Have Mercy Are "Alive" On New Single | THE NOISE


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, scheduled to arrive on December 8, and examines feelings of entanglement in a toxic relationship with nowhere to turn or escape.

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." 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."

About lead single "Alive," he adds, "'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."

The accompanying music video, directed by Rick Barnwell, follows the band through their day, bonding and enjoying their time together. While driving around and doing activities like hitting golf balls and visiting a record store, each member ignores phone calls from the buzzkill-inducing, big-time record exec who keeps trying to reach them and interrupt their peace.

Have Mercy reunited last year and released new music for the first time since 2019; the upcoming record, according to Swindle, is "the best music Have Mercy has written and released." He shared that "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."

Be sure to check out Have Mercy's latest single, "Alive," today!


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