Over the years Hentschel has been joined by a rotating cast of friends and family as they released six full-length records and three E.P.s and toured the continental United States.

[1] Insomniac Folklore has toured and played with acts such as Jason Webley, Chelsea Wolfe, The Fall of Troy, Wovenhand, Unwoman, The Locust and One-Eyed Doll.

Insomniac Folklore has also made appearances at Steamcon, SXSW, Steampunk Worlds Fair, Audio Feed, and Tomfest.

[3] Hentschel's second release, "Consumer Appreciation" gained moderate popularity in the early 2000s, but he struggled to find an audience for his music during the several years he spent living among the redwoods in Northern California.

It was during this lonely period that he released the album "Smile or Die," which in 2005 was on the HM Magazine top 5 staff pics for record of the year.

This album also marked a turning point in the band, as the sound became darker and more theatrical, moving away from early influences such as The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel, and showing a deeper connection with the likes of Nick Cave and Tom Waits.

In 2008, Ayden Simonatti joined the band as a bass player then moved to drums while working with Hentschel on another project as alter egos "Runes and Numerals."