Read a track-by-track breakdown of Mercy Music’s new album!

Today we are thrilled to bring you the track-by-track breakdown of Mercy Music’s new album What You Stand to Lose! The album is out today on Double Helix Records. Speaking to Punknews, vocalist and guitarist Brendan Scholz provided in depth breakdowns of each of the 11 great tracks on the album. Read what he had to say below!

“SUDDENLY”

This is one of the songs that came the fastest for the record. If memory serves correctly, I also believe this is the last song I/ we finished before we left to do the record. This song is loosely based on the more negative aspects that come with trying to pursue a life in music. I’ve been doing this a really long time, and it basically tackles always getting back up again because it’s what you truly love to do. Fun fact: This is Jarred’s (bass) favorite song on the record.

“LOVE YOU/NEED YOU”

I had the intro/chorus riff hanging around for many years but couldn’t find a melody to save my life. Then at some point, it came to me as I was falling asleep. The working title for this song was “yacht” because the main riff harkened back to the fancy-free days of yacht rock. Despite it being a pain in the ass to play, this is probably my favorite song on the record and one I’m actually not sick of playing live yet. I’m also really stoked on the guitar solo.

“REAL”

This IS the song that came out the fastest for the record. I think the chords and melody and arrangement came out in a matter of minutes. It’s short and to the point with heavy early Beatles/power pop vibes. I think it sounds like a song that could have been on our first record. This track required some additional percussion in the chorus. I was unable to execute properly, and Rye (drums) had left the studio at that point, so Jarred (bass) stepped in and saved the day in a couple of takes. Initially, this was going to be the third “single” we released but decided not to in the end.

“BELIEVE IN WE”

Initially this song was a lot slower, maybe more of a ballad? We all ended up agreeing that it would be better/more powerful if we sped it up. The chorus melody and main lyric kinda came out at once for this one, and I built around it. The verse arrangement was slightly different initially, Bill made some suggestions and we kinda went with that. I think it makes it flow much better. We kinda did an acoustic test run of this song for a podcast before we announced the record, and it seems people liked it. I remember Bill really liked the chorus on this one too.

“UNDONE”

This was the first single off our first record. It kind of encapsulates the Mercy Music sound, if there is one. I really just wanted to re-record it at The Blasting Room. There are some slight changes that came from us playing live for so many years, but it’s essentially the same song, just a better representation in my opinion. I still like playing this song live and it still seems to be a crowd favorite even though it’s mid-tempo. Also, I believe this is Joey Cape’s favorite Mercy Music song.

“FINE”

This is the first song I ever released under the name Mercy Music, back when it was just me and an acoustic guitar. It’s become our anthem for lack of a better word. I am certain we have closed every show we’ve ever played with this song. Another song I wanted to re-record at The Blasting Room, mainly because it has transformed so much since its inception. It started as kind of a folk song and ended up becoming the fastest song we play, and I wanted a version that represents what it is now. It’s a barn-burnin’ good time. Hahaha!

“WATCH ME DROWN”

This is one of the first songs I wrote for the record and still one of my favorites. I think we’ve only played it a handful of times live but will be adding it to the set for the upcoming release shows. It’s tricky to play and kind of all over the place. Every verse and chorus are a little bit different than the one before it. I like writing things that way because I generally have a short attention span and want to keep it fun and interesting. I can say there’s a very heavy ALL/ Descendents vibe to this one, and even a nod to Van Halen.

“FOUND OUT I’M USELESS”

This one a tad out of the normal Mercy Music box. It’s one of two songs on the record that have a real 90s slacker feel. Funny enough, the working title for this song was “slacker”. I think the general feel of the song adds to the darker self-deprecating lyrical content. Though it sounds simple there are a few easter eggs in there for fun. We’ve played this one live a few times and people seem to be enjoying it. It definitely has my favorite guitar solo of all the songs on the record.

“WHAT’S THE USE”

This is the other song with strong 90s vibes. I started writing this one during the pandemic (we’re still in one?) and kind of finished it later. I remember coming home from work the day everything shut down, looking at my guitar cases and wondering, “What the fuck have I done with my life” and kind of just melting down. This song is about battling those thoughts. It’s not my personal favorite on the record, but I still think it’s a strong song that needed to be on there.

“TOTAL NIGHTMARE”

I know it’s not really a thing people say, but this is my least favorite song on the record, and I doubt we’ll ever play it live. I can’t tell you what it is specifically, it just kind of is. This is another one with a lot of changes and variations, nothing really repeats. There is also a super epic key change leading into the last chorus/ outro of the song. Maybe you’ll love it? Feel free to let me know.

“WAITING TO BEGIN”

I almost pulled this one from the record, but Bill believed in it and insisted we do it. This is probably the most personal/vulnerable song on the record. It was really hard to put pen to paper for this one. In my head, I initially thought this would be a very stripped-down guitar in a room type of song, but The Blasting Room added some production elements that I believe really put it into a league of its own. I think it closes the record perfectly, and definitely, a song we might experiment with doing live in the future.