Thirsty Merc (In Arrangement with Macsta Management) www.thirstymerc.com
Rai Thistlethwayte – Lead Vocals/ Guitar/ Piano
Phil Stack – Electric & Upright Bass/Backing Vocals
Karl Robertson – Drums
Matt Smith – Guitar
After a whirlwind few years which saw Thirsty Merc take the Australian charts and radio airplay lists by storm, the band have spent the last twelve months immersed in songwriting and recording in the US. Add to the fold a new band member – guitarist Matt Smith (The Strides) – and Thirsty Merc have found new inspiration and are ready to reveal a taste of things to come for their thirsty fans.
The premier Australian rock outfit are gearing up to unleash their 3rd and most engaging album to date. Recording in LA with US super-producer Matt Wallace (Faith No More, Maroon 5), the new album will surprise audiences with a fresh sound infused with groove, a new guitarist, and the undeniable Thirsty Merc hook.
Thirsty Merc are already seasoned performers with a massive 300 shows, both local and international, under their belt and an impressive 200,000 albums sold. In February, fans will not only be treated to an appetizer of what is set to be one of the most eagerly anticipated album releases of 2010, but will also get to hear the band interpret some of their most loved hits with a fresh new outlook. Melbourne and Sydney will play hosts for the band’s homecoming in February, which will mark the first time the ARIA and APRA Song of the Year nominated band perform new songs since the release of Slideshows in 2007.
Thirsty Merc shot onto the Australian scene with two hit singles “Wasting Time” and “Emancipate Myself” from their debut EP titled FIRST WORK. Thirsty Merc’s self-titled full-length followed, cracking the Top 20 on the Aussie LP charts in 2004 and generating the hits “In The Summertime”, “My Completeness” and “Someday, Someday.” In mid-2005 Thirsty Merc issued an expanded edition of the album, scoring further nationwide airplay with the additional cut “When the Weather Is Fine.” Four ARIA nominations followed which significantly raised the band’s profile.
In 2007, the band released their second album SLIDESHOWS which debuted at #4 on the ARIA chart, and spawned the hit “20 Good Reasons” which peaked at #1 on iTunes, #2 on the Australian radio charts, and #4 on the ARIA charts. It was also nominated for APRA Song of The Year in 2008. The second single “The Hard Way” remained in the Australian radio charts for several months. Numerous national headline tours and major support slots have made them one of the hardest working Aussie acts.
The highly anticipated third album from Thirsty Merc is expected to reach Australian audiences before mid 2010. In the meantime, they will be previewing some new songs live onstage.
