2021 New Folk Award Winners
Friday, October 1, 2021
Spencer LaJoye is a folk/pop singer songwriter, violinist, and vocal loop artist in Denver, CO who believes everyone is made of the good stuff. They make music to remember what it means to be human, to find connection in a time of disconnection, and to feel something in a world gone numb.
Spencer LaJoye
Denver, CO
Taylor Abrahamse
Toronto, ONT, CAN
"Taylor has struck gold somewhere in the funky Neil Young/Randy Newman mountains. While the collection has a foothold in the golden era of songwriting, the subject matter and the way it’s assiduously handled anchor it firmly in the now. A standout debut from a talent that has arrived."
- Lenny Stoute, Cashbox Canada
“There are so many musicians where I’m from, people who just play on their porch or in some local bar -- and they’re amazing. They don’t do it commercially, that’s not the essence of what they do. There’s a deep connection between their sense of place and the music they make. That’s what really inspires me about the musical culture in the South and the mountains, especially.”
Alexa Rose
Asheville, NC
Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and inspired by the crystalline chill of the state’s Northern winters, Undlin creates experimental folk and environmental Americana tinged with the sophistication of classic orchestral compositions.
Humbird
Minneapolis, MN
Sam Robbins describes himself as an "old soul singer songwriter." A Nashville based musician whose music evokes classic singer songwriters like James Taylor and Jackson Browne, Sam adds a modern, upbeat edge to the storyteller troubadour persona.
Sam Robbins
Nashville, TN
She added Takamine guitars, Fender basses, viola, mandolin, banjo, and musical saw to her tour bag and went from writing novels to penning songs, drawing inspiration from heroes like Andrew Bird and Neko Case. Her songs are vulnerable, compelling, and saturated with vivid imagery, and colored with five-string violin arrangements.