by Anna Kat Thomas
Staff Writer
Though the halls of Rudd Auditorium are usually filled with the rumbling bass and delicate harmonies of the Chorale or Chamber Singers, on occasion you will hear the sounds of a much different tune.
Before now Bryan has played host to a number of other aspiring student musicians, but these days the music you hear will be that of folk band, Brock’s Folly.
Brock's Folly (from left to right: juniors Luke Lillard, Clayton Schmidt, Justus Stout, Jesse Murray and Trevor Haught)plays some folk music with a message of redemption./Triangle photo by Anna Kat Thomas
Though Bryan has filtered through its share of on-campus artists and bands, such as Lon Eldridge, Isthmus, Shady Lane, The Little Foxes, Suite C and currently plays host to Brock’s Folly—one thing has remained the same and that is elements of the folk genre in every band.
Recent graduate of Bryan and lead guitarist/vocalist of The Little Foxes Bryce McGuire commented that early in his Bryan career he was aware of this growing popularity in folk music.
“Folk instruments like the banjo and mandolin were suddenly hip. People who had previously snubbed their noses at the aw-shucksy, quaintness of folk music were starting to get on the band wagon,” said McGuire.
“I started realizing that this is what was happening about a year ago, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t happening before that. It’s just when it was called to my attention,” said junior Luke Lillard, Brock’s Folly’s banjoist/ukulele player/vocalist.
Though Shady Lane was more of a rock band, the Little Foxes seemed to have ushered in the new folk movement on campus that has been sweeping the nation since the early 2000s, led by many “Dylan-esque” bands such as Bon Iver, and other folk-pop bands like The Decemberists, Iron and Wine, etc.
“Everyone was looking back to the archetypes of folk music and I think this whet their appetite for what we and other bands would do in the future,” said McGuire.
Although the bands here on the hill share some lyrical themes with the rest of the folk genre, there is a significant difference that Brock’s Folly pointed out.
“We are kind of the black sheep of the folk genre,” said junior Jesse Murray, Brock’s Folly’s guitarist/vocalist.
While all forms of folk routinely follow the themes of war, work, civil rights, economic hardships, love, etc.—Brock’s Folly tends to write about life, death, the folly of man, the relationship of men and women and, according to Lillard, “how it is essentially screwed up.”
What sets this band apart from other folk artists such as Conor Oberst is that while the lyrics of Brock’s Folly raise questions concerning these themes, they also give answers to these questions in their songs.
“And that answer is Jesus,” said senior Justus Stout, the band’s trumpeter/vocalist.
“Everything we write, no matter how vulgar or innocent seeming –is all in the light of redemption. Even if any particular song may not have an explicitly redemptive theme, it’s in the light of a greater story,” said Lillard.
Not only does the band provide answers for many of these questions in it’s lyrics, Brock’s Folly has taken the Nicene Creed, made it its own and put to song, titled “Primary Issues.”
With the growing popularity of all folk and indie music, especially on the Bryan campus (i.e. Mumford and Sons, Band of Horses etc.), that share similar sounds to that of Brock’s Folly, it will be interesting for those who remain on campus to watch as the development of this genre continues its upward climb.
“It seems like folk music has become a go-to for Bryan bands,” said McGuire. “I think that’s great. There should be folk music played in Dayton. Draw from the land, people.”
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