New Era Folk

The roots of folk music are in its name: the people. A style of music based on a tradition of oral storytelling, where communities share their histories, myths and contemporary lives through music, rather than the written word. Sonically, folk is a broad spectrum of sounds, but it’s typically based around live, acoustic instrumentation, such as guitar, and unamplified vocals. 

Since the mid-20th century, as the genre has become commercialized, folk has generally come to signify a North American roots sound, often from the Midwestern United States and Appalachian South. Archivists such as the legendary father-son duo John Lomax and Alan Lomax took great care to record and catalog the various folk sounds of the United States, which allowed the style to gain prominence and eventually lead to seminal releases such as Harry Smith’s 1953 ‘Anthology of American Folk Music.’ 

Folk music burst into the popular consciousness thanks to seminal artists like Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, The Carter Family, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, John Prine and David Crosby, among others. From traditional roots and bluegrass through to Americana and folk-rock — as the sound became amplified in the 1960s — folk music tapped into radical protest movements, becoming the soundtrack to a rapidly-shifting social and political landscape. Bob Dylan in particular captured the zeitgeist, with albums such as 1963’s ‘The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan’ and 1964’s ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’.’

Over decades, folk has undergone various revivals, as new generations of artists bring their own socio-political perspectives and sonic experimentations to the form. One of the most consequential of these was the blossoming indie folk sound of the 2000s and 2010s, which saw folk traditions blended into indie rock music on a massive scale. Acts such as Mumford & Sons, Bon Iver, The Lumineers, Iron & Wine, Of Monsters and Men and Damien Rice, to name a few, all broke into the charts with popular recordings, allowing indie-folk music to evolve into a contemporary stadium-touring sound. 

In recent years, Taylor Swift’s pandemic-era albums ‘folklore’ and ‘evermore,’ the Timothée Chalamet-led Bob Dylan biopic (‘A Complete Unknown’) and artists like Noah Kahan have brought renewed interest in the genre. This has come in tandem with a massive surge in country music’s mainstream popularity — as country has become increasingly commercialized, folk arguably presents a counterbalance for fans interested in roots-based sounds. Today, folk music is shapeshifting once again, as younger audiences — raised on a diet of technology, social isolation and artificial intelligence — yearn for music that feels human, rooted in counterculture and raw storytelling, and willing to merge with popular, lo-fi sounds like indie and bedroom pop. 

Dive into this collection of tracks — by artists such as Sierra Ferrell, Amble, Kevin Morby, Mon Rovîa, Jesse Welles, Laura Marling and more — and discover this new era of folk.

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LISTEN TO THE NEW ERA FOLK PLAYLIST ON SOUNDCLOUD NOW

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Iron & Wine, “In Your Ocean” 
The South Carolina-based artist embraces a jazzy, conversational style of folk on his latest album for Sub Pop, February 2026’s ‘Hen’s Teeth.’

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Amble, “Moral Victory” 
Irish folk trio Amble are gaining plaudits for their performances, as heard on their recent, two-part live album, following their breakout 2025 album, ‘Reverie.’

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Gold Star, “Wild Boys”
Indebted to the soaring folk of Bob Dylan, LA-based singer-songwriter Marlon Rabenreither, as Gold Star, released this track on his 2024 album, ‘How To Shoot The Moon.’

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Jesse Welles, “Masks Off”
Working in the folk tradition of protest music, with pin-sharp socially conscious lyrics, Jesse Welles is being hailed as “The New Bob Dylan.” This is the title track of his latest album, released in June 2026.

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Courtney Barnett, Waxahatchee, “Site Unseen”
This catchy collaboration between Courtney Barnett and Waxahatchee features on the former’s March 2026 album, ‘Creature of Habit.’

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Kevin Morby, “Javelin”
Midwestern folk vocalist and musician Kevin Morby’s eighth solo album, May 2026’s ‘Little Wide Open,’ was produced by Aaron Dressner of The National.

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Maisie Peters, “Say My Name In Your Sleep” 
Hailing from Brighton, UK, Maisie Peters brings a melodic pop edge to the folk style. This track is from her May 2026 album ‘Florescence.’

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Laura Marling, “Caroline” 
A fixture of the British folk scene, Laura Marling’s delicate voice and deft lyrics shine on her latest album, 2025’s ‘Patterns In Repeat.’

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Courtney Marie Andrews, “Cons and Clowns” 
On her January 2026 album, ‘Valentine,’ Nashville-based Courtney Marie Andrews strips her sound back to explore themes around grief.

