indie folk

Name	Indie folk
Other Names	Alternative folk
Stylistic Origins	* Indie rock * folk * alternative rock
Cultural Origins	1990s
Regional Scenes	Senja (genre)
Other Topics	* Folk pop * folk rock * acoustic rock * folk punk

Indie folk (also called alternative folk) is an alternative genre of music that arose in the 1990s among musicians from indie rock scenes influenced by folk music.

Characteristics

The staff of Paste Magazine said in 2020: "No music genre is particularly easy to define, but “indie folk” is about as nebulous as they come." Indie folk hybridizes the acoustic guitar melodies of traditional folk music with contemporary instrumentation. The lyrical style commonly includes raw emotional experiences, social commentary and an introspective lens. The genre blends the ethos and experimental nature of indie music with the storytelling of folk music. Instruments frequently used in the genre include guitars, banjos, mandolins, and ukuleles.

Influences

1960s–1970s

John Lennon and Bob Dylan have been cited as influences for indie folk, with Phoebe Bridgers stating, "I love John Lennon,” she continues “Easily best Beatle. He’s been such an icon for so many people who are my heroes, like Elliott Smith and Daniel Johnston". Additionally, The Velvet Underground influenced the genre with their raw and experimental music, which had a profound impact on all alternative and indie genres. Other Influences include Elvis Costello, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young,Simon and Garfunkel, The Byrds, Nico, and Joni Mitchell.

History

The genre has its earliest origins in 1990s folk artists who displayed alternative rock influences in their music, such as Ani DiFranco and Dan Bern, and acoustic artists such as Elliott Smith and Will Oldham. In the following decade, labels such as Saddle Creek, Barsuk, Ramseur, and Sub Pop helped to provide support to indie folk, with artists such as Fleet Foxes breaking into the pop charts with albums such as Helplessness Blues.

In the United Kingdom, artists such as Ben Howard and Mumford & Sons emerged, with the latter band promoting the music style through their Gentlemen of the Road touring festivals. The success of acts like Mumford & Sons led some music journalists like Popjustice's Peter Robinson labelling this new British music scene as The New Boring or Beige Pop. A decade later, the terms "stomp and holler," "stomp clap hey," and "hoedown pop" were coined to refer retrospectively, often derisively but sometimes with endearment, to such bands.

In the late 2010s and in the 2020s, artists such as Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers, and Julien Baker revived interest in the genre with Swift's Folklore and Evermore, as well as Bridgers' Punisher and Baker's Sprained Ankle, Turn Out the Lights, and Little Oblivions. Bridgers cites Elliott Smith as a foundational influence on her sound.

References

Category:Alternative rock genres
Category:American styles of music
Category:British styles of music
Category:Rock music genres

Category:Indie rock