A darkly honest and wry singer/songwriter out of Charleston, South Carolina, Don Merckle’s songs are firmly planted among the fertile mixed traditions of American music. He is a workman’s poet, capable of delivering a rock and roll growl or a quiet dose of smoky barroom introspection with equal passion.

Don is a veteran of the indie music scene in the Southeast. He founded the popular Appalachian/Irish outfit Loch Ness Johnny in 1998. He co-fronted the rambunctious Alt-Country band American Gun from 2005-2010, and in 2011 he created the jaunty Don Merckle & the Blacksmiths. At the end of 2019, he ended that project to focus more completely on song craft. In his current solo work, Don is leaning into more stately and thoughtful singing, a style that highlights the darkly emotional lyrical contours that are the hallmark of his best work.