{{short description|Alternative genre of folk music}} {{Infobox music genre | name = Indie folk | other_names = Alternative folk | stylistic_origins = * [[Alternative rock]]<ref name="about.com"/> * [[contemporary folk music|folk]] * [[indie rock]] | cultural_origins = 1990s | subgenres = Stomp and holler | regional_scenes = [[Senja (genre)]] | other_topics = * [[Folk pop]] * [[folk punk]] * [[folk rock]] * [[neofolk]] * [[progressive folk]] * [[psychedelic folk]] }} '''Indie folk''' (also called '''alternative folk''') is an [[alternative rock|alternative]] genre of music that arose in the 1990s among musicians from [[indie rock]] scenes influenced by [[contemporary folk music|folk music]].
== Characteristics == The staff of ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste Magazine]]'' said in 2020: "No music genre is particularly easy to define, but “indie folk” is about as nebulous as they come."<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 100 Best Indie Folk Albums of All Time |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/best-albums/indie-folk-albums |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=Paste Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> Indie folk hybridizes the [[acoustic guitar]] melodies of [[Folk music#Traditional folk music|traditional folk music]] with contemporary instrumentation. The lyrical style commonly includes raw emotional experiences, social commentary and an introspective lens.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Indie Folk Characteristics: The Harmonious Blend of Authenticity and Innovation |url=https://eliottglinnaudio.com/blog/indie-folk-characteristics-the-harmonious-blend-of-authenticity-and-innovation |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=Eliott Glinn Audio |language=en}}</ref> The genre blends the ethos and experimental nature of indie music with the storytelling of folk music. Instruments frequently used in the genre include guitars, banjos, mandolins, and ukuleles.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2024-10-06 |title=Indie Folk Music: The Soulful Sound of Authenticity - Music Magazine |url=https://noahgundersenmusic.com/indie-folk-music/ |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=noahgundersenmusic.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Influences ==
=== 1960s–1970s === [[John Lennon]] and [[Bob Dylan]] have been cited as influences for indie folk, with [[Phoebe Bridgers]] stating, "I love John Lennon... He’s been such an icon for so many people who are my heroes, like [[Elliott Smith]] and [[Daniel Johnston]]".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Martoccio |first=Angie |date=2020-05-27 |title=Laughter, Tears, and Harmony: How Phoebe Bridgers Made 'Punisher' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/phoebe-bridgers-punisher-interview-1002273/ |access-date=2025-12-30 |website=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref> Additionally, [[The Velvet Underground]] influenced the genre with their raw and [[experimental music]], which had a profound impact on all alternative and indie genres.<ref>{{Cite web |title=sweet adeline {{!}} the delicate sound of an explosion |url=http://www.sweetadeline.net/interview98.html |access-date=2025-12-30 |website=www.sweetadeline.net}}</ref> Other influences include [[Elvis Costello]], [[Leonard Cohen]], [[Neil Young]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blog |first=N. M. E. |date=2010-10-26 |title=Elliott Smith Archive Interview - 'There Has To Be Darkness In My Songs' |url=https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/elliott-smith-archive-interview-there-has-to-be-darkness-in-my-songs-782397 |access-date=2025-12-30 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Simon & Garfunkel|Simon and Garfunkel]], [[The Byrds]], [[Nico]], and [[Joni Mitchell]].
== History == The genre has its earliest origins in 1990s folk artists who displayed alternative rock influences in their music, such as [[Ani DiFranco]] and [[Dan Bern]], and acoustic artists such as Elliott Smith and [[Will Oldham]].<ref name="about.com">{{cite news | url = http://folkmusic.about.com/od/folkmusic101/p/IndieFolk.htm | title = What Is New Folk? A Genre Profile | author = Michael Keefe | work = [[About.com]] | access-date = 2008-07-07 | archive-date = 2016-09-29 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160929000607/http://folkmusic.about.com/od/folkmusic101/p/IndieFolk.htm | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name="AllMusic">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/style/indie-folk-ma0000012149|title=Indie Folk Music Genre Overview {{!}} AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=2018-07-01}}</ref> In the following decade, labels such as [[Saddle Creek Records|Saddle Creek]], [[Barsuk Records|Barsuk]], Ramseur, and [[Sub Pop]] helped to provide support to indie folk,<ref name="AllMusic" /> with artists such as [[Fleet Foxes]] breaking into the [[Record chart|pop charts]] with albums such as ''[[Helplessness Blues]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indulgexpress.com/culture/music/2020/sep/26/american-indie-band-fleet-foxes-drops-its-latest-album-shore-28443.html|title=American indie band Fleet Foxes drops its latest album Shore|website=Indulgexpress.com|date=26 September 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://musictalkers.com/reviews/7450-review-shore-heralds-the-welcome-return-of-indie-folk-heavyweights-fleet-foxes|title=Review: Shore Heralds the Welcome Return of Indie Folk Heavyweights Fleet Foxes|website=Musictalkers.com|date=2 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/podcast/fleet-foxes-and-sufjan-stevens-understated-new-albums/|title=The Quiet Return of Fleet Foxes and Sufjan