First found in Europe hundreds of years ago, murder ballad poems and songs have since become heavily associated with traditional American music from the South. A mainstay in country and folk, whether it’s “The Two Sisters,” a ballad that can be traced back to 1656, or the ubiquitous “Stagger Lee” (a staple since 1897), why are we so allured by the stories of the bad guys? And why is it “bad GUYS?” Not only are female characters under-represented in Murder Ballads and Anti-hero stories … more often than not they are victims and rarely vigilantes. We love to tell the anti-heroes’ stories, where men can be rapscallions and rogues, but women are relegated to the wrath of the scorned or the cold body. Explore this genre through the original music of ilyAIMY and a selection of iconic ballads.
A decade plus as ilyAIMY (i love you And I Miss You), Rob Hinkal and Heather Aubrey Lloyd have played everything from bait shops to biker weeks to festivals, coffee houses, colleges, and other unique venues all over the country. Their energetic brand of new folk has been a hit at the Kerrville Folk Festival, National Association for Campus Activities, the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance and the 2012 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, where they were voted Most-Wanted Artists; in 2015, they played a main stage set at Falcon Ridge. ilyAIMY combines award-winning songwriting, tight male/female harmonies, signature intricate slap-style guitar work, ukulele, djembe, cello, and an eclectically humorous stage show into an exquisite package.
Music of the Carolinas concerts are made possible thanks to the support of Williams Mullen and the NC Museum of History Associates.
