Latest Folk Posts

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We’ve been featuring some top notch artists over the past year. From Thomas Gold to Martin Garrix, some very well known names have had their pictures up on the walls of our Residency page, proudly holding a place in TMN infamy. Today we’re excited to bring you one of our favorite artists as of late, bringing an entire new look and feel to what we’ve been doing.

Marika Hackman has captivated our hearts and ears with releases like “Cinnamon,” “Wolf,” and our all time favorite, “Bath is Black.’ Hailing from Selbourne, Hampshire, this quirky, yet lovable youngster is not only the first non-dance music Resident Artist on TMN, she’s also the first female Resident Artist we’ve had.

Her style is unique, meticulously fusing hazy, and often ominous soundscapes. Her woefully soft vocal range is something darkly comforting, providing listeners with a unexpected consolation. Often backed by psychedelic folk strumming, her sound uniquely goes against the grain of pop music, while still embracing a welcoming familiarity that allows the listener to connect in the same way they would with their favorite pop tunes.

As much as we could say about the depth of this young musician’s artistry, we’d rather let a full month of features do the talking. So sit back, and enjoy four weeks of our first female Resident Artist.

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A truer quote couldn’t adorn a post about Sam Brookes. This uprising member of a flourishing acoustic music scene in the UK has a beautiful familiarity that soothes you to the very core. Telling stories that are intently easy to relate to, listeners are taken for a ride with each thoughtfully crafted lyric. One would have a difficult time not being carried away, Brooke’s voice gleefully crawling under their skin along the way.

One of the songs due off his upcoming album (out March 17th) is an uplifting ballad, worthy of the most intimate moments with a loved one. Harnessing articulate simplicity, “James” is backed with a lackadaisical strum and meticulous finger picking. Poetical verses find solace with the pacifying tone of Brooke’s voice, effortlessly creating a warm and comfortable experience for the listener.

Below you’ll find the music video for “James.” Displaying two young friends adventuring through the forest, it furthers the familiarity of the song, creating a visualized representation of nostalgic camaraderie.

Brookes will self-release his new album ‘Kairos’ on March, 17th. The release is funded by his fans through Pledge Music, and associated with a full touring schedule of headline shows, following a UK tour support for Newton Faulkner in February.

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Do you miss those days of spring and summer? When the mornings started late and the sun danced across the sky late into the night?

We miss those days too right now and something that helps us look forward to that season again is the continuous flow of wonderful music by old and new artists.

Today we have the pleasure of premiering ‘When We’, a soft, sweet, and sophisticated song by the highly talented Eliza Shaddad, a musician who blends electric guitar patterns with her uniquely wonderful voice to produce a captivating musical sound. Shadded comes from a Sundanese and Scottish background and combines blues, jazz, and folk to capture a tantalizing tune in all her music. This song takes the listener to a certain warm place, whether that be in the literal sense or an inner person sense but ‘When We’ has the powerful ability to do both. Shadded’s voice is deep and powerful and can carry the lyrics gracefully through the song that is perfectly mixed with the electronic guitar.

This song is part of a compilation called ‘Sofar’ due out in the next few months. With the release of this first song, we are anxious to see what other music will take us away to the warm days of summer.

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We’ve admittedly never heard of this self proclaimed “Smoooooooooooth” Encinitas-born three piece, but after one listen to Mandarin Dynasty’s “Perpendicular Crosstalk,” we’re ready to put them in our road trip playlist posthaste.

What starts off as a noisy build up, masking the laid-back nature of the tune, breaks into a bevy of quickly strummed, south of the border style acoustic guitar. Welcoming in a delightfully rough around the edges harmony, the vocals aren’t as sunny as the sound would indicate, yet it still has a sweet, summer-time vibe that has us grinning ear to ear.

Boasting a simplistic, yet infectious nature, we’re sure you’ll be into this gem. Press play above and see for yourself.