Marking their first new music since August 2022’s self-titled EP, Have Mercy has unveiled their soul-stirring new single, “Alive.” This captivating track is a sneak peek of what’s to come on their upcoming album, NUMB, which is scheduled to arrive via the group’s new label, Rude Records, on December 8.
Embarking on a journey back to their roots, “Alive” is an examination of feeling ensnared in a toxic relationship with nowhere to turn or escape to. The song unfurls in an array of meticulously constructed drum fills and guitar work, creating a powerful backdrop for vocalist Brian Swindle’s gut-wrenching opening lyrics, “Speak the truth/You haven’t done it since the day that I met you so.”
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Swindle channels the frustration harbored across “Alive” as he passionately belts through the chorus, “It’s taking everything in me not to pick up the phone/And say hello, it’s hard to say I miss you and come back home/When I don’t wanna see your face/And I’m alive, it’s hard to say I miss you and come back home.”
Speaking on behalf of the group’s new single, Swindle shares, “‘Alive’ is about being stuck in toxic relationships. Whether that be with friends or significant others. To me, the lyrics reflect that feeling of codependency and trouble detaching from the situations you know you shouldn’t be in. It’s one of the first songs that we wrote for the record, and we kind of knew immediately that it would be a single. It’s very reminiscent of our older sound while adding some new flavor.”
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As the group prepares for their first full-length release since 2019’s The Love Life, Swindle adds on behalf of the writing and recording process, “The best music Have Mercy has written and released are the songs that happen organically. The songs that aren’t forced or influenced by people outside of the group. This record was just us three guys writing music because we enjoy it. It’s a challenge to write something cool. Lyrically, the record had no choice but to be influenced by my sobriety, new marriage, and repairing/disconnecting from relationships with people. Over the last couple of years, there have been a lot of changes. We’ve all had to face demons and come to grips with what our realities are and how to sustain a healthier lifestyle.”
He continues, “We wrote and recorded the majority of this record in my basement. It’s truly a homegrown record, and to me, it feels very reminiscent of our first record, The Earth Pushed Back. It’s a band again, a group effort. I’m really happy that we’re all in each other’s lives again.”
NUMB will feature 10 new Have Mercy tracks, including their lead single, “Alive.” Check out the full tracklisting for the album below.
NUMB Tracklist:
1. Alive
2. Numb
3. Hey
4. Friday
5. Big Surprise
6. Middle
7. I Can’t Stay
8. Sick Of It
9. Hit The Ground
10. Floating
If “Alive” is a glimpse of what awaits on Have Mercy‘s upcoming album, NUMB, then brace yourself for an emotional rollercoaster ride.
