True Mountain Laurel

True Mountain Laurel is the duo of Haley Blais and Sam Lynch, whose folk and country songwriting draws on their separate solo careers. The act performs at Gullivers in Manchester.

Haley Blais and Sam Lynch began writing together after building a friendship on mutual admiration, and the project grew out of songwriting sessions held between their tour schedules. Rather than following a plan, the pair traded lines and melodies and recorded rough demos, working in the way they first came to music.

Their debut collection, Angel So Bad, sits between folk and country. Both writers bring their individual approaches to the material, with Sam Lynch's reflective writing set against Haley Blais's direct, precise lyrics. The songs are shaped by the influence of Gillian Welch, Lucinda Williams and Canadian singer-songwriters of the early 2000s. The arrangements rest on acoustic guitars, brushed drums, pedal steel and occasional piano, and the lyrics deal with ageing, the wish for more, and finding comfort in another person's voice.

Gullivers, the Manchester venue, hosts concerts and shows, and this evening is one of its bookings.