The Mercies
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The Mercies

Dallas, Texas, United States

Dallas, Texas, United States
Band Americana Singer/Songwriter

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

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Press


"Now that is good music (CD Review)"

From CD Review, April 2008

Every once in a while, a record comes along that takes my breath away. I don’t even know how to categorize their sound. It’s folksy. It’s bluesy. It’s a little country. The first track I heard is called “Save Me.” It opens with this:

“Bobbi was a small town girl
She wanted to see the world
She learned to hide her dreams
In the pocket of her blue jeans…”

Come on, doesn’t that put such an image of Americana in your mind? You know, the small-town girl in her faded Levi’s sitting in her boyfriend’s pick-up truck at the Dairy Queen, dreaming of something more; of escaping her little town for the big city? I can relate. Totally. I cannot get this song out of my head. Karen’s voice has that gravelly sexiness that I would kill for. You know, there is some music that makes me think that I can sing. And this is that music, And trust me, I can’t sing to save my life.

I hesitate to compare The Mercies to other musical acts. But I just have to. Karen’s smoky voice is reminiscent of Melissa Etheridge. And then there are the memories of John Mellencamp, who I grew up on, and his all-American lyrics. And for me, there’s even a little Trisha Yearwood in there; perhaps that is their Southern sensibilities?

Good music moves me. Listening to The Mercies, I am transported back to a time when music was fresh and full of promise and it made me genuinely feel something. Their music is about just that: music. It’s about the lyrics and the instruments and the clear voices and it’s just so simple and deep and real.

The Mercies have earned their place on my playlist. It’s honest American rock. My favorite kind of music. Hours after listening to their album, I am still singing their songs. Now that is good music.

- Melissa the Mouth, freelance journalist


"Oh my goodness! (Live Performance Review)"

White Elephant Room, Ft. Worth, TX (September 20, 2008)

Review appeared in FWSA Magazine/Newsletter (October 2008)

Oh my goodness! Acoustic guitarist Karen Whitley and bassist Kim Naddeo accompanied by harmonica player Spider Minshew were lights out. This was my first time to hear these eclectic performers and I kept thinking how lucky I was to witness the beginnings of something big! Already they are making a regional impact around the state of Texas. Keep your eyes open for their upcoming performances and go hear them. - Buddy Pettigrew, President FWSA


"Every song has a unique pulse (Interview)"

Excerpts from interview

Doug Waterman: Is there anything in particular that provides you with song inspiration more than other things?

Kim (bassist): My musical voice is an accumulation of all my life experiences and the places I've been. Every song has a unique pulse. I try to remain open and let the song speak to me.

Karen (singer/guitarist): For me, songwriting is a spiritual connection, a way to find higher meaning in life. I become inspired in single moments from the mere act of paying attention to life around me. I don't sit down to write a song. The song sits me down to write it.

Read the complete interview in the 2008 May/June issue of American Songwriter Magazine. - American Songwriter Magazine, Doug Waterman


Discography

The Mercies, Self-Titled Indie Release, January 2008. Available at www.themercies.com and for download at Napster, e-Music, Rhapsody, and Amazon MP3.

Photos

Bio

PRESS RELEASE (2-20-09): The Mercies have finished recording their new album at The Rendering Plant in Nashville with producer Phil Madeira, who is also known as a multi-instrumentalist (Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffith, Elvis Costello) and songwriter (Alison Krauss, Toby Keith, Garth Brooks). The Mercies were joined in the studio by drummer Bryan Owings (Emmylou Harris, Shelby Lynne). Phil Madeira also played Hammond B3 organ and electric guitars on the record.

Listen to The Mercies' award-winning song "Missing You in Memphis" that earned them a full-page interview in American Songwriter Magazine. Multi-platinum songwriter Phil Madeira shares songwriting credit on this song for his contribution to the music and arrangement.

Another sneak preview from the album is "Save Me" that's been a fan favorite and will be the first single released for radio airplay.

The Mercies will also be shooting a video release of the cover "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison in Toronto, Canada in May 2009.

Highlights 2008

* National press, a full-page interview in American Songwriter Magazine
* “Missing You in Memphis” a winner of the American Songwriter Magazine contest
* Headliner two nights at Ruta Maya’s, Austin Women’s Music Festival, Austin, TX
* Featured artist on the Texas Star Stage at the famed Strawberry Festival in Pasadena, TX
* Invited to sing the National Anthem at Irving Stadium for the Relay for Life, Irving, TX
* Top 10 ranking on MySpace Texas music charts in folk-rock, Americana, and roots
* Ft. Worth Songwriters Association Showcase, Ft. Worth Stockyards, Ft. Worth, TX
* 95.3FM Shiner Bock Rising Star Showcase, Lewisville, TX
* AirHogs Baseball Pregame Shows & on-field interview at QuikTrip Park, Grand Prairie, TX
* Upcoming headliner at The Cove in San Antonio, TX
* Upcoming performance at World United Music Festival in San Marcos, TX
* Visit www.themercies.com for more details!

The Story of The Mercies
Karen was awestruck the first moment she heard her Grandpa Pete Whitley sing “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” From that moment, she knew exactly what she wanted to be, a singer-songwriter like her Papa. At the age of eight, she wrote her first song on her Grandpa’s old Buck Owens guitar. Karen has matured into exactly what she wanted to become…a genuine singer-songwriter. Every song tells a deeply personal, yet universal story, with remarkable simplicity and honesty.

Karen found a perfect match in bassist and songwriting partner Kim Naddeo. Kim got her first guitar, a Sears Silvertone, from her mother for Christmas when she was sixteen. She didn’t even ask for it but knew it was something special the first time she strummed those strings. A few years later, Kim bought her first bass for a boyfriend who loved music, but the bass sat in the corner until she picked it up and instantly fell in love. They broke up, but the bass stayed. She eventually migrated to the music mecca of the Lone Star State, where she and Karen crossed paths.

They met while working together in another project, but their musical chemistry soared to new heights when they began writing, recording, and performing as The Mercies. In April 2006, Karen was diagnosed with breast cancer and became 1 of only 11,000 young women diagnosed that year. The long road to recovery gave new meaning to their lives and new meaning to their music.

In January 2008, they released a promo EP featuring their raw Texas sound. Journalist Melissa the Mouth describes it this way: “It’s folksy. It’s a little country. It’s honest American rock.” Their song “Save Me” begins, “Bobbi was a small town girl / She wanted to see the world / She learned to hide her dreams / In the pocket of her blue jeans.” Melissa the Mouth said, “Come on, doesn’t that put such an image of Americana in your mind? You know, the small-town girl in her faded Levi’s sitting in her pick-up truck at the Dairy Queen, dreaming of something more…of escaping her little town for the big city?”

Currently, The Mercies are performing regionally and recording tracks for a full-length release on True West Records in January 2009. Additionally, The Mercies are members of the Americana Music Association, Roots Music Association, and the Ft. Worth Songwriters Association.