Merge Records

As a kid, Laura Ballance was most comfortable slipping into the background. Her introverted nature gave her plenty of space to think and create on her own. As a teenager, she found punk through a music video of Adam and the Ants, and the “otherness” they expressed spoke directly to her.

We've teamed up with Come Hear NC on a podcast series that explores North Carolina music one song at a time. Eric Hodge is back this week, and on this episode he chats with Laura Ballance of Merge Records about one of the labels early singles from the Raleigh band Angels of Epistemology.

Merge Records celebrates their 30th anniversay with a series of concerts in Durham and Carrboro July 24-27.

We've teamed up with Come Hear NC on a podcast series that explores North Carolina music one song at a time. On this episode, Merge Records co-founder and Superchunk bassist Laura Ballance talks to us about Roberta Flack's 'Compared To What.'

Songs We Love is a series and a podcast that looks at the stories behind some of the songs we're playing on our new music discovery stream, WUNC Music.

This time, Eric Hodge chats with Wye Oak's Jenn Wasner about the title track from their latest record, 'The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs.'

She says the song has different meanings for different people, and that duality fueled her creative process.

Listen to the episode here:

Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack have created and released their fifth album as Wye Oak. The band formed in Baltimore about 10 years ago. Now, the two are working in different geological corners with Wasner in Durham and Stack in Marfa, Texas.

The name of the record is The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs. It's being hailed by many critics and fans as their finest yet.

Decades after forming, Chapel Hill band Superchunk is sounding as engaged and vital as ever.  The new recording is called What A Time To Be Alive and features some vocal assistance from Stephin Merritt from Magnetic Fields, Katie Crutchfield from Waxahatchee and Skylar Gudasz.  But aside from that, the tempos and the roar of guitars are undiminished by time.

Songs We Love is a series and a podcast that looks at the stories behind some of the songs we're playing on our new music discovery stream, WUNC Music. On this special episode, we're doing things a bit differently.

Mac McCaughan has worn many musical faces. Twenty five years ago, he helped start the band Superchunk and the independent music label Merge Records. He has also recorded under the name Portastatic.

Mac McCaughan has been creating heartfelt and catchy music in North Carolina for 25 years.

He has released more than 15 albums, both with his long-running indie rock band, Superchunk, and his semi-solo project Portastatic. 

Until now, he never released an album under his own name. On Tuesday, McCaughan releases his first official solo debut Non-Believers. The album is inspired by the early 1980’s era of music when punk rock was evolving.

Host Frank Stasio talks with McCaughan about the album and his work. 

Merge Records is well into it 25th birthday party. The North Carolina-based label is taking all of 2014 to celebrate its silver jubilee. There've been reissues of classic recordings and a 25K run already, but this week is a big one for the music, with a series of concerts. Tonight, Mark Eitzel will be at Baldwin Auditorium on the Duke University campus:

Mark Eitzel

Known for: Melancholy tunes and witty lyrics

It's a big year for Merge Records. The Durham-based label is celebrating its 25th birthday with a series of events, which has included concerts, limited release recordings and a 25K run.

Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance founded the label in Chapel Hill to promote their band, Superchunk. A quarter-century later, dozens of other celebrated artists have jumped on board, including the Grammy-winning Arcade Fire.

After 24 years together, the Chapel Hill indie-rock group Superchunk is releasing their 10th studio album, I Hate Music.  

Host Frank Stasio talks with band members Mac McCaughan and Jim Wilbur about the quirky album title and the band’s evolution. They will also perform  acoustic versions of their latest songs.

Mount Moriah is getting ready to continue their national tour for their critically-acclaimed album, "Miracle Temple." The band was signed by Merge Records and this is their first release under the new record label. "Miracle Temple" offers fans more of Heather McEntire's soulful vocals and lyrics but takes chances with a more intricate sound. Host Frank Stasio talks with founding members Heather McEntire and Jenks Miller about the band's incredible success.