Mercies

Mercies was formed in 2009 when frontman Josh Rheault started swapping demos with drummer Sammy Dent. They later brought on Jordan Flower on guitar to round out the trio. In 2011 Mercies released a debut LP... - Paste Magazine

HelloGiggles is very excited to bring you an exclusive premiere of the indie trio, Mercies’, track ‘Clouds’! Compared to the likes of Beirut and Fleet Foxes, these folkies continue to deliver!

Mercies will be releasing their new EP, The Ballet, on March 27th. After the success of their debut album, Three Thousand Days, it’s without a doubt this will be a highly anticipated release. Consisting of some new material, some reworked material, and the score for a ballet commissioned by The Charlottesville Ballet, this release will serve just as unique as the band itself.

Tucked in the woods of northern Connecticut is the barn/recording studio/rehearsal space that Mercies calls home. Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Josh Rheault, with the help of his family and friends, restored the barn in the Fall and Winter of 2010/2011. Not only were 2×4’s cut, concrete poured, and electricity run, but Mercies found it’s humble beginnings through this restoration process.

Mercies began in the winter of 2009 when friend, collaborator and drummer Sammy Dent joined Rheault. The duo spent the Fall and Winter of 2010/2011 recording their debut album Three Thousand Days in the space now simply and affectionately referred to as “The Barn”.

Now joined by bassist Jordan Flower, Mercies have produced yet another masterpiece. Chronicled on The Ballet you will find a little bit of new, old, and just as the titled states, music for a ballet. The EP features ‘Music for a Ballet: Light’ and ‘Music for a Ballet: Dark’. Both pieces make up the composition for The Charlottesville Ballet choreographed by Audrey Fenske. - Hello Giggles (Zooey Deschanel)

Through the window, there's a snow-covered cornfield slumped against a frozen creek. The bottoms of stalks jut dead brown, up from the ground, still in the rows that they once so proudly made, surviving as best as they could through a trying summer of little drink and unfavorable sunshine. What's great to picture prowling out there, amongst the bare trees and that field, is a lone coyote, with its cold nose to the ground and its lean frame anxiously hoping something red and warm is out there to tear into and dine on.

If all else fails, it'll wait until darkness comes and it will move closer to the farmhouses and barns, looking for some leftover dog food. It's not going to be too picky on days like this one, where it's not terribly cold, but it's cold enough and the food is about as scarce as it comes. Listening to the Suffield, Connecticut band Mercies, on this very day, looking out upon that barren, snowy ridge, it's easy to imagine that desperate coyote, pulling out all the stops just so he doesn't have to bed down in a covering tonight, shivering and with a thunderingly empty belly.

Mercies lead singer, Josh Rheault, writes songs about the fragility of spirit that can make a body shiver, if it's cold or if it isn't. It's just the spirit that operates on good, clean blood, that can't do without it. It's that spirit that moans with growing pains, that aches with a certain draining, a death that's coming down the pike, slowly but surely.

These Mercies songs are concerned with the intangibles and the ways that they work us over. Rheault sings, "Cause we have no idea just what we are doing here/We're animals/And all the same/And we have no idea just what we're supposed to fear/We're animals/And all the same," and it's the perfect excuse to wave it all away. It's the reason that we tend to feel lost. It's the reason that we get our arms so tied up and the reason that our legs and temples throb. We're either running on fumes or we're running for our lives, chasing our tails over that snowy, slumped hill. - Daytrotter

