Merriment

Christie and Collin DuPree, the two youngest siblings in a musically gifted family from Tyler, Texas, launched the indie pop band Merriment, noted for its romantic folky leanings. The four older DuPree siblings had already founded Eisley, whose sweet indie pop carried them across numerous tours. Christie followed the same path by capturing her own bedroom melodies during her early teenage years and then entering the studio in 2010 to record an untitled EP of original material. That release earned her an opening slot on an Eisley tour, where Collin joined her onstage playing guitar. Once the tour concluded, the pair opted to build a band around the songs, giving rise to Merriment, which promptly began work on its 2012 EP, Through the Rough. Fans of Eisley and new listeners alike welcomed the group’s simple and whimsical folk textures, prompting extensive touring in support of the EP while the duo developed further material. Various singles and videos appeared before the band’s debut full-length, Sway, arrived in April of 2014.