The Folk Implosion
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | early 1990s |
| Founder | Lou Barlow, John Davis |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs |
The Folk Implosion is a musical group from the United States, established in the early 1990s by Lou Barlow and John Davis. Initially, it served as a side venture for Barlow to pursue alternative musical styles distinct from his main band, Sebadoh. The band's name is a play on the title of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. The group went on hiatus between 2004 and 2020.
History
Following Sebadoh's 1993 release Bubble and Scrape, Davis sent Barlow a tape that sparked their collaborative songwriting and studio work. In 1993, The Folk Implosion issued Walk Through This World with the Folk Implosion on cassette through Communion Label, followed by a 7-inch EP release in 1994 via Drunken Fish.
Prior to achieving mainstream recognition, the band made significant contributions to the soundtrack of Larry Clark's film Kids, featuring original pieces by both Barlow and Davis. Both Sebadoh and The Folk Implosion appeared on this soundtrack; notably, the track "Daddy Never Understood" was credited to Deluxx Folk Implosion, a lineup that included members of Deluxx alongside Barlow and Davis. The addition of Bob Fay and Mark Peretta allowed the group to perform live shows.
Their track "Natural One", featured on the Kids soundtrack, became a commercial success, reaching number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 4 on the Billboard Modern Rock Charts, and number 20 on the Mainstream Rock Charts. It also attained position 45 on the UK Singles Chart. The music video for "Natural One" was showcased on MTV's Buzz Bin.
In 1995, they contributed "Indierockinstrumental" to Red Hot + Bothered, an AIDS awareness benefit album produced by the Red Hot Organization.
In 1996, under the name Deluxx Folk Implosion, they recorded a cover of "I'm Just a Bill" for the tribute compilation Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks.
Attempts to replicate the success of "Natural One" with later releases were less fruitful. Their 1997 album Dare to Be Surprised, released through Communion Label, received moderate critical reception, including a 6 out of 10 rating from SPIN Magazine. Work on this album commenced before "Natural One" achieved popularity. After signing with Interscope Records, they released One Part Lullaby in 1999; its lead single "Free to Go" charted modestly in both the US and UK. Despite favorable reviews, Barlow and Davis opted not to support it with touring, which contributed to a slowdown in their activities.
Following Davis's exit in 2000, Barlow brought in Russell Pollard and Imaad Wasif from Alaska! to record The New Folk Implosion. In 2002, this lineup appeared as backing musicians in the film Laurel Canyon.
Davis returned to education and resumed releasing solo music beginning in 2013.
In 2021, The Folk Implosion restarted recording sessions and performed an intimate acoustic live show. That September, they reissued an expanded edition of Walk Through This World on Bandcamp. In 2022, they released the single "Feel It If You Feel It," followed by the It Just Goes With EP in March 2023—their first new material in nearly twenty years. Later in 2023, they issued Music for Kids, compiling their contributions to the Kids soundtrack alongside other tracks from that period.
Albums
- Take a Look Inside (Communion Label, 1994)
- Dare to Be Surprised (Communion Label, 1997)
- One Part Lullaby (Interscope, 1999)
- The New Folk Implosion (Domino, 2003)
- Walk Thru Me (Joyful Noise, 2024)
Singles and EPs
- Walk Through This World with the Folk Implosion cassette (Chocolate Monk, 1993)
- Walk Through This World with the Folk Implosion EP (Drunken Fish, 1994)
- "Electric Idiot" (Ubik, 1994)
- "Natural One" (London Records, 1995) [US No. 29, US Modern Rock No. 4, UK No. 45]
- "Palm of My Hand" (Communion Label, 1995)
- "Pole Position" (Communion Label, 1997)
- "Insinuation" (Communion Label, 1997)
- "Free to Go" (Domino, 2000) [UK No. 90]
- "Leaving it Up to Me" (Domino, 2002)
- "Brand of Skin" (Domino, 2003)
- "Pearl" (Domino, 2003)
- "Feel It If You Feel It" (2022)
- It Just Goes With EP (Joyful Noise Recordings, 2023)
Compilations
- The Folk Implosion (EP) (Communion Label, 1996)
- Music for Kids (Domino, 2023)
Other appearances
- "Kingdom of Lies," included on the soundtrack for A Life Less Ordinary (1997)