5 Country Folk Music Artists You Need to Know

This article is a collaborative effort, crafted and edited by a team of dedicated professionals.

Contributors: Andranick Tanguiane, Fred Lerdahl,

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Looking for some new country music to add to your playlist? Here are 5 country folk music artists you need to know!

The Avett Brothers

The Avett Brothers are an Americana Folk band from North Carolina. The group consists of two brothers, Scott Avett and Seth Avett, who are both singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists. The Avett Brothers are known for their folk-rock sound and their live shows, which are a mix of bluegrass, country, punk, rock, and folk.

Biography

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 began as a side project for Scott, who was a member of the rock band Nicotine. In 2001, the brothers released their self-titled debut album independently. Since then, they have released eight more albums, four of which have charted on the Billboard 200.

The Avett Brothers’ music is a mix of folk, bluegrass, country, pop, and rock. Their sound has been likened to that of Bob Dylan and the Band. The group is known for their energetic live performances and for their use of traditional instrumentation such as the banjo and accordion. In recent years, they have also begun incorporating elements of punk rock and hip hop into their music.

The Avett Brothers have been nominated for four Grammy Awards and have won two Americana Music Awards. They were also named “Artist of the Year” by Rolling Stone in 2012.

Music Style

The Avett Brothers are an American folk rock band from North Carolina. The group is made up of two brothers, Scott Avett and Seth Avett, who play guitar and sing vocals. The Avett Brothers are known for their simple, yet catchy melodies and their heartfelt lyrics. Their music has been compared to that of other folk rock bands such as Mumford and Sons and Fleet Foxes.

The Avett Brothers got their start in 2000 when they released their self-titled debut album. Since then, the band has released a total of nine studio albums, three live albums, and one compilation album. They have also garnered a number of awards and nominations, including three Grammy Award nominations.

The Avett Brothers’ music style is a mix of country, folk, bluegrass, and pop. Their sound is unique in that it is not limited to any one genre. Instead, the brothers blend together a variety of different musical influences to create their own distinctive style.

Notable Songs

The Avett Brothers have released nine studio albums, four live albums and eighteen singles since their formation in 2000. They attained commercial success with the 2009 major label release I and Love and You, which peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 and featured the singles “I and Love and You” and “Kick Drum Heart”.
The Avett Brothers debuted with A Carolina Jubilee (2002). This was followed by Mignonette (2004), Four Thieves Gone: The Robbinsville Sessions (2006), Emotionalism (2007) and I and Love and You (2009). The group’s ninth studio album, True Sadness, was released on June 24, 2016. Their tenth album Closer Than Together is set to be released on October 4, 2019.
Avett BrothersNotable Songs:
-“I And Love And You’
-“Ain’t No Man”
-“No Hard Feelings”
-“True Sadness”
-“Noise Pollution”

The Lumineers

The Lumineers are an American folk rock band from Denver, Colorado. The band’s stage show is high-energy, and they have been known to perform impromptu sets in small venues and intimate settings. The band’s music has been featured in a number of films and television shows, including an episode of the CW’s The Vampire Diaries.

Biography

The Lumineers are an Americana folk-rock band based in Denver, Colorado. The founding members are Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion). Schultz and Fraites began writing and performing together in Ramsey, New Jersey in 2005. The Lumineers have released two studio albums: their self-titled debut album in 2012 and Cleopatra in 2016.

The band’s music is based onFraites’ brother’s death by heroin overdose, as well as on love stories like William Butler Yeats’ “When You Are Old”. The Lumineers’ self-titled album peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Ireland. It included the single “Ho Hey”, which charted in several countries worldwide and reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “Stubborn Love” reached No. 1 on the Hot Rock Songs chart and “Cleopatra” peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 200 chart. The band’s second album Cleopatra was released on April 8, 2016 during a world tour that included stops at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival as well as Bonnaroo Music Festival.

