Founded in Durham, North Carolina, Indie Folk / Alt-Country band Hiss Golden Messenger was founded by MC Taylor and Scott Hirsch in 2007. Formerly members of The Court And Spark, Taylor and Hirsch blending of Folk, Country, Soul, Blues, Gospel, Bluegrass, and Pop was uniquely their own, although they were inevitably filed under the Alt-Country, Indie Folk, and Country Rock genres. Truth be told, Hiss Golden Messenger is a band that is difficult to pigeonhole. This is a band that will comfortably fit into several categories without having to follow any particular musical formula. Although Hirsch eventually dropped out of the live version of the band, he is still active in recording and mixing the group’s releases.

Hiss Golden Messenger released their debut album, COUNTRY HAI EAST COTTON, in 2009 on MC Taylor’s Heaven & Earth Magic Recording Company. They followed that with critically acclaimed releases such as BAD DEBT (2010), POOR MOON (2011), LORD I LOVE THE RAIN (2012), and HAW (2013). While the group were already critical darlings and had a substantial following, they came to prominence when they signed to Merge Records and released LATENESS OF DANCERS (2014), HEART LIKE A LEVEE (2016), VESTAPOL (2016), HALLELUJAH ANYHOW (2017), VIRGO FOOL (2018), the Grammy-nominated TERMS OF SURRENDER (2019), QUIETLY BLOWING IT (2021), and O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL (2021). The prolific band also released a series of live releases digitally or on cassette.

Two years on from the release of QUIETLY BLOWING IT, their last album of original material, Hiss Golden Messenger returns with JUMP FOR JOY (2023). Alongside members of his traveling live show – guitarist Chris Boerner, bassist Alex Bingham, keyboardist Sam Fribush, and drummer Nick Falk – MC Taylor sounds rejuvenated and ready to literally jump for joy on this latest release. The group’s fans have already heard tracks such as “Nu-Grape,” “Shinbone,” and album opener “20 Years and a Nickel,” but those are just three destinations on an album that takes an emotional journey that is ultimately filled with hopefulness and joy. From the chooglin’ groove of “Feeling Eternal” to the bip-bop jive of “I Saw a New Day in the World,” JUMP FOR JOY is an album that is not afraid to offer a comforting chord change in a world that has forgotten what honesty and real emotion are all about.

HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER

JUMP FOR JOY

Available NOW!