Modern Merchant have put their stamp on dreamy harmonies set to swelling instrumentation, joining the likes of Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear on that front. There’s even some clarinet in there.

The group’s story began in New Haven, Conn., where Jesse Stanford (guitars, vocals, synth) met John Parson (lead vocals, guitar). The duo relocated to Brooklyn, and Mike Skaggs (bass) and Sydney Weiss (drums, vocals) quickly completed the quartet. Their whimsical sound has been well received, earning them a recording session with Daytrotter.com and an upcoming performance opening for Mates of State.

Their debut EP, ‘For the Fields,’ offers six tracks swimming in richness. The layered guitars build perfectly around the group’s trembling yet elegant vocals, demanding the attention of listeners. We’re offering ‘Like-Minded’ as today’s free download. The track quite literally withstood the elements, and thankfully so, because it’s one of the EP’s standout tracks.

“The song was recorded in the midst of Hurricane Sandy, in an old, blue house deep in the woods of Connecticut,” Parson told Diffuser.fm. “Miraculously, the power stayed on, we didn’t run out of pancakes or beer and when the storm passed, ‘Like-Minded’ was there.”

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