the Moaners

Fusing the gut-level emotive sound of blues with the lean, wiry power of indie rock, the Moaners are a two-woman two-piece rock & roll combo hailing from Chapel Hill, NC, comprised of former Trailer Bride frontwoman Melissa Swingle on guitar and vocals and Laura King, formerly of another Chapel Hill band, Grand National, on drums and sometimes guitar. Swingle and King first met when Trailer Bride and Grand National played a show together. Swingle was impressed with King's abilities behind the drum kit, and after Trailer Bride split up, she approached King in hopes of putting together a more rock-oriented project. The duo dubbed themselves the Moaners, and following plenty of regional touring, the band signed with Chapel Hill's Yep Roc label in 2004. Shortly afterward, they went into the studio with Southern Culture on the Skids guitarist Rick Miller, who produced the group's first album, Dark Snack, which was released in early 2005. Blackwing Yalobusha followed two years later, produced by former Squirrel Nut Zipper Jimbo Mathus.
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