I refer to the folk music I do as ours becuase it is. Most of the songs I do have roots and origins in my state. They are songs that tell a story about events and people tht would have otherwise been forgotten. I really don;t care about definitions or any of that. I don't even care if folk music lovers consider me folk. In my opinion it is folk if it tells of events and people that you would not otherwise hear about. Normal people and places that were captured in time by being put in a song. I wrote a song about my cousin dying in a coal mine explosion along with 10 other men. If you were to try to look up about the explosion (if anyone besides local knew about it) you wouldnt find much. the memory of them will be preserved as long as the song is heard. I know it is not a big stamp but it the memory will at least be preserved for a while longer. I did my part. Alot of old songs are the same the writer was just doing thier part saying hey we were here and this happened. Oral tradition set to music. That is why I will say ours or mine when I speak of it. It came from my people telling about my region my family past and present. My community past and present. It was not written to find a clever hook that might hit the pop charts. It was regular people simply saying hey we were here. I feel that attachment and it is really personal. A deep historic and sometimes blood connection to the events and people mentioned in them. In modern times every song I write is a reference to some local person, legend, or event. I dont always point them out but they are there. I know if I do it alot of the old songs are the same. They may not always point out the source by name but they are based off real life from yrs ago. Events not covered in history books and news coverage. they are the closest thing to sitting down and having a conversation with generations that have passed yrs ago as we are going to be able to have. You hear those generations speak when we hear thier songs.