Formed in 1989 by musicians Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan in Durham, North Carolina to distribute records by their band Superchunk, Merge has become one of the most prominent independent record labels in the US, with releases from bands like The Arcade Fire, The Magnetic Fields and Spoon. This summer, the label celebrates 25 years of existence with a four-day music festival in their native North Carolina, featuring some of its most prominent acts, including Neutral Milk Hotel, The Mountain Goats, Teenage Fanclub and Bob Mould. Tickets to the event can be purchased though the Merge site.
