Words by Lee Barber, The Underground Venue Manager, Co-Producer of The Honey Box and Honey Box Hive project lead
There’s no messing about with Gradient – the latest single from Stoke band Mercury. The four-piece get straight into it, raw snares, sharp riffs, grinding guitar work and dulcet vocals which sets the band apart in Stoke’s ever strengthening scene.
It seems MERCURY walked into Lower Lane Studios with a vision, and producer Sam Bloor was more than up for the task, with the sound of MERCURY already becoming one you can instantly recognise as theirs – such is the uniqueness of the emotional drive which lingers throughout Jake Ward’s vocals, the deft harmonies from bassist Ike Reed, the natural aura riveting through each beat of the drum from Dean Boon.
Guitarist Harvey Magher, too, has brought his own unique style to the table, laying it out for all to see, hear, feel, and he is clearly excited to have Gradient out there in the wild.
“Gradient has always been a favourite of mine since we wrote it. We debuted the song live when we played Outbreak Festival 2023 and since then it’s been a staple of the set. The initial parts of the songs date back to 2020 in our infancy as a band, and it sat waiting to be finished until after the pandemic. We pre-produced/recorded it at Lowe Lane Studios with my good friends Sam Bloor and Jonny Price, and we’re all relieved to finally have this released, after so many setbacks, and we’re looking forward to seeing where it might take us.”
Taking inspiration from the likes of Hum, Failure and Helmet, Magher has forced MERCURY to the forefront of what is fast becoming a thriving Stoke scene, something he is playing a huge part of both on and off the stage, something he is very much aware of and has no intentions of shying away.
“I’m proud to be from Stoke, and none of us will deny we’re from here. If it wasn’t for the local music scene here I wouldn’t be a gigging musician. It’s obviously hard to gather a big crowd for a show, but there’s plenty of great talent and passion to build things up to how they used to be, and I’m confident we are seeing the scene getting closer its best once again.”
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As an outfit MERCURY are still very much in their infancy, and yet already they have come so far on their journey, with a resume consisting of over 140,000 Spotify plays on After, and a performance at Outbreak Festival, and a plethora of shows all across the country thrown in for good measure, the Stoke band are doing everything right.
The Gradient of the music industry mountain MERCURY find themselves ascending is a steep one, but they are proving ready for the challenge laid out before them, racing forwards with forceful progression and concentrated vision, remaining true to who they are and what they stand for, and in doing so MERCURY are the physical and audio embodiment of sticking to your morals.
MERCURY are next playing Stoke on August 24th at The Underground as part of the first StormFest.
