Murder

Murder, a two-piece folk-inspired band from Denmark. Jacob Bellens (vocals) and Anders Mathiasen (vocal & guitar) are the highly praised and very talented people behind the morbid name.   Four years after Murder released the highly acclaimed album Stockholm Syndrome, they released the follow up - Gospel of Man - in Denmark + Germany in October 2010 and in Benelux in January 2011.   Leading up to the release of Gospel of Man, Murder toured intensely from September – November 2010, including showcases at Iceland Airwaves, Reeperbahn Festival (Hamburg), Dias Nordicos (Madrid) and MaMa Event (Paris). In 2011 Murder touredg Europe again, most dates with extended line-up, including showcases at EuroSonic and By:Larm.   After app. 80 shows Murder will now take a break. Their last show was played on 31. August 2011. They'll be back ...   Their music has captured the hearts of many audiences and critics, leaving a trail of praising comments such as "overwhelmingly beautiful" and "best vocalist in Denmark".   Stuart Staples (Tindersticks) declared Murder his “Favorite New Band” in Pitchfork (March ‘09): “We played some shows with Danish band Murder earlier in the year and I became a fan. Simple music and melodies, but with a real depth and a strangeness within the songs...and a great voice.”   Murder has endeavoured on their own special interpretation of neofolk. Jacob and Anders have played together for more than fourteen years. Their musical sphere is sincere and intense. Jacob Bellens' characteristic voice is the focal point of a largely acoustic, 70s-inspired sound, that has been compared to the likes of Nick Drake and Johnny Cash. Murder’s lyrics are captivating mindtickling stories told in the unarticulated soothing voice of Jacob Bellens. Gospel of Man is a more extrovert experience than Stockholm Syndrome was, but the complexity and essentially the uniqueness of Murder's music remains the same.   In 2008 Stockholm Syndrome was released in the rest of Europe and Murder has since then toured extensively - playing numerous gigs and festivals, amongst them PopKomm, Roskilde Festival and SXSW. In April 2008 they received a personal invitation from Tindersticks’ frontman Stuart Staples to open for them in Copenhagen and Berlin. A success so great that Murder joined them again on their European tour in December. Murder’s nordic melancholy and heart-warming americana has also impressed Rolling Stones’ David Fricke, who found them to be one of the highlights of the Danish SPOT Festival in 2008.