The Lumineers have been awarded an American Music Award, MTV Video Music Award, 2 Academy of Country Music Awardsand 2 Grammy Awards nominations. In May 2018, they were inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame.[8]

Music Style

The Lumineers are an American rock band from Denver, Colorado. The members are Wesley Schultz on lead vocals and guitar, Jeremiah Fraites on drums and piano, Stelth Ulvang on piano and cello, and Ben Wahamaki on bass. The band’s self-titled debut album was released in April 2012. followed by their sophomore album Cleopatra in 2016.

The Lumineers’s music has been classified as country folk and Americana. With simple lyrics that tell stories of love, loss, and hope, The Lumineers’s music has resonated with fans across the globe. The band has toured extensively in support of both albums, playing sold-out shows across the world.

Notable Songs

“Ho Hey”
“Stubborn Love”
“Ophelia”
“Cleopatra”
“Angela”

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, guitar, violin), Jonathan Russell (vocals, guitar, percussion), Chris Zasche (bass), Tyler Williams (drums), and Kenny Hensley (keyboards). The Head and the Heart released their self-titled debut album in 2011.

Biography

The Head and the Heart is an American indie folk band which was formed in the summer of 2009 in Seattle, Washington. The group’s original members were Josiah Johnson (vocals, guitar, percussion), Jon Russell (guitar, vocals), Charity Rose Thielen ( violin, guitar, vocals), Chris Zasche (bass), and Tyler Williams ( drums). The band signed to Sub Pop Records in 2010, and released their self-titled debut album in 2011. The group’s second album, Let’s Be Still, was released in 2013.

The quintet is currently touring in support of their most recent studio album, Signs of Light.#

Music Style

The head and the heart is a type of folk music that is characterized by its simplicity and candid lyrics. The head and the heart is often about love, loss, and heartache, and it is typically sung in a plaintive, emotive tone. The head and the heart has its roots in the oral tradition of folk music, and it often uses simple instrumentation such as acoustic guitar, piano, and harmonica. Some of the most famous head and the heart songs include “The Wanderer,” “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and “Dust Bowl Blues.”

Notable Songs

The Head and the Heart’s music has been described as “country-tinged indie folk rock”. Notable songs include “Rivers and Roads”, “All We Ever Knew”, and “Down in the Valley”.

Of Monsters and Men

Of Monsters and Men is a five-piece band from Iceland that has been taking the world by storm since their formation in 2010. The band is best known for their hit song “Little Talks”, which was featured in a variety of television shows and movies. Of Monsters and Men is a great example of country folk music artists that are making a name for themselves in the music industry.

Biography

Of Monsters and Men is an Icelandic indie folk band formed in 2010. The members are lead singer and guitarist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, singer-guitarist Ragnar “Raggi”Ḟórhallsson, guitarist Brynjar Leifsson, drummer Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson, and bassist Kristján Páll Kristjánsson. Of Monsters and Men released their debut album My Head Is an Animal in Iceland in 2011, and subsequently in the United States, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Continental Europe and Asia. It peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart in the US, was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and topped the album sales charts in many countries including Australia, Ireland and New Zealand.

The first single from the album, “Little Talks”, was an international success reaching No. 1 in Icelandconditions— being frequently cited as one of that era’s most catchy songs—and topping charts in several other countries including Australiahe Czech Republiccould have been a success as welll as France giving Of Monsters and Men their first top 10 appearance on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart where it peaked at number 5; it would ultimately spend 25 weeks on that tally. A second single titled “Mountain Sound” was also successful; it topped charts in Iceland while becoming a top 5 Alternative radio song in the US while peaking at number 16 on Billboard’s Adult Pop Songs chart—Of Monsters’ second entry on that particular tally.”King and Lionheart” followed reaching number 13 on Hot Rock Songs.”Six Weeks” was released as a fourth single which managed to become another Alternative radio airplay success for the band.”Little Talks” won MTV’s 2013 Woodie Award for Best Song of The Year.”From Finner” was used extensively by Apple Inc. during a global advertising campaign for its iPhone 5c smartphone model.”Crystal,” although not officially released to radio or as a single was used extensively by Jeep during its advertising campaign for its 2014 Jeep Cherokee model.”Dirty Paws” appeared used by Budweiser during their Super Bowl XLVIII commercial entitled “Puppy Love.””Lakehouse””Yellow Light””Empire””I Of The Storm””Fever Dream””Orion’s Belt””Sleepwalker””Hunger””Wild Roses”

