The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer

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“...a real blues kitchen with all sorts of ingredients in the pan.”
- Pop Matters

In late spring of 2016 Canadian duo The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer embarked on their first European tour supporting Dr. Dog (April 19th - 25th 2016) and XIXA (April 27th - May 2nd 2016) as well as releasing their latest single Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To, out now via Tonic Records.

The duo combines the classic blues rock sound of Willie Dixon but with a modern edge akin to Jack White and The Black Keys. Together, the pair have created a their own take on the genre, smothered in greasy, gritty soul and imbued with and injection of funk.


The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer are Shawn Hall (lead vocals, harmonica) and Matthew Rogers (guitar, drums, backing vocals). The two met and bonded over music whilst at a recording session for a radio jingle and named their new project after the blues harp reference lyric “I took my harpoon out of my dirty red bandana” from Kris Kristofferson’s Bobby Mcgee and the term “axe” as a common reference to a guitar. Since then, the guys have gone from strength to strength with the release of their debut album The Blues Can Kill in 2007, the widely acclaimed Checkered Past in 2011 and most recently, A Real Fine Mess in 2014.

The two-piece have already received praise from the likes of Exclaim!, Pop Matters and The Blues Magazine amongst others. They have also been nominated for Blues Album of the Year at the Junos in 2014, for multiple Maple Blues Awards and won Blues Act of the Year at the SiriusXM Indies in 2013. Despite this being their first European tour, they are far from unknown on the live circuit, having already played at SXSW 2013/14, Ottawa Blues Fest, Montreal Jazz Fest and have shared the stage with Taj Mahal, Booker T Jones, David Wilcox and Mother Mother, to name but a few.

The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer’s Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To is out now via Tonic Records.