MRCY have arrived on the scene with their debut single “Lorelei,” the track is available today via Dead Oceans and DSPs. MRCY is composed of producer Barney Lister and vocalist Kojo Degraft-Johnson. The duo are from from different ends of England and disparate cultures. Having strived separately behind the scenes, the band is as much about putting yourself first as it is about the spirit of compassion that has never felt more needed. “It’s like hearing a distant memory,” Barney says, “but one that speaks to where you are now.” The band have also announced new tour dates with Black Pumas, beginning March 15th in Paris.

“Lorelei,” combines unique vocals, otherworldly psychedelics, and wistful arrangements into work that is as classic in feel as it is contemporary in approach. “”Lorelei” is about being in a romantic situation that you know will result in heartbreak,” comments Kojo, “but you’re too under the spell to get out of it. The lyrics come from the ancient tale of Lorelei, a mythical creature that leads navigators and those sailing to their demise with its beauty and song – “I thought I saw you walking by the riverside’ and ‘the summer storm’s still on my mind.”

MRCY has worked hard to make work in their own voice. Raised amidst Huddersfield’s melting-pot culture, Barney has established himself an in-demand, eclectic young producers; ranging from an Ivor Novello Award for his long-standing collaboration with Obongjayar to Mercury-nominated artists like Joy Crookes and Olivia Dean. South London-raised Kojo, meanwhile, earned his stripes in church as well as singing with equally illustrious homegrown artists like Cleo Sol and Little Simz. Having first connected over Instagram during the pandemic, MRCY met up in Brixton between lockdowns and allowed the band’s sound – and bond – to deepen. And though social and political chaos inevitably informs their upcoming project, MRCY is also about the need for common ground: universal but highly individual experiences of class, community, and quality music that has always brought good people together.

MRCY 2024 Tour Dates

15.03.24 || Paris || Zenith
16.03.24 ||Brussels || Forest National
17.03.24 || Amsterdam || AFAS Live
19.03.24 || Hamburg || Docks
20.03.24 || Berlin || Verti Music Hall
21.03.24 || Cologne || Carlswerk Victoria
23.03.24 || Manchester || O2 Victoria Warehouse
24.03.24 || London || Eventim Apollo

With Black Pumas

Order “Lorelei” by MRCY HERE