On January 26, 2024, two of M. Ward’s most celebrated albums come home to Merge Records, as his 1999 solo debut Duet for Guitars #2 and 2003’s Transfiguration of Vincent will be pressed on Merge vinyl for the very first time. Revisit both albums wherever you listen to music, and pre-order Duet for Guitars #2 and Transfiguration of Vincent from the Merge store!

Duet for Guitars #2 introduced us to M. Ward’s characteristic rasp and fingerpicking prowess. More minimal in scope than future records, the songs run the gamut from lullabies to rocking declarations of love. Released on Co-Dependent Records in 1999, one of the initial 1,000 copies found its way to Howe Gelb, who re-released it in 2000 on Ow Om. It went out of print and remained a hard-to-find piece of the M. Ward catalog until 2007, when it was reissued on Merge with three new tracks. More than an origin story, Duet for Guitars #2 is a beautiful, assured album that is sure to make lo-fi and Americana aficionados swoon, to say nothing of M. Ward fans new and old.

In 2003, everything broke open for Ward with the release of Transfiguration of Vincent. Critically lauded and long beloved, Pitchfork hailed it as an album that “broadcasts timelessness and defies genre constraints,” and Slant placed it on their list of the best albums of the 2000s. On Transfiguration of Vincent, Ward’s elegant fingerpicking, evocative croon, and heartrending lyricism came into full bloom, casting a spell so powerful that even a song as universal as David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” felt not only new but irrevocably his. One of the most cherished albums in the Merge catalog, Transfiguration of Vincent is both a great place to begin your love affair with M. Ward and a deep, stunningly realized work that listeners have returned to over and over again for 20 years.

Speaking of Transfiguration of Vincent’s 20th anniversary, M. Ward is currently touring Australia in celebration of the landmark album. Tickets for all shows are available now!

M. Ward on tour: 
Nov 29 Hobart, AU – Altar
Dec 01 Marrickville, AU – The Great Club
Dec 05 Hindmarsh, AU – The Gov
Dec 06 Fremantle, AU – Freo.Social
Dec 07 North Perth, AU – Rosemount Hotel
Dec 08 Archies Creek, AU – The Archies Creek Hotel
Dec 10 Brunswick, AU – Howler