From Pensacola-based Stormfolk’s live videos, you might initially peg them as one in the million of stomp-and-holler acts trying to be the next Mumford. It doesn’t take long to see beyond this veneer into the heart of a band that feels surprisingly full while consisting of only three members and who aren’t afraid to cleverly subvert expectations.

Their latest single opens with a piano base – another surprise given their live focus on guitar – and gives a tale of recurring loneliness, a tale of moving around and wandering through life with the hopes that love might be waiting somewhere. Eventually, the song builds with percussion into a full-on romp, and toward the end of the song, two separate vocal lines are layered before kicking into an instrumental crescendo. It’s cinematic, and it reminds me of acts like the Oh Hellos or the Last Bison where any collection of instruments might surface on any particular track.

Stormfolk was formed in the Orlando area by siblings Mick Grocholl and Kaylyn Hastings. And indeed, as this latest song explains, Grocholl and Hastings have called several cities “home” along the way. After landing in Pensacola, Stormfolk expanded to a trio with the addition of Preston Czygan on violin. The band’s sound and aesthetic verges on nautical and Celtic at times, with “Superhero” turning into a sea shanty with accordion toward the end. It’s an appropriate vibe for this coast-bound group, though it’s certainly not the full boundary of the band’s sound.

None of this undoes the group’s accessibility – their lyrics certainly aren’t as obtuse as some of their sonic compatriots, nor is their approach too rural, even with their prominent folk instrumentation. If anything, Stormfolk’s influences likely rest elsewhere in the indie space. There’s a hint of alt-rock ethos to be found in belted vocals and certain guitar strumming patterns. But graduating from punk and metal into folk is far from rare from a listener standpoint, and I’ve seen plenty of other bands dissolve and reform in new, softer solo formats. Who’s to say that isn’t the case here? Even if it’s not, there’s still an edge to Stormfolk that sets them apart from the Kohls-brand open mic folk projects of our age. Check out “Will Love Ever Find Its Way” below and follow Stormfolk on Instagram.