Diet Folk

Like a mixed drink on a summer night, Diet Folk is a blend of intoxicating and smooth comfort. This Duluth, Minnesota based group of soulful folk musicians epitomize the spirit of blending the old with the new; reaching for new territory while keeping their roots planted firmly in the ground. Established in 2010, they have brought their inimitably unique style of Americana from the Northland of Minnesota to countless stages and garnered fans across the globe.

Anything but derivative, Diet Folk pays homage to both the bluegrass roots of Americana – snapping banjo, acoustic instrumentation and lyrical refinement – as well as their own background coming of age in a world of Pandora, Spotify and the melting pot of music that is “independent radio” . The result is something new and unique; a smooth blend of folk and pop music – something the band calls “Soulgrass.” Featuring Welch and Rawlings styled harmonies and instrumental prowess, Diet Folk presents music that can one minute resemble Amos Lee fronting the Avett Brothers and then a 50’s prom night in the next. Carried along by Boyd Smith’s jazz-infused percussion intelligence, Dedric Clark’s smokey vocals swell and lift melodies over Tony Petersen’s chiming, precise banjo.

Diet Folk’s second album, Cold (June 2012), takes the trio to a new level of musical accomplishment. Leaving the living room demo stage in the dust, the songs were recorded in the ambiance of a retired church on the hills of Duluth, MN, where ghostly decade-old reverb meets 21st century pop technicality. The songs sway from radio-friendly folk pop to intimate blues-rooted acoustic sonority. The trio recruited the help of seasoned album veterans Ben Cosgrove (from Boston, MA, Cosgrove is credited for a handful of instruments including organ, trumpet, accordion and violin to name a few) and bass player Dane Levinski (Minneapolis, MN) to enrich the tunes with sonic embellishments and additional character. The ten original songs show a truly original band with musicality far beyond their years, offering a musical mix so sweet that it can’t just be called folk, but maybe a diet amount.