WTF is up with modern folklore?

In the spring of 2020, when the world hit pause, we hit play. modern folklore was born in isolation, an attempt to channel the swirling frustration, uncertainty, and strange camaraderie of a time when everything felt like it was unraveling. We wanted to create something that made sense of the chaos—a modern myth to help bring meaning to an unprecedented moment. Back then, that myth took the form of a band.

We were five friends (soon to become brothers) with a shared belief that music wasn’t just entertainment—it was a way to connect, to question, to rage against the disconnect that seemed to define modern life. I shared co-frontman duties with Josh Shepperd, whose lead guitar carried both blistering, chaotic energy and a quiet, contemplative edge just like the man who played it. Ed Flammond anchored us, both musically and figuratively, as the drummer who somehow held it all together while letting us all fall apart in the best way. Kyle Blessing, our multi-instrumentalist wildcard, took our sound into unexpected places, folding classical and avant-garde/noise elements into our alternative rock foundation. And finally, Pat Fahey brought it all home on bass, adding irreverence to an outfit that might have otherwise tipped toward the pretentious.

For three years, we tried to fit the mission of modern folklore into the mold of a band. And for three years, we found ourselves coming up short.

The Breakup That Wasn’t

In October 2023, we played what we thought would be our last show. Not because we didn’t believe in the idea of modern folklore, but because we realized the band, as it existed, wasn’t enough. We’d started out with a dream of connection and creation but had gotten lost in the grind—trying to keep up, trying to fit in, trying to play the game. We "fell victim to one of the classic blunders" as we became more focused on partying and prowess than art. In the process, we lost sight of why we started in the first place. And so, we stopped.

It could have been the end. In some ways, it was. But after the dust settled, Josh and I realized something: modern folklore was never just a band. It was an idea. It was a way of thinking, a way of creating, a way of making sense of the world. And that idea was too important to let go.

From Band to Collective

After that October show, we all went our separate ways. Kyle and Ed formed their new project, Diaphane, and began exploring new sonic territories. Pat pursued his own creative projects and maintained his iron grip as the undisputed wrestlin’ champion. Meanwhile, Josh and I kept quietly collaborating, unsure of what modern folklore could or should be - if anything at all. 

It wasn’t until we let go of the idea that modern folklore had to be a band that everything clicked. What if it didn’t need a fixed lineup? What if it didn’t need to follow traditional rules? What if it could be something fluid—a creative collective where members could come and go as they pleased, contributing when they had creativity and time to offer and stepping back when they didn’t?

That’s how modern folklore was reborn. Today, it’s no longer just a band. It’s a space—a playground for music, storytelling, visual art and film. A place to explore big ideas in small, tangible ways. A way to create art that resists being flattened into algorithms or tidy boxes.

That’s where III, our upcoming psychological horror film (we're aiming to shoot in Fall of '25) comes in. It’s a darker, more focused exploration of the themes we've wrestled with in our music. At its core, III is a story about obsession, ritual, and the often-blurred boundaries between friendship and control. It examines what happens when our desire to connect—to be seen, to matter—becomes twisted by fear, power, and the weight of our own inner (and outer?) demons. While it’s a standalone film, III is also just one other way to examine the questions driving everything we create: How do we find meaning in the chaos? How do we balance individuality with interconnectedness? And what happens when the myths we live by break down? Just like the rest of modern folklore, III is about exploring what connects us, what divides us, and how the stories we live by shape our world.

A Modern Mythology

This is the new modern folklore: not just a band, not just a blog or a film, but a shared experiment in meaning-making. Each form—music, essays, literature, film—offers a different perspective, a unique lens through which we can explore the questions that define our time. Together, they form an interconnected web of stories and ideas—a kind of artistic universe where every contribution builds on the last, evolving and growing with each new voice.

We live in a world where reality itself feels fragile, bending under the weight of fractured identities, echo chambers, and the breakdown of our shared conversations. The myths we once relied on to understand ourselves and each other no longer fit the complexity and absurdity of modern life. That’s why modern folklore exists: not to provide easy answers, but to offer a space where we can explore these fractures together, find moments of connection, and maybe, in some small way, begin to mend what’s broken.

We’re not saying we have all the answers. Hell, we’re not even saying we have any of them. But we believe in the power of art to ask the right questions, to reflect the messy, beautiful contradictions of being alive, and to bring people together in a world that feels increasingly disconnected despite its hyper-connected nature.

That's where you come in.

modern folklore isn’t just about us—it’s about you. It’s about all of us—seeking new ways to connect, create, and tell stories that matter. Like the myths of old, modern folklore isn’t owned by a single voice; it’s a shared narrative, shaped by everyone who contributes.

This is a community, not a brand—a conversation, not a presentation. Whether it’s in the comments below, through shared projects, or collaborations in real life, your ideas, art, and stories can shape what modern folklore becomes. We’re inviting you to blur the line between creator and audience and to join us in building something alive—together.

So WTF is up with modern folklore? We’re doing something new but ancient, different yet familiar, purpose-driven and just a little foolish. Want to join us? You’re here, and this is where it begins. Explore the blog, listen to test song #2, and join the conversation. Because modern folklore belongs to all of us.

Let’s create it, together.

want to contribute to modern folklore? we’re all for it. prefer to lurk in the shadows and judge us silently? also valid. either way, you’re already part of the story—might as well make your next addition in the comments below.

-dex