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3 Young Artists We Can’t Wait For At Folks Fest

Jim Hill
/
KUNC
There's always a great crowd for the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest

Folk music is all about telling stories, evoking emotion and preserving culture for posterity. At the 24th Annual Rocky Mountain Folks Festival a diverse mix of new and old will take over the beautiful grounds in Lyons August 15 to 17.

Randy Newman, Brandi Carlile, Ani DiFranco, John Fullbright and Randy Newman will add a classic folks touch, but we’re most excited about three of the youngest musicians at this years festival.

Ben Sollee

“Hurting” begins with a lonely plucked bass, and then the gently soulful voice of Ben Sollee is introduced with minimal percussion and funky bass. There’s a confident casualness about Sollee – whether it’s due to his lilting voice or his lackadaisical strings reminiscent of Andrew Bird – it’s comfortable listening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x10CJEdsI-U

Listening to his latest album Half Made Man you get the feeling you’re in your best friend’s backyard, sipping on some honey whiskey out of a mason jar. We’d recommend the same approach while watching Sollee at Folks Fest.

Hurray For The Riff Raff

There’s a trend with young musicians, they’re breathing soul back into American grassroots. Hurray for the Riff Raff are organically eclectic, a trait that comes from front-woman, Alynda Lee Segarra. Growing up in the Bronx, seeing shows in the Lower East side, hitching to the West Coast with travelers and eventually landing in New Orleans  – Segarra has absorbed her fill of influences. Hurray for the Riff Raff curates the sounds of motown and doo-wop while adding an edge only a traveled 26-year-old could bring. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsfNmg9dGpM

Sarah Jarosz

Sarah Jarosz’s music plays like a cool breeze coming off the Rocky Mountains, or a cold dip in the Saint Vrain River on a scorching day. Discovered at the age of 16, the now seasoned 22-year-old has collected a Grammy nomination and two musicians to create her trio.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X09s37tJ09s

Having recently completed college at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, studious dedication can be heard in her descriptive songwriting and breathtaking melodies. Look for the girl beyond her years at Folks Fest, you’ll find Sarah Jarosz.

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