Like most hybrid genres, Country-Folk draws in different proportions from each side of the equation, depending largely upon the performer's taste. Most country-folk artists write and perform the vast majority of their material themselves, and in that respect, they follow the mold of the folk artist more closely. (read more)

Like most hybrid genres, Country-Folk draws in different proportions from each side of the equation, depending largely upon the performer's taste. Most country-folk artists write and perform the vast majority of their material themselves, and in that respect, they follow the mold of the folk artist more closely. Moreover, country-folk performers tend to find greater appreciation among folk audiences; among country fans, it's often just their songwriting skill that finds acceptance, and that only when full-fledged country singers cover their compositions. There are exceptions on both sides of the fence, of course, but the overall trend is probably due to the fact that country-folk has a mellower, gentler feel than most country, whose audience has usually been weaned on performances that are rowdier or more sentimental. Country-folk artists who compose their own material usually concentrate a great deal on crafting thoughtful, often emotionally complex lyrics, thus keeping with the singer/songwriter tradition established by folk-rock artists like Bob Dylan.(collapse)