Merge Records was started in the summer of 1989, by Laura Ballance & Mac McCaughan, the same summer they formed the band Superchunk in Chapel Hill, NC. The first couple releases were cassettes (remember those?), by WWAX and Bricks, followed by the first Superchunk (then known only as "Chunk") 7-inch single.
The vinyl 7-inch was the format of choice for the first 3 years of the label, with cash borrowed from friends to finance projects (including singles from Erectus Monotone, Angels of Epistemology, and more Superchunk) and bedrooms serving as Merge HQ until 1992, when the first Merge full-length release, Tossing Seeds by Superchunk, was released on CD, LP, and cassette.
Since '92 Merge moved from one charming-yet-run-down office to another until 2001, when we finally made the move from Chapel Hill down the road to a fine old building all our own in historic Downtown Durham, NC.
In 2009 Merge Records is celebrating its 20th birthday, and while our roster has changed, rotated, permutated and expanded over the last 20 years, the quality we look for in records as fans is still there in the music we put out on Merge.
Thanks for listening!
Mailorder Questions
See the FAQ, or email
Jay Lowe: mailorder@mergerecords.com
Radio
Lindsey Kronmiller: radio@mergerecords.com
National & Regional Press
Christina Rentz: christina@mergerecords.com
Retail
Jamie Beck: retail@mergerecords.com
Tv & Film Licensing
Bank Robber Music: info@bankrobbermusic.com
General Information
Amor de Días - Eric Dimenstein at Ground Control
Apex Manor - Kevin French at Paradigm Agency
Archers of Loaf - Jim Romeo at Ground Control
Lou Barlow - Kevin French at Paradigm Agency
Arcade Fire - David Viecelli at Billions
Richard Buckner - John Bohannon at Panache Booking
Caribou - Tom Windish at The Windish Agency
The Clean - Jim Romeo at Ground Control
The Clientele - Eric Dimenstein at Ground Control
Conor Oberst - Eric Dimenstein at Ground Control
Crooked Fingers - Ali Hedrick at Billions
Destroyer - Ali Hedrick at Billions
(Europe) - Bob van Heur at Belmont Bookings
Eleanor Friedberger - Matt Hickey at Ground Control
The Essex Green - Tim Edwards at Flower Booking
The Extra Lens - Adam Voith at Billions
Annie Hayden - Joe Cohen at Proletariat Touring
Hospitality - Eric Dimenstein at Ground Control
Imperial Teen - Michelle Cable at Panache Booking
Jonny - Frank Riley at High Road
David Kilgour - Jim Romeo at Ground Control
The Ladybug Transistor - Erik Carter at Uncle Booking
Lambchop - Frank Riley at High Road
Let's Wrestle - Jim Romeo at Ground Control
The Love Language - Jim Romeo at Ground Control
Magnetic Fields - Eric Selz at Red Ryder
Jeff Mangum - Jim Romeo at Ground Control
Mountain Goats - Adam Voith at Billions
The Music Tapes - Jim Romeo at Ground Control
Oakley Hall - Eric Dimenstein at Ground Control
Polvo - Jim Romeo at Ground Control
Portastatic - Jim Romeo at Ground Control
Radar Bros - Tim Edwards at Flower Booking
The Rosebuds - Jackie Nalpant at Paradigm
(Europe) - Stefan Juhlin at Pitch & Smith Agency
She & Him - Eric Dimenstein at Ground Control
Shout Out Louds - Marty Diamond at Paradigm
Spoon - Sam Kirby at William Morris Agency
Superchunk - Jim Romeo at Ground Control
Teenage Fanclub - Frank Riley at High Road
Telekinesis - Trey Many at Billions
Times New Viking - Eric Dimenstein at Ground Control
Versus - Jim Romeo at Ground Control
M. Ward: Eric Dimenstein at Ground Control
White Whale - Christian Bernhardt at The Agency Group Ltd.
Wild Flag - Eric Dimenstein at Ground Control
Wye Oak - Trey Many at Billions
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