Discover 7 of the best folk musicians releasing new music in 2023! There’s talented traditional folk music artists, modern genre mixes, and collaborations between rising artists.

Meet the rising stars of today’s folk music scene! There well always be plenty of space for traditional folk songs, but the best new folk music is looking beyond Eurocentric traditions for inspiration, or blending the folk music genre with others in innovative ways.

What delights will these six emerging folk artists bring to the table in 2023?

Qazi & Qazi

Instinctive harmonies from two divinely voiced sisters. Inspired by their Sufi ancestry, Qazi & Qazi are based in London and are mesmerising live.

caroline

Eight members strong, caroline create hypnotising folk-leaning post-rock with jazz elements and improvised tangents.

The Drystones

Previously nominated for the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award, The Drystones take traditional folk instruments and mix with contemporary electronic beats. They’ll keep building on the release of their 2022 album Vulpus.

Bab L’Bluz

A Moroccan-French quartet playing rock with traditional influences, boldly fronted by a woman in what is typically a male role in Morocco. As seen when touring their pandemic album for the first time, Bab L’Bluz at their freest and most joyful when on a stage, and there’ll be plenty of opportunities for that in the year to come.

Hack-Poet’s Guild

A UK folk supergroup, comprising of Lisa Knapp, Marry Waterson and Nathaniel Mann, Hack-Poet’s Guild rejuvenate historical yarns with a contemporary kick. A debut album is due in March promising to be filled with fresh and exciting new music.

Joe Rainey

Joe Rainey, singer and member of the Red Lake Nation of Ojibwe people, is taking the drum circles of Indigenous powwow in extraordinary, experimental directions. On his debut release Niineta he teamed up with producer Andrew Broder to make contemporary dance music infused beats.

Looking for new music in different genres? Check out these lists of rising artists in 2023:

Get your own folk music recordings online with RouteNote! Release your songs to Spotify, Apple Music and more, and get your music on Facebook and TikTok without spending a penny. Find out about our award-winning unlimited music distribution here.