Songs of the Folk

A.T. and Lauren Cason were born in different parts of the Carolinas and met while studying music in college in the early 2000’s—they have been singing and playing together ever since. Both hold Master’s degrees in music yet maintain the heritage of their place and people, having grown up in musical families that embodied the traditions of the area. The combination of their training and the roots of their Carolina Piedmont upbringing helped the couple naturally craft a unique and authentic American folk music sound that’s as current and innovative as it is steeped in the folk, country, and blues music influences of the American South. The sound of Songs of the Folk is aptly described by Folk and Honey, one of the UK’s leading folk music publications:

“Their original songs have a slick, contemporary musicianship underlying them..their tasteful instrumentation always helping to bring their rootsy subject matters to life.”   

Having performed for years throughout the Eastern US, the Casons moved to England where they spent several years touring extensively in the UK, making a name for themselves within the music circuit of England by playing in a variety of venues from historic folk clubs in Cambridge, Colchester, and Norwich to internationally-recognized venues such as the Glasshouse International Centre for Music in Gateshead and the Queen’s Hall Theatre in Kent. They have also achieved international acclaim for their song, A Feeling I Get, a semi-finalist in the 2024 International Songwriting Competition. 

After releasing numerous singles, an EP titled Songs of the Folk, and their first full-length album, Sun-Scorched Land, A.T. and Lauren are set to release their second LP entitled In the Old Kingdom, all of it recorded in a centuries-old converted barn in Maldon, Essex and the first Church of England parish chapel, St. Michael’s in Woodham Walter, built in the 1500s. 

The Casons moved back to their mountain home in Western North Carolina and continue to perform both domestically and abroad. They are also passionate about taking their music to those in distressed situations, such as at homeless shelters, rehab centers, and prisons through their non-profit organization, For the Folk (www.forthefolknc.org).

The Casons are certainly at their best when performing live. Their musical bond is gripping and palpable and as they tell stories alongside the tunes this connection transmits to audiences, creating a truly engaging experience. A concert of Songs of the Folk is a concert of well-crafted music and lyrics, pleasant harmonies, intricate instrumentation, and original storytelling. Audience members leave impressed by the songwriting and fingerstyle guitar-playing, entranced by the refined vocal harmonies, and enamored with the exceptional lyricism, but most importantly, each person leaves feeling like an old friend of the Casons and a part of the Songs of the Folk.