Best Thing About The Current Music Industry: "Bon Iver winning best new
artist"
The AltSounds File-O-Facts feature on: Jordan Flower. Want to know more
about one of this incredible up and coming artist? Here you can find out loads of snappy
facts about this superb new
talent.
Name: Jordan Flower
Star Sign: I have no idea.
Place of Birth:
Massachusetts, USA
Now Based At: Suffield, CT
Level of Education:
Bachelor of Arts in Music
Performance
First Instrument Played:
Recorder/Trumpet
Current Instrument: 1966’
Kay Semi hollow Bass Guitar
Last Venue Played: Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA
Last Gig Attended: Vess in Charlotte, NC
Can't Go On Tour Without: My Macbook Pro
The Best Thing About Live Music Is: The energy.
The Person I Would Most To Collaboration Is: Anthony Gonzalez (M83)
Worst Thing To Happen To Music Is: Line 6
Best Thing About The Current Music Industry: Bon Iver winning best new artist.
Turn On: Usually before we start practice, I turn everything on.
Turn Off: When we are done playing. Did I answer those right?
Biggest Influence: The Beatles
My Favourite Person On TV Right Now Is: Fred Armisen
Childhood Hero: My dad, John W Flower the First.
When I Was Younger I Wanted To Be: In a punk band. Similar to MXPX
Last Album Bought: Panda Bear – Tom Boy
Last Song Listened To On MP3 Player: Band of Horses – Cigarettes Wedding
Bands
The Music I'm Into Is: Mostly anything that’s performed by the people that wrote it.
Favourite Current Band: Gene Pitney
My Favourite Drink Has To Be: Coffee
My Favourite Book Is: Great Gatsby
My Favourite Website Is: buzzfeed
My Favourite Item Of Clothing Is: Boots
My Favourite Shop Is: Luthier’s Co-op in
East Hampton, MA
The Best Boredom Buster Is: Sit at a
piano
The Best Film I Ever Saw Was: Dances with Wolves
My Ultimate Snack Is: Panda Black Licorice
The Worst Food Invented Is: The KFC Doubledown
The First Thing I Do When I Wake Up Is: Not get out of bed for 10 minutes
I Can't Leave The House Without: iPhone
I'm Well Known For: Not too
much
My Hobbies Are: Fixing
electronics
I Have A Passion For: Cacao 90%
First Band Name: Gut Instinct
Tomorrow I Will: Drive to
Houston to play a show
My Biggest Aspiration: To use
whatever success to help less
fortunate.
I Think AltSounds is: Legit.
The Story
Tucked in the woods of northern
Connecticut is the barn/recording studio/rehearsal space that Mercies calls home.
Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Josh Rheault, with the help of his family and friends,
restored the barn in the Fall and Winter of 2010/2011. Not only were 2x4’s cut, concrete
poured, and electricity run, but Mercies found it’s humble beginnings through this
restoration process.
Mercies began in the winter of 2009 when friend, collaborator, and drummer, Sammy
Dent, joined Rheault. The duo spent the Fall and Winter of 2010/2011 recording their
debut album Three Thousand Days in the space now simply and affectionately referred
to as “The Barn.”
Now joined by bassist, Jordan Flower, Mercies have produced yet another masterpiece.
Chronicled on The Ballet you will find a little bit of new, old, and just as the titled states,
music for a ballet. The EP features “Music for a Ballet: Light” and “Music for a Ballet:
Dark”. Both pieces make up the composition for The Charlottesville Ballet
choreographed by Audrey Fenske.
“The EP was a way for us to work out some new ideas. It has two old songs that have
been reworked, a new song, and our first endeavor at writing for something other than
just a song for another record. Writing the music for the ballet was both challenging and
inspiring and we definitely look forward to taking on more projects in this realm” States
Rheault.
Not wasting any time, Mercies have already begun to write material for their next fulllength
album. With their sights set on more collaboration with dance companies, other
multimedia projects, scoring films, and touring to support both Three Thousand Days
and The Ballet, the future is looking bright for the ambitious trio. - AltSounds

Mercies, the incredible duo of Josh Rheault and Sammy Dent, will be performing at Union
Pool in Brooklyn on Aug. 31. Recently, they released their album, Three Thousand Days,
which is composed of 10 tracks of intricate indie rock, recorded in a newly transformed barn in
which Rheault and Dent were inspired by the sounds of nature. The band is sure to stun the
audience in Brooklyn with the intense and creative melodies of this album. Also performing will
be Ancient Sky and Dead Sands. Doors open at 8 p.m.; tickets are $8. - The Aquarian Weekly

