Breakout Toronto Bands features local artists that we think you should give a listen to.

The Folk is a collection of five radically different personalities blended together seamlessly in a unit of rock n' roll straightforwardness. Fraternal twins Emma and Sara, upon departure from their high school all-girl rock troupe in Guelph, linked up with with fellow youngster musician, Liam and relocated to Toronto, where humble basement jams and record listening parties began four years ago. The band line up was completed in the first year, with the addition of guitarist Mark, and Craigslist connected drummer Patrick.

WHO ARE THEY?

Now a rising name in the Toronto music scene, The Folk were able to sprout wings from their community roots in Guelph, Toronto, and Moncton, NB. They've taken influence from each city's distinct music culture. Emma explains, "community in Guelph has a vibe that fosters creativity, collaboration, artistic openness, and entrepreneurship. It is a process-oriented city, whereas Toronto tends to expect a product." Using the best of both worlds, they evolved with confidence through a supportive music network in Guelph, and were then able to output their highest quality ideas to strongly compete in Toronto's band rat-race.

There's a modesty remaining from their high school beginnings, in that they find the biggest reward in simply playing music together. Connecting with audiences is important to them, so they like to hop over to more rural cities where the small crowds are genuine and unpretentious.

The Folk have been widely successful at spreading their name over the last four years, while at the same time balancing university studies. They've been praised by The Indie Machine, Indie Music Filter, and Alan Cross, and recently received internet radio play in Sweden, London, Cardiff UK, New Jersey Philly, Boston, and LA. They've recorded live sessions with Southern Souls and Pinball Sessions, opened up for DIANA, Flowers of Hell, and The Rest. Upon graduation this year, they will be able to dedicate themselves entirely to music for the first time. With a new record to push, and out-of-this-world live show, they're definitely one to watch.

THEY SOUND LIKE

This band churns out a personalized concoction of alternative rock n' roll goodness, with powerful and chill-inducing melodies. Each member is as much as a music fan as they are a music maker, and at times it's easy to pick up on their decade-spanning collection of influences. There's 70's-rock like Led Zeppelin and Cheap Trick, 90's/early 2000's alt-rock like Smashing Pumpkins, The Hold Steady, and Sloan, and current heavy-hitters like Toronto's Zeus. The Folk's music is like a fusion of your parents favourite vinyl records and your cool downtown cousin's CD collection.

On March 11th, the band are releasing their first full-length album on digital and vinyl, called We All Say. During this recording process, they hunkered down in The Lodge, (aka the twins' parents' cabin-like home in the woods) a place where they're creatively comfortable. A keystone of their sound involves the objective to communicate inter-personally through their instrumentation, conversation style. They set out to achieve this feel by using a live-off-the-floor style of recording without the use of a metronome. The humanistic synchronicity behind We All Say provides for rich subtleties in dynamics and emotional delivery, along with an overall sense of blended intuition.

SEE THEM / HEAR THEM

Catch The Folk at the Silver Dollar on March 15th for their Toronto CD release show. They will be sharing the stage with some long-time band friends, Adverteyes, San Marina, Professor, as well as Girls' Rock Camp special guests, Pins and Needles! Following the release, The Folk will continue on with a whole slew of shows around Ontario, including Hamilton, Kingston, Ottawa, St. Catherines, Guelph, and Sudbury. They'll be jetsetting together to Moncton, then across the border to make their voices heard throughout the US.

Photo by Lisa MacIntosh Photography