The days are getting longer and the sun is shining that bit brighter- it's official: spring has sprung!
As the world begins to awaken from the chill of winter, we've been delighted to see another month where our inbox was bursting with a diverse range of musical styles, and been blown away by the creativity and passion on display from these talented artists.
So take a break from your day, find a cozy corner, and let yourself drift away with the mesmerising tunes that have captured our hearts this March. We can't wait to see what April has in store for us!
illogical - ALY
ALY is an indie rock, indie folk singer-songwriter based in Brighton, UK. Born and raised in Greece, ALY’s music has certainly been influenced by traditional Eastern sounds, carefully combined with poetic lyrics and ethereal vocal melodies. Through her music, ALY is seeking to connect with those who observe life through a more melancholic lens.
ALY had the entire audience eating out the palm of her hand when she played our March showcase at The Folklore Rooms. This captivating track is a long-awaited return to the golden era of rock music, with instrumentation that harkens back to the iconic 90s grunge scene. Her confident vocals soar through illogical, etching the catchy melody in our minds long after the track finishes. It's safe to say that ALY means business, and we can't wait to see what else she has up her sleeve.
Asleep at the Wheel - Alexander Carson
Alexander Carson is a neoclassical, downtempo, composer and songwriter based in London UK. Carson spent the better part of 7 years as the lead singer, and songwriter for genre-fluid quintet Wooden Arms.
Asleep at the Wheel is a hypnotic four-minute escape from the frenzied chaos of the world. From the first note, the song's melody waltzes through your bloodstream, lulling you into a state of tranquil comfort. The rich, lower register of the vocals adds a layer of depth and emotion, drawing you deeper into the song's embrace. Every instrument in the arrangement is exquisitely emotive, with each note working in perfect harmony to create a sublime musical experience. Drawing comparisons to the legendary Broken Social Scene, this song is a testament to ability of music to soothe the soul and transcend the mundane.
"It was sugar sweet, peanut butter stuck to roof of mouth kinda love
A pulmonary embolism feat of pain
When you ripped the bandage off my bleeding heart I felt sane
A subtle syncopated switch from the start, rinse lather repeat it’s all the same"
Wendy - Holly Henderson
Holly Henderson is a composer/musician/producer from Kent, whose whimsical arrangements of original compositions will throw you both back in time, and into the future, for something entirely new, and always beautiful.
The retro-feel of Henderson's Wendy immediately caught our attention, filling our souls with warmth and wonder. It's safe to say we fell in love even further upon finding out this infectious lullaby was originally written as a reassurance to her four-legged friend that she'll never be abandoned. Each element perfectly balances in the song to create a truly magical musical journey in just under two minutes, and trust us: you'll be reaching for the replay button as soon as the song comes to a close.
Home - REA
REA is the musical project of 23 year old Brighton based singer-songwriter Rachel Adderley.
Having recently seen airplay on BBC Introducing, it's clear that REA has captured something truly timeless with Home, digging into the bittersweet fear of change that's at the root of the human condition. It's an incredibly accomplished first release, deftly letting you float away on the dreamlike atmosphere of the reverb-soaked guitars and delicate vocals.
"Can we stay the same
Now that everyone else has changed
Cause I will wait here"
Floating High - Color The Night
Riding on disco-beats, excessive guitars and funky riffs, Austrian 6-piece Color The Night find each other on a mission for the “holy dancing grail”. Clever arrangements and musical “finesse” create the perfect symbiosis between dance and sophisticated music without cliché.
Ok so maybe it's not folk, but synth-led single Floating High is so downright irresistible, we couldn't help ourselves but add it to our Indie Folk Finds playlist. Contagious, catchy and full of life, this single has been on repeat for weeks over at Folklore HQ: let it lead you into the increasingly sunny days ahead.
Special Mentions
As much as we'd like to include everyone into our monthly highlights, we've only got room to delve into five. But we'd be remiss to not mention these incredible tracks that also landed in our playlists in March 2023:
Asleep - Chris Williams and Kid Reverie
Our Spotify playlists are updated every month with our favourite new sounds, so make sure you tune in frequently- you’re guaranteed to find one of your new favourite artists along the way.
If you'd like to submit your own songs for inclusion in our playlists, please send your Spotify links over to submissions@folkloresessions.co.uk
We can't wait to hear your music!
Please be aware that we receive a lot of submissions and we are a small team, we will listen to your music and respond when we can.
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