Recommend Artists Similar to Nick Drake

Favorite new record? Favorite old record? Got a band? Post it here.
User avatar
Unicorn Warrior
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3491
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 5:58 pm
Location: Kentucky, USA

Recommend Artists Similar to Nick Drake

Post by Unicorn Warrior » Fri Dec 10, 2021 2:57 pm

I’m wanting to get into more open and alt tuning acoustic things similar to the style of Nick Drake. I like folk acoustic fused with a classical/indie kind of vibe but am not really sure where to start. I’m not really a fan of jazz or blues flavored stuff. I can also do without a ton of hammer on stuff. Some hammer on is ok, but a lot of the stuff I see now is excessive. I guess I enjoy melodies and progressions more so than for things to be fancy/technical.

Anyone have any recommendations of good artists in this camp? Past and present.

User avatar
marqueemoon
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 7343
Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:37 pm
Location: Seattle

Re: Recommend Artists Similar to Nick Drake

Post by marqueemoon » Fri Dec 10, 2021 3:22 pm

John Fahey is one of my favorite fingerstyle players. His later stuff gets more experimental and sometimes grating.

Blues is not my favorite genre either, but Charley Patton, Skip James, and Leadbelly are fantastic.

Hawaiian slack key guitar is worth looking into as well.

Oh, and while I wouldn’t put myself in the same category as Nick Drake as a guitar player he’s definitely an inspiration for the solo stuff I do.
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=121030

User avatar
schoolie
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 918
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 4:25 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Recommend Artists Similar to Nick Drake

Post by schoolie » Fri Dec 10, 2021 4:46 pm

Elliot Smith?

User avatar
Unicorn Warrior
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3491
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 5:58 pm
Location: Kentucky, USA

Re: Recommend Artists Similar to Nick Drake

Post by Unicorn Warrior » Fri Dec 10, 2021 4:47 pm

marqueemoon wrote:
Fri Dec 10, 2021 3:22 pm
John Fahey is one of my favorite fingerstyle players. His later stuff gets more experimental and sometimes grating.

Blues is not my favorite genre either, but Charley Patton, Skip James, and Leadbelly are fantastic.

Hawaiian slack key guitar is worth looking into as well.

Oh, and while I wouldn’t put myself in the same category as Nick Drake as a guitar player he’s definitely an inspiration for the solo stuff I do.
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=121030
I love your music. Good stuff man. Particularly that first one. I’ll check those guys out.

I guess I’m looking for more of a European style classical sound. Neo folk? No idea. I just want to hear epic progressions. I don’t know music well enough to pinpoint what I want to hear haha.

User avatar
windmill
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 4404
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:31 am
Location: South Eastern Australia

Re: Recommend Artists Similar to Nick Drake

Post by windmill » Fri Dec 10, 2021 5:25 pm

You try guitar players from around the same era in England

John Renbourne and Bert Jansch come to mind

Folky but but you might find something you like.

:)

User avatar
Larry Mal
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 19673
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 4:25 pm
Location: Saint Louis, MO

Re: Recommend Artists Similar to Nick Drake

Post by Larry Mal » Fri Dec 10, 2021 5:55 pm

This video is mainly about John Fahey, who you already know, but later it goes into some other guitarists that might be somewhat what you are looking for:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQD_GeghqvQ
Back in those days, everyone knew that if you were talking about Destiny's Child, you were talking about Beyonce, LaTavia, LeToya, and Larry.

User avatar
marqueemoon
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 7343
Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:37 pm
Location: Seattle

Re: Recommend Artists Similar to Nick Drake

Post by marqueemoon » Fri Dec 10, 2021 6:07 pm

Bert Jansch is one of Nick Drake’s contemporaries that I dig, but I could never get into Pentangle, etc…

For modern stuff you might like Kings of Convenience if not already familar.

User avatar
itcamefromiowa
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 161
Joined: Wed Dec 23, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Milwaukee

Re: Recommend Artists Similar to Nick Drake

Post by itcamefromiowa » Fri Dec 10, 2021 8:20 pm

How about Jeremy Enigk’s ‘Return of the Frog Queen’ album?

User avatar
antisymmetric
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3601
Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2010 11:32 pm
Location: New Zealand

Re: Recommend Artists Similar to Nick Drake

Post by antisymmetric » Fri Dec 10, 2021 10:35 pm

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...
Last edited by antisymmetric on Sat Dec 11, 2021 1:26 am, edited 2 times in total.
Watching the corners turn corners

User avatar
countertext
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 4142
Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2011 6:25 pm
Location: Tacoma

Re: Recommend Artists Similar to Nick Drake

Post by countertext » Fri Dec 10, 2021 10:41 pm

Jackson C. Frank?

User avatar
Jonesie
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 4047
Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2008 7:00 am
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Recommend Artists Similar to Nick Drake

Post by Jonesie » Sat Dec 11, 2021 7:49 am

I have a friend who put out a record about 15 years ago now that was very influenced by Nick Drake: https://drewodoherty.bandcamp.com/album/starts

User avatar
rbrcbr
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 763
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2015 10:11 am
Location: Brooklyn

Re: Recommend Artists Similar to Nick Drake

Post by rbrcbr » Sun Dec 12, 2021 8:35 am

The Tallest Man On Earth and Jose Gonzalez are two contemporary artists that definitely have a strong Nick Drake influence in their work, lots of alt tunings, mostly all fingerstyle folk stuff.

Old TMOE song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG2ccH8jlCA
more recent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WWdzDr4f0Q

Jose Gonzalez: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag-OIlEN00M

User avatar
Unicorn Warrior
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3491
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 5:58 pm
Location: Kentucky, USA

Re: Recommend Artists Similar to Nick Drake

Post by Unicorn Warrior » Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:35 am

Jeez guys. You all do not disappoint. I’ve been lost in all of the recommendations. That’s why I love this forum. Keep them coming!

User avatar
noisepunk
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 16807
Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 5:55 pm
Location: glasgow, scotland
Contact:

Re: Recommend Artists Similar to Nick Drake

Post by noisepunk » Mon Dec 13, 2021 5:01 am

all probably highly subjective suggestions; Nick Drake is more about ethos to me than anything else:

Sibylle Baier –"I Lost Something in the Hills

Karen Dalton – It Hurts Me Too

Smog – Let's Move to the Country

Molly Drake (Nick's mother) – I Remember

Jessica Pratt – Moon Dude

Haley Heynderickx – The Bug Collector

Aldous Harding – What if Birds aren't Singing their Screaming

Ai Aso – Lavender Edition (full album)

Mount Eerie – Ravens (prepare to bawl your eyes out if you go too deep with Mount Eerie; his older project, The Microphones, also has Nick Drake energy to me, but it's more indie-rock, somewhere between Nick Drake and Neutral Milk Hotel)

Lizabett Ruso – Times of Change (Live Recording)

...i could go on, and further risk losing the thread.

User avatar
mcbrandt
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 968
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2009 3:37 pm
Location: Walnut Creek

Re: Recommend Artists Similar to Nick Drake

Post by mcbrandt » Mon Dec 13, 2021 11:08 am

rbrcbr wrote:
Sun Dec 12, 2021 8:35 am
The Tallest Man On Earth and Jose Gonzalez are two contemporary artists that definitely have a strong Nick Drake influence in their work, lots of alt tunings, mostly all fingerstyle folk stuff.

Old TMOE song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG2ccH8jlCA
more recent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WWdzDr4f0Q

Jose Gonzalez: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag-OIlEN00M
I'd second Jose Gonzales, specifically the In Our Nature album.

Post Reply