Sun Merchant Unveil Debut Single “Hold My Sober” With Music Video
Sun Merchant is the new creative project from Stephen McGrath (Crow Black Chicken) and Aury Livingstone (The Underscore Orkestra).
Crossing paths in Cork in 2023, the musicians had an instant connection, exploring the strengths and diversity of their individual skill sets and soon beginning to carve original material. Two years on from creating music together and gigging on the live circuit - which has seen the genre-defying duo captivate audiences with their eclectic blend of alt-rock, blues and gypsy jazz-influenced spontaneity - the now trio, completed and given a new drive by drummer/percussionist Jamie Ryan, proudly present their debut single, “Hold My Sober”.
Drawing from a diverse palette of influences, Sun Merchant’s sound is both familiar and refreshingly unique, featuring oriental and balkan-style motifs that are skillfully moulded into an alternative rock framework, dashed with prog and grunge.
Earning high praise after their appearance at Tipperary festival When Next We Meet, a typical Sun Merchant gig unfolds from passages of improvisation on electric guitar, Oud Taqism over synchronised grooves in 7 / 8 , and at other times, some straight-up power trio staples. “Hold My Sober” is taken from the band’s soon-to-be-announced debut album, which will quantify the band’s expansive, dexterous style in full glory. On his collaboration with Livingstone and the new single, bassist/double bassist Stephen McGrath said:
“‘Hold My Sober’ is about growing up in a society that tries to bring you down to the low levels of addiction and failure, and how easy it is to fall into the trap—because it's almost tattooed on your body that you're going to fail to rise above. So it's like an anthem of rising above and overcoming the expectation of failure”.
He continues, “This was the first co-write myself and Aury did together, and the drums were recorded in the School of Music with Evan McGinty, with all other parts recorded by ourselves in my studio. The track was mixed by Christopher Hockey, who is making waves in the Cork scene as the go-to mixing engineer”