Music Style

Of Monsters and Men is a five-piece Icelandic indie folk pop band formed in 2010, who are best known for their 2011 hit single “Little Talks”. The band’s first album My Head Is an Animal, released in 2011, peaked at number 6 on the US Billboard 200 and became a platinum record in the US. It also reached number one in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Denmark and Canada. The group’s second album, Beneath the Skin, was released in 2015 and debuted atop the US Billboard 200.

The group has won several awards, including the 2012 European Border Breakers Award.

Notable Songs

Of Monsters and Men is an Icelandic indie folk-pop band formed in 2010. The members are lead singer Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, singer-guitarist Ragnar “Raggi” Þórhallsson, guitarist Brynjar Leifsson, drummer Arnar Rosenkranz Hilmarsson, and bassist Kristján Páll Kristjánsson. Of Monsters and Men released its debut album “My Head Is an Animal” in Iceland in 2011, followed by a UK release in 2012. The album peaked at number 6 on the Billboard 200 in the US and number 3 in the UK. It has sold over 3 million copies worldwide.

The band’s notable songs include “Little Talks”, “Mountain Sound”, “Dirty Paws”, “Yellow Light”, and “Empire”.

Mumford & Sons

Mumford & Sons is a folk rock band from London, England. The band was formed in 2007 and they have released four studio albums. Their music has roots in traditional British folk music and they often use acoustic instrumentation. The band has won several awards, including a Grammy Award for their album Babel.

Biography

Mumford & Sons are a British indie folk band from London, formed in 2007. The band consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums), Ben Lovett (vocals, keyboards), Winston Marshall (vocals, banjo, dobro) and Ted Dwane (bass guitar, double bass, backing vocals). Mumford & Sons have released three studio albums: Sigh No More (2009), Babel (2012) and Wilder Mind (2015). The band has also issued two live albums: Live at Shepherd’s Bush Empire (2011) and The Road to Red Rocks (2016).

In December 2010, the group won the Brit Award for Best British Album of the Year for Sigh No More. The album was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2011. Babel was nominated for the Brit Award for Album of the Year in 2013 and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2013. “I Will Wait” was nominated for Best Rock Song at the 2013 Grammy Awards. The group received eight total Grammy nominations during this award cycle. In October 2015, Wilder Mind became their first number-one album in the United States on Billboard 200.

Music Style

Mumford & Sons is a English band that formed in 2007. The group consists of Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett, Winston Marshall, and Ted Dwane. The band’s debut album “Sign No More” was released in 2009 and they have released 3 studio albums since. Their music style is best described as country folk with elements of rock and pop.

The band’s lyrics are often based on personal experience and emotion which has helped them to connect with fans all over the world. Their live shows are energetic and often include audience participation. Mumford & Sons has won several awards including a Grammy Award for Best Album of the Year in 2013.

Notable Songs

Mumford & Sons is a British band formed in 2007. The band consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums), Winston Marshall ( banjo, electric guitar, backing vocals), Ben Lovett (piano, keyboards, backing vocals), and Ted Dwayne (bass guitar). The band’s debut album Sign No More was released in 2009. They have released three studio albums: Babel (2012), Wilder Mind (2015), and Delta (2018).

The group has performed at a number of music festivals including Glastonbury Festival, Bonnaroo Music Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Lollapalooza, Benicassim and Firefly Music Festival. Their song “Little Lion Man” peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year. “I Will Wait” was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance. “Believe” won the Grammy Award for Best Americana Album. The group has received nine Grammy Award nominations in total.

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