>>PREVIEW
OUR MERCURY
Saturday, February 25
The Hifi
When you’ve been playing music for a decade, you’d expect the label "veteran" to stick, but if you’re a member of Our Mercury, you may just find that it keeps slipping off and falling to the floor.
"That’s what everyone keeps saying about it," says drummer John Watson. "I guess in some ways we might be considered veterans, but we’re still just fumbling our way through – you never stop learning."
Playing the Edmonton scene as both a three-piece and a four-piece under the name of Misdemeanor, the band worked hard to make a name for itself locally. Then, aiming high and wanting more exposure in a bigger market, they made the move to Montreal in 2001 and changed their name to Our Mercury. But the importance of progressing musically was always paramount. With the threat of stagnation, financial restrictions and no jam space, the guys decided that there really was no place like home and moved back home in 2002.
And though not intentionally avoiding being lumped in with other Canadian punk bands, Our Mercury wants to stand out as unique, so a wide spectrum of influences from The Red Hot Chili Peppers to Kanye West serve as inspiration when it comes to jamming and the collaborative writing effort. Also, with their shared experiences used as the platform for the lyrics and themes, the album holds a lot of personal importance, not just for lead vocalist Ben Stevenson, but for all the members.
Back in Edmonton, the band released a five-song EP titled Your Medicine and eventually gained a fourth member. The current incarnation of Our Mercury, singer-guitarist Stevenson, drummer Watson, bassist Daniel Laxer and keyboardist Eric Budd, is set to release its latest CD, From Below, at the end of this month. It’s an album that shows a definite progression and maturation in both lyrical content and musical cohesion.
"I still like the EP but we didn’t really refine (the old songs) to the point where there was no extra fat," says Watson. "It seems like the new songs are more like songs – they’re not just a collection of really interesting cool riffs that we’ve assembled to try and make a song. They’re more united that way."
And united they are, with an undeniable raw energy and the feeling of a live set rather than an overproduced studio album. In order to give their songs that bouncin’ feeling, the band turned to a tried-and-true method of recording.
"We record live – all in the same room," Watson explains. "We’re all standing within five feet of each other so you’re looking at each other and you’re feeding off the energy of each other.
"We play our newest stuff, we play our best stuff," says Watson, "We just like to give everything we have at our shows, there’s nothing left in the tank at the end. We can barely even muster the energy to play an encore if we’re asked."
So when you’re out catching an Our Mercury show, make sure you take up that challenge and scream for the encore just to watch the guys dig deep and pull off that one last song. |
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