Folk Soul Revival

Folk Soul Revival

Folk Soul Revival is an Appalachian roots and acoustic quintet from Wise County. The group forms in 2008 and remains active through 2021, and its sound combines country, folk, jug band-style jams, ballads, and occasional cover versions with back-porch instrumentation and four-part harmonies. The band develops a following known as “the Congregation”.

Performances and festivals

Folk Soul Revival shares stages with Jason Isbell, Justin Townes Earle, John Cowan, Justin Moore, The Felice Brothers, Jesse McReynolds, Goose Creek Symphony, Mel McDaniel, Dr. Ralph Stanley, Jessica Lea Mayfield, The Black Lillies, Tim Easton, The New Familiars, Holy Ghost Tent Revival and Chris Janson. It also appears at festivals including Floydfest, The Blue Plum Festival and Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, where it draws a large crowd on Piedmont Street. The band is also featured on Music City Roots in Nashville and on Sirius/XM’s Outlaw Country.

Recordings

The band releases its debut album, Good Enough, independently in 2009. A live EP follows and gains attention, and the studio album Words Off A Tongue follows in 2010. That album is produced by Chad Brown and includes contributions from Fred Eltringham, Dave Eggar and the McCrary Sisters. It is named among No Depression magazine’s top 15 albums of 2010.

Line-up and loss

Lead guitarist and vocalist Allun Cormier dies in a house fire in Bristol, Tennessee, on 29 December 2010. The band continues after his death and keeps his music and memory in its repertoire.