Indie Folk Archives

JEMS – “Bury It”

Indie Folk trio JEMS takes listeners on an introspective journey with their new single “Bury It” from their upcoming sophomore album “Back Around”. The song deals with self-reflection and the consequences of bottling up one’s own emotions. No matter how hard we try to hide or forget about certain feelings, they always tend to find their way to the surface one way or another. The song’s dynamic structure echoes the theme, starting off quiet and unassuming and then hitting you like a tsunami with a powerful, anthemic chorus. Based in Los Angeles, this trio is composed of the three complementary vocalists Jessica Rotter, Emily Colombier and Sarah Margaret Huff. Since their start in the summer of 2017, JEMS have built a notable following from the success of their debut album and mesmerizing live shows. They have performed on NPR’s World Cafe Live and toured with She & Him.

Jack M. Senff – “Low Spirit”

Another brilliant release from the label Skeletal Lightning, Jack M. Senff’s new album ‘Low Spirit’ feels like an introspective road trip through the middle of America. The album title track “Low Spirit” deals with the complexities of life and the toll it can have on our lives. Yeah it’s been hard to watch the world as it’s ending…& though there might be hope come tomorrowIt’s always just out of reach in the moment—That’s time spilling through the cracks in my handI’m a low spirit in a strange land The Michigan-based singer-songwriter found his new voice as a solo artist after having been a member in the indie rock bands Merchant Ships, Midwest Pen Pals and William Bonney. Following in the tradition of great Americana singer-songwriters like Neil Young, Jack’s music gets it’s impact from his depth of songwriting and sincere vocal delivery. Jack landed his first ever sync recently with his song “Old Days” in CW series The […]

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Bronze Radio Return – “Chillers”

Bronze Radio Return is back with a new compilation album Chillers, featuring the best of their mellower organic material from the past decade. The album features a brand new song “Natural Rattle”; a warm and heartfelt song about the everyday woes of life, encouraging us to stay strong through it all. So unwind, but don’t unravelWe can’t help but be a little fragileThrough the clatters and sudden cracklesAre the soundsOf the natural rattleVibrating us allThe natural rattleVibrating us all In the band’s signature fashion, “Natural Rattle” starts off with an open, reverberant soundscape, with Chris Henderson’s finger-picked guitar and piercing vocals shining through like a ray of light after a storm. The song remains calm and subdued until the introduction of a beating kickdrum, quickly followed by lead guitar and bluesy harmonica that lifts the song up into the atmosphere like a tornado. Since its founding in 2007, Bronze Radio Return has gained […]

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Adrian + Meredith – “Bad For Business”

One of the advantages of making politically tinged folk music is that it never seems to age much. Folk music is by definition a tradition. Politicians come and go, but the same underlying issues have remained static for decades and are unlikely to change any time soon. The trick is to be non-specific in the details and universal in your message. Maybe throw in some horns for flavor. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Adrian + Meredith’s “Bad For Business” was written and recorded in their Nashville home back in 2019, but hasn’t aged a day since. “Somehow we got the feeling that the topics of Systematic Racism, Climate Change, and finding more common ground as Americans, was starting to reach a boiling point, and needed some empathy. It’s not our responsibility, per-say, to initiate the uncomfortable conversation any more than anyone else, but we can do it with a killer backbeat.” […]

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The Familiar – “Shelter”

The Familiar’s music often sounds ominous, but nothing bad really ever happens. Just the glow of slow-burning embers softly illuminating the darkness. Out this week, their debut full-length album “Shelter” is itself a long-form crescendo. Starting with the dark and brooding “Spectre”, the record slowly unfolds into the light culminating with the ethereal release of the lead single, “Everything”. The song’s vivid imagery romanticizes life in a remote, frigid landscape where the complications of city life are rendered numb by the cold: Rawest simple thingsBread, water, museMagical and undefinedSparkling the faint daylight Simpler herePhone frozen unusedWatching bus headlightsTrained on snowy hues Since their chance encounter above the Arctic Circle in Norway, the transatlantic duo has taken their time to meticulously craft their music exactly the way they want it. Ruth Mirsky’s sultry vocals provide a perfect complement to the dark, pulsating synthesizers and cinematic orchestral elements of Tromsø-born producer Mads […]

