4 Artists Who Turned Folk Into Doom, Punk, or Pure Chaos

Folk music is great on its own, but what happens when someone takes the bones of folk and builds something else on top? Elements of punk, southern gothic, doom, black metal, or straight up chaotic noise like an addition on a house. These cases lead to something unique, often ominous, but always interesting. Here are four artists who took folk and ran with it.

Soviet Shiksa

Soviet Shiksa is the solo project of Nashville-based artist Christopher Shawn, who blends elements of Southern Gothic and dark folk experimentation. He describes this as “nightmare jazz,” aptly capturing the unique mesh of electric guitar, jazz trumpet, haunting vocals, and thumping percussion. The most recent single, “Siren” from 2024, ominously shifts through experimental tempo changes and vocal registers. It starts