We The Folk
Culver City, CA | Established. Jan 01, 2012 | SELF
Music
Press
Video with commentary available at the URL. - NPR
Quintet We the Folk gave us an out-of-this-world experience, it’s tough to explain exactly what their music sounds like, but we promise it’s amazing. Individually and as a whole, you can see how much these guys love playing live. (They’re playing at The Troubadour on April 23rd, you guys should definitely see them live!) - Space 15 Twenty
I was at The Troubadour on Saturday, April 23, 2016 for a concert including three bands: We the Folk, T Sisters, and Dustbowl Revival. The first two bands were new to me. We the Folk formed at the UCLA campus and has been playing some of the small popular venues in L.A. for the past couple of years. Fronted by David Villafaña on vocals and guitar, the band on Saturday was comprised of five additional musicians playing fiddle, accordion, bass, drum kit, and percussion. We the Folk was holding their album release concert for their new work WTF. They took the crowd on a wild ride, mixing up their sometimes Spanish, sometimes English, Latin-Klezmer-Folk hybrid of music in a stunning swirl of rhythm and at times, nearly frenetic playing. Their specialty seemed to be steadily increasing the tempo to a blistering pace. Much credit to their fiddler, Gabriel Wheaton, for his lightening quick playing on his solos. They played a solid set, mixing up songs of varying tempos, and kicked off the party atmosphere with some brisk numbers at the end. Their web site notes that they are on a mission to get you dancing — on that Saturday night, mission accomplished! - You Make My World Rock
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
We the Folk began as a trio of UCLA students, performing impromptu shows in public spaces around campus. Student demand rapidly transformed these “pop up” performances into dance parties and official campus events. By headlining the World Music and Movement Festival and opening for David Grisman as part of the Center of the Art of Performance in Royce Hall, We The Folk grew into a recognizable campus presence.
As a quintet, We The Folk began playing shows in Downtown LA at venues such as Villains Tavern and The One Eyed Gypsy. Quickly after, the band was invited to take the stage at other popular Los Angeles venues like The Witzend, The Mint, and Hotel Cafe. Through multiple residencies, We The Folk has established a signature sound that defies categorization, enveloping their audiences in a dynamic and energetic experience
In 2014 We The Folk took the Las Doñas Award for Best Band Entry with "Won't You Come Back" at UCLA's Spring Sing. Additionally, We The Folk was recently featured on NPR's Alt.Latino as a favorite submission of the 2015 NPR Tiny Desk Concert Contest.
We The Folk holds several residencies throughout the Los Angeles area, continuing to perform for crowds around Los Angeles and beyond, and makes it a mission to get you dancing.
Band Members
Links
