The folk-rock sound of dreams realized, joy unconfined, your favourite yesterdays returning and the promise of tomorrow. Merry Hell are all this and more. Rising stars of the folk-rock scene, Merry Hell are delighted to announce the release of their third album: 'The Ghost In Our House And Other Stories'. The virtuoso fiddle of Neil McCartney has added extra dimensions and textures to the distinctive Folk-Rock sound which brought the band popular and critical acclaim for their previous two albums. A vehicle for four distinctive songwriting voices, Merry Hell bring together the delicious interplay of the female and male vocalists (Virginia Kettle/Andrew Kettle) and the arrangements and production of guitarist John Kettle. All this is backed by the solid force of bass and drums, skilfully interlaced with musical invention from mandolin, keyboards - and now violin. The 15 songs of the album range wide both musically and lyrically, from the anthemic to the intimate, the political and the personal - irresistibly infectious sing-a-long choruses rub shoulders with ballads of beauty and grace. Universal themes of love, loss, hope and regret are expressed alongside explorations of everyday life in the twenty-first century. 'The Ghost In Our House And Other Stories' also features an outstanding contribution from master guitarist, Gordon Giltrap, on the second track, 'Leave A Light On'. Listeners will return time and time again to this album which expresses Merry Hell's irresistible sense of joy in playing together and in communicating with audiences.
Legend has it that Merry Hell got their record deal on the back of a discarded demo CD, picked up off the floor after a folk conference. Credit for that goes to Steve Heap and The Ghost In Our House And Other Stories is the third full length album to be released on the deal struck on the back of that fortuitous find, Steve’s car CD player, a quick phone call and meeting doing the rest.
"The Ghost In Our House and Other Stories" is the third and latest album by that wonderful Wigan-based band, Merry Hell [the previous two being "Blink…and you miss it" and "Head Full Of Magic, Shoes Full Of Rain"].
Merry Hell want all you disenchanted, downtrodden hordes. They want to wrap their collective arms around you without any promise to make it better or easy. They won’t make you richer, they can’t guarantee justice but what they can guarantee you is a warm heart and a song or two that will never leave your head or your lips. And sometimes, that’s all that you need.
The rise of Merry Hell has been nothing short of extraordinary. Founded in late 2010 from the ashes of another Wigan-based band, The Tansads, they have flourished in four short years to become one of Britain’s most well respected and in demand folk groups.