Oh Mercy (band)

Oh Mercy was an indie rock band,{{Citation | last = Kuch | first = Jesse | date = 16 June 2011 | title = HYPE Life, love and truth | periodical = The Cairns Post }} formed as a duo in Melbourne in 2006 by former De La Salle College students Alexander Gow on lead vocals and guitar, and Thomas Savage on lead vocals, piano and guitar.{{cite web | url = http://www.jplay.com.au/JSite/ViewArtist.aspx?ArtistID=1755 | title = Oh Mercy Biography, Links, J Play Ranking & song listing | publisher = jplay.com.au | access-date = 16 December 2015 }}{{Citation | date = 12 June 2009 | title = Catch them in the Nude | periodical = MX (Australia) }} The band name is from Bob Dylan's September 1989 album of the same name.{{cite journal | url = https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2012/october/1354242449/robert-forster/slurring-and-purring | title = Slurring and Purring | journal = The Monthly | last = Forster | first = Robert | author-link = Robert Forster (musician) | date = October 2012 | access-date = 16 December 2015 }} Their music has received high rotation on Australian national radio station, Triple J, since April 2007.{{Citation | date = 16 June 2011 | title = Big-name help pays off for band | periodical = Fremantle Cockburn Gazette }} Oh Mercy expanded to a quartet by 2008 with Eliza Lam on bass guitar and Peter McDonald on drums.{{Citation | date = 1 October 2009 | title = No woes as Oh Mercy hit road | periodical = The Chronicle (Toowoomba) }}{{Citation | author1 = Oh Mercy | title = Privileged Woes | date = 2000 | publisher = Shock | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/35820581 | access-date=16 December 2015 }}

The quartet issued a six-track extended play, In the Nude for Love, in May 2009 which Electric Skeleton{{'}}s reviewer noticed the group "make the kind of dreamy pop music that even your Grandmother would probably appreciate (although they drop the f-bomb in 'Seems Like a Good Idea', so unless you have a really cool granny, perhaps not). It is very easy to see why they’ve been compared to the likes of The Go-Betweens and Augie March."{{cite web | url = https://electricskeleton.wordpress.com/tag/oh-mercy/ | title = Oh Mercy | author = Lauren | work = Electric Skeleton | date = 10 March 2011 | access-date = 16 December 2015 }} The reviewer listed the EP as one of the best of that year, "Aside from the brilliant title it has some great pop songs and two instrumentals." Two tracks, "Lay Everything on Me" and "Seemed Like a Good Idea", were issued as singles and were used to promote the group on Triple J and Triple R.{{cite news | url = http://messandnoise.com/features/3774426 | title = Oh Mercy: From Go to Woes | last = Wallen | first = Doug | work = Mess+Noise | publisher = Junkee Media | date = 12 October 2009 | access-date = 16 December 2015 }}

The four-piece released their debut album, Privileged Woes, on 24 August 2009 on the Casadeldisco label and distributed by Shock with Myles Wootton (of the Panics) producing.{{cite news | url = http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/artistic-deferences-20110324-1c88k.html | title = Oh Mercy have felt the effects of split personalities | last = Murfett | first = Simon | work = The Sydney Morning Herald | publisher = Fairfax Media | date = 25 March 2011 | access-date = 16 December 2015 }} Gow and Savage co-wrote all the tracks. Gow explained the album's content and title, "I realised the problems we had were the problems of privilege. We started poking fun at ourselves. It set the theme for the record. We were 19 and middle class and whingeing about emotions and angst coming out of being that age." Privileged Woes peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Hitseekers Albums chart a week after its appearance.{{cite web | date = 31 August 2009 | archive-url = https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20091004130000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20091005-0000/issue1018.pdf | title = The ARIA Report | publisher = Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) | issue = 1018 | page = 22 | url = http://www.aria.com.au/pages/documents/issue1018.pdf | archive-date = 4 October 2009 | access-date = 16 December 2015 }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

In 2009 Rohan Sforcina joined on drums, after the album had been recorded with McDonald. In 2010 Savage left the group and later reflected on his songwriting partnership with Gow, "We'd show each other what we'd done that week and it would be like a friendly competition. It was great for early development." He had left after touring with the group for 18 months to return to Australia and pursued a solo singer-songwriter career. Gow remembered "Tom had flagged with everybody that he wanted to move on at some stage. It wasn't a big surprise for us. He was really not interested in the touring lifestyle." Simon Okely (ex-The Preytells) joined on guitar.

Their first three albums were each a featured album on Triple J.{{Citation | date = 17 March 2011 | title = Good grief, Mercy | periodical = The Canberra Times }}

The project is presumed to have ceased when lead Alex Gow changed the Facebook page for the band over to his new solo project, Perfect Moment, in April 2020.{{Cite web|last=Martin|first=Josh|date=2020-04-18|title=Oh Mercy changes name to Perfect Moment, new music coming|url=https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/music/oh-mercy-changes-name-to-perfect-moment-new-music-coming-2649225|access-date=2021-10-18|website=NME|language=en-AU}}

Notes

{{Notelist-ua}}

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.

