Campfire Pop
tagStarted 2008Peak 2011-2016Last big hit still active
Big, communal folk pop built for singing along: stomping kick-and-clap rhythms, strummed acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin and 'hey'/'ho' gang vocals that swell to anthemic choruses. Warm and earnest, with raw-but-tidy production, it trades virtuosity for togetherness and a back-porch, arms-around-shoulders euphoria. Hooks are wordless chants as often as lyrics.
History
Exploded around 2009-2012 with the stomp-and-holler folk-pop boom. Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers turned banjo-driven singalongs into arena hits; Of Monsters and Men and American Authors added chant choruses. The euphoric campfire chorus became a pop and advertising staple through the mid-2010s and lingers in festival folk pop.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_pop
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lumineers
- https://www.allmusic.com/style/folk-pop-ma0000004449