Formed in the late 2000s by Heather McEntire and Jenks Miller, both of whom had spent considerable time at the opposite end of the folk spectrum as members of Bellafea (post-punk) and Horseback (psych-metal), respectively, the project grew out the pair's long friendship and shared love of American folk music. Steeped in the dark, misty mountain lore of their Appalachian homeland and brimming with the fuzzed-out dark twang of their pasts, McEntire and Miller released The Letting Go in 2010, followed by an eponymous full-length outing in 2011, the latter of which featured guest spots from some of the region's finest players, including members of St. Vincent and Megafaun. Mount Moriah signed with venerable indie label Merge in late 2012 and had their album re-released on limited-edition vinyl in October of that year. Their follow-up, Miracle Temple, was released in February of 2013. By 2015, Mount Moriah had grown into a trio with the addition of Casey Toll, who handled bass and keyboards for the group, and this edition of the band released its third album, How to Dance, in February 2016. ~ James Christopher Monger