Murder Murder

We have a range of capabilities, from playing beautiful story-telling ballads to high energy dance music. The 6 of us are as comfortable playing an afternoon folk festival set as we are a late night bar set and everything in between. We will tailor the performance specifically to your setting and play the heck out of it. We also perform a combination of originals, well-known covers, and traditional songs.

The band:

The band members call Sudbury, Ontario home, but are often found in bouts of debaucherous touring wherever music is played. Murder Murder is:

Jon Danyliw - Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin
Sam Cassio - Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin
Geoff McCausland - Fiddle
Barry Miles - Vocals, Banjo, Dobro
Kris Dickson - Upright Bass
Steph Duchesne - Percussion

Murder Murder is a Bloodgrass band (Bluegrass + Outlaw Country + Exclusively Murder Ballads) hailing from the frozen forests of the Ontario Northland. Their tales of death are filled with life by the kick of the suitcase, saw of the fiddle, and roll of the banjo.

As devoted fans of bluegrass, traditional music, and folk music, we were drawn to the murky ethical themes of the murder ballad form and to its enduring nature. Many of the earliest examples are the sole surviving records of victims of violent crimes. Oftentimes murder ballads capture the essence and atmosphere of a dark, lawless and violent frontier. Northern Ontario, although never romanticized in the way that the Wild West or the far north during the gold rush era were, was once such a place - with a wealth of stories and characters. The lack of mythology associated with Northern Ontario is troubling, and thus we felt it our responsibility to create our own mythology.

As a Bluegrass String Band we can play completely acoustic or completely amplified depending on the setting.