As we spoke, guitarist Josh and vocalist Scott were a few days into recording. “We finished drums a few days ago and we’re half way through guitars now,” Josh reports. Their minds and bodies are all on task. In their down time, they’re dreaming of what comes next. Soon, they’ll join the biggest festival tour of the band’s life.
“We were absolutely stoked to be a part of this tour,” Scott chimes in. “It hasn’t been around in Australia for a while, and now it’s back.” Scott loses track and Josh picks it up for him. “In America it’s such a staple summer fest. We always see the lineups and say, ‘Shit, I really wish we could go to it,’ or I’ve had friends on the tour who said it was great. Just to be a part of it? It’s so cool.”
“It’s definitely something to tick off the list, individually and as a band.” Scott adds. Playing at the Warped Tour is part of Hand of Mercy’s reason for being. Born in 2007, their career has rocketed past even their own expectations.
“I never thought we weren’t going to go anywhere,” Josh confesses, “but I never thought we’d play anywhere [bigger] than the Landsdowne, which is this shitty pub back in Sydney.”
“It’s just surreal to be back in Cape Cod doing another record,” Scott continues. “Looking back to when we started, we thought, ‘Maybe one day’ but now that we’re doing it? We’re blessed to be doing that.”
A divine hand from above probably had little to do with it. Hand of Mercy played and toiled with humility. It’s not like they built Hand of Mercy as a vehicle propelling them toward debauched Los Angeles-style fame and fortune.
“Hard work has definitely taken us to where we are,” Josh agrees. “A lot of bands come and go and they don’t necessarily ‘make it.’ I feel like people want to be in a band to get big and get famous. We did it just to enjoy the process, hang out and meet new friends. I think it’s just that we kept at it and to better ourselves at every step as well. We have been a bit slower than other bands, I guess-“
Scott cuts in. “But that makes it all worthwhile. When you put that much effort into it and it does pay off, no matter how long it was, we really appreciate it. We feel really lucky to be able to do that.”
Hand of Mercy searched for open doors. When they found them, they endeavoured to stride through. When they seized more opportunities, more opened up. A lot more. “You have to take it as it comes,” Josh advises. “We never sat down and planned, ‘this is how we’re going to do it.’ Every time we got asked to do something, we had to tackle it.”
In their formative days when their path was uncertain, they felt they were heading everywhere but up. “There’s definitely been points where we said ‘do we want to keep doing this?'” Josh confesses. “If we do, we’ll probably have to work even harder. People had to quit their jobs and move their lives around. Some of us had to move back home. When more stuff started happening we had to tailor-make everything to that.”
Earlier this year Scott nabbed a guest vocal spot with fellow hardcore act One Vital Word, furthering the band’s name. Did it feel strange entering the studio as a visitor? “Yeah, absolutely,” Scott affirms. “The few times I’ve done it…I want to do my best for this band. I get them to tell me what to do. It’s like taking your shoes off coming into someone else’s house. You respect what they’re doing and do what they ask. It’s different from being in your own band, that’s for sure.”
BY TOM VALCANIS
