Freak Folk

Freak folk is a genre characterized by its experimental and avant-garde approach to traditional folk music, often incorporating elements of psychedelia, noise, and lo-fi production. Emerging in the late 1990s and early 2000s, freak folk drew from the DIY ethos of punk and the avant-garde spirit of 1960s counterculture, with artists pushing the boundaries of acoustic instrumentation, vocal styles, and lyrical themes. Often featuring unconventional instruments, tape loops, and electronic manipulation, freak folk's sound is marked by a sense of intimacy, weirdness, and introspection. As a reaction against the commercialization of folk, freak folk artists sought to reclaim the genre's roots and challenge its conventions, influencing a new wave of experimental and indie folk musicians. With its roots in the underground music scene, freak folk remains a vibrant and eclectic genre, intersecting with psychedelic rock, noise, and electronic music, and continuing to inspire artists to explore new sonic territories.

Latest Freak Folk Release
undefined album image
La Maison de Mon Rêve (20th Anniversary Edition)
Album - 13 Tracks - Released October 25, 2024

RecentMusic users are tracking 36 Freak Folk artists for new releases, and have access to the full timeline of 539 releases .

Join them and feed your new music addiction, and add the Freak Folk artists you love!

Get Started Browse Releases
Animal Collective
Bees & Sawdust
Callahan & Witscher
Cerberus Shoal
Charalambides
CocoRosie
Comus
Devendra Banhart
Diane Cluck
Dredd Foole
Elephant Micah
Exuma
Faun Fables
Fiver
Frog
James Toth
Jessica Pratt
King Luan
Larkin Grimm
Louise Rieffer
Luka Kuplowsky
Marina Allen
Master Musicians Of Bukkake
Mukimukimanmansu
Orbiting Human Circus
Rabbitology
Rahrah Gabor
Sparky Deathcap
Starving Weirdos
Sun City Girls
Sunburned Hand Of The Man
The Narcissist Cookbook
Unholy Modal Rounders
Vetiver
Wooden Wand & The Vanishing Voice
Woods
Sparky Deathcap
Devendra Banhart
Jessica Pratt
Animal Collective
CocoRosie
The Narcissist Cookbook
Rabbitology
Vetiver
Frog
Woods
Orbiting Human Circus
Marina Allen
Diane Cluck
Exuma
Rahrah Gabor
Sun City Girls
Unholy Modal Rounders
Comus
King Luan
Mukimukimanmansu
Louise Rieffer
Sunburned Hand Of The Man
Luka Kuplowsky
Bees & Sawdust
Fiver
Callahan & Witscher
Cerberus Shoal
Larkin Grimm
Faun Fables
Master Musicians Of Bukkake
Elephant Micah
Charalambides
Dredd Foole
James Toth
Starving Weirdos
Wooden Wand & The Vanishing Voice