Blue Merle
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Headquarters | Nashville, Tennessee , United States |
| Products | Music albums and EPs |
Blue Merle was a Nashville, Tennessee-based American group whose name was inspired by a lyric from Led Zeppelin's Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. The band originated when lead vocalist Luke Reynolds and Jason Oettel started working together. Their initial studio demo recordings drew interest from Sony Publishing, but they opted not to sign a deal. The ensemble was later completed with the addition of Beau Stapleton on mandolin, William Ellis on drums, and fiddle player Luke Bulla.
In February 2005, Blue Merle released their album Burning In The Sun, which included tracks such as "Burning In The Sun", "Every Ship Must Sail Away", and "Lucky To Know You". This album achieved a peak position of #8 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and reached #199 on the Billboard 200. Their live performances included an appearance at Lollapalooza 2005, as well as tours alongside artists like Guster, Jem, J.J. Cale, and Badly Drawn Boy.
The band ceased activity in April 2006, concluding with a final concert at Vanderbilt University's Rites of Spring festival.
Following the breakup, Luke Reynolds pursued solo projects releasing EPs titled The Space Between the Lines and Maps before becoming a permanent member of Guster. Beau Stapleton also launched a solo EP named Will I Shine For You Still. Subsequently, Reynolds established Pictures and Sound, which debuted an album in August 2008 under Vanguard Records.
Blue Merle's songs continued to be featured in various media: "Burning in the Sun" was used during NBC's broadcast of the Women's Pole Vault event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics; "If I Could" appeared in the Friday Night Lights episode "Let's Get It On"; and "Every Ship Must Sail Away" was included in Season 1, Episode 2 of Bones.
Discography
- Blue Merle EP (2003)
- The Fires EP (2004)
- Burning in the Sun (2005)
- Live at Bull Moose EP (2005)