“This song is about being gaslit while in such a deep stage of denial,” says vocalist and guitarist Brendan Scholz of Las Vegas-based pop-punk outfit Mercy Music on the band’s sludgy new single ‘Found Out I’m Useless’ taken from their upcoming fourth full-length album ‘What You Stand To Lose’ out June 30, 2023, via Double Helix Records/SBÄM Records.
Scholz adds that the song is about convincing yourself the situation is still salvageable even though, in your heart of hearts, you know it’s not, “The truth is right in front of you, but you constantly refuse to accept it.” The lighthearted sarcasm of lyrics such as “I fit the pieces, but still fail to excel / Unwanted / I stay the course, and sail the ship straight to hell / Don’t want it” helps counter the overall frustration. Bassist Jarred Cooper adds, “[The song is] a little bit of a departure, but I think it fits well on the record. It really gives me ’90s slacker vibes.”
‘What You Stand To Lose’ was produced by Bill Stevenson (Descendents, ALL, Black Flag) and mixed by Jason Livermore (Descendents, Propagandhi, NOFX, Hot Water Music) and similar to the album’s singles, there’s an underlying theme on the album that sees of the physical and mental pain that comes with heartbreak and the emotional growth that follows. Throughout these 11 tracks, the band (Brendan, who penned all the songs; bassist Jarred Cooper; and drummer Rye Martin) find inspiration in the fact that nothing should be taken for granted, no time should be wasted, and there is everything in the world to lose by not collectively fighting hard enough to succeed.
The album title itself refers to the many monumental changes in vocalist and guitarist Brendan Scholz personal life since it was “flipped upside down” between this album and their last (2020’s ‘Nothing in the Dark’). He says the album is about “coming face to face with one of your worst fears, learning from the experience, and hoping you come out the other side a better person.”
‘What You Stand To Lose’ (hi-res) Tracklisting:
1. Suddenly
2. Love You/Need You
3. REAL
4. Believe in We
5. Undone
6. Fine
7. Watch Me Drown
8. Found Out I’m Useless
9. What’s the Use
10. Total Nightmare
11. Waiting to Begin
In support of the band’s June 30th album release, they are kicking off a round of West Coast dates, the first two shows being with headliners Versus the World alongside Loves Equals Death at Long Beach’s Supply and Demand on June 16 and then at Los Angeles’ Permanent Records Roadhouse on June 17. The band will then hit the road with NOT (which features Scholz and Cooper of Mercy Music, singer-songwriter Davey Warsop of Sharp Shock, and Kyle Whitmore on drums) for four shows spanning Tempe, AZ (Yucca Tap Room on June 28); Costa Mesa (The Wayfarer on June 29); San Diego (Tower Bar on June 30) and will wrap up on July 2 in San Francisco (at The Kilowatt). Throughout these live shows, the band will perform album singles such as the hopeful and determined ‘Suddenly’ and the devastatingly upbeat ‘Love You/Need You.’
June 16th – Supply and Demand – Long Beach, CA
*w Versus the World, Loves Equals Death
June 17th – Permanent Records Roadhouse – Los Angeles, CA
*w Versus the World, Loves Equals Death
June 28th – Yucca Tap Room – Tempe, AZ
*w NOT, Winterhaven, Ghost in the Willow
June 29th – The Wayfarer – Costa Mesa, CA
*w NOT, Moldy Roses, Taken Days
June 30th – Tower Bar – San Diego, CA
*w NOT, Matt Caskitt and The Breaks, Shades Mcool, The Bold Flavors
July 2nd – The Kilowatt – San Francisco, CA
*w NOT, Sweet Gloom, Tess Stevens