Recommend Artists Similar to Nick Drake

[MechaBulletBill]

dave van ronk?

[August]

Most of mine have been dropped already. Also, definitely Alexi Murdoch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV_WDelQbJE

[higgsblossom]

Zachary Cale!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zachary_Cale

https://youtu.be/OqwQwISp7kE

[blacktiger]

I learned who Nick Drake was because the British music press constantly compared Red House Painters to him in the early ‘90s. I’d say that their catalog is split pretty evenly between Nick Drake-ish stuff and Neil Young-ish stuff. When they broke up, Mark continued with Sun Kil Moon, which was very good for the first three albums or so. After that, things got kind of tedious, and he started doing records where he just rambled about his day over the music. All RHP is worth exploring, and early SKM is as good, if not better. Some highlights:

RHP

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZED5SbJfAhI
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u-NeULwe08A
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UJNcKfhytiA

SKM

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H8i2tOfzyfk
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N0C3ismSIKA

[marqueemoon]

Mark Kozelek for me is a case where I can’t separate the art from the artist.

https://pitchfork.com/news/sun-kil-moon ... women/amp/

Used to be a pretty big fan. Still own the whole RHP catalog, but once these allegations came to light it just sort of brought out that he’s been telegraphing that he’a a creep in his songs all these years.

I like plenty of music by unsavory people, but Kolezek’s sensitive guy act now makes me sick.

Anyway, carry on.

[blacktiger]

Mark Kozelek for me is a case where I can’t separate the art from the artist.

https://pitchfork.com/news/sun-kil-moon ... women/amp/

Used to be a pretty big fan. Still own the whole RHP catalog, but once these allegations came to light it just sort of brought out that he’s been telegraphing that he’a a creep in his songs all these years.

I like plenty of music by unsavory people, but Kolezek’s sensitive guy act now makes me sick.

Anyway, carry on.

Yeah, he’s apparently a creep (and he’s always been a bit of a miserable bastard). I’m certainly not buying any new records by him (honestly not hard, since his music is pretty crap these days too), but I still enjoy the back catalog. It’s not so much separating the art from the artist, as the fact that I had decades with the music before I found out he was a creep, so it reminds me more of my own history than anything else.

[Unicorn Warrior]

Mark Kozelek for me is a case where I can’t separate the art from the artist.

https://pitchfork.com/news/sun-kil-moon ... women/amp/

Used to be a pretty big fan. Still own the whole RHP catalog, but once these allegations came to light it just sort of brought out that he’s been telegraphing that he’a a creep in his songs all these years.

I like plenty of music by unsavory people, but Kolezek’s sensitive guy act now makes me sick.

Anyway, carry on.

Yeah, he’s apparently a creep (and he’s always been a bit of a miserable bastard). I’m certainly not buying any new records by him (honestly not hard, since his music is pretty crap these days too), but I still enjoy the back catalog. It’s not so much separating the art from the artist, as the fact that I had decades with the music before I found out he was a creep, so it reminds me more of my own history than anything else.

My quick take is that if we think about our existence and all the terrible foul people throughout human history, we must acknowledge that their contributions do coincide with our preferences at some point. Not saying anyone is wrong for disliking or writing off an artist that is guilty of anything, but just that the guy made art and it was well embraced. Not because of the things he was guilty of, but simply his talent. Plenty of talented human beings have also been terrible human beings. This will not change. I often wonder if we dug everyone from histories skeletons where we would be.

Apart from this, this thread has not disappointed and has supplied wonderful suggestions that I’ve explored and will continue to explore for weeks/months..maybe even further

[mr bungle]

You might want to listen to Luke Hurley
His bandcamp here Not sure if he's quite what you're looking for, but definitely worth a listen. Seriously good.

Edit:...and the way i've seen him play- busking with his 12-string...

Luke's from down my neck of the woods, Invercargill. Home to him and, um, Chris Knox!

[FrankRay]

Love Karen Dalton. Glad to see her mentioned.

Also Kristen Hersh's first solo album, Hips and Makers, and Townes Van Zandt, a sort of grizzled countrified Nick Drake.

Me And My Charms by Kristen Hersh
Kathleen by the mighty Townes Van Zandt

and maybe some stuff by American Music Club, like western Sky

Thinking about it though Nick Drake has a unique lightness offset by his tragic story. I'm not sure you'll get those two together anywhere else. A very English romantic figure.

[rbrcbr]

Love Karen Dalton. Glad to see her mentioned.

Also Kristen Hersh's first solo album, Hips and Makers, and Townes Van Zandt, a sort of grizzled countrified Nick Drake.

Me And My Charms by Kristen Hersh
Kathleen by the mighty Townes Van Zandt

and maybe some stuff by American Music Club, like western Sky

Thinking about it though Nick Drake has a unique lightness offset by his tragic story. I'm not sure you'll get those two together anywhere else. A very English romantic figure.

How could I have forgotten Townes?! He definitely sits in that peripheral, dreamy folk singer space. Love Townes so much. I think I'll listen to Our Mother, The Mountain today, thanks.

This reminds me, Daniel Rossen is another guy that occupies that space, and Townes and Nick Drake are two big influences on him for sure. I'm not sure it came out as much in his work with Grizzly Bear but his solo stuff, for sure. Here's a great cover of Kathleenthat he does, along with a really great untitled track that hopefully will be on this debut solo album coming out this spring

[FrankRay]

While I'm at it, here's a friend of his who wrote this about him;

John Martyn Solid Air

and a great album by another singer/songwriter swimming in the same early seventies west London soup, Robert Wyatt
Rock Bottom

and similarly, Roy Harper
Another Day

He was also friends with Linda Thompson, and had similarities to Vashti Bunyan who would also be hanging out in the same crowds at the time
Another Diamond Day