just jammed it out over a few days with everyone contributing their own bits.

The second verse of Last Train to Wyong references the ‘Democracy Manifest Bloke’, an iconic Australian cultural touchstone. How important is incorporating humour and local references in your music to connecting with your audience?

Very important. I think the whole world loves Australian bands when they sound Australian. Whilst not everyone is going to get every reference, as long as it’s not forced, people just enjoy it for what it is.

Your forthcoming EP, Double Happiness, promises a mix of genres, from post-hardcore to alternative folk. How did you navigate pouring such diverse influences while maintaining a cohesive identity across the EP?

Well, I guess we all listen to a lot of different bands and artists, and it sort of naturally came out like that. We originally just had the five heavier songs but thought the EP needed one moment of reprieve in there so added Cauliflower at the last minute.

What do you hope the decision to record the EP live-to-tape brings to the EP from a listener’s perspective? 

We’ve been playing these songs live for the past couple of years, so it just made sense to do them that way. Few little overdubs here and there. Hopefully the live feel comes through when people are listening at home.

You’ve gone from Mogareeka to the Illawarra, and now you’re making waves up and down the East Coast. How has your geographic journey influenced your music, and do you see it as integral to your band’s story?

I’m not too sure, there was no live music down around Mogareeka which is why Taylor moved up the coast to the Illawarra. There are definitely heaps of good bands and music up here plus we’re right next to Sydney so it just makes it so much easier to get gigs and meet other people in bands.

Your live shows have been described as high-energy and humorous. How do you channel that same dynamism and connection with fans into your recorded material?

Just not taking things too seriously and if someone has a silly idea for a skit or something try it out.

Tim Shady’s drumming, Louis Crouton’s basslines, and Taylor Schwifty’s lyrics are all highlighted as key components of your sound. How do you all collaborate to ensure each element shines while creating something greater as a whole?

We try not to step on each toes so to speak. Generally, Taylor will bring in the chords and lyrics, then Tim & Loui will come up with their own parts & have their say if they think anything can be tweaked to make the song better. We just try to make it so we’re all working towards making the song as good as possible.

Your journey from your first release in 2021 to this debut EP has been eventful, including independent tours and festival appearances. What pivotal moments stand out during this time?

Probably the first tour we did, didn’t exactly pack out every venue haha but it was just sick to be travelling with your mates around the place to go play shows.

Stream Scared of Sharks on Spotify and Bandcamp or connect with the artist on Facebook and Instagram.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

Alt-Indie Raconteur Mickey Haimes Shines Light on Shadows in his Debut Single, ‘Sunlight’s Exposure’

Posted on 6 December 2024
Mickey Haimes

With his debut single ‘Sunlight’s Exposure’, Guernsey-based singer-songwriter Mickey Haimes signalled that supremacy in the alt-indie scene is his for the taking by blending jazz, blues, and indie rock with the swagger reminiscent of Nick Cave. Supported by BBC Music in the Channel Islands, Haimes offers a candid tale of questionable life choices via an unflinching descent into past experience.

With a distinctive, soulful voice, he could harmonise his shopping list and still leave listeners mesmerised. His rugged yet sweet harmonies infuse smooth grooves with a warmth that only a true conduit of soul can provide. While most artists have to resort to experimentalism for authenticity’s sake, with Haimes, there’s a rare sense that his distinction breeds from unfeigned expression as he exudes a rare originality born from sincere expression.

The intricate, organic layers of ‘Sunlight’s Exposure’ paint a vivid portrait of a soul guarding its own shadow, serving as the perfect introduction to an artist already making major waves before his first official release reaches the shores of the alt-indie arena.

Already recognised locally as Guernsey Street Festival Performer of the Year 2022 and having graced the BBC Introducing stage at the Guernsey Together Festival 2023, Haimes reflected on his songwriting with the observation that “A gritty insight is a useful one, but a playful slant is what brings it to life.”

Sunlight’s Exposure will be available to stream on all major platforms from December 6th; discover your preferred way to listen via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ulysse Zangs turned the pages of a grief chapter with his artful installation of ambient folk in ‘Gone in Lust’

Posted on 5 December 2024

The opening sequence to Ulysse Zangs’ single, Gone in Lust, rivals the chill-inducing talents of David Lynch; it’s a slice of sonic arthouse cinema in itself. After the haunting discordance of the synths, a gentle acoustic guitar melody rises within the ambient folk production against the singer-songwriter’s diaphanously sweet vocal lines, which are just as caressive as Elliott Smith’s, with a nuanced alt-country twang.

