Sam Baxter and Merle Harbron EP Launch @ The Cumberland Arms

Sam Baxter and Merle Harbron, the duo's debut (and self-titled) recording, is the perfect showcase of what they do best: traditional tunes and songs performed with gumption, nuance, warmth, and ferocity (not all necessarily at the same time). Drones thrum, fiddles glide and screech, voices float above gentle plucking, and bows dig into strings, warping and distorting, walls of sound are built and dismantled.

The duo will launch their EP at Newcastle Upon Tyne's best loved folk-venue The Cumberland Arms on the 3rd of October. The concert will feature all the tracks from their upcoming release as well as some new arrangements and some old favourites form their back-catalogue.

The EP will be released on October 4, 2024 and will be available on all major streaming platforms as well as physical CDs available in person at the launch concert or via bandcamp. Sam Baxter and Merle Harbron are an Anglo-Scottish duo creating dynamic, full-bodied arrangements of contemporary and traditional music. Using fiddle, drones, and voice, the pair build vibrant musical landscapes, weaving together melodic lines inspired by and improvised from traditional songs and dance music.

Two highly skilled musicians, Sam Baxter and Merle Harbron create intimate performances that can instantly pivot from reflective and nuanced to driving and energetic. Together, they are a force of nature, captivating audiences with their infectious interplay and magnetic musical spirit.