Your Guide To The 2017 SAM Awards Folk Nominees

Alana Jagt

Great singers aren't hard to find - it's the interesting ones that really count. Small wonder that among a bevy of softly cooed ballads and delicately bared souls, Alana Jagt's dynamic Joplin-via-Joni voice has so thoroughly captivated the South Australian music scene. A soaring, old soul voice that is at once captivating and distinctive, Jagt engages her audience with carefully crafted songs, haunting melody lines and heartfelt performance.

Banjo Jackson

Singer-songwriter Banjo Jackson’s music channels folk/soul/pop traditions and his honest and intimate style earned him an SA Music Award nomination for Best Male in the past. He has performed at Illawarra Folk fest, Mount Beauty Folk Fest, Tram Sessions and the Porch Sessions, and also toured and performed throughout Europe and New York.

Jake Brookes

What happens when two classically trained multi-instrumentalists fall in love, not only with each other but also with each other's musical ability? Mantracoda.... Several years ago, after performing throughout Western Europe and around many parts of Australia, Jack Brookes met Andrea Murray, an amazing flute player who redefined and re-inspired his musical journey. Together they formed the core of Mantracoda, performing, recording and releasing top-shelf music globally.

Kaurna Cronin

Renowned for his relentless touring schedule and ability to capture audiences for a thrilling musical and poetical journey, Kaurna Cronin and band have released two albums in the last twelve months, performed at a plethora of Australia's major folk festivals and embarked on a 100+ date European tour.

Naomi Keyte

Naomi Keyte and her band write and perform minimalist alt-folk pop that sings to the heart and human experience. Their music resounds with the minimalism and warmth of artists like Joni Mitchell, Julia Holter, Sharon Van Etten and Sufjan Stevens. A true collaboration, Melaleuca was developed by many people of one mind and not the mind of one person.

Rhys Howlett

Howlett writes songs for solo releases, for his band Stable Vices, and for other collaborations when opportunities arise. His songwriting virtues are honesty, humour, hooks and harmonies. Eagle On The Hill, his love song for Adelaide, led to a wealth of love on ABC Radio, Radio Adelaide and Coast FM. It was featured on Three D Radio, The Adelaide Show podcast and even made the cut on "Adelaide's first derogatory news service", Shit Adelaide.

Ryan Martin John

Ryan Martin John is an alt-folk singer-songwriter who records all of his music in his home studio. His love of harmonies, arrangement and production is evident throughout his recorded songs. In a live setting when not playing alongside his full band, the rawness of his songs shines through, be it storytelling or sentimental, with a style reminiscent of songwriters and bands of the '70s.

The Winter Gypsy

Forming as a collision of four separate bands in 2015, The Winter Gyspy have made soft folk melodies and haunting vocal their own. The band has a complex dichotomy of both ambient and driving, distorted solos. Drawing comparisons to The Middle East, Bon Iver, and Bombay Bicycle Club, their sound is complemented by an intense and intricate range of instruments.

Tom West

Tom West plays music that traverses the rocky and undulating ground between simple, whimsical folk tunes and grand and moody soundscapes. Equally capable of wowing crowds whether playing solo or with his new six-piece band, West delivers shows where his purposeful songwriting, unforgettable voice and intricate arrangements come to the fore.