Mercy Arms

Mercy Arms
Background information
Origin	Sydney, Australia
Genres	Rock n' Roll Dream pop
Years active	January, 2005 – February, 2009
Website	MySpace page

Mercy Arms were a band from Sydney, Australia. They were together 2005-2009, in which time they released 1 Ep and 1 Lp in Australia.

History

The band was named after a welfare centre in Sydney's suburb of Waterloo. However, other than Moore, all of the band were from Sydney's Northern Beaches. Moore met Callinan & Sudek in early 2005. The band really came into being after Ash Moss joined on bass guitar, shortly after the band's inception taking over bass duties from Moore's schoolfriend Alex Coutts. December 2005, saw Todd Wagstaff (The Vines, Empire of the Sun) become the group's manager.

2006 saw the band tour Australia with The Strokes, record two tracks with Dave Sitek from TV on the Radio(unreleased), and sign with Capitol Records in the US. However, the deal would be short-lived, and within months the band were dropped from Capitol, following its merger with Virgin. The band toured with the Pixies, Editors, Cut Copy, Wolf & Cub and the Horrors, and played at the Sydney and Gold Coast legs of the V Festival. The band's first release, the Kept Low EP, was recorded at Mixmaster Studios in Adelaide, Australia with Nic Littlemore and Peter Mayes producing, better known as PNAU. The Ep was released through Levity in Australia, a label A+R'd by Todd Wagstaff, and funded by Levi Jeans.

In 2008 the band recorded and released their debut self-titled LP. It was produced by Tony Cohen (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds) and mixed by Tony Espie (The Avalanches) mastered by David Walker at Stepford Audio Melbourne. It was recorded at Linear Recording Studios in Sydney, New South Wales and Sing Sing Studio's in Melbourne, Victoria. The record was released through MGM distribution.

In 2009, following touring on the Big Day Out in 2009, the band went their separate ways. Other groups and projects involving Mercy Arms members include FLRL (Fashion Launches Rocket Launches), started by Kirin J. Callinan & Julian Sudek with Jono Ma of Lost Valentinos & Daniel Stricker of Midnight Juggernauts, Kirin performing solo as Kirin J. Callinan and in Jack Ladder's band, Julian Sudek in Pineapple Head, and Ash Moss in Dark Bells.

Members

• Thom Moore - Guitar, Organ, Piano, Vocals, Hair.
• Kirin J. Callinan – Guitar, Soundscapes, Vocals & Astaire.
• Ash Moss – Bass Guitar, Jackets.
• Julian Sudek – Drums + Various Percussion, Skateboards.

Discography

Shot Right Down Single

1. "Shot Right Down" - 6:51

Kept Low EP

1. "Kept Low" – 2:57
2. "Shot Right Down" – 6:49
3. "Ending To Begin" – 3:30
4. "Uptown Address" – 3:24
5. "Scream" – 3:14
6. "Loitering with Intent" (download only)

Limited pressing singles

1. "Always"
2. "Sacred Heart"
3. "Julie"
4. "Quit Your Fooling"

"Half Right" (Single)

1. "Half Right"
2. "Quit Your Fooling"
3. "Always" (download only)

Mercy Arms (Self-titled album)

1. "Down Here, So Long"
2. "Half Right"
3. "Footsteps"
4. "To Me Now"
5. "Kilby"
6. "Speed"
7. "Shine A Light Down"
8. "Caroline"
9. "Firing Line"
10. "On & On"
11. "1956 State Fair" (download only)

Touring

Past touring

• Supported The Strokes on the 2006 Australian Tour.
• Supported Wolf & Cub on the 2006 Australian tour
• Supported Cut Copy on the 'Hearts On fire' 2007 Australia tour.
• Australian "Kept Low" tour, supported nationally by Ghostwood (band)
• Supported Editors as part of the Splendour in the Grass sideshows in August 2007 throughout Australia.
• Supported The Horrors on their 2007 Australian Tour.
• Supported Pixies on their Sydney show in 2007.
• Australian album tour, supported nationally by The Process + Cut Off Your Hands
• Supported Cut Copy on their 2008 UK & Scandinavia Tour
• Australian "Down Here So Long" tour, December 2008.

References

External links

• Mercy Arms on Myspace