Drawing from the rooted customs of Appalachia, the North Carolina folk duo Magic Tuber Stringband fashions a style that echoes familiarity while leaning into contemporary and experimental territory. Multi-instrumentalists Courtney Werner and Evan Morgan launched their recording career in 2019 with sparsely arranged, predominantly instrumental releases on assorted small imprints, among them the 2021 efforts When Sorrows Encompass Me 'Round and Wind Machines. In 2024 the pair aligned with the veteran independent imprint Thrill Jockey, which issued their fifth album, Needlefall.
Werner, who handles fiddle, cello, and vocals, and Morgan, responsible for guitar, lap guitar, and banjo, first crossed paths in the mid-2010s during their studies at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, where both held positions at a neighborhood coffeehouse and served as deejays for the campus radio station. Shared fascination with regional folk traditions alongside more adventurous sounds prompted them to collaborate as a duo under the name Magic Tuber Stringband. Beginning with old-time string music as a foundation, their debut, 2019’s Wayward Airs for Earthbound Vagrants, presented a blend of original material and traditional pieces delivered with sturdy elegance and exploratory spirit. The follow-up When Sorrows Encompass Me 'Round, released in 2021, broadened this approach by weaving in drones and influences from various global sources. A few months afterward, the compact Garden Portal cassette label put out their third album, Wind Machines. Their fourth outing, Tarantism, surfaced in early 2023 via the Massachusetts independent Feeding Tube Records and ventured further into experimental terrain through elements such as Italian folk melodies and the shruti box, an Indian bellows instrument. Although Appalachian music forms the bedrock of their identity, Werner and Morgan have also referenced pioneers Moondog, Harry Partch, and Pauline Oliveros among their touchstones.
Following an extended period within specialized corners of independent folk music, the duo aligned with the storied Chicago label Thrill Jockey, markedly expanding their reach. Their fifth album, Needlefall, emerged in March 2024.
