Mercury Crowe interview - From Supernova to Mercury

Mercury Crowe will clear that blockage in your arteries and be your refreshing bite after a nasty hangover.  They’re a cool, clean morning summer smoothy of rock, pop, jazz and blues all blended into a uniquely formed and easily digested feast for your ears.  TheSets’s Sarah H. caught up with the foursome to find out what their new E.P is all about and most of all, what they are all about. 

TheSet: How did you guys form?
Allan: Nick and I went to high school together and spent a lot of time just jamming and playing music together. Nick and Hamish were in a band together and that band eventually came to an end. At the same time had been playing in a jazz trio with Rowan. So we all were introduced to one another, started playing together… and never stopped.
Rowan: I had been playing in Jazz bands with Nick, and met Al and Hamish through him. I hadn’t been in a rock band since high school and was hanging out to ’re-join’ that world, and as luck would have it, the other three were all free at the time.
 
If you could describe your music as a flavour, what would it taste like?
Rowan: A visit to McDonalds after a hard night, it puts you right back on top immediately.
Nick: Like a Big Mac after a surf…….that good.

If you could be any female music artist, who would you be?
Allan: One of The Wreckers (Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp). They’re like the sweethearts of country rock in America. I could live on a ranch in Tennessee, ride a horse, tour lots and play mandolin. Sweet.
Hamish: Bonnie Rait. Definitely. She’s amazing! She’s relaxed and in control when she sings and amazing on slide guitar. She’s also one of the only female artists that has really influenced the sound of modern blues.
Rowan: Annie Lennox, she writes the most perfect pop/rock tunes, and sounds like a black soul singer from the southern states of America.
Nick – I’d be Beth Heart, just to know what it feels like to sing so unbelievably hard it scares people.

You guys use to be called Supernova, but had to change your name to Mercury Crowe because of the Rockstar TV series! Was it difficult to adjust to the new name after being known as Supernova?
Allan: It was a kick in the balls when that show came about. It was the last thing we were expecting but in hindsight it was definitely for the better. We now feel we have a much stronger (and far more original) name which better suits our style of music.
Hamish: It was almost a blessing in disguise. Sure it was a hassle changing the name but it was a great opportunity to refocus as a band anyway. We were still developing a sound as well so it was a good chance to really hone in on a musical direction after a year of sorting ourselves out beforehand.

And be honest guys, how pissed off were you that you had to change your name?
Allan: Well the biggest let down was the lack of communication/consideration from the shows makers. One day suddenly our Myspace was deleted because of copy write breach and we were like "eh?" But it did lead us to discover we were one of about 6 existing Supernovas, and in the end the TV show lost the name to some band in America, so best to be out of all that crap now. What’s important is the
new name.

Describe the new EP in three words?
Everyone: your summer soundtrack

What other gigs have you got coming up?
Allan: We’re playing on both Wednesday the 12th and Wednesday the 19th of December at Valve in Wellington. And looking at a couple of other shows leading up to Christmas. There will be plenty more shows as well as some Auckland shows in the New Year.

Where can people get a hold of the EP and how much will it be?
Allan: It’s $15 and people can get it either at our gigs, by messaging us on Myspace or emailing mercurycrowe@gmail.com. It will be for sale online at www.mercurycrowe.com in the near future

Do you guys get nervous before a gig, how do you mentally prepare yourselves?
Allan: I only get nervous before bigger gigs, and I’m usually fine once we sing the first note. We have a band warm up ritual now, which consists of taking a guitar to the nearest toilet or car park, having a good sing and downing a quick whisky. Its like 2 warm up’s in one.
Hamish: I have never really get that nervous as long as I have a guitar in hand.

Which one of you is the laziest?  Which one of you moans the most? Which one of you is the biggest gossip? And which one of you is the mummy’s boy?
Hamish: I moan the most about being lazy, usually after gossiping about my mum.
Allan: I moan the most about being lazy, usually after gossiping about Hamish’s mum.
Nick – I’d say we all probably phase in and out depending on the week we’ve had. I know I moan if I don’t see the sun for more than a day, and when it comes out I’m the laziest bastard you’ll find. As for mummy’s boy…Al still sleeps in his parents bed… does that count?

By Sarah H. (theset.co.nz): Wednesday, December 12, 2007