In the Pines 5 Murder Ballads

In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines and we shiver when the cold wind blows…

For over a century, the murder ballad has held a prominent place in American roots music, although its origins lie in Britain and Scandinavia. These songs tell raw stories of unrequited love, betrayal, violence, life, and death. Inspired by classics of the genre such as “Pretty Polly” and “Long Black Veil,” as well as contemporary songs by Steve Earle, Nick Cave, and Gillian Welch, Erik Kriek has crafted five graphic narratives that embody the spirit of the murder ballad tradition and prove that the deepest darkness harbors tales that daylight would never tolerate.

Eerie, bloody, wistful, and strange, In the Pines will lead you down to the very heart of the forest – where the wild roses grow and where the ghosts wander, their long-buried secrets unfurling in song.

Drawing on classic murder ballads – songs, some of them centuries old, which narrate the tales of violence and skulduggery, and have been covered by artists including Jonny Cash, Nick Cave, Steve Earle and Gillian Welch – In the Pines delves deeps into the dark backwoods of Americana to unearth five classic tales of love, crime, betrayal and death.

Eerie, bloody, wistful and strange, In the Pines will lead you down where the wild roses grow – to the very heart of the forest, where the ghosts wander, their long-buried secrets unfurling in song.