Country » Progressive Country » Country-Folk

Like most hybrid genres, Country-Folk draws in different proportions from each side of the equation, depending largely upon the performer's taste. Most country-folk artists write and perform the vast majority of their material themselves, and in that respect, they follow the mold of the folk artist more closely. Moreover, country-folk performers tend to find greater appreciation among folk audiences; among country fans, it's often just their songwriting skill that finds acceptance, and that only when full-fledged country singers cover their compositions. There are exceptions on both sides of the fence, of course, but the overall trend is probably due to the fact that country-folk has a mellower, gentler feel than most country, whose audience has usually been weaned on performances that are rowdier or more sentimental. Country-folk artists who compose their own material usually concentrate a great deal on crafting thoughtful, often emotionally complex lyrics, thus keeping with the singer/songwriter tradition established by folk-rock artists like Bob Dylan.