10 Country Folk Music Artists You Need to Know

From John Prine to Gillian Welch, these are the 10 country folk music artists you need to know about.

The Lumineers

The Lumineers are an American folk rock band based in Denver, Colorado. The band’s background is in bluegrass and rock, and their sound has been described as a “unique blend of soul-searching lyrics and organic instrumentation.”

The Lumineers have released two studio albums, the self-titled The Lumineers (2012) and Cleopatra (2016). The band’s first album peaked at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album included the singles “Ho Hey”, “Stubborn Love”, and “Submarines”. The band’s second album, Cleopatra, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA. The album’s lead single, “Ophelia”, peaked at number 3 on the Alternative Songs chart.

The Lumineers have toured extensively throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. In 2017, they were nominated for two Grammy Awards: Best Americana Album for Cleopatra and Best American Roots Performance for “Ophelia”.

Mumford & Sons

Formed in 2007, Mumford & Sons is a four-piece British folk band that consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums), Winston Marshall (banjo, backing vocals), Ben Lovett (piano, keyboards, backing vocals), and Ted Dwane (bass guitar, double bass, backing vocals). The band’s debut album Sign No More was released in 2009 to critical acclaim and commercial success. It peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart and has been certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry. The album’s lead single “Little Lion Man” was nominated for Best Rock Song at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards.

The Avett Brothers

The Avett Brothers are an American folk rock band from Concord, North Carolina. The group is made up of two brothers, Scott Avett and Seth Avett, who play guitar and banjo, respectively. The Avett Brothers have released eight studio albums, four live albums, and one extended play. The band’s ninth studio album, Closer Than Together, is set to be released on October 4, 2019.

The Avett Brothers’ music is rooted in the folk music of the Appalachiag 16-18th centuries; however, the band draws influence from a wide range of genres including rock n’ roll, pop, country, punk rock and indie rock. The band has been praised for their “stripped-down” sound which relies on acoustic instrumentation instead of electric guitars and drums.

The Avett Brothers have a large and loyal fan base which they refer to as the “Avett Army.” The band has achieved significant commercial success in recent years; their album The Carpenter peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 200 chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Americana Album.

The Avett Brothers are widely considered to be one of the most important folk music artists of our time. If you’re a fan of country folk music or Americana, then you need to check out The Avett Brothers!

Old Crow Medicine Show

Old Crow Medicine Show is an Americana group from Nashville, Tennessee, that has been active since 1998. The band is best known for their hit song “Wagon Wheel,” which was written by Bob Dylan and Ketch Secor. The band has released eight studio albums, two of which have been Grammy nominated. They are currently signed to Columbia Records.

The Civil Wars

Based in Nashville, Tennessee, The Civil Wars are a musical duo composed of singer-songwriters Joy Williams and John Paul White. The pair met in 2008 at a songwriting workshop in Memphis and began writing songs together shortly thereafter. They self-released an EP in 2009, followed by their debut album Barton Hollow in 2011.

The Civil Wars won Grammy Awards for both Barton Hollow ( Best Folk Album) and their song “Boulder to Birmingham” (Best Country Duo/Group Performance). They were also nominated for Best Americana Album for their 2013 album, Self-titled. Despite their success, the duo announced they were disbanding in 2014 due to “internal conflict and irreconcilable differences of ambition.”

Despite their brief career, The Civil Wars were a force to be reckoned with in the Americana/Folk scene. If you’re a fan of this genre of music, make sure to give them a listen!

The Head and the Heart

The Head and the Heart is an American indie folk band from Seattle, Washington. The band is composed of Josiah Johnson (vocals, guitar, percussion), Charity Rose Thielen (vocals, violin, guitar), Chris Zasche (bass), Jonathan Russell (vocals, guitar, percussion), Matt Gervais (drums), and Tyler Williams (keyboards).

The band’s self-titled debut album was released in 2011 on Sub Pop. The album was recorded in a house in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle that the band members all shared. The Head and the Heart’s second album, Let’s Be Still, was released on October 15, 2013, also on Sub Pop. The album peaked at number 5 on the Billboard 200 chart.

The Punch Brothers

The Punch Brothers are an American bluegrass-influenced progressive acoustic quintet founded in 2006 byChris Thile. They have released five studio albums—Who’s Feeling Young Now? (2012), Antifogmatic (2010), Punch (2008), The Phosphorescent Blues (2015), and All Ashore (2018)—and have toured worldwide extensively.

The Decemberists

The Decemberists are an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon. The band consists of Colin Meloy (lead vocals, guitars, primary songwriter), Chris Funk (multi-instrumentalist), Jenny Conlee (keyboards, harmonium, melodica, accordion, piano), Nate Query (bass guitar), and Russ Pollard (drums). Meloy has also released several solo albums. The band’s studio albums have been released through Capitol Records and Rough Trade Records; its first three albums were released through the independent label Kill Rock Stars.

The Decemberists’ vocalist and principal songwriter is Colin Meloy, who first show interest in music after his parents gave him a copy of Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge over Troubled Water when he was five. He later became interested in punk rock and formed the Arena Rock Recording Company with his sister Rachel while attending high school. The Decemberists’ debut album, Castaways and Cutouts, was released in 2002 on the independent label Hush Records.

The Decemberists’ second album, Her Majesty the Decemberists, was released in 2003 on the Kill Rock Stars label. The album was recorded in Portland and produced by Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie.

The Decemberists’ third album, Picaresque, was released in 2005 on the Capitol Records label. The album debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 chart and sold more thanoples times its initial pressing of 20est 1000 copies within two weeks of its release. It went on to sell more than 322 thousand copies in the U.S., and another platinum award followed in Canada.

Nickel Creek

Formed in 1989, Nickel Creek is a bluegrass-influenced Americana trio made up of siblings Sean and Sara Watkins and their friend Chris Thile. The group broke onto the scene in 2000 with their self-titled debut album, which featured their hit single “The Lighthouse’s Tale.” Their follow-up album, This Side, was released in 2002 to even greater success, earning them a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. The group went on hiatus in 2007 to pursue other projects but reunited in 2014 with the release of their album A Dotted Line.

Lake Street Dive

Lake Street Dive is an American band that formed in 2004 in Boston, Massachusetts. The band’s sound draws from a wide range of influences, including country, folk, soul, and jazz. The band is known for its tight harmonies, creative arrangements, and inventive cover songs.

The members of Lake Street Dive are all virtuoso musicians who met while studying jazz at the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music. The band’s frontman, Mike “McDuck” Olson, is a highly sought-after trumpet player; bassist Bridget Kearney is a knowledgeable and experienced songwriter; drummer Michael Calabrese is a powerful and groove-oriented drummer; and violinist/singer Rachael Price rounds out the quartet with her soulful vocals and superb sense of dynamics.

Over the years, Lake Street Dive has released five studio albums, all of which have received critical acclaim. The band’s most recent album, Side Pony (2016), debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Americana Album.