Emerging from a barn in Connecticut with a sound that
unites the bouncing tones of Chet Atkins with the rich
resonance of classical favorites, Mercies aims to create
"music that's not bound by lyrics," according to drummer
Sammy Dent. This goal is certainly realized in their upcoming EP The Ballet, part of which is a
collaboration with Charlottesville Ballet. No matter where their haunting, melodic music takes
them, Mercies is always en pointe.
Wed., March 7, 8 p.m., $7, with Upholstery, Spanish Prisoners and Your Gentlemen, Kung Fu
Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 215-291-4919, kungfunecktie.com. - Philadelphia City Paper

On March 27, the Connecticut-based indie trio
Mercies will release their new EP, a follow up to
their debut album Three Thousand Days. The
Ballet presents both new and old songs, including
material scored for the Charlottesville Ballet.
As the group looks ahead to the release of The
Ballet, it has offered Relix the exclusive premiere of
“In My Room.” This is the group’s take on The
Beach Boys’ tune that originally appears on the
1974 album Endless Summer. - Relix.com

Indie-rock trio Mercies is gearing up to put
out its new self-released EP, titled The Ballet,
on March 27. The Ballet will contain some
new and reworked material, along with the
score for a ballet commissioned by the
Charlottesville Ballet. Two of the songs on
the EP will make up the ballet composition,
with the remaining three tracks functioning
on their own. Today CMJ is premiering The
Ballet‘s “Take You Away.”
“Take You Away” is a hazy, woodland folk song that evokes the sound and atmosphere
ofFleet Foxes. But what else would you expect from a band that records its music in a
barn in the woods of Northern Connecticut? We’re interested to see how the group
applies this sound to a ballet. Tchaikovsky meets the forest, perhaps?
Listen to Mercies’ “Take You Away” below. - CMJ

Indie rock trio 'Mercies' performs on Fox CT Morning Extra and talks about their experience at SXSW. - Fox CT

Maybe it’s my growing but futile desire to ignore summer’s celerity that is making me feel more and more like autumn is looking over my shoulder. Or it might have to do with Three Thousand Days, progressive-folk band Mercies’ debut LP. After listening to this album I realized it has all the elements to score Autumn’s blossom: a warm airy ambiance that peaks and collapses through their own brand of haunting harmonies and natural sounding guitar work. Their capricious sound creates moments of melancholy followed by stretches of bittersweet clarity as Mercies poses thought-provoking questions and emotions that leaves the listener feeling like the leaves should be turning colors any minute.

Three Thousand Days is an artistic expression of change, transition, and ends. It reveals a period of time in my life and the emotions born from it," said Josh Rheault, former member of the band The Dear Hunter, an indie prog-rock band from Providence, Rhode Island. The meaningful yet pleasingly ambiguous lyrics are complemented by a clash of folk, and the textual spacey, and at times heavy, guitar work that made The Dear Hunter such a big success in their respective scene. Clashing folk with modern progressive rock is a recipe for disaster but tracks such as the four and half minute Roads, prove that it can be done and done well. For the first half, Josh and the other half of Mercies, Sammy Dent, belt out pure emotion as a precursor to a two-minute instrumental outro that grooves, wails, and entrances.

With such a unique and pleasurably clashing sound, this album is sure to propel these guys into a scene they’ll have to fight to win over. However, that is the greatest part about finding an upcoming band like this. I’ll be cheering for these guys every step of the way, and after a good listen you’ll understand why. If you’re in the NYC area on August 31st, make sure to head out to Union Pool in Brooklyn to see Mercies play live! - The Deli Magazine

