The Top Folk Music Artists of Today

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

Contributors: Andranick Tanguiane, Fred Lerdahl,

Contents

Since the early 2000s, the top folk music artists have been Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, and Joni Mitchell.

The Avett Brothers

The Avett Brothers have been making music together for over 15 years and in that time, they have released nine studio albums. Their music is a mix of folk, rock, and bluegrass, and their lyrics are often about love, loss, and hope. The band is made up of two brothers, Scott and Seth Avett, and they are from North Carolina. The Avett Brothers are one of the most popular folk music artists of today.

About the band

The Avett Brothers are an American folk rock band from Concord, North Carolina. The band is made up of two brothers, Scott Avett and Seth Avett, who play guitar and sing. They are joined by Bob Crawford on upright bass and Joe Kwon on cello. The band has released eight studio albums, four live albums, and five EPs. They have also collaborated with famous musicians such as Sue Medley, Jakob Dylan, and Tony Bennett.

Band members

L
The Avett Brothers are an American folk rock band from Concord, North Carolina. The band is made up of two brothers, Scott Avett and Seth Avett, who play guitar and sing vocals. They are joined by Bob Crawford on bass guitar and Joe Kwon on cello. The Avett Brothers’ music style has been described as bluegrass, country, rock and roll, punk, indie folk, and roots rock.

Notable songs

“I and Love and You”
The Avett Brothers’ breakthrough major label debut came with 2009’s I and Love and You, a Top 20 album that featured the gorgeous, Rick Rubin-produced title track. The song displays the duo’s talent for writing highly personal, immediate songs that sound both classic and modern.

“Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise”
The first single from The Carpenter, “Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise” is a heart-wrenching exploration of doubt, hope, and the difficulty of relationships. It’s one of the band’s most moving songs, and its success helped propel The Carpenter to become the Avetts’ highest-charting album to date.

“Ain’t No Man”
The lead single from True Sadness, “Ain’t No Man” is a soulful track that finds Seth Avett questioning his belief in God. It’s one of the band’s catchiest tunes, with a singalong chorus and a toe-tapping groove that makes it impossible to resist.

The Lumineers

The Lumineers are an American folk rock band based in Denver, Colorado. The band’s classic line-up consists of Wesley Schultz on guitar and vocals, Jeremiah Fraites on drums, and Neyla Pekarek on cello and vocals. The Lumineers’ musical style draws from a diverse range of influences, including rock, pop, folk, and hip-hop. The band’s signature sound is based on their use of acoustic instruments and three-part harmony.

About the band

The Lumineers are an American folk rock band based in Denver, Colorado. The founding members are Wesley Schultz on guitar and vocals, and Jeremiah Fraites on drums and percussion. The Lumineers formed in 2002, when the two friends first started writing and performing together in New York City. In 2005, they relocated to Denver and joined forces with bassist Neyla Pekarek.

The Lumineers self-released their self-titled debut album independently in 2011. It was recorded with Ryan Hadlock at Bear Creek Studio in Woodinville, Washington and mixed by Kevin Killen. The album peaked at number 2 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Chart,number 9 on Billboard’s Top Folk Albums chart, and number 2 on the iTunes folk chart. The album has been certified Platinum by the RIAA in the United States.

The band’s second album, Cleopatra, was released on April 8, 2016. It was produced by Simon Felice and Jon Kaplan, recorded at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City, and Mixed by Manny Marroquin at Larrabee Sound Studios in North Hollywood, California. Cleopatra debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 134,000 equivalent album units; it was the fifth best-selling album of 2016.

Band members

The Lumineers are an American folk rock band from Denver, Colorado. The band is composed of songwriter and lead singer Wesley Schultz, rhythm guitarist and lead singer Jeremiah Fraites, bassist and backing vocalist Ben Wahamaki, piano player Stelth Ulvang and cellist and backing vocalist Neyla Pekarek. The Lumineers rose to prominence in 2012 with their hit single “Ho Hey”, which reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The band’s debut self-titled album was released in April 2012 and peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States, eventually being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In June 2016, The Lumineers released their second album Cleopatra, which debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 in the US and was also certified Platinum by the RIAA.

Notable songs

The Lumineers are an American folk rock band from Denver, Colorado. The founding members are Wesley Schultz on guitar and vocals, and Jeremiah Fraites on drums and percussion. Schultz and Fraites met in New York City in 2005. The two of them decided to move to Denver in an attempt to change their lives.

The band’s first album, The Lumineers, was released on April 3, 2012. On October 16, 2012, the album peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. “Stubborn Love” was the lead single from the album and became a top 10 hit in several countries. “Ho Hey” was the second single from the album and became an international hit, reaching number 1 in several countries.

Mumford & Sons

Mumford & Sons is a British folk rock band that originated in London, England in 2007. The band consists of Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett, Winston Marshall, and Ted Dwane. Mumford & Sons has released four studio albums: Sigh No More (2009), Babel (2012), Wilder Mind (2015), and Delta (2018). The band has won multiple awards, including a Grammy Award for Best Album of the Year.

About the band

Mumford & Sons are a British folk rock band from London, formed in 2007. The band consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums), Winston Marshall (banjo, vocals), Ben Lovett (keyboards, piano, vocals), and Ted Dwane (bass guitar, double bass, 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).

Mumford & Sons were formed in December 2007 by multi-instrumentalists Marcus Mumford and Ben Lovett, with guitarist Winston Marshall and bassist Ted Dwane. 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).

The group won the Brit Award for Album of the Year in 2013 for Babel. “I Will Wait” was nominated for the 2013 Grammy Award for Song of the Year. The group received eight nominations at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in 2014, winning Best Album of the Year and Best Long Form Music Video for Babel. “Believe” was also nominated for Record of the Year and Best Rock Performance. In 2015, they received three Brit Awards: Best British Group, Best British Album for Wilder Mind and Best Live Act.