{{awards table}}

|-

| 2009{{cite web|url=https://www.auspop.com.au/2009/10/air-nominees/|title=AIR Nominees|date=19 October 2009|access-date=19 August 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.air.org.au/awards/history|title=History Wins|website=Australian Independent Record Labels Association|access-date=18 August 2020}}

|Oh Mercy

| Breakthrough Independent Artist

| {{nom}}

|-

| 2012{{cite web|url=https://www.air.org.au/news/story/nominations-2012-jagermeister-independent-music-awards|title=NOMINATIONS: 2012 Jagermeister Independent Music Awards |website=Australian Independent Record Labels Association|date=17 September 2012|access-date=20 August 2020}}

|"Drums"

| Best Independent Single/EP

| {{nom}}

|-

{{end}}

The Australian Music Prize (The AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. The award made by Australian Music Prize Ltd, a sole-purpose entity sponsored by a variety of music industry figures and record companies. The AMP was established in 2005.

{{awards table}}

|-

| 2009{{cite web|url=https://www.australianmusicprize.com/winners-shortlists|title=Winners & Shortlists|website=australian music prize|access-date=22 August 2020}}

|Kid Sam

| Australian Music Prize

| {{nom}}

|-

{{end}}

The ARIA Music Awards are an annual series of ceremonies celebrating the local industry, presented by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), since 1987. Oh Mercy have won one trophy from five final nominations.ARIA Music Awards for Oh Mercy:

• Search Results 'Oh Mercy': {{cite web | url = http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history/search/?view=list&text=Oh%20Mercy | title = Search Results for 'Oh Mercy' | publisher = Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) | access-date = 16 December 2015 }}
• 2011 winners and nominees: {{cite web | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131014174953/http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history/year/2011 | url = http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history/year/2011 | title = Winners by Year 2011 | publisher = Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) | archive-date = 14 October 2013 | access-date = 16 December 2015 }}
• 2012 winners and nominees: {{cite web | url = http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history/year/2012 | title = Winners By Year 2012 | publisher = Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) | access-date = 16 December 2015 }}
• 2015 nominations: {{cite news | last = Baroni | first = Nastassia | date = 7 October 2015 | archive-url = https://www.webcitation.org/6c5aT9Kwd?url=http://musicfeeds.com.au/news/courtney-barnett-hermitude-tame-impala-lead-2015-aria-award-nominations/ | title = Courtney Barnett, Hermitude, Tame Impala Lead 2015 ARIA Award Nominations | work = musicfeeds.com.au | url = http://musicfeeds.com.au/news/courtney-barnett-hermitude-tame-impala-lead-2015-aria-award-nominations/ | archive-date = 7 October 2015 | access-date = 16 December 2015 }}
• 2015 winners: {{cite web | url = http://www.ariaawards.com.au/news/2015/and-the-aria-award-goes-to%E2%80%A6 | title = And the ARIA Awards Goes to... | publisher = Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) | date = 27 November 2015 | access-date = 16 December 2015 }}

{{awards table}}

|-

| rowspan="2"| 2011 || Great Barrier Grief || Breakthrough Artist – Album || {{nom}}

|-

| Great Barrier Grief – Ken Done || Best Cover Art || {{nom}}

|-

| rowspan="2"| 2012 ||Deep Heat || Best Rock Album || {{nom}}

|-

| Deep Heat – Rennie Ellis || Best Cover Art || {{nom}}

|-

| 2015 || When We Talk About Love || Best Adult Contemporary Album || {{won}}

{{end}}

The EG Awards (known as Music Victoria Awards since 2013) are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2006.

{{awards table}}

|-

| rowspan="4"|2012{{cite web|url=https://tonedeaf.thebrag.com/awards-2012-nominations-announced-induct-weddings-parties/|title= EG Awards 2012 Announce Nominations, Induct Weddings, Parties, Anything|website=Tone Deaf|date=3 October 2012|accessdate=19 August 2020}}{{cite web|url=http://www.noise11.com/news/the-temper-trap-oh-mercy-win-eg-awards-20121121|title=The Temper Trap, Oh Mercy Win EG Awards|website=noise11|date=21 November 2012|accessdate=19 August 2020}}||Oh Mercy||Best Band||{{Nom}}

|-

| "Drums" || Best Song||{{nom}}

|-

| Deep Heat || Best Album ||{{nom}}

|-

| Oh Mercy || Outstanding Achievement||{{Won}}

{{end}}

The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. They commenced in 2005.

{{awards table}}

|-

| 2009

| Privileged Woes

| Australian Album of the Year

| {{nom}}

|-

| 2012{{cite web|title = The J Award 2012|website = Triple J|url = https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/jawards/12/|publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation|year = 2012|access-date =15 August 2020}}

| Deep Heat

| Australian Album of the Year

| {{nom}}

|-

{{end}}

• Alexander Gow – lead vocals, guitar, piano (2006–present)
• Thom Savage – lead vocals, piano, guitar (2006–10)
• Peter McDonald – drums (2008–09)
• Eliza Lam – bass guitar (2008–present)
• Rohan Sforcina – drums (2009–present)
• Simon Okely – lead guitar
• Annabel Griggs (touring keys)
• Cliff Bowden (touring guitar)

• Music of Melbourne
• Music of Australia
• Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR)

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{Official|ohmercy.com.au/}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:ARIA Award winners

Category:Victoria (state) musical groups