Off The Record
Small Mercies
Young Brisbane band, Small Mercies have just released their debut EP, Off The Record. Sounding far more experienced than their tender years would lead you to believe; the five tracks here possess power, precision and passion. I contacted the band to get the scoop and here is what they had to say.
Pellet Gun.
The first single, this was a late inclusion as it was written only a short time before the EP was recorded. It is a rock song with raw energy and barely contained angst and aggression. It explores the slightly more sinister side and emotions of love such as desire, lust and betrayal.
Favourite Addiction
This is a love song with as twist. Knowledge that cigarettes, drugs and the like are detrimental to your health is commonly known, this draws parallels between addictive habits such as smoking and the sometimes addictive nature of love. It delves into love and relationships, exploring how sometimes relationships can be bad for you, yet some people still cannot get enough of them. Originally formed from the moulding of two songs, the parts seemed to gel together as if they were written to be the same song. It has evolved over the past 6 to 12 months after being played regularly in the live set.
Don’t You Know Who I Am?
The song tells a story of feeling insignificance. It’s about being pushed to the side because you are apparently of little importance in the eyes of society. It seems that people within our society are obsessed with celebrity and it’s due to this that there seems to be an obsessive need by people to chase any type fame, not mater how fleeting it may be in order to be noticed and to feel a greater sense of significance within society! It was written early on in the piece and for a long time remained on the pile of leftovers. However, it has since been resurrected and due to its catchy melody and rocking groove, has fast become a favourite within the live set!
Is This Life?
This is one of the band’s most evocative songs. Its haunting mood and lyrics evoke strong emotion such as loss and helplessness as it deals with the loss of a loved one or a significant person in ones life. The line “Is this life we are living now you’ve gone” captures the essence of the song in respect to the difficulty the journey of life seems to be when an important person in that journey is no longer by your side! It was written after experiencing such a loss and, along with all those involved, having to deal with it.
In & Out
This is a simple look at ‘being yourself’. In many ways, it’s a love song that highlights the fact that love is for the person you are, not for what you are “I love the way that you breathe”! Similar to Don’t You Know Who I Am? in respect to having been on the bench, live set wise. After a bit of a makeover it has risen in the ranks to be a strong song with a very punchy chorus and rocking groove!
Off The Record is in stores now.
Rob Hudson
official site