After over a decade in the music business, London based Jason Mercer has found himself on a new path alongside renowned Grammy-winning producer Mitch Dane — and he couldn’t be more excited..
And the musician can’t wait for fans to get a taste of what he’s been cooking up.
“I initially met Mitch a couple years ago in Nashville, and I probably sent him over 15 demos,” Mercer said with a laugh. “I basically said to him, I had an idea what songs I wanted to do, but he was the producer, so it was up to him. So, he chose three songs and I went down there to record and he just knocked them out of the park.”
The result was a trio of tracks the musician couldn’t be prouder of, with Nobody But You kicking things off this fall. Known for bridging genres, Mercer’s tastes have always been eclectic — something that continues to be apparent in his work, even today.
The inspiration behind Nobody But You, comes from a pretty relatable place.
Penned alongside noted Ontario songwriters Jay Allan and Shawn Meriano, the track initially found its footing while Mercer was in Mexico for his cousin’s wedding, who of course brought his acoustic along for the ride.
“At that point, it was just an initial riff of a song . . . I was just kind of toying around with the idea, and then I brought it to Jay and Shawn when we had a songwriting session,” he explained. “The angle we took was from the perspective of a guy that maybe doesn’t measure up to a girl’s parents’ expectations. The fact is, nobody’s perfect. I think people will be able to see a piece of themselves in the story.”
Writing from the heart is nothing new for the musician, whose songs continue to mirror everything from memories to feelings, conversations to personal life experiences.
In the past, Mercer has drawn inspiration from the harmony-rich sound of The Eagles, and the storytelling lyricism of Tom Petty — clearly holding himself to a high standard, creating music with meaning.
“No matter what, music always makes you feel something,” he said, adding even as a little kid, listening to his favourite artists would move him in a more profound way than anything else. “For me, that’s what makes it so important.”
With this latest release, Mercer is more than ready to prove that hard work and due diligence pays off.