Mercies are an indie-folk-rock conglomeration from Suffield, CT. Members Josh Rheault and Sammy Dent, joined forces in 2009 and in late 2010/early 2011 set about producing Three Thousand Days, their impassioned debut album.
The chronicling of its production is interesting in itself, with the duo both hailing from musical side ventures. Not only did they combine to create a new band and new music, they also restored a barn near their home in Northern Connecticut and turned it into a fully functioning recording studio at the same time. Now aptly named ‘The Barn’ it is the center of all things Mercies, whilst also being a creative hub for other artists.
‘The Barn’ did not let them down as a facilitator for their debut offering, Three Thousand Days. The instrumentals are thought provoking and captivating from the outset. The first track ‘Questions’ emits the ominous lyrics, “Question’s don’t always have answers”, which follow a series of intricate melodies and interwoven harmonies. Within this track they continue to take you on a lyrical journey before a steadfast guitar drives you into the rest of the album.
‘Sleep’ is a jauntier and more upbeat song, and it provides an underlying marching rhythm and hand claps that are also evident on ‘Stranger’ towards the latter end of the album. This starts off with an eclectic arrangement before carefully harmonized vocals and an insistent beat take the fore. In contrast, a forlorn undertone is evident within ‘Roads’. The lyrics are like listening to a private diary with the words, “we’ve lost ourselves out here”, and it makes you wonder about the influence of their surroundings on their lyrical choices.
The third track off the album, ‘Animals’ opens with a simple piano and then quietly introduces soft vocals and a smatter of melody aiding percussion, which perfectly assists the pondering demands such as, “just tell us why you made us”. They plead for more answers, whilst we feel like we have stepped into their cave of self discovery. “We have no idea just what we’re supposed to fear, we’re animals just the same” are the words just before the closing tinkling of a piano, that provides a neat parallel to the opening of the song, bringing it appropriately full circle.
‘Clouds’ is like a 60’s-transfused Interpol track, complete with edgy guitar riffs and the flair akin to ‘Slow Hands’. However, it is ‘Tortured Souls’ that is the stand out track, and has an innocent, raw feel that grabs at you once the violin kicks in. The arrangement tugs at the heart, before concluding with one of those simple melodies that they do so well throughout the album’s entirety.
The vocals themselves are soulfully unique. At times they are reminiscent of Placebo’s Brian Malko, and at times there are vague hints of Bowie. What seems like two completely separate and distinct voices are minutely separated and embodied within Mercies’ sound. A sound distinct, at times sorrowful, yet somehow one that opens up a whole world of promise. - Secret Sound Shop

Josh Rheault and Sammy Dent, the guys comprising Mercies, have channeled one of those releases that engages within a few bars; immediately feeling like something special. Something important. Something to keep around, something to tell your best friends about.

Is Three Thousand Days something groundbreaking? Considering the widely accessible pool of art, references, and equipment available to a vast sea of musicians, that last consideration’s a toughie. In most cases, one ends up moving the stakes down a notch or two, preferring to be responsible for deciding if it’s a best-of-the-year contender.

Mercies is all of the above – except, maybe, groundbreaking… yet (since Fleet Foxes, the Dears, early Bowie, and a number of others have also manifested music this seminal and dynamic). However, the band stands out immediately, per its ability to take elements that, when parsed, could be said to be part of so many “Indie” sounds, and making them feel new; compelling.

On “Animals,” before and after impassioned but perfectly restrained (as in knowing when and how to stop) rounds of vocals, there are light trickles of piano notes; the kind of piano notes that make me love the piano. There are poignant narratives that make me wonder what happened in the songwriter’s life, that he should make these sounds that tell me someone else knows how it feels to hear a friend’s committed suicide, or another species of birds has dropped off the map. Or, as on “Tortured Souls,” when someone else knows a soul that seems to be disappearing down the wrong path. And then there’s just the right, light touch to tell me (without saying it outright) that there’s still hope in this world. Or the riveting, rock-loving touch (“In My Mind“) that says we shouldn’t give up too easily.

I’m pretty confident in opining that Mercies aren’t just around for the sake of being a band. I rather doubt Dent and Rheault think much about money, or “making it big,” although, like most artists, they appreciate an ample and understanding audience (along with the scene they’ve already attracted to the barn in Suffield, Connecticut that they renovated into an amazing creative/recording space). Once in a while, music this free of pretense, artifice, and in-crowdishness lopes along. That it exists in the service of essentially truthful, beautiful expression, in the service of something called art? That’s just part of what makes Three Thousand Days special. - My Old Kentucky Blog