David Mayfield Parade/JP & the Chatfield Boys

Singer-songwriter David Mayfield began his career by playing with his parents in One Way Rider, a local group that played folk and bluegrass at county fairs and festivals. Mayfield eventually branched out on his own and began writing songs; he moved from Kent to Nashville in 2006 (and then moved to back to Ohio a couple of years ago) to have a go at being a successful sideman. But a tour with his sister, singer-songwriter Jessica Lea Mayfield, introduced him to folk revivalists like Mumford & Sons and the Avett Brothers and his newer songs have evoked that sound. Last year, Compass Records Group signed Mayfield and released his latest album, Strangers. Hyped as “a bold affair that reaches into the avant-garde while still giving a nod to Mayfield’s musical roots,” the album benefits from such strong songwriting that the narrative-driven tracks come off as folk-rock standards. (Niesel)