FOLKLORE

HOMETOWN: Philadelphia, PA

BIO:

A mini-orchestra of players performing live in the split hometowns of Athens GA / Philadelphia PA, lead by common member Jimmy Hughes, Folklore offered two concept albums consecutively in 2007 and 2008. The Home Church Road album is due in 2010, an epic story of the Earth after human extinction.

The new album, Home Church Road, is 16 songs telling the story of the Earth after humans have become extinct. Only a few species of mammals, birds, lizards, and bugs remain. They peacefully coexist on Earth until the day they discover, alive but buried in the ground, a human priest. Musically, it is a landscape that does not commit to one immediate style, but rather, it is orchestrated in whichever direction the song/story goes. Started and nearly completed with the full Athens Georgia version of the band and then finished with the help of the new Philadelphia version of the band, Home Church Road is a soundtrack to an epic narrative with woodwinds, brass horns, strings, didgeridoo, and much more.

Started in 2005 as an outlet to write fiction, a live band then formed around the stories and the Athens band was born: Jon Croxton (drums), Aaron Jollay (bass/trombone), Ian Rickert (bass/clarinet/harmonica), Che-Na Stephens (clarinet), Raoul De La Cruz (trumpet), and David Specht (oscillator, violin, bells). This band released two albums: The Ghost Of H.W. Beaverman (2007) and Carpenter’s Falls (2008).

In 2009, Hughes relocated to Philadelphia, where he managed to find ten people who wanted to continue playing as Folklore with me. So what would have most likely faded into a lost bedroom project is now a stronger than ever live band in Philadelphia: Jason Henn (drums), Chad Arnett (guitar), Scott Churchman (double bass), Charlie Biando (double bass), Avalon Clare (clarinet), Yianni Kourmadas (bass clarinet), Cheryl Nguyen (violin), Andrew Keller (viola), Sam Tremble (keyboards), Nick Bronson (trumpet).

Folklore has had a productive couple of years, did multiple self-booked tours, played Athens Popfest 2005 and 2007 as well as Sweden’s Emmaboda Festival in 2008, and shared bills with Elf Power, Vic Chesnutt, Still Flyin’, Summer Hymns, The Lucksmiths, The Ladybug Transistor, Palomar, Circulatory System, Benjy Ferree, Dark Meat, The Gerbils, and more.

 

BAND SITES:

FOLKLORE OFFICIAL WEBSITE

MYSPACE PAGE

FACEBOOK PAGE

DAYTROTTER LIVE SESSION

AGENT: JIMMY

AVAILABILITY:

SPRING / SUMMER 2009

UPCOMING SHOWS

TOOLS:

MAKE AN OFFER

PROMO MATERIALS

LABEL:

BUMBLEBEAR RECORDS (US)

INDIECATER RECORDS (IRELAND)

DISCOGRAPHY:

2009 - HOME CHRUCH ROAD (COMING SOON)

2008 - CARPENTER'S FALLS CD

2007 - THE GHOST OF H.W. BEAVERMAN CD

FREE MP3: H.W. Beaverman

REVIEWS:

(Carpenter's Falls is) a lush, epic album with storylines,

plots and climaxes. With pronounced experimental and

folk influences, the aptly-named band is more akin to the

dense psychedelia of Olivia Tremor Control than the indie

pop of Elf Power.
-Philadelphia Weekly

The yarns that (Hughes) spins are reminiscent of those

that a babbling old man at the end of his days would

produce.”
-Daytrotter

The Ghost of H.W. Beaverman is united by Hughes’

surprising strength as both a songwriter and as a

storyteller.

-Optical Atlas

Folklore’s debut is a lovely opaque work that should

appear on all serious Best of 2008 lists… a totally

satisfying blend of imagination, truth, myth, personal

history, bullshit, nostalgia, experiment and philosophy.

-PopMatters

Folklore, a new project from Elf Power guitarist Jimmy

Hughes with quite an intriguing premise… Sample tune

H.W. Beaverman ain't too shabby, packing enough

melody into its layers and vocal cataracts to make it

worth a download.
-Pitchfork

On last year's The Ghost Of H.W. Beaverman and

the new 'companion' LP, Carpenter's Falls, he tells

his tales through multiple perspectives and with an

otherworldly catchiness. Innocent and melodic as they

sound, Hughes' vocals seem to circle up from woozy

recollections, as does an instrumental blend that takes

in everything from guitar to slide whistle to clarinet to

trumpet. For such an esoteric concept, it's got a

child-like sense of play.

-The Onion AV Club

Folklore provided the best set of a tepid night. By

breaking out the clarinet, trombone, trumpet, keys and

your standard bass-guitar-drums, these guys were both

tuneful and humorous. At their giddiest, they echoed the

happiness of Cornershop and The Tragically Hip (with)

ode-like lyrics paired well with the sideshow antics from

guys who looked like your local bait and tackle shop

workers.

-Isthmus (Madison, Wisconsin)