Thirsty Merc

Thirsty Merc formed in march of 2002 in Sydney, Australia. The first song they ever played as a band was called 'wasting time' in a house in the suburb of Baronia Park in Sydney. Guitarist Matt, Bassist Phil and Karl, all originally from dubbo, had ended up flatting together in Sydney. Rai, a singer, budding songwriter, guitarist and piano player, was living at his dad's place not too far away. phil and rai had met through mutual friends while both studying jazz at the sydney conservatorium of music. the two, with a strong musical connection and good friends, decided to start a band - they thought it would be a fun idea to see what happens when they 'combined their powers.'
A few weeks after that initial jam, the boys started booking their own gigs around sydney (at that stage the band was called 'thirsty') and started recording songs during downtime in a studio where rai worked. Over the course of the next 6 or so months, the boys organised to shoot a couple of music videos with friends who were getting into film. 'Wasting Time' became Thirsty Merc's first single, and the band released an EP independently in 2003 under their own label 'Don't Music.' The EP, entitled 'First Work' - essentially 5 tracks of 'small-combo, retro-infused melodic guitar pop' - attracted attention from local industry types. Soon after its release, it received a small amount of airplay on triple J, nova and Channel V in Australia. The band acquired a booking agent and management, and a local record deal with Warner music - a few reps had come down to their shows at the hopetoun and annandale hotel.
In the Xmas period of 2003, the newly signed band headed into the studio with producer Lindsay Gravina and started recording 'THIRSTY MERC,' their debut full length album. The album was tracked entirely on and mixed from 2 inch tape in Lindsay's own Birdland Studios in Melbourne, Australia. It was a great start and gave the boys something to be proud of. The band had conjured up a distinctive sound - fusing retro pop, jazz inflected melodies, a hard rocking band rhythm, and a unique lyrical style that was oddly direct, even conversational at times. Upon listening back, the band members felt like they were onto something really special. In the months following the album's release and to support the launch and reception of singles 'Emancipate Myself,' 'My Completeness,' Someday, Someday,' and 'In The Summertime,' the Merc embarked on its first national and regional tours. The album stayed on the Australian charts for over a year, received heavy airplay ('Someday, Someday' was the 3rd most played song on Australian radio in 2005) and the album clocked up double platinum sales in Australia and Gold sales in New Zealand.
During late 2006, after partly writing on the road, demoing new songs at home and recording rehearsals, Thirsty Merc headed back down to Birdland in Melbourne and started working on a follow up album, again with Lindsay as producer. This time, the guys focused on more layered production and added a few keyboards (rai's first instrument) and strings on a number of tracks to thicken out the sound. Also, unlike the merc's previous release, there were a handful of quintessential, searing 'break up' songs on the table, possibly reflecting life on the road, traveling, and adjusting to new found success. The music took on a more honest, emotional approach. After tracking was completed, the album then was mixed by successful mix engineer Mark Needham in LA.
A few months later, with a national theatre tour booked, Thirsty Merc's 2nd album entitled 'Slideshows' was launched in May 2007 and debuted at #4 on the ARIA charts. '20 Good Reasons,' the first single, was a major hit in Australia - within the first few weeks it received gold sales. Later, '20 Good Reasons' would become the 3rd most played song on Australian radio of 2008 and receive a nomination for 'Song Of The Year' at the APRA awards. Also taken from the album was the soulful follow up hit 'The Hard Way.' The Merc was now enjoying playing to audiences all over the country and hit the road again for an extensive regional tour in late 2007, playing 38 shows over a 7 week period. 2008 was also a big year of live shows, including a second national tour, an arena run supporting Matchbox 20, a dedicated tour of north queensland and numerous spot dates. At the end of 2008, the band took a break for a number of months, to 'live and write.'
Thirsty Merc has released its 3rd studio album, entitled 'Mousetrap Heart,' with the 1st single by the same name released in early 2010 to widespread radio play and national touring throughout 2010. The new album was recorded in Los Angeles and it employs much groove and a tighter, funkier sound, with the same 'velcro hook' that the band has become known for.