Murder By Death

Few bands have reshaped indie rock’s sonic palette quite like Murder By Death. Formed in Bloomington, Indiana, the group took its name from the 1976 Robert Moore comedy mystery film and built a reputation on an unmistakable combination: gothic atmosphere, Western imagery, and a cello placed at the center of the arrangements rather than at the margins. From the beginning, that instrument defined the band’s identity, lending their songs a cinematic weight rare in American indie rock.

Murder By Death released its first studio album, “Like the Exorcist, but More Breakdancing”, in 2002, and went on to release eight more studio albums across two decades. Their second record, “Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them?”, set the template for their concept-driven writing, telling the story of the Devil waging war on a small village in Mexico. In 2010, they released “Good Morning, Magpie” through Vagrant Records, their second release on that label. Their 2012 album “Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon” became their most successful release, reaching #76 on the Billboard 200.

The band’s final lineup centered on two founding members, Adam Turla and Sarah Balliet, with Balliet switching between acoustic and electric cello for live performances. Their sound spans instrumentals, rock, and alt-country, drawing on joint influences that include the Cure, Iron Maiden, and Prince, while recurring themes of whiskey and the Devil thread through their albums.

Early in their career, Murder By Death also appeared on the catalog of Eyeball Records, the New Jersey-based independent label known for releases by Thursday and My Chemical Romance. Across nine studio albums and countless tours, the band carved out a singular niche: storytellers first, genre-blenders always.