Valentine’s Day, Folks.
By Treasa McDonald
I have always found folk music to be quite intimate.
Hailing from Dublin, perhaps it is no surprise that I derive a certain warmth and comfort from North American folk music, considering the intricate history of its origins. I am proud to say that local music is a concrete staple of Irish society. Just stroll down Grafton Street on any given day (pre-pandemic) to see an array of guitarists, violinists, and bodhrán players giving it their best. The array of similarities between Irish traditional music and North American folk are well documented, and the fondness for spritely strings and folksy sounds along the Appalachia where many Irish and Scotch Irish settled in the 18th century is no coincidence.
By definition, ‘folk’ simply means people. Friends, lovers, family, the lad you buy a coffee from every morning. For me, folk music conjures a type of raw connectedness to other people, another past, while simultaneously feeling very present.
So whatever feelings the 14th of February brings you this year, wherever you are from, below are some indie-folk songs to warm up your Valentine’s weekend. Whether you are wholly loved up or a single pringle, enjoy the amalgamation of solid artists on the folk scene such as Caamp, the Punch Brothers, Lord Huron, and Irish native Hozier (obviously).
Tracklist:
“Books” by Caamp
“Woman” by Mumford & Sons
“Julep” by Punch Brothers
“Truly, Madly Deeply” by Yoke Lore
“Like Real People Do” by Hozier
“Falling in Love at a Coffee shop” by Landon Pigg
“By & By” by Caamp
“Beggar in the Morning” by The Barr Brothers
“When the Night is Over” by Lord Huron
“Flightless Bird, American Mouth” by Iron & wine
“Cherry Wine” by Hozier