´óÏó´«Ã½

Freak Zone  permalink

How commercial is folk currently?

• Message 1. 

  Posted by JandGD (U14401338) on Tuesday, 30th March 2010

  Hello! So the likes of Mumford and Sons and Laura Marling seem to be everywhere at the moment, and this is great as a musician in a folk/acoustic band. But I'm wondering how commercial, people think folk needs to be in order to appeal to the masses?
  
  My band is described as alternative acoustic, with an erik mongrain/andy mckee feel on the guitar. Obviously these are big names in the world of acoustic quitar playing, but wondering, basically, if we should make our music more commerically appealing or stick to our niche? It's difficult this industry! You always want to play what you love, but as a career, with any job, you have to please the customer.
  
  Any thought? Sorry about rambling!
  
  If you get a second, listen to 'Circles' and 'Skint' compared to '4 Beats a Minute' at www.myspace.com/jackandgill39sdaughter. The first 2 were 'commercialised' with bass and cello and harmonies on the recording, and '4 Beats a Minute' is more how we sound live. Any feedback on this would be amazing!!

  Link to this forum: How commercial is folk currently?

  Report message1

• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Paul Sherratt (U1632637) on Tuesday, 30th March 2010

  What a nice message !

  Link to this forum: How commercial is folk currently?

  Report message2

• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by JandGD (U14401338) on Tuesday, 30th March 2010

  i try!

  Link to this forum: How commercial is folk currently?

  Report message3

• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by Paul Sherratt (U1632637) on Tuesday, 30th March 2010

  JandGD,
  Here's my current 'folkish'* benchmark
  
  
  
  
  * Snottily, I prefer to try do without categories

  Link to this forum: How commercial is folk currently?

  Report message4

• Message 5

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by JandGD (U14401338) on Tuesday, 30th March 2010

  Ooh I do like that! But it is a much bigger band than us.
  
  Have you heard of Jon Gomm (www.myspace.com/jongomm)? He's into a similar style to us but is adament he's staying out of the commercial music market. He keeps his songs simple (in recording terms - his technique is incredibly complicated!) with only his voice and guitar single lines. He does well, but it would would probably make more economic sense for him to comply to the majority consumers preferences!! However, I suppose, Newton Faulkner, gave in and is something of a sell out now. His songs have lost everything that made him special.
  
  Difficult!

  Link to this forum: How commercial is folk currently?

  Report message5

• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by Lord Alfred Couts (U14409328) on Sunday, 4th April 2010

  Andy Kershaw of course labelled Half Man Half Biscuit as one of Britain's most important modern folk acts, in spirit rather than musically anyway. For the problems of watering the workers' beer down has been replaced by the tribulations of "Styx Gig (Seen by My Mates Coming Out of A)"
  
  Speaking of Paddy Ryan, I've been giving the 'Three Score and Ten' Topic box/book a few listens to lately. I'm not sure if the a capella singalongs of The Watersons counts as commercial in anyway whatsoever, although the sheer simplicity of it should therefore make it easy to listen to and therefore commercial.
  
  Coming soon: Is John Cage's 4'33" commercial?

  Link to this forum: How commercial is folk currently?

  Report message6

Back to top