The Unconventional Cadence

🇺🇸 The American Genesis

The genesis of Anti-folk can be traced to the mid-1980s in New York City, specifically within the Greenwich Village folk music circuit. Artists who found themselves unable to secure performance slots at established venues like Folk City and The Speakeasy began to forge their own path. Lach initiated "The Fort," an after-hours club on Rivington Street on the Lower East Side, which coincided with the New York Folk Festival. He astutely branded his event the "New York Antifolk Festival," marking a pivotal moment in the genre's formalization. Early proponents instrumental in shaping this nascent movement included The Washington Squares, Cindy Lee Berryhill, Brenda Kahn, Paleface, Beck, Hamell on Trial, Michelle Shocked, Zane Campbell, John S. Hall, Roger Manning, Kirk Kelly, and Block. The original iteration of The Fort faced closure by authorities in 1985, prompting a series of relocations across East Village bars before finding a stable home in the back room of the SideWalk Cafe in 1993. The New York Antifolk Festival continued its annual tradition at the SideWalk Cafe until its closure in 2019, significantly outlasting the original Folk Festival. Performances also extended to outdoor venues such as the band shells in Tompkins Square Park and Central Park. Lach further extended the movement's reach by establishing a West Coast presence at San Francisco's Sacred Grounds Coffee House in the early 1990s.

🇬🇧 The British Evolution

In the early 2000s, the term "antifolk" was adopted within the British music scene, particularly flourishing in the London underground. Acts such as David Cronenberg's Wife and The Bobby McGee's became prominent. The UK antifolk scene, centered primarily in London and Brighton, developed its own distinct identity, which garnered significant attention, including a six-page feature in the September 2007 issue of Plan B magazine. In 2004, the lo-fi musician Filthy Pedro, in collaboration with Tom Mayne of David Cronenberg's Wife, began organizing seasonal anti-folk festivals. A parallel scene quickly emerged in Brighton, largely curated by Mertle. Key figures within the broader UK antifolk community include Dan Treacy of Television Personalities, Jack Hayter, Milk Kan, Extradition Order, Benjamin Shaw, Lucy Joplin, Candythief, JJ Crash, Larry Pickleman, and Paul Hawkins. Artists like Emmy the Great and Laura Marling have been associated with the genre due to their use of satirical lyrics within an antifolk framework. Kate Nash also began her career performing at antifolk-style shows. Dan Willson, performing as Withered Hand, is an Edinburgh-based musician frequently categorized within the genre, releasing his debut album in 2009. More recently, Welsh artist Mr Duke and the Manchester-based antifolk project Crywank have gained recognition.

🗂️ Intersecting Musical Landscapes

Anti-folk exists within a broader ecosystem of folk and punk-influenced music. Its characteristics often overlap with or influence adjacent genres, reflecting a shared ethos of independent creation and lyrical depth.

📜 References