MRCY have today shared new single ‘R.L.M’ alongside news of their debut project, VOLUME 1, which will be released on Dead Oceans on May 11th.
‘R.L.M’ is an instant-MRCY-classic, both the first song the band ever wrote and the mission statement for a group whose work is as timeless as it is culturally timely. Fusing Barney’s heady production with Kojo’s soaring vocals, ‘R.L.M’ is a reminder to find the magic even in the most everyday places (“London rain on the window / I don’t care where we’re gonna go / I’m good with you”). Introducing the single, Kojo comments: “R.L.M’ is essentially a dream like love song loosely related to someone I was seeing who I used to ride around with in London, and how I was always content doing that with her. With my familiarity with Rye Lane and Barney living in Peckham it felt right using Rye Lane as the point of interest for the tune. But it’s more about London and just cruising around in a car on a rainy night and that being enough for the both of us.”
VOLUME 1 is a memorable introduction to the world of MRCY. Their vision of Soul through the looking-glass draws inspiration ranging from childhood greats (Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye) to genre-melding modernists like Khruangbin or Sault – “it’s like hearing a distant memory,” Barney says, “but one that speaks to where you are now”. And on their debut body of work, MRCY’s sound looks deeper inwards, and further outwards: debut single ‘Lorelei’ was an ethereal, otherworldly tale of love destined to end in disaster, whilst ‘Flowers In Mourning’ brought together Afrobeats and Northern Soul in an affecting meditation on family and loss. The volume is bound by a striking visual aesthetic made in collaboration with Harris Elliot which warps AI, Adinkra symbolism and British iconography into a look – and sound – that is already recognisably MRCY.
Stream ‘Flowers In Mourning’: MRCY.lnk.to/flowers-in-mourning
Watch/Stream debut single, ‘Lorelei’: MRCY.lnk.to/lorelei
Although formidably accomplished for a first project, MRCY have clearly hustled hard to make work in their own voice. Born amidst Huddersfield’s melting-pot culture, Barney has established himself as one of the UK’s most in-demand, eclectic young producers, ranging from an Ivor Novello Award for his long-standing collaboration with Obongjayar to Mercury-nominated artists like Joy Crookes and Olivia Dean. South London-raised Kojo, meanwhile, earned his stripes in church as well as singing with equally-illustrious homegrown artists like Cleo Sol and Little Simz. They first connected over Instagram during the pandemic, writing ‘R.L.M’ between restrictive local lockdowns in Brixton and realizing that they were embarking on something special. For Barney and Kojo the band is as much about putting yourself first as it is the spirit of compassion, empathy and m(e)rcy that has never felt more needed.
Praise for MRCY :
“Perhaps the most exciting new act to appear from the UK this year so far” Wonderland
“Unfurls gorgeously…an aura of psychedelic zen” NME
“A rare musical chemistry…smooth and softly experimental” Rolling Stone
“Triumphant and dynamic…MRCY are quickly landing themselves on every music enthusiast’s radar”” Clash
“A passion project that enthuses one to look deeper into their soul and allowing their self-expression to leak out” New Wave
Pre-Save VOLUME ONE: https://MRCY.lnk.to/VOLUME-1
VOLUME 1 – Tracklist
- ‘R.L.M’
- ‘Lorelei’
- ‘Purple Canyon’
- ‘Days Like This’
- ‘California’
- ‘Flowers In Mourning’
- ‘Powerless’
- ‘Seven Candles’
