The Accidentals had the top album (Time Out 3) and was the most-played artist folk radio during July 2025, while the instrumental “Sommer” from Ponyfolk’s #2 album The Woods Have Shown Us was the month’s top song. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

The Accidentals are a female-fronted, high-energy, indie folk-pop-Americana power trio of multi-instrumentalists and singer-songwriters whose previous recordings have also charted — including “Wildfire,” the #1 song on the FAI Folk Charts in 2021.

Sav Madigan and Katie Larson front the band that was formed in Traverse City, Michigan in 2012 (and since 2023 has also included Katelynn Corll on drums). Madigan and Larson expressed thanks to the folk DJ community for spinning songs from their new album, which is officially released in August. “Growing up listening to radio (especially our local public radio station in Northern Michigan) exposed us to so many important music voices from around the world, alongside the voices in our community. We appreciate you for keeping the tradition alive. We co-wrote the songs on Time Out 3 with legends we admire, who taught us to write about truth and when things are hard – to lean into our community and create, create, create.

“Sommer” Is an upbeat and danceable Danish singing tune performed on fiddle, guitar, pump organ and double bass. It is the opening track on The Woods Have Shown Us, the debut album by Minnesota-based ensemble Ponyfolk that pays homage to old time American and Nordic music traditions with a mix of fiddle tunes and original songs, –both instrumental and vocal. Formed in 2014 by Clifton Nesseth (vocals, fiddle) and Paul Sauey (vocals, guitar, bass pedals), the chamber ensemble performs in a variety of configurations and includes Alex Jakob Nelson (keyboards, vocals), Mikey Marget (cello, vocals), Lewis Franti (percussion) and Aaron Hays (drums)

Here’s a link to listen to “Sommer” performed by Ponyfolk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGJtyqyEdLM

The July 2025 top albums, songs and artists charts are based on 10, 663 airplays reported on 354 playlists submitted by 96 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of July 2025

1. Time Out 3 by The Accidentals (72)
2. The Woods Have Shown Us by Ponyfolk (63)
3. Best Of by Steve Gillette (60)
4. New Skin by Judy Kass (50)
5. Personal History by Mary Chapin Carpenter (49)
6. Perfume Like a Full Moon by Ray Lambiase (44)
7. The Shape of a Sway by Eli West (43)
8. Wild and Clear and Blue by I’m With Her (42)
9. Saltwater Country by Grace Morrison (41)
10. Beautiful You: The Songs of Tom Prasada-Rao by Tom Prasada-Rao (40)
11. Gold and Coal by Cassie and Maggie (38)
11. Dark Ages by Eliza Gilkyson (38)
13. The Time That Remains by Mike Ward (34)
14. Little Songs by Rrinaco (31)
14. Lift Up This Old World by Hilary Hawke (31)
16. Bones of Trees by Tim Grimm (29)
16. Better Than I Was by Sara Trunzo (29)
18. In the West by The Horsenecks (27)
19. Been All Around This World by Special Consensus (26)
20. Burden of Hope by Peter Campbell (25)
20. Rituals by Watchhouse (25)
20. Signs of Life by My Politic (25)
23. Colored Edge of Memory by From the Dirt (24)
23. Shelby Means by Shelby Means (24)
25. House of the Dog by Grain Thief (23)
26. Paper Flowers by Tim O’Brien and Jan Fabricius (22)
26. Homegrown by Cole Quest and the City Pickers (22)
28. So Much I Still Don’t See by Sam Robbins (21)
29. Arcadia by Alison Krauss and Union Station (20)
30. Room on the Porch by Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo (19)
30. Reverie by Amble (19)
30. The Ballad of Charlie Avalon by Stillhouse Junkies (19)
33. Shelter From the Storms by Lennie Gallant (18)
33. Winged Victory by Willi Carlisle (18)
33. Cruel Joke by Ken Pomeroy (18)
33. The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy by James McMurtry (18)
33. Old Growth by Brad Kolodner (18)
33. A Teacher, a Preacher, and a Bad Farmer by Ernie Palmer (18)
33. A Tip Toe High Wire by Sierra Hull (18)
33. One Hour Mama -The Blues of Victoria Spivey by Maria Muldaur (18)
41. The Agonist by Leslie Jordan (17)
42. Tip of the Spear by Doug Mishkin (16)
43. Never Been Home by Sweet Megg (15)
43. Songs Worth Saving by Suzie Brown (15)
45. Kentucky Queen by Carla Gover (14)
45. What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow by Rhiannon Giddens &
Justin Robinson (14)
45. Oubliette by Jez Lowe (14)
45. Life Behind Bars by Vandoliers (14)
49. All I Got and Gone by Chris Walz (13)
49. An Inch of This New York Mile by Christian Rutledge (13)
49. Every Ghost by Kelsey Waldon (13)
49. We All Dream by Terry Kitchen (13)
49. Story the Crow Told Me by Ketch Secor (13)