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Michael Gay – “Long, Cold Winter” & “Good Night”

Starting his musical journey as a drummer and eventually finding his way to the guitar, Minneapolis-based folk/country artist Michael Gay (f/k/a Almighty American) draws his inspiration from his dad’s record collection. With the sounds of Willie Nelson, John Prine and Jerry Jeff Walker deep within his heart, Michael is releasing the first two new singles this week under his own name. A matched set, “Long, Cold Winter” is about persevering through the cold hard winter while “Good Night” is about enjoying a summer night by the Mississippi River. According to Michael: “It is my little ode to Minnesota, celebrating both sides of the coin. Living here has taught me to embrace seasons in life even when you’re looking for that chapter to close. We’re stronger for it.” The sentiment resonates with a lot of us this year, just as we enter what is likely to be an unusually long, lonely […]

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Adrian + Meredith – “Even”

Nashville duo Adrian + Meredith have always marched to their own beat, pounding the pavement and putting their own spin on Americana. Their music embodies the spirit of the human story with a nod to punk, the heart of folk, flavor of Polka, and bounce of swing. What started as a Klezmer tune, turned into a full rock and roller, their new single “Even” is a processing moment as we continue to watch both sides of the political spectrum cut off their noses to spite their face. With social media allowing for a lack of accountability in confrontation, this song is an observation of the obsession with false justice and “getting even” as opposed to true conversation and healthy debate. Four years since their debut release, Adrian + Meredith take their fearless, blistering, and Balkan-tinged Americana to new heights on their sophomore record, Bad for Business, a raucous, rebellious and […]

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Meg Toohey – “Lucky Streak”

Musician, songwriter, and producer Meg Toohey returns with her emotional new single “Lucky Streak”, written in response to the tragic news that her friend Nick Cordero had passed away from COVID-19. Within an hour of sitting down with her guitar she had a full demo together that she sent over to her fellow bandmates from the musical Waitress. Meg thought if they all recorded it together it would be a beautiful way to send their love to Nick’s wife Amanda. Of course everyone was on board, including her longtime friend Sara Bareilles, whose gorgeous harmonies elevated the emotional weight of the tribute. The single will officially be released a week from today on October 13th. Meg Toohey got her start in the Boston music scene, writing and performing alongside artists like Lori McKenna and Josh Ritter. While living in L.A. she worked as a touring musician, playing with the indie […]

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Deep Dive: Jackson Boone – “Natural Changes”

It’s pretty likely you’ve never heard of Jackson Boone. He lives a fairly low key life managing a vegan juice bar tucked away all the way up in the top left corner of the country, while also quietly making stunningly gorgeous records. The song we’re highlighting today is the title track to Jackson’s album “Natural Changes”, a timeless psych-folk ballad with lush strings that is tailor-made for a bittersweet cinematic montage. Recorded at Cannon Beach along the Oregon coast with producer Riley Geare of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, “Natural Changes” is rich with vivid imagery of the Pacific coastal setting where it was conceived. Despite touching on heavy subject matter like death and passing into the unknown, the song remains light and dreamy with that small touch of levity Jackson often weaves into his songwriting. The string arrangement throughout is subtle and understated, elevating what would otherwise be a somewhat somber […]

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Featured Artist: Jack M. Senff

Evolving from his indie-rock project Boy Rex, Northern Michigan based singer-songwriter Jack M. Senff strikes a warm and sentimental tone on Good To Know You that pays homage to the folk Americana sounds of the early 1970’s. Opting for a more stripped down aesthetic reflective of his own personal listening preferences over the constant second-guessing of what he thought should be making for his audience, Jack M. Senff had but one criteria for songs for this album: “Do I like it? Good.” “Just being Jack now feels like a needed breath of air, or like the rest of my life has opened up before me and I can go anywhere, do anything, write whatever music I want so long as it’s true to me.” – Jack M. Senff The result is a gorgeous and intimate record, with just the right balance of production, tasteful lead guitar work and natural room […]

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Tag: Indie Folk