The five greatest new folk acts of 2025
It feels as though no matter what period of music you look at, what decade you immerse yourself in, you won’t have to wander far until the words “folk revival” present themselves.
Whether you are looking at music in the ‘50s or that just released this year, there are people asserting the idea that folk is coming back and in a big way. The constant reference to folk, regardless of what other genres are piercing the mainstream, is a clear indication of the timelessness of the genre.
Trends within music come and go, but there are some styles and genres which remain completely timeless. Folk is one of those styles, as there is something embedded within that genre that allows the music to connect with those who listen on a much deeper level than just sound alone. There are plenty of modern artists out there now who continue to celebrate this aspect of folk, and many are worth listening to.
As we sit inside the pocket of what is once again deemed a “folk revival,” there are plenty of artists that you should be listening to who well and truly exceed within the timeless genre. So, who are they? Keep reading to find out.
The best new folk acts of 2025
Folk Bitch Trio
How do you even begin to describe a band as perfectly lined up as Folk Bitch Trio? Listening to their music isn’t like listening to any other album available; instead, it’s like stumbling across some kind of secret, a small cave on a walk that holds beautiful secrets. Everything from their harmonies, to musicianship, to songwriting is so perfectly aligned that their music feels as though it could help even the most stone of hearts beat to its rhythm.
Their debut album, Now Would Be a Good Time, is a masterclass in the shimmering beauty that folk music has to offer. It’s not the kind of album where you listen to individual songs, rather, it’s the kind of music that you put on and allow yourself to get fully submerged in.
The New Eves
While on one hand of folk music you have the sweet-sounding harmony of bands such as Folk Bitch Trio, on the other, you have a more experimental approach. This is where The New Eves come in. On their debut album, The New Eve Is Rising, the band manage to make music that would surprise even the most hardened of listeners, as their combination of punk, folk, and experimentation creates a sound that is unlike anything else out there.
In a piece that was done by the Far Out team, I referred to the fact that I believed they should be nominated for the Mercury Prize. Now that the list of nominations has been revealed and The New Eves aren’t on there, I further assert my suggestion. No other band on that list is doing something quite as mind-blowing as The New Eves are, and the band deserve recognition for their exceptional music.
Ruth Lyon
One of the beautiful things about folk music is the ability that those who write it possess, where they can tell heartfelt stories and weave thought-provoking narratives just through music alone. It is truly a testament to these artists when they are able to create music that doesn’t just sound nice, but that resonates on a deep level, and allows a listener to feel connected with the writer of said music.
On her 2025 album, Poems & Non Fiction, Lyon is able to use her wonderful mastery of music to take the listener through a journey that explores her identity, disability and overall resilience. This is an artist truly using folk music to its truest extent, allowing her record to become another piece of her, a gateway into the complexity of the human psyche.
Zoé Basha
There are some people who have a voice with such an incredible range, who possess an ability to explore that range so freely, that hearing them sing is well and truly remarkable. Basha is one of those people, as her singing throughout her debut record Gamble sees her go from high to low in the blink of an eye.
Whether you are looking for deep and moving songs or tracks that play on a more sweet and whimsical side, you can hear it throughout the record. Basha is one of the standout folk talents of 2025, with a beautiful way with music that truly celebrates the genre that she dabbles in.
Annahstasia
Every now and then, a voice comes along that, despite how many singers you may have heard in the past, still blows you away. That’s how Annahstasia sounds, as she has a vocal tone which is unprecedented in its execution and yet unrelenting in its beauty.
There are very few words that can properly define a sound like Annahstasia’s and what she injects into her album Tether, to the extent that committing any more of this description to words seems borderline moot. Instead, you just need to give this record a chance, step inside the mystical world of Annahstasia, and revel in her gorgeous tone.
