Southern Fold, The
5 (+2) Live From The Southern Fold
The Southern Fold was formed in 2014 in Kilkenny, Ireland, by singer/guitarist/songwriter Emlyn Holden. The band incorporates elements of country, blues, and gospel into a folk/roots sound, drawing influences from as far afield as Hank Williams, Nirvana, and everything in between. Holden first picked up a guitar at the age of 10 while listening to Elvis Presley and was completely immersed in old Sun recordings by his early teens. He developed an eclectic source of inspiration via roots rockers Creedence Clearwater Revival and punk rock. Discovering alt-country pioneers Uncle Tupelo and Wilco brought country back into his songwriting and set him on the path to The Southern Fold. Originally formed as a duo in the style of Gram Parsons/Emmylou Harris, the band's first EP2016's "A True Ascension from the Wayward Path"featured five original songs plus a cover of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night." It was a stripped-down folk-country number paired with deeply personal lyrics and additional instrumentation including piano, cello, and electric guitar. Several years of intensive gigging followed, and by the release of the album "Bible Fear's" in 2019, the band had developed into a full five-piece, producing a more folk-rock-oriented sound. In this post-COVID era, we witnessed the rise of Southern Fold from the ashes with a couple of new singles ("Nothing to Fear" and "Before the Fall"), self-released in 2024. Joining Holden in a new live lineup are former Blackbird & Crow guitarist Stephen Doohan, Mauritian Madeline Leclezio on vocals, Canadian drummer Gregor Beresford, and former Midnight Union Band bassist Brian McGrath. This core lineup played some extremely well-received shows at Kilkenny Roots 2024, at Whelan's, Dublin with Frank and Walters, and at the UK's Ramblin' Roots Revue in April 2025.