The Harpoonist

The Harpoonist is Shawn Hall, a harmonica player and lead vocalist who performs as part of the blues duo The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer alongside guitarist Matthew Rogers. Hall received his first harmonica as a Christmas gift from his grandmother when he was 13 or 14. At that time he played the cello in an orchestra and was fascinated by this simple pocket instrument played by the likes of Dylan and Sonny Terry. Shawn Hall (aka the harpoonist) grew up in Toronto, immersing himself in the local blues scene and eventually forming the band Tied to the Tracks. He mainly learned by ear off of records and old blues bars and speakeasies in Toronto in the 90s, which were his formative years. Rogers and Hall met at a music jingle recording session in 2006 and decided to form The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer. The duo is described as a finger-pickin', foot-stompin', harp-blowin' roots blues duo out of Vancouver. Hall is interested in music of the future or sounds rooted in familiar discourse, and spent his younger years covering old blues standards before pushing harmonica through modern technologies and pushing boundaries. He describes his playing style as like a Jamaican rhythm section wandering, dancing and jumping through a jungle of lasers. The name Harpoonist comes from a line in Kris Kristofferson's song where he says I pulled my harpoon from my dirty red bandana. With his innovative approach to harmonica, blending traditional blues with electronic effects and modern production, The Harpoonist represents a new generation of blues musicians who honor tradition while fearlessly pushing the genre forward.

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