merci, Mercy Drops New Single 'Hold On You'
Written when she was just 16, 'Hold On You' is an early merci, mercy composition that blends brooding synths, hypnotic rhythms, and her signature ethereal vocals. Describing the weight of longing for someone you know isn't good for you, the track's persistent production mirrors the magnetic pull of a toxic crush.
'Hold On You' follows a string of deeply personal and emotionally sharp singles from the debut LP, including ' I Bet She's Really Nice', 'Cigarettes In The Dark', and 'Unrecognisable' and 'Angel'. The singles have received strong airplay from triple j, with 'Angel' hitting the #1 most played song, have been supported by the likes of Rolling Stone and Junkee, and have been added to the likes of Spotify's All New Pop (USA), and Apple Music's A List Pop. '
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Together, they form part of a compelling debut; Don't Take It To Heart is a fearless exploration of the human condition shaped by merci, mercy's lived experiences across romantic and platonic relationships. Created alongside long-time collaborators Chris Collins, Milku and Robby De Sa, the record embraces the messiness of growing up and growing into yourself.
It's a bold full-length debut that follows three critically acclaimed EPs, which helped merci, mercy cultivate a loyal following in Australia and abroad. Along the way, she's clocked over 35 million global streams, 10 triple j-playlisted singles, and commercial radio love from Nova. Her breakout track 'Into You' earned spins on BBC Radio 1 (NEXT WAVE, Mollie King) and landing on Flux FM Germany's Top 50 of 2022, alongside glowing press from Paper Magazine, Flaunt, The Line of Best Fit, Clash, and NME.
merci, mercy will be taking her album on tour later this year, playing headline shows in Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne and Ballarat in September. In November she will head to Perth and then Bridgetown, playing at Blues at Bridgetown festival.
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Toitū Te Tiriti is taken from her debut album Pikipiki (out August 15th on digital and Vinyl LP). Agile and precise string arrangements convey defiance and resistance while volleying with Geneva AM's powerful and dynamic vocal performance throughout Toitū Te Tiriti. The song is a call to action for everyone to honour Te Tiriti and an invitation for everyone to speak Māori. Using repetition in a simple lyrical format, Geneva AM refers to the mountains, rivers and the people as a reminder to the listener of the natural landmarks which feature in a pepeha. Geneva explains 'For this waiata, I wanted to make a series of statements because I believe the power of singing words out loud can positively influence people who may need to draw strength and keep going with their kaupapa. I made this waiata very quickly in response to witnessing the greed of our current coalition government. 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I feel angry and sad about it but I have to remain hopeful and strong so that we can uphold the mana of Te Tiriti for the next generation.' Scholes concurs 'I wanted to get to the core message of the song - a feeling of defiance, stoicism, hope and start from there. I worked on it over many months, taking long breaks between sessions so it felt fresh and each time I would have different inspiration - Tchaikovsky, Rameau, Joy Division to name a few. At times I would try to follow voice leading rules and at others I just went full power chord.' 'I didn't want to stray too far from Geneva's original conception so I applied a bit of a punk ethos of keeping it simple. Drawing from our background of playing rhythm based music, I treated the strings like a rhythm section in a band. Keeping the groove driving and then adding some melodic stuff in the interlude. I had this idea of a furiously busy string texture cooking up a storm for the vocal part to simmer and soar on top.' He reflects 'I'm thrilled to have worked on something with such depth and meaning and also to collaborate with Geneva in this capacity has been really special.' 'Hearing the first take made me well up,' says Geneva. 'It's so uplifting to hear, especially with everything that is happening in the world right now. Initially I made something that was purely for my own survival and now I am ready to gift this waiata to everyone.' On August 15 Geneva AM will release her debut album ' Pikipiki ' which intends to uplift the wairua and encourage the listener to overcome life's obstacles. Geneva AM will be playing across many genres which serve as a backdrop for her strong vocals and bilingual lyrics. She has also paid homage to waiata she grew up with, providing a modern treatment of Purea Nei by Hirini Melbourne, Pokarekare Ana by the returning soldiers of WWI and Tutira Mai Ngā Iwi by Wiremu Te Tau Huata. Pikipiki takes a piecemeal approach to genre, utilising Classical, Dance, Drum'n'Bass, and Emo Rock to accompany new bilingual songs and reimagined covers of Aotearoa favourites—such as "Pokarekare Ana," "Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi," and "Pūrea Nei." The album features a number of collaborations, with appearances from Mara TK, Hawkins, Samara Alofa, and Rewi McLay, alongside the puoro of Tyson Campbell (Pikipiki); The Deadly Sins arranged by Eric Scholes (Toitū Te Tiriti); Ruby Walsh (Na Noise, Lips); Fiona Campbell (Guardian Singles, Coolies) and Lani Purkis (Elemeno P 'Pokarekare Ana.'
