Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
"We get about 75 new albums a DAY coming in here now, (about 30,000 total), and the mercy kiss is one of the best I've ever heard."
Derek Sivers, president CD Baby - CD Baby
"the mercy kiss belongs on the radio on a national level" - June 2003
"Having wandered into the warehouse of CD Baby, a dark, mysterious man shouted out, upon hearing The Mercy Kiss, "This is like taking the full band version of Dashboard Confessional, mixing it with Coheed & Cambria's rocking emo and Jimmy Eat World's accessible radio ready feel.. excellent muse! and these vocals remind me of Chris Carrabba from Dashboard..!" The strange man was quarantined and was never to be seen or heard from again- but now we think he might have been on to something. This pro-level emo has a way of inspiring outsiders, every day people and a prophet here and there." - CD Baby
Discography
the mercy kiss - s/t EP
boys:girls touch:taste - LP
the mercy kiss - EP002 - EP
the mercy kiss - EP003 - EP
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Great bands sound amazing on record, but even better live insists the mercy kiss front man Aryn Moore. You have to also have a personal connection to the audience that goes beyond their liking your songs - they have to relate to you as people. If you can reach people like this, they will support you for your entire career, no matter what.
It may seem odd for an unsigned band to wax poetic about career longevity and the makings of a great band, but the Los Angeles indie rockers arent going to sell themselves short.
Moore and multi-instrumentalist Bay Dariz formed the mercy kiss back in 2003 in Darizs hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was a sonic reaction of sorts to the local success of their former band, and for the duo, it was a chance to start a new project from scratch, building the group exactly the way they wanted to. Along the way they picked up Moores good friend, explosive drummer Ian Finch, and the mercy kiss was on the go.
So many bands lose control of their career early on because they dont know what kind of band they want to be and they have no idea how to succeed on their own, says Dariz. When we started this band, we decided that we were going to do everything ourselves, and we have.
This DIY attitude has led to the release of three CDsall produced, recorded, and mixed by the band. In keeping with their indie status, the mercy kiss also maintain their own website, design all of their merchandise, and have self-booked and promoted several cross-country tours.
In fact, 2005 has already been a big year for the hands-on band. The mercy kiss appeared in a Pepsi/iTunes Superbowl commercial and an ad for Best Buy, and theyve already released one EP with another planned for Fall. By the end of the year theyll have spent nearly 6 months on the road connecting with people one show at a time.
Having such a personal approach helps the mercy kiss form a closer bond with their audience. When people look at our T-shirts and find out that I drew the pictures on them, theyre surprisedbut it also drives home the point that this band and the music we create is our passion, says Dariz.
The band spends an enormous amount of time, energy, and creativity on their music, and their intensity pays off. At a recent show, someone from the opening band asked me how we got so tight, recalls Dariz. I told him that we live together and we rehearse every day. We take this all very seriously, but its also what we enjoy doing most.
And the mercy kiss hopes to keep on doing it for a long timeexpanding their exponentially-growing fan base, touring constantly, and pushing the limits of what people expect from a three-piece bandall to the backbeat of some pretty damn good music.
Links