Classic and contemporary: Folk Bitch Trio pick the best of new and old folk
Out of all genres of music, folk is perhaps the one with the richest history. It goes back forever, with the whole concept deriving from folklore, the most ancient form of storytelling. From the first moment people sang or picked up instruments, folk has been there. And so, by now, Melbourne’s Folk Bitch Trio is part of a long lineage.
And they’re doing it proud. Catching their set at The Great Escape was like falling into a moment of mass hypnosis. After opening with an a cappella rendition of Talking Heads’ ‘This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)’, it was as if no one in the room even dared to breathe. There was a pin-drop silence as the group delivered staggeringly beautiful three-part harmonies, acting as lush vehicles for incredible songwriting.
They hit every corner of the genre: gorgeous guitars and instrumentals, rich lyrics that tell both stories and of deep feelings, beautiful voices and arrangements guiding it all, and the natural talent of the three musicians leading the way.
With their debut album soon to see light, there’s only more of the magic to come. The release of Now Would Be A Good Time in late July will no doubt further secure their spot as one of the key ones-to-watch in the world of new folk, and one of the newest stars in the long line of folk artists, stretching from the classics through to contemporary talent like Folk Bitch Trio and their peers.
It’s a lineage the band themselves know well, as old and new acts alike provide vital inspiration. After the hypnosis of their set lifted, the spell broken by the sound of thunderous applause, I caught up with the band to learn about their inspirations from eras gone by and today.
The classics
Joni Mitchell
It had to be. Joni Mitchell cropping up was inevitable, and on the beach, during the chat, the band even had a toss-up over who gets the chance to talk through the impact of the legendary artist. Jeanie Pilkington nabs the honour, stating, “My favourite classic folk artist has to be Joni Mitchell,” adding, “She is all-time, she created the formula that I follow in the back of my mind for songwriting, and I carry her in my heart every day.”
It’s a perfect merger of emotional and inspirational impact. Mitchell has touched the band’s heart along with generations of other fans with her tender songwriting and ability to capture the most subtle feelings. But it’s also a skilful one, as Mitchell’s blueprint as an artist, being both a passionate experimenter and a more traditional folk star in her earlier years, provides the group with a sort of studied formula in which their own songs exist.
Townes Van Zandt
Gracie Sinclair’s comes back with an easy answer, spouting, “I’m going Townes Van Zandt because it’s simplicity and really solid picking, and it’s bad ass cowboy shit.” Bad ass cowboy shit is perfectly apt for describing Van Zandt as he exists on the cusp between folk and country, truly embodying that classic look, adorned in denim and western boots.
But again, there is a skilful inspiration there. On stage, Folk Bitch Trio layer their guitars, passing them among each other to take turns picking their way through a song, building a gorgrous musical nest while still keeping the sound raw and simple and somewhat traditional to the acoustic guitar origins of the genre. In that love for finger-picking, the impact of Van Zandt shines.
Vashti Bunyan
Heide Peverelle’s love for Vashti Bunyan is almost more about attitude than anything else. “She released a record and then just kind of seemingly disappeared, which I think is pretty baller,” she claimed.
That’s basically Bunyan’s story. The English singer wrote, recorded and released Just Another Diamond Day, a truly remarkable folk album, back in 1970. But it didn’t sell that well, and she disappeared from the music world. It’s a lesson in longevity and resilience when, as the decades passed, her album became a beloved cult classic that eventually led to her returning to music and releasing two more albums in the 2000s and 2010s. But Bunyan’s story is one of bravery, gall and following your instinct, something Folk Bitch Trio clearly embody.
The contemporaries
Jessica Pratt
Of all Folk Bitch Trio’s modern picks, Jessica Pratt is perhaps the most traditional, which is really saying something. Pratt is far from a strict stickler for genre rules, as in 2024 she collaborated with A$AP Rocky and released Here’s The Pitch, her new album, which explores a broad landscape of folk and folk-adjacent sounds.
According to Pilkington, that’s what makes her so great, who praised her “beautiful voice, incredibly unique, great songs”, before adding, “Everybody loves a nylon string guitar,” nodding to her instrumentals, which is one of the ways Pratt honours the instrument that is so foundational to the genre.
Cameron Winter
“My modern folk is, I mean, is it folk? Yes, I think it is,” Peverelle tries to convince herself, having the existential dilemma right there and then over the question of what folk actually is. It’s a question that has haunted the genre forever, causing moments like the ‘Electric Dylan’ controversy, where the boundaries and traditions of the genre have been pushed and tested. But isn’t that exactly when greatness is made? Peverelle sure thinks so.
Their love for Cameron Winter is a testament to that. “[I’m] really obsessed with his new record, Heavy Metal,” they say, recommending the new 2024 release that has made him a new cult figure. The band count themselves amongst his followers, stating, “I just think his singing style is beautiful, and his songwriting is kind of quite unique.”
MJ Lenderman
The band’s third and final choice exists in the same dilemma as Winter: does MJ Lenderman qualify as a folk artist? There are several alternative labels people would possibly apply, from indie, country-rock and alt-country to even slacker rock, but it could definitely be argued that at the intersection of all those things exists folk, seeing as how the genre has broadened its horizons and is inclusive of so many different sounds.
For Gracie Sinclair, he qualifies, as she sees Lendermen as the new iteration of an icon. “I’m going MJ Lenderman for that modern folk rock, Neil Young spec,” she professes. In her eyes, he holds that same position, bridging the gap between softer folk and harder rock, as she says, “he’s holding it down for the folk rockers out there”.