Band members

Mumford & Sons are a British folk rock band. The band consists of Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett, Winston Marshall and Ted Dwane. The band was formed in 2007, after the members met at a pub in London.

The band’s debut album, ‘Sign No More’, was released in 2009 and was a commercial success. The album peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart and won the Grammy Award for Best Album by a New artist in 2010. The band’s second album, ‘Babel’, was released in 2012 and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

The band has headlined several music festivals, including Glastonbury Festival, Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo Music Festival. In 2013, they performed at the 2013 Grammy Awards ceremony.

Notable songs

Mumford & Sons first came onto the scene with their debut album Sigh No More in 2010. The album included the hit singles “The Cave” and “Little Lion Man”, which propelled the band to international fame. Since then, Mumford & Sons have released two more studio albums, Babel and Wilder Mind, and have become one of the most successful folk music groups of all time.

Some of Mumford & Sons’ most popular songs include:

-The Cave
-Little Lion Man
-I Will Wait
-Believe
-Timshel
-Dust Bowl Dance
-Roll Away Your Stone

The Head and the Heart

The Head and the Heart is an American indie folk band from Seattle, Washington. The group’s self-titled debut album was released in 2011 and their second album, Let’s Be Still, was released in 2013. The band’s third album, Signs of Light, was released on September 9, 2016.

About the band

The Head and the Heart is an American indie folk band. They were formed in 2009 in Seattle, Washington and since have released 3 studio albums, most recently Signs of Light in 2016. The band’s membership consists of Josiah Johnson (vocals, guitar, percussion), Jonathan Russell (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Charity Rose Thielen (violin, vocals), Chris Zasche (bass), Kenny Hensley (piano), and Tyler Williams (drums).

The Head and the Heart rose to prominence in the early 2010s with their debut album, released independently in 2011. The album was later re-released by Sub Pop Records after the band signed to the label. Their second album Let’s Be Still was released in 2013 to critical acclaim and also proved to be a commercial success. It peaked at number 5 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified Gold in the United States. Following a hiatus for much of 2015 and 2016, The Head and the Heart returned with their third album Signs of Light which became their first top 5 album on the Billboard 200 chart, peaking at number 4.

Band members

The Head and the Heart is an American indie folk band. The group is composed of Josiah Johnson (vocals, guitar, percussion), Jonathan Russell (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Charity Rose Thielen (violin, vocals), Chris Zasche (bass), Kenny Hensley (piano), and Tyler Williams (drums). The Head and the Heart has released three studio albums, one live album, and one extended play.

The Head and the Heart’s self-titled debut album was released on June 7, 2011. The album was recorded over a period of two weeks in December 2010 at Bear Creek Studio in Woodinville, Washington. The album was mixed by Phil Ek and mastered by Dan Gurdak.

The Head and the Heart’s second studio album Let’s Be Still was released on October 15, 2013. It peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 chart.

The Head and the Heart’s third studio album Signs of Light was released on September 9, 2016. It peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 chart.

Notable songs

The Head and the Heart is an American indie folk band from Seattle, Washington. Formed in the summer of 2009, the group consists of Josiah Johnson (vocals, guitar, percussion), Jon Russell (guitar, vocals), Charity Rose Thielen (violin, guitar, vocals), Chris Zasche (bass), Kenny Hensley (piano) and Tyler Williams (drums). After their self-released debut album became a word-of-mouth success in 2011 they signed with Sub Pop and issued their eponymous second album. The group’s third album, Signs of Light, was released on Warner Bros. Records in 2016. All three albums have peaked within the top five of the Billboard Folk Albums chart.

Notable songs:
“Lost in My Mind”, “Down in the Valley”, “Rivers and Roads”, “Shake”, “All We Ever Knew”,

“Let’s Be Still”, “Another Story”, “Heaven Go Easy on Me”,

“Missed Connection”

Of Monsters and Men

Of Monsters and Men is a five-piece indie folk-pop band which formed in 2010 in Iceland. The members are lead singer and guitarist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, singer-songwriter and guitarist Ragnar “Raggi” Þórhallsson, guitarist Brynjar Leifsson, drummer Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson, and bassist Kristján Páll Kristjánsson.

About the band

Of Monsters and Men is a six-piece indie folk-pop band from Reykjavik, Iceland, formed in 2010. The members are lead singer and guitarist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, singer-guitarist Ragnar Þórhallsson, guitarist Brynjar Leifsson, drummer Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson, bassist Kristján Páll Kristjánsson, and trumpet player-singer Árni Guðjónsson. The band rose to prominence in 2011 with the release of their debut album My Head Is an Animal, which reached the number one position in Iceland and number six on the US Billboard 200. Of Monsters and Men won Best Rock Album at the 2013 Grammy Awards for My Head Is an Animal.

Band members

Of Monsters and Men is a five-member band from Reykjavik, Iceland. The members are Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, Ragnar “Raggi” þórhallsson, Brynjar Leifsson, Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson, and Kristján Páll Kristjánsson. The band first gained popularity after the release of their debut album My Head Is an Animal in 2011. The album peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 chart and has sold over three million copies worldwide. The band’s second album, Beneath the Skin, was released in 2015 and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200.

Of Monsters and Men is known for their unique blend of indie folk and pop music. Their sound is often compared to that of Mumford & Sons and Arcade Fire. The band has toured with both of these bands, as well as with other popular artists such as Imagine Dragons and Of Monsters and Men has headlined their own tours across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Notable songs

“Little Talks”
“Mountain Sound”
“Dirty Paws”
“Yellow Light”
“Empire”
“Human

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