Mercury 13


SILKY, laid-back music that matches your late night lull moods, kicking your shoes off after a that long, hard day at the office and slipping back into your favourite chair. What music do you put on? Try Mercury 13, another of Liverpool's fantastic offerings to the music industry, their sound being as such that rolls off the overall tone, gracefully gliding through the air and into your ears, ever so graceful yet mysterious like the night itself.

'Searchlight' the debut single from the 4-piece was the first I had chance to listen to, the percussion brass and guitar only adds to the late-night feel of their overall music style. The introduction has you clicking your fingers, swinging your hips and developing an almost psychedelic persona, making you imagine a smokey bar with one or two customers leaning against its make-shift counter. A smooth wave of 60's-esque sounding depicts the whole image and desire for the hard-working quartet, also reworking a sound which could be listened to any time of the day  almost contradicting their style that I mentioned previously. 



Another track that grabbed my attention was 'Again! Again! Again!' as it's sound was slightly diverse than their debut single. The introduction was more percussion and guitar based, giving it another hip swinging feel. The keys featured also bring an added bonus of definition, giving the audience more features to fall in love with. Vocals then begin, giving us a strained and rustic dimension, without this factor the track would be lacking an important contender. Everything works succinctly in harmony and this is why Mercury 13 work incredibly well as a group of talented musicians, Again! Again! Again! only proves this hypothesis.



Mercury 13 are a quartet with a difference, their music being nothing short of an amazing asset to them, give them a listen and I challenge you to find a track that does not appeal to you. I had to grab an interview with Mercury 13 to find out more behind the scenes!

Thanks for agreeing to this interview! Firstly, how did Mercury 13 come about, did you all know each other beforehand?

We knew each other from different bands over the years and all respected each other as musicians, before deciding to put together our own band. We have shared tastes in music, but are always introducing each other to new and eclectic sounds, which helps to feed our own sound.


Did you all want to be involved within music at a young age?

I think most young lads in Liverpool grow up dreaming of being either a footballer or a pop star; so the answer is probably yes. We’ve all served our apprenticeships in various bands over the years  and music is definitely ingrained into us. 

Do you have any pre-gig rituals?

Not really. We usually try to have a bite to eat together after the sound check. Then Rooky, our drummer, usually downs 8 pints and half a bottle of Scotch!. 

What's your favourite track to play live?

Usually, the opening track of a set is great because you get that nervous, adrenaline rush just as your about to launch into it. At the moment, we love playing a track called “Little Ones” which sounds like a cross between ‘Spiritualised’ and ‘Moby Grape’!

How do you find the current music scene in Liverpool at the moment?


At the moment it’s really healthy. There seems to be so many bands and artists covering such wide genres of music. Liverpool has a worldwide reputation for being a music city. It’s something that we’ve always done. There have always been creative, imaginative and talented musicians in the city – it’s in our DNA. You can trace the lineage of our musical roots way back and as a city we’ve produced some of the coolest bands ever. Also there are lots of great venues now where people can see live music, which wasn’t always the case a few years ago. Plus, there are quite a few exciting local promoters, like Harvest Sun, who consistently put on great shows around the city. At the moment there are some great bands and artists knocking about. A particular favourite of ours is ‘Professor Yaffle” who create the most stunning, atmospheric soundscapes.

Who do you look up to within the music industry? 

Apart from our musical heroes, I’d say any musician who keeps on keepin’ on and believing in what they’re doing, and not be sidetracked by passing fads. It’s all about music for music’s sake! Oh… and Mick Head!

What's your opinion on chart music today?

Pointless. Does anyone over the age of 12 pay any attention to the charts anymore? 

Where do you think holds the most opportunities to get your music heard?


Social media means that you can get your music out there quite easily and effective these days. There aren’t really that many places where new, original music can be heard, apart from BBC6 Music and Dave Monks’ show on Radio Merseyside. Dave deserves a knighthood for his services to local music!

When do you know if a track sounds good?

When we all get a buzz from playing it really, which happens a lot. There is no better feeling than making great music with your mates, when all the band are locked into some solid, mystical groove, when we’re all totally absorbed inside the music and when we want the track to last forever!

What's on the cards for you this year?

Liverpool Sound City and we’ve got some exciting dates in London lined up; some festivals in the summer; plus we’re about to record our new single, which is the follow up to “Searchlight” released at the end of last year. 

Mercury 13 are playing at The Stone Roses Aftershow at Nambucca, Finsbury Park, London on 8th June and at the 'Back With Mods' Festival, Santa Pod, Northants on 15th June.


I'd like to thank Mercury 13 for this fantastic interview, let's keep an eye on these guys, I think we'll be hearing something from them in the future!




Don't forget to give The Music Manual a like on facebook! www.facebook.com/themusicmanual
and 
Follow on twitter! www.twitter.com/themusicmanual


0 comments:

Post a Comment