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Mon Rovîa, “Somewhere down in Georgia”
Liberia-born, Tennessee-based artist Mon Rovîa draws from the griots storytelling tradition to create his critically lauded, Afro-Appalachian sound, as heard on January 2026’s ‘Bloodline.’

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José González, “Pajarito”
Swedish-Argentine artist José González evolves his soft vocals and acoustic guitar work on this track from his March 2026 album, ‘Against The Dying Of The Light.’

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Silvia Pérez Cruz, “Pastores” 
Vocalist and musician Silvia Pérez Cruz brings folk traditions into this 2024 track, based on a Wayuu poem about indigenous life in Latin America.

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The Milk Carton Kids, “I’ll Go Home From Here” 
LA-raised duo The Milk Carton Kids have been Grammy-nominated for their bittersweet folk sound. Their latest release is April 2026’s ‘Lost Cause Lover Fool.’

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Angelo De Augustine, “Mirror Mirror”
A longtime collaborator of Sufjan Stevens, Californian artist Angelo De Augustine used antique instruments to make the tactile, lo-fi sounds of his April 2026 album, ‘Angel In Plainclothes.’

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Lemoncello, “At The Edge”
Irish duo Lemoncello’s latest album, May 2026’s ‘Perfect Place,’ is gaining praise for its tender, experimental sound.

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Sierra Ferrell, Nikki Lane, “A Lesson In Leavin’”
Breakthrough Americana and roots artist Sierra Ferrell teams up with Nikki Lane for this sweet country duet.

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Tyler Ballgame, “Matter of Taste” 
Tapping into a retro feel, Tyler Ballgame’s anthemic style turns up the volume on folk. This track features on his January 2026 album, ‘For The First Time, Again.’

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Senora May, Tyler Childers, “Planting by the Signs”
With his gravelly voice and earthen sound, Kentucky’s Tyler Childers evolves traditional bluegrass and folk on his 2025 album, ‘Snipe Hunter.’

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Marisa Anderson, “No Place To Rest My Head”
Known for her “American primitive” guitar work and anthologising of roots and protest recordings, Marisa Anderson is a key figure in American folk music.

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Nathan Evans Fox, “Hillbilly Hymn (Okra & Cigarettes)”
Nathan Evans Fox’s May 2026 album, ‘Heirloom,’ centers around his banjo-playing, with a theme of “protest hymns that feel like porch songs,” in his own words.

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Haley Heynderickx, Max García Conover, “Fluorescent Light”  
On ‘What Of Our Nature,’ Haley Heynderickx and Max García Conover write in the protest music spirit of Woody Guthrie, covering topics like labor history and the struggle for Puerto Rican independence.

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Clover County, “Virginia Slim”
Georgia-raised vocalist and musician Clover Country leans into her Southern roots on this track from her 2025 debut album, ‘Finer Things.’

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Alice Costelloe, “How Can I”
On February 2026’s ‘Move On With The Year,’ British artist Alice Costelloe — formerly of the shoegaze band Big Deal — makes her solo indie-folk debut.

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YEBBA, “Earth, Wind & California” 
Hailing from Arkansas, singer-songwriter YEBBA lets the sunshine in on her latest album, March 2026’s ‘Jean,’ which this track features on.

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Dove Ellis, “Love Is” 
Irish vocalist and musician Dove Ellis presents a powerful series of folk-infused ballads on his 2025 album, ‘Blizzard.’

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Buck Meek, “Can I Mend It?”
Alongside his solo work, including his February 2026 album, ‘The Mirror,’ Buck Meek also plays guitar and sings in the band Big Thief.

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Cut Worms, “Evil Twin”
Brooklyn-based indie pop artist Cut Worms brings a folk style into his latest album, March 2026’s ‘Transmitter.’

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Chloe-Beth, “James” 
Hailing from small town Oklahoma, Chloe-Beth dropped her striking debut album, ‘Familiar,’ in June 2026.

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Bonnie “Prince” Billy, “They Keep Trying To Find You”
Kentucky’s own Bonnie “Prince” Billy has long worked within the folk tradition for decades; this track is from his March 2026 album, ‘We Are Together Again.’

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Natalie Wildgoose, “Nobody On The Path” 
Building on her lo-fi experimental style of folk, Yorkshire’s Natalie Wildgoose released her latest EP, April 2026’s ‘Rural Hours.’

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LISTEN TO THE NEW ERA FOLK PLAYLIST ON SOUNDCLOUD NOW

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