As the single progresses with ethereal semi-lucid candour, the jarring synths pick their moments to rush through the release, adding a palpable sense of unease to the reverie of the single.

With every release orchestrated in an intersection of sound, movement and nature, Ulysse Zangs’ is so much more than an aural architect chiselling their legacy into the airwaves one release at a time. By pulling inspiration from a myriad of phenomena, their sound is as cerebral as it is invitingly intimate.

Given the filmic qualities of Gone in Lust, it is no surprise that Ulysse Zangs also scores for performance pieces, art installations and film. Their recently released EP, Idle Hands Or, which features Gone in Lust, is an exploration of grief and recovery; after the passing of his grandmother, Zangs returned to their hometown, a small village in Normandy, and set up a studio in their grandmother’s former home.

Speaking on the EP, the artist reveals, “This album feels like an invitation to slow down and contemplate—both the external environment and the inner landscapes of emotion. It reflects my journey of letting go of the past and arriving fully in the present moment.”

Gone in Lust is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Candour cascades in John O’Brien’s acoustic folk-pop ballad, Can’t You See That It’s Me

Posted on 25 November 2024

With all the emotional intricacy of Buckley, the spacey etherealism of Bowie and ELO’s tender hits, and the all-encompassing soul of Tom Waits, John O’Brien’s latest single ‘Can’t You See That It’s Me’ pulls you into its evocative core.

The acoustic folk-pop ballad invites you to live vicariously within the lush layers of this stripped-back exposition of the heartache which ensues when romantic expectation forces us to feel as though we’ve fallen short despite giving our all to fulfil desire and sate our own.

if you don’t feel a cascade of emotion fall over you to the tune of John O’Brien wearing his heart on the acoustic guitar strings that drift into the euphonic atmosphere, you can probably consider your soul defunct.

As a performer, recording artist, and songwriter with over four decades of experience, O’Brien has graced stages worldwide—from the US to Madrid, Amsterdam, the Caribbean, Japan, Australia, and beyond. Equally as successful on the airwaves and radio waves, hits from his acclaimed LPs have amassed millions of Spotify streams, while his 2022 UK tour saw his hit ‘The Spider’s Love Web‘ climb to #2 on the UK radio charts.

Can’t You See That It’s Me was officially released on November 15; stream the single on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sylvie’s Songs & Bryon Harris stir the soul with strings and sympathy in their affecting folk symphony, Heart Break Like Mine

Posted on 25 November 2024

‘Heart Break Like Mine’ by Sylvie’s Songs feat. Bryon Harris enmeshes animal activism with affecting artistry. Dedicated to the 1.7 billion animals confined in factory farms each year, the single urges listeners to become more ethical consumers, and to part with their dollars through empathy.

From the first pull of the classical strings and the opening lyric, “I want your heart to break like mine,” the track makes no bones about pulling all the evocative punches. In the same vein as The Smiths’ ‘Meat is Murder’, this classical folk ballad grounds you in the atrocities we often turn a blind eye to; it’s an aching reminder of the suffering we perpetuate.

Sylvie, a highly accomplished musician and songwriter with a deep passion for folk and Americana music, brings her wealth of experience and accolades—including Gold Medals for Best Lyrics and Best Songwriting from the Global Music Awards—to this powerful piece. Her classical guitar training from the prestigious Hartt School of Music and the New England Conservatory shines through her intricate playing. Having performed at esteemed venues and festivals throughout New England, Sylvie’s dedication to her craft is unmistakable.

Bryon Harris complements the track with his emotive depth, exemplifying his commitment to using music as a medium for awareness and change. With a background in classical music, Harris adds a rich authenticity to the song. Now based in Austin, Texas, he is at the forefront of a new wave of protest music addressing issues like factory farming and climate change.

Together, they have crafted a fervent call to action and catapulted a catalyst for change onto the airwaves which demands your conscience.

The official lyric video for Heart Break Like Mine is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast