Appalachian folk is a roots tradition from the Southern Appalachian Mountains, built on old-time ballads, dance tunes, and working songs shaped by Scots-Irish, English, African American, and Native influences. It’s typically carried by acoustic instruments—fiddle and banjo at the core, with guitar, mandolin, and close vocal harmonies—played in driving, circular rhythms meant for community gatherings and square dances. The sound ranges from stark, unaccompanied storytelling to lively stringband numbers, often featuring modal melodies, “high lonesome” singing, and lyrics about love, loss, faith, hardship, and local life, preserved through oral tradition and continually renewed.
Join them and feed your new music addiction, and add the Appalachian Folk artists you love!
Get Started Browse Arists