Three wonderful folk artists that will help you cap off the year (before going full holiday mode)

Ford Huntington – “Willie”
-I tell people all the time that we curate narrative folk music here. And honestly, this track from Ford Huntington is exactly what I mean. It tells a story right from the opening. The acoustic guitar work is outstanding. I appreciate the timeless folk storyteller style here. If you’re a fan of Joe Purdy and/or Jeffrey Martin (both of whom I’ve featured here often), then you’ll really like this track. It’s a story about someone named Willie… but it’s also a sort of tale about existentialism. At the start Willie wants to die, but by the end… well, just listen. It’s a delightful tune and perfectly captures something about early winter vibes for me. I’ll definitely be putting this on my personal playlist (alongside the ETTG lists).

Adelin – “Hungry”
-This is an intimate song. I don’t just mean like a nice tidy vocal that’s close to the mic (even though it’s that)… it’s like… an intimate song. It’s about being super close to someone that you love. Those of you who have been around my writing for the past year know that I loved Lizzy McAlpine in 2024 and there’s something about the gentle intimacy of this track that reminds me of Older. I don’t think I can think of higher praise for an indie pop song than to put it in that category. Adelin’s gentle vocal makes the listener feel like you’re sitting close, listening in on this quite personal moment.

Saint – “House on Fire”
-If you slow yourself down enough to listen to this track, you’ll be rewarded with some of the richest lyrics I’ve heard all year. The song is about being guilt of arson… but it’s not literal (I hope). There’s something about the instrumentation here that feels soft and accessible. The lyrical theme is heavy at times, but it’s ultimately about going to extremes to connect with that special someone. It probably leans a bit more on the “pop” side of folk pop than what we typically feature, but it’s such a unique composition and performance I was eager to feature it here for you all to consider.

Image courtesy: Ford Huntington IG