Folklore Records has announced the release of Folklore Vol. 3, a new four-track EP arriving November 21st and the latest instalment in the label’s acclaimed compilation series. Bringing together Frankie Archer, Michele Stodart, Cormac Nagle, and The Ocelots, the release continues the label’s mission to champion songwriting that is heartfelt, forward-thinking, and rooted in the storytelling traditions that shape modern folk.
Founded in 2014 by Brighton-based songwriter Jacko Hooper, Folklore began as an intimate pub night in the heart of Brighton & Hove. Hooper—who has shared stages with Bastille, James Bay, Freya Ridings, and Michael Kiwanuka—started the night to spotlight writers creating music with depth, honesty, and soul. What began as a small grassroots event quickly grew into one of the UK’s most respected songwriting communities, attracting artists from across the country and beyond.
That growth led to the birth of The Folklore Rooms, a dedicated venue in Brighton that now hosts live music seven nights a week. Its stage has welcomed an eclectic mix of rising names and established favourites, including John Smith, Kassi Valazza, Wunderhorse, Jamie Lawson, Joshua Hyslop and many others. Alongside the venue, Folklore Records has taken shape as a tastemaker label, collaborating with a broad circle of artists such as Gabrielle Aplin, Axel Flóvent, Swim School, Katherine Priddy, and Junior Brother.
Folklore Vol. 3 brings the project back to its roots by spotlighting four artists whose work sits at the edges of contemporary folk. Frankie Archer contributes ‘Ah! The Sighs That Come From My Heart’, a track that follows a breakthrough year in which she won the 2023 Christian Raphael Prize, appeared on Later… With Jools Holland, released her debut EP Never So Red, and was named one of The Guardian’s Ones to Watch for 2024. Known for her otherworldly sound and intricate layering of traditional influences and modern detail, Archer has also supported The Futureheads and The Last Dinner Party.
Michele Stodart, acclaimed both as a solo artist and as a founding member of The Magic Numbers, offers ‘You Are Not Alone’. Her track arrives with the weight and warmth of a multi-award-winning career that has included top-ten singles, collaborations with giants like Neil Young and Radiohead, and studio and stage work with an array of artists including Candi Staton, Billy Bragg, Bernard Butler, Emily Barker, Bill Fay, and Kathryn Williams. Critics continue to celebrate her solo work as lush, intricately arranged, and deeply moving.
Cormac Nagle contributes ‘Ablutions’, a song shaped by years of touring with artists such as Ryley Walker, Andrew Combs, Jeffrey Martin, Lily Seabird, and Early James. Without relying on heavy press coverage, Nagle has built a reputation the classic way, through live performance, earning a loyal audience and the respect of fellow musicians who consistently invite him on the road.
The Ocelots complete the EP with ‘Silence Music Love Laughter’. The twin brothers Ashley and Brandon Watson, originally from Wexford and now based in Leipzig, have long embraced a life of touring and busking across Europe and Australia. After the streaming success of their early EP Till We Get There and the release of their debut album Started to Wonder in 2020, they continued to refine their sound, leaning into more whimsical and dreamlike influences on their 2023 EP Addlepated. Their live résumé includes support slots with Jack Johnson, Glen Hansard, and Ocie Elliott, among others.
The new EP showcases the stylistic diversity and emotional clarity that have made Folklore a distinctive presence in the UK’s music landscape. Pressed as a short-run vinyl release, Folklore Vol. 3 distils the essence of what Folklore has championed for more than a decade: thoughtful songwriting, singular storytelling, and a community built around the power of a well-crafted song.
