Joshua Malcolm, the underground British alt-folk artist known professionally as Calming River, has been losing a war against mainstream appeal for several years—occasionally a battle is won but typically Malcolm’s writing is tossed in the 'abstract’ category for a rainy day. Intricate fingerstyle guitar, disconcerting lyrics, guitar re-tunings between every song and an introverted style don’t generally cut through the shadows in 2019. Or do they? Malcolm spent several years outside the UK prior to returning in the 2018. His travels broadened his style and collaborations were made—in Denmark a productive partnership with Aarhus musician Rasmus Nielsen was formed, whose juxtaposed distorted guitar flowed somehow with Malcolm’s classically-tinged folk guitar style. Recent singles, festival performances (e.g., Denmark’s Fanø Folk Festival), gigs (e.g., Iceland, Australia & London) and press (e.g., Unsigned Guide, numerous Nordic blogs) have evidenced a (slowly) growing appreciation for the songwriter. Give Calming River a spin on your favorite streaming platform and hear why the underrated artist deserves more attention. @calmingriver #folkmusic #altfolk #altfolkmusic #calmingriver #artistsinthespotlight (at United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/BwFldf0B9Tm/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=zez8q8oxichg