The Music Matters campaign launched in Australia today and Oh Mercy are one of the first artists to be featured…
“As a 23 year old writing my third album doing the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do, every other part of my life exists in the giant and encompassing shadow that my passion for music has cast…”
Alexander Gow, Oh Mercy
From today, most of the 30,000 punters start the trip to beautiful Woodfordia to take in a little slice of live music heaven: the Splendour in the Grass festival. Gumboots and clothes for all seasons packed, the journey can be a long one for some. I hope you’ve created some playlists for your travel and downloaded the free app from the Splendour facebook page (which, can I just say, is freakin awesome!):
We’re pretty excited to see this awesome lineup appear in real life so we’ve put together a playlist to get us in the mood:
Tracklist is:
Jesus Came To My Birthday Party – The Middle East
Gold Canary – Cloud Control
Undertow – Warpaint
Hurt Me – The Jezabels
Limit To Your Love – James Blake
Monster – Kanye West feat Jay-Z, Bon Iver, Nicki Minaj
“I’m writing a concept album about Alana from Master Chef” A.Gow
Last week, Oh Mercy released their new single Confessions with the b-side of Leonard Cohen’s Memories, recorded live in Melbourne by triple j. This two-track gem of Confessions & Memories is just crying out for a tumblr, right?
Well, the band has started one at confessionsandmemories.tumblr.com and you can contribute your guilty pleasure, deep dark secret or treasured memory to it.
Put a bit of the old pen to paper via postcard or send on via electronic mail!
Oh Mercy, PO Box 311, Balaclava, Victoria 3183
or email the band.
2010-11 brought us a stellar year of Australian music… which explains the very impressive shortlist for the 2011 Australian Music Prize: Cloud Control, The Holidays, Dan Kelly (hello!), Sally Seltmann, Gareth Liddiard, Pikelet, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Tame Impala, and Richard In Your Mind. Congrats to all! These artists have been chosen by media, fellow artists and retail staff to vie for the title & $30K courtesy of PPCA.
In the next twelve months however, Oh Mercy are set to make their latest contribution to Oz music history. Alexander Gow & co’s new album Great Barrier Grief was inspired by the Australian ’sound’ and the classic songs and songwriters who’ve soundtracked our lives: Paul and Dan Kelly, the Go-Betweens, The Triffids, The Panics, and more… The artwork for Great Barrier Grief (left) was painted by legendary Australian artist Ken Done.
The tracks Stay Please Stay and Keith St from Great Barrier Grief have captured hearts and ears nationally, leading up to the album’s release on March 4.
On the eve of album release, Oh Mercy will launch and perform tracks from Great Barrier Grief at the Amp Winner Announcement at Sydney’s Annandale Hotel.
This competition is now closed.
If you missed out on tickets, you can still attend the free acoustic gig at Red Eye Records (66 King Sst, Sydney) this Friday from 5pm. Alex will be performing and signing copies of “Great Barrier Grief”. RSVP here.
Great Barrier Grief is now available for pre-order on iTunes (with an exclusive track ft Elizabeth Lam) or from JB Hi-Fi (with a lyrics sheet signed by Alex Gow).
More visual contributions to the stunning He Will Have His Way: The Songs of Tim & Neil Finn talent collective.
The video for Oh Mercy’s (AKA Alexander Gow) breezy suburban rendition of Crowded House’s classic I Feel Possessed was filmed in on the sunny streets of Melbourne town and directed by David Withers at Life in Digital.
Oh Mercy are working on a new album Great Barrier Grief, due March 2011. Hopefully it’ll still be summery enough enjoy out on the deck with a cool beer. ‘Tis the season.
Agreed, we’re on a bit of a Finn Brothers binge right now, but we’d like to draw an honest comparison between Melbourne’s Oh Mercy and the classic intelligent Australian (ok, trans-Tasman) songwriting of Crowded House and Paul Kelly. To firm up that endorsement, Oh Mercy are even nationally touring with Crowded House this November.
At the heart of the Oh Mercy team is Alexander Gow, who has released a prior Oh Mercy EP and album… however Keith St is a turning point and a glimpse at the upcoming album.
The EP’s title track is sincere, wistful and bold, detailing the unraveling of a relationship in through the course of an Australian summer.
Keith St was originally released as a two track 7″ vinyl single, which sold out in just under two weeks! Thankfully it has been repackaged as an EP including features three previously unreleased b-sides. The iTunes version also includes When I Said from the vinyl single.
Here’s the laid-back video for Keith St. It was shot on the streets of Melbourne by UK based director Brad Lawson. (The footage was actually meant for two viral vids of Alex performing an acoustic version of Keith St, however the iconic back drop of the MCG, Richmond Stn, & the Rooftop Bar at Curtin House cried out to be a beautiful film clip!)
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