by Michelle Heshka
After years of having a “revolving door” for its other members, two-piece indie rock band The Mercy Beat is starting fresh, and their sound is better than ever.
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| Rob Honey |
The band started back in 2009 with two high school kids, Rob Honey and Grant Somerville. In between high school classes and part time jobs, the two would meet to make music inspired by real-life situations.
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| The Mercy Beat Live |
The band played their first show in 2004, as two high school students in a band that didn’t even have a name.
According to the Mercy Beat’s drummer, Grant Somerville, the name of the band came later when the two were at Honey’s home.
‘’The Mersey Beat’ is a magazine in Liverpool, and [Honey] had a poster in his room. It was a publication that pretty much started the big rave of the British invasion, like the Beatles. We played around with it a bit. We tie into the Beatles for inspiration, and that’s where our name came from,” Somerville explained.
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| Rob Honey |
After years of experimenting with different band members, sounds, and genres, Honey and Somerville are finally debuting the new Mercy Beat. They’ve come back as a brand new band, with all new messages and sounds.
“What you’ve heard on the Internet is not what you’re going to hear now. It’s heavier and pop-ier. It’s simple. Keep it simple, keep it rockin’. We keep to a steady beat with a blues element. We have rock and pop songs mixed together. We’re a band that covers a lot of genres of music.”
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| Rob and Grant |
The Mercy Beat is expecting to release their new album as a two-piece band as early as July. The album consists of original songs that relate to feelings and situations that happen in everyday life.
“A lot of pain and joy goes into the writing of our music. We’re trying to portray modern-day experiences that anyone can experience. We talk about everything from space, to elements, to love and hate,” Honey explains.
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| Grant Somerville |
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| The Mercy Beat at IAM Studios, 2014 |
“We’re just ourselves. What comes out is a product of our life experiences,” said Honey.
“We’re huge fans of music. We’ve paid our dues, we’ve learned a lot, and we’re stronger than ever.”
Look out for the Mercy Beat’s new album to be released this summer. Check out their current projects at myspace.com/themerceybeat
Photos: Mercy Beat’s Myspace page
Michelle Heshka is a recent graduate of the photojournalism program at Loyalist College. She is currently pursuing a career in freelance photojournalism while continuing to explore her interest in music. Visit www.michelleheshka.ca for contact information.Tweet me! @michelleheshka
