INTERVIEW: Oh Mercy

OH MERCY have been busy buzzing little bees lately. They've toured all over, recorded and released a great album, to massive acclaim, and it's clear the talent won't stop there. We asked them a few quick questions about their album, tours and the future of the bands. Keep reading to hear what Alexander from Oh Mercy had to say...

This year has been a big year for Oh Mercy, what with Great Barrier Grief, and the tours both nationally and internationally. Are you exactly where you envisioned yourself to be?

I had no idea what this year would bring for us. I knew I wanted to be working hard and I'm certainly doing that. That pleases me.

Great Barrier Grief brought with it a lot of success, and surely many new fans. Were you happy with the album as a whole?

Yes, I made exactly the album I wanted to. Lean and direct. I'm glad it translated well with our fans.

Arguably, Great Barrier Grief surpasses the success of your first LP Privileged Woes, overcoming the stereotype for many sophomore albums. To what do you attribute the success?

I hope its success lies in the fact that GBG isn't a disappointment. We retained our old fans. Picked up a few new ones. I suppose people were just happy to have more content.

You performed at Splendour In The Grass both last year and this year, did you find any differences between the two?

A lot had happened for us between the two. We put out GBG for starters. People knew the songs this time around. They reacted to them more favourably. This year we played with a keyboard player which filled out the sound. Plus we debuted a couple of new songs which went down well.

You played shows in the US, how did you feel you were received? What was different/similar?

I played promotional shows in the states. They are strange beasts. Very necessary but certainly not the most enjoyable live performance experience.

The beer was different. House sound guys were the same. Grumpy!

What has been your favourite show to play to date?

The Tote SLAM rally anniversary. We played a covers set with Robert McComb of the Triffids as our lead guitar player.

Do you have a favourite song to perform?

We do a cracking cover of the Velvet Underground's 'Sweet Jane'.  Blue Lagoon is probably my favourite Oh Mercy song to perform.

While we're on favourites, after all your recent travels, what was your favourite city?

San Fransisco. It's very romantic. Dense, but not suffocating.

What bands/artists are you listening to right now?

Slow Dancer. Simon Okely of Oh Mercy fame's solo project.

What's the plan for next year?

Record a new album hopefully!

Oh Mercy play their final show for 2011 at The Hi-Fi in Melbourne on Friday 25th November

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Head HERE to see our review of their recent show at Sydney's Oxford Art Factory.