If is folk music, C-F-G, with an Em or Am thrown is gets a bit worn out and boring.6-2-5-1, changes are pretty predictable, too...Try something creative, and leave the whining out of the lyrics...and do, oh please do, get hip to mixing the sound, better than 'just louder'...

Then do a blitz of open Mikes and any place you can get exposure(assuming that you do your homework, and bring some NEW element to your audiences. Traditional and folk music can be 'slicked' up a bit, without sacrificing anything. The fact audiences aren't coming, might just be your clue. "If you don't like getting what you're getting, stop doing what you're doing to get it." Go for whatever you want, the make necessary changes and homework to get it.