Fear of Folk

Morning y'all. I have been slow here over the last two weeks. Apologies. Work commitments have been a distraction.Sorry, work commitments have been my main focus. (Hello bosses if you are reading this). So now I will move on with a relatively recent addition to the americana scene in Ireland.

Any band that cites Dillard & Clark as an influence has my instant attention. Probably one of the most underrated yet influential early americana bands to emerge from the Laurel Canyon scene of the early 70's. Fear of Folk was established in 2011. Made up of school friends Gerard Griffin, Donal Lynch, Richard Swinburne and joined by Joe Ryan of the SpiritRiders, the band are an americana inspired creation with a hint of British guitar pop. If you imagine the musical child of the muses of Jason Isbell and the Teenage Fanclub, you are somewhat close. The band have recorded their debut e.p. "Charity and Tolerance" with an impressive list of contributors. The album was produced by Liam Watson in the Toe Rag studio in London. That place that is famous for only stocking vintage equipment where notably The White Stripes recorded "Elephant". The e.p also features none other than B.J Cole on pedal steel guitar. I can't wait to see who they get for the debut album! The fact that the band are recording there may suggest they have a clear intent on how they want their band to sound which is to be admired.

The two tracks available to listen to are both perfectly paced, thoughtful, melodies of americana folk. "It doesn't matter" is the more pop orientated of the two, a gentle song on love unrequited with the embellished guitar licks framing the song perfectly.

"Chip on your Shoulder" is more of a slow contemplative piece. Again the balance between the twangy guitar and pedal steel guitar are expertly arranged with that flanged finish. As you might have guessed, I am not a lyrics man, it’s nearly always been melodies for me but the lyrics to this song are particularly elegant. They fit in with the melody to make the song as a whole, a subtle catchy number.

The e.p. is set to be released in the autumn. Technically that's only two days away so sometime soon. And as you might expect for a band that embraces analogue recording, it will be available on vinyl. They are on the Facebook if you want to keep updated about the band's activities.