Top Songs of July 2025

1.  “Sommer” by Ponyfolk (21)
2. “Woody’s Children” by Doug Mishkin (15)
3. “Someday We Won’t Live Here Anymore” by The Accidentals (14)
3. “We Are the Power” by Emma’s Revolution (14)
3. “Girl and Her Dog” by Mary Chapin Carpenter (14)
6. “Fly Away” by The Accidentals (13)
6. “Dark Night of the Soul” by Eliza Gilkyson (13)
8. “Grapes on the Vine” by Steve Gillette (12)
8. “The Old Trail” by Steve Gillette (12)
8. “No Kings in America” by Lisa Bastoni (12)
8. “Instrument for Good” by Mike Ward (12)
12. “Around the Horn” by Ray Lambiase (11)
12. “Better Than Me” by The Accidentals (11)
12. “Why Not” by Mike Ward (11)
12. “Thank the Stone” by Judy Kass (11)
16. “Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)” by Colleen Kattau (10)
16. “Masters of War” by Abbie Gardner (10)
16. “Burden of Hope” by Peter Campbell (10)
16. “Honeybees” by Steve Kunzman (10)
16. “Cranberry Blossoms” by Grace Morrison (10)
16. “Shenandoah” by Ponyfolk (10)
16. “That Song About the River” by Steve Gillette (10)
16. “Letter to America” by Cindy Kallet (10)
24. “Look at Us Marching Now” by Judy Kass (9)
25. “Get Along Somehow” by Rrinaco (8)
25. “Too Good to Be True” by The Accidentals (8)
25. “Wild and Clear and Blue” by I’m With Her (8)
25. “One Small Step” by Sara Trunzo (8)
25. “Home Is a Song” by Mary Chapin Carpenter (8)
25. “Pastures of Plenty” by Cole Quest and the City Pickers (8)
25. “Five Alarm Fire on the 4th of July” by Ellis Paul (8)
25. “Radio Silence” by The Sharar Sisters (8)

Top Artists of July 2025

1. The Accidentals (74)
2. Woody Guthrie (66)
3. Ponyfolk (64)
3. Steve Gillette (64)
5. Mary Chapin Carpenter (58)
6. Eliza Gilkyson (55)
7. Ray Lambiase (52)
8. Judy Kass (50)
9. Nanci Griffith (49)
10. Eli West (44)
10. Tom Prasada-Rao (44)
12. I’m With Her (43)
13. Grace Morrison (41)
14. John McCutcheon (39)
15. Cassie and Maggie (38)
16. Mike Ward (35)
17. Bob Dylan (33)
18. Pete Seeger (32)
18. Tim Grimm (32)
20. Rrinaco (31)
20. Special Consensus (31)
20. Hilary Hawke (31)
23. Sara Trunzo (29)
23. Alison Krauss and Union Station (29)
25. The Horsenecks (28)
26. My Politic (26)
26. Watchhouse (26)
28. Bruce Springsteen (25)
28. Peter Campbell (25)
30. Grain Thief (24)
30. Maria Muldaur (24)
30. From the Dirt (24)
30. Shelby Means (24)
34. Beppe Gambetta (23)
34. Emma’s Revolution (23)
34. John Prine (23)
34. Amadou and Mariam (23)
34. Tim O’Brien and Jan Fabricius (23)
34. Cole Quest and the City Pickers (23)
40. The Heart Collectors (22)
40. Sam Robbins (22)