From artists who stepped in the same circles as him to musicians who capture the myth he left us with, here are ten artists that any fan of Nick Drake should check out.

It can be cliché to say an artist was one of a kind but, when it comes to Nick Drake, that phrase rings truer than most. It’s been over five decades since he left this world but, in those years, his audience has only grown. Nick Drake’s career spanned only three albums, Five Leaves Left, Bryter Layter and Pink Moon, yet all of these have their own distinct sound, from the rich strings on his debut to the stripped-back Pink Moon, which has become something of a cult classic.

It is hard not to think of the depression that affected Drake’s life when thinking of his music but, as seen in Richard Morton Jack’s fantastic biography on him, there was far more to Drake’s life than his death. His music is a story of how art outlives us and, in this article, I will attempt to showcase some artists that capture something of what Drake had.

While there will never be another Nick Drake, these artists are all fantastic in their own right. Whether they showcase the intricate plucking of Drake’s guitar or played alongside him in the late-’60s folk revival scene, they all share something with his work. Some you may have heard of, others perhaps not. Either way, get ready to hear some artists that will remind you of the first time you heard Nick Drake.

Fairport Convention

Signed to Witchseason, along with Drake, Fairport Convention were a big name in the folk revival scene. They were managed by Joe Boyd, Drake’s manager too and a name that will crop up a lot in this list, and revived traditional folk music arguably better than anyone in the UK at the time.

Their album Unhalfbricking is a clear standout, with Sandy Denny’s vocals pulling on the heartstrings of anyone listening. The band also moved in the same folk circles as Drake and, after listening to this album, you will see why they make sense as a starting point.

Sandy Denny

Lead vocalist of Fairport Convention for three albums, Sandy Denny is an artist that can be closely compared with Nick Drake. During her career, she worked with Led Zeppelin as well as releasing several solo albums and creating the folk group Fotheringay.

Her music is heavily inspired by traditional folk ballads and her own compositions hold the same melancholy that Drake’s music has. Her solo album Sandy is a must-listen for Drake fans and a great place to start with her solo work.

Vashti Bunyan

Another artist connected to Joe Boyd and the Witchseason circle is Vashti Bunyan. She released her debut album Just Another Diamond Day in 1970, a collection of songs written during her journey towards the Isle of Skye by horse and wagon.

In the decades of silence that followed her debut, she garnered something of a cult-like status similar to Drake in the folk scene, before returning with Lookaftering in 2005 and Heartleap in 2014. Just Another Diamond Day is a must-listen, with her wistful, delicate vocals holding a lot of similarities to Drake’s vocal style.

John Martyn

John and Beverley Martyn were close with Nick Drake, although, as seen in Richard Morton Jack’s book Nick Drake: The Life, the friendship with John appears to be more nuanced than first thought.

Martyn’s guitar playing and intimate lyrics often grasp that connection one can feel to Drake’s music. The track ‘Solid Air’ is an obvious standout, having been written about Drake, but it’s also worth listening to his debut album London Conversation, which captures the late-’60s folk scene beautifully.

Bridget St John

Perhaps one of the most underrated and overlooked artists of this period is Bridget St John, who moved in the same London folk circuit as Nick Drake. She worked closely with John Peel on his Dandelion record label before moving to Greenwich Village in New York during the ’70s and taking a significant break from music.

Her debut album, Ask Me No Questions, is a beautiful record that features a wonderful cover of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Suzanne’. It’s easy to imagine Drake’s music alongside these songs in the folk clubs and venues of London at the time.

Judee Sill

From across the pond is Judee Sill, an artist whose intricate songwriting and guitar playing make her well worth exploring for fans of Drake. Sill released two albums in the ’70s, Judee Sill and Heart Food, both of which explored her relationship with religion but remained relatively unsuccessful while garnering some critical acclaim.

Her work has influenced several artists like Robin Pecknold and Bill Callahan, but she still remains relatively unknown in the ’70s singer-songwriter canon. Her second album in particular is stunning, with some fantastic guitar playing.

Karen Dalton

There is a common theme with many of these artists so far. They were overlooked at the time and have only gained a larger following in this century. Karen Dalton epitomises this, having been a staple of the Greenwich Village scene in the ’60s and ’70s, where she performed alongside the likes of Bob Dylan.

She didn’t perform or record her own compositions, instead interpreting the work of others, and her vocals were so unique that they were compared to Billie Holiday. Her second album, In My Own Time, was seen as a commercial failure at the time but is a stunning record that fans of Nick Drake will appreciate.

Silver Jews/Purple Mountains

There are few artists who can capture Drake’s melancholia quite like David Berman, the lead singer of Silver Jews and Purple Mountains. The music is steeped in an Americana, indie rock sound that allows Berman to showcase his often self-deprecating humour alongside incredibly vulnerable songwriting.

Purple Mountains is perhaps the best place for Drake fans to start. Like Pink Moon, there is a vulnerability to the record that can make it feel as though there is very little distance between the artist and the listener.

Sufjan Stevens

In terms of a modern-day artist that captures something of Nick Drake’s sound, a close comparison can be made with Sufjan Stevens. His music has a similar comfort to Drake’s, especially on albums like Michigan and Illinois, while also being incredibly personal in its lyrics.

Carrie & Lowell is his masterpiece, serving as a meditation on grief with Stevens often playing with just his guitar or piano. For anyone drawn to the intimacy of Drake’s quieter recordings, it’s an obvious album to explore.

Adrianne Lenker

Lead singer of Big Thief, and with an extensive solo discography too, Adrianne Lenker is one of the closest modern comparisons to Nick Drake when it comes to guitar playing. Lenker’s intricate fingerpicking and use of alternate tunings carry clear similarities to Drake’s playing.

Lenker also has incredibly personal, intimate lyrics in her music and this can be heard on her album Bright Future. Tracks like ‘Free Treasure’ and ‘Sadness As a Gift’ are standouts, with Lenker’s vocals having a fragility to them that will remind listeners of a mixture of Neil Young and Nick Drake.

10 Artists Like Nick Drake You Need to Hear