The New Folk

 The folksy, singer/songwriter style is a growing trend in local music, which has come not only with a shift in popular music, but also with the increased popularity of the open mic nights.

 Popular music is an ever-changing force, and the same can be said of the music surrounding the city of Hattiesburg.

 Mississippi has done its part in sending musicians to the charts (two world-famous Kings spring immediately to mind), and Hattiesburg entertains a growing crowd of college students in the area.

 One of the more notable traits of popular music is that it is always changing—often from year to year. Being a college town allows Hattiesburg to support a consistently new and changing music scene as new styles emerge and thrive around the world.

The city of Hattiesburg saw a gradual shift from "Let me hear you scream!" to "I'm telling you a story." With an outlet for a lone singer and acoustic guitar, a wave of folk-inspired music has been on a steady rise.

 Piggybacking on the singer/songwriter wave is the rise of female artists. Not satisfied with breaking into the scene alone, the female vocalists don't stop with the singer/songwriter style of music. As local artists experiment with new lineups, more often than in the past, we are seeing leading ladies take the microphone and bringing a feminine sound to the Hattiesburg rock scene.

 Folk is not the only genre making a splash in the area. In a near 180, we are also experiencing a new form of electronic/dance music called dubsteb. Proving that the British invasion never really died out, dubsteb has swept the nation and local artists have done their share of experimenting with the new genre.

 Influence is very important to the writing process, and is a major contributor as the music scene changes. While Hattiesburg regularly carries a steady collection of alternative and blues sounds, there have also been a number of different genres in the mix throughout the years.

 At the turn of the century, wailing guitars and screaming front men heavily influenced the music scene. Metal and screamo bands packed out different venues in the area with dark atmosphere and anger-fueled music. Fans could even find themselves at a punk-rock show on the right weekend. As musicians sought out the next big trend, new influences began finding their way into the fingers of today's local performers.

 These are not the only rises styles in the area. The Hattiesburg music scene is consistently trying new styles, lineups, and genres, and as popular music changes, we enjoy the music and wait for the next 
big thing.