Stevens|website=Pitchfork|date=25 September 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.albumoftheyear.org/genre/16-indie-folk/all/|title=The Best Indie Folk Albums of All Time|website=Album of The Year}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/fleet-foxes-crack-billboard-200-chart-at-no-4/|title=Fleet Foxes crack Billboard 200 chart at No. 4|date=May 20, 2011|website=[[The Seattle Times]]}}</ref> [[File:Fleetfoxes08.jpg|thumb|Fleet Foxes]] In the [[United Kingdom]], artists such as [[Ben Howard]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nbhap.com/stories/ben-howard-noonday-dream-story|title=NBHAP Story | Ben Howard doesn't want to be your indie-folk sweetheart|website=Nbhap.com|date=June 12, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/artist/ben-howard/|title=Ben Howard - Devonian Folk Artist & Guitarist Of Note|website=Udiscovermusic.com|date=February 3, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.varsity.co.uk/music/21174|title=Ben Howard's Collections From The Whiteout|website=Varsity Online}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/ben-howard-new-boring-or-next-big-thing-8515457.html|title=Ben Howard: the new boring or the next big thing?|date=March 2, 2013|website=The Independent}}</ref> and [[Mumford & Sons]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mumford-sons-mn0001072350|title=Mumford & Sons | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links|website=AllMusic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theringer.com/music/2018/11/14/18094398/mumford-sons-delta-review|title=Mumford & Sons Are Harder to Hate, but Sound Less Like Themselves|website=Theringer.com|date=14 November 2018}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/do-they-actually-suck-nickelback-and-mumford-and-sons/|title=Do They Actually Suck? Nickelback and Mumford & Sons|website=Vice.com|date=13 May 2014 }}</ref> emerged, with the latter band promoting the music style through their Gentlemen of the Road touring festivals.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.gentlemenoftheroad.com/about-gotr/ |title=What We do - Gentlemen of the Road |access-date=2021-07-07 |archive-date=2021-04-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419161950/https://www.gentlemenoftheroad.com/about-gotr/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mumfordandsons.com/news/2013-gentlemen-of-the-road-stopovers-announced/|title=2013 Gentlemen of the Road Stopovers announced|website=Mumfordandsons.com|date=5 February 2013 |access-date=9 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1537950/mumford-sons-plot-2013-gentlemen-of-the-road-stopovers|title=Mumford & Sons Plot 2013 'Gentlemen of the Road' Stopovers|magazine=Billboard}}</ref> The success of acts like Mumford & Sons led some music journalists like [[Popjustice|Popjustice's]] [[Peter Robinson (journalist)|Peter Robinson]] labelling this new British music scene as The New Boring or Beige Pop.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/oct/08/adele-new-boring-ed-sheeran|title=Sorry, Adele, but Someone Like You has ushered in The New Boring|date=October 7, 2011|website=the Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flavorwire.com/416858/why-did-we-bother-hating-a-band-as-boring-as-mumford-sons|title=Why Did We Bother Hating a Band as Boring as Mumford & Sons?|first=Tom|last=Hawking|website=Flavorwire.com|date=24 September 2013 |access-date=9 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-return-of-real-folk-the-bands-consigning-mumford-sons-and-nufolk-to-the-past-b1204246.html|title=The return of real folk: The bands consigning Mumford & Sons and nu-folk to the past|date=October 24, 2020|website=The Independent}}</ref><ref name="auto"/> A decade later, the terms "stomp and holler," "stomp clap hey," and "hoedown pop" were coined to refer retrospectively, sometimes with endearment, to such bands.<ref>{{cite web | last=Jennings | first=Rebecca | date=18 October 2023 | url=https://www.vox.com/culture/23920808/noah-kahan-vermont-dial-drunk-stick-season-tiktok | title=Are we ready for the return of 'stomp clap hey' music? | work=Vox | publisher=Vox Media | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204153705/https://www.vox.com/culture/23920808/noah-kahan-vermont-dial-drunk-stick-season-tiktok | archivedate=December 4, 2023}}</ref> However, most of the time, "stomp clap hey" and similar terms are used in a derogatory way, with the release of [[Kyle Gordon]]'s "We Will Never Die" (recorded under the pseudonym of Kody Redwing and the Broken Hearts) popularizing hatred of 2010s indie folk.
[[File:Phoebe Bridgers (42690581094).jpg|thumb|Phoebe Bridgers]] In the late 2010s and in the 2020s, artists such as [[Taylor Swift]], [[Phoebe Bridgers]], and [[Julien Baker]] revived interest in the genre with Swift's ''[[Folklore (Taylor Swift album)|Folklore]]'' and ''[[Evermore]],'' as well as Bridgers' ''[[Punisher (album)|Punisher]]'' and Baker's ''[[Sprained Ankle (album)|Sprained Ankle]]'', ''[[Turn Out the Lights (album)|Turn Out the Lights]]'', and ''[[Little Oblivions]]''. Bridgers cites Elliott Smith as a foundational influence on her sound.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/04/16/834971727/phoebe-bridgers-elliott-smith-figure-8-20th-anniversary|title=Learning From Elliott Smith, 20 Years After 'Figure 8'|website=NPR|last=Zoladz|first=Lindsay|date=16 April 2020|access-date=4 August 2021|language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Folk music}} {{Alternative rock}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Indie folk}} [[Category:Alternative rock genres]] [[Category:American styles of music]] [[Category:British styles of music]] [[Category:Rock music genres]] [[Category:Indie folk| ]] [[Category:Indie rock]]