Shawn Mercer - Singer/Songwriter/Rhythm Guitar
I am the singer, songwriter, rhythm guitar player, and founding member of the Boondock Blues Band. The name 'Boondock Blues' comes from the first CD. I was very pleased with how this song came together during the recording of the CD, and so it became the title of the album. But Boondock Blues also describes the type of music we’re making and where it’s coming from. There is definitely a blues influence in my songs, but there are also strong currents reflecting life off the grid in the back woods of mid-coast Maine flowing throughout the work.
I’ve learned that writing songs based on my own life experiences is much easier, and produces a far better product, then when I used to try too hard to write something important and meaningful. I now have an incredible selection of talented musicians that I pull in for support at various times. Please check out the photos of the other musicians I have had the honor of making music with. I hope you enjoy the music. Please stop into the guest book, write an email, or call to let me know what you think of the work.
Shawn Mercer - Ancient History
Childhood...
I’ve always loved music. The radio was on a lot when I was a kid growing up, and there have always been songs and rhythms in my head. I was in the school chorus and band. I played the trumpet, until my freshman year in high school. The next three years I had no musical outlet beyond singing with the radio.
Discovering guitar...
I started playing guitar during my first year of college in 1991. My brother Todd gave me a guitar he bought at a yard sale for $10.00. My roommate was a good guitar player, and he showed me a few chords. I loved it right from the start. Of course, for the first few years I played everyone would leave the room if I picked it up.
Eventually I started learning some songs, and I reached the point where I could strum and sing at the same time. I was learning Neil Young, some Guns and Roses, and a lot of Mark Lanegan and Screaming Trees.
I tried songwriting early on, but I was continually frustrated. I could create guitar parts that I liked and lyrics that were OK, but the melodies were always terrible. I was still learning a lot, and having fun though.
First gigs...
I had my first performance experience after I had been playing for about three years. I played at an open mic in Bar Harbor with a friend I worked with there. We played and sang ‘Plush’ by the Stone Temple Pilots and ‘Wish You Were Here’ by Pink Floyd. It was probably awful to listen to, but folks applauded and I loved it. After that night I continued to look for chances to play open mics. Some were better than others, but they were all fun.
Over the years I developed enough of a song list to start playing out in the local pubs. I played covers of Alice in Chains, Radio Head, Mad Season, Blind Melon, and many others. I added a few originals that weren’t completely awful. I even played in a heavy metal band during one spring semester at the University of Maine. My vocal work improved, but I was still not happy with the songs I was writing.
Songwriting Success...
After I had been playing for over ten years I finally had a breakthrough. I had several life changing events happen all within a relatively short time. I got a divorce, I saw Greg Brown perform, and I met my second wife, and I had my first child. Suddenly, through the emotional turmoil, the stress, the joy, the excitement, and after discovering music that was simple truth and story telling in Greg Brown, I started writing songs I was proud of.
These songs were simpler, and more honest. These songs were true to what I knew from my life experiences. Within a year I penned over a dozen songs. Some were all new, where others were created using guitar parts I had never been able to do anything with. I kept writing, and I started playing them more at gigs.
The 'Jeezum Crowe' Years...
About this same time I teamed up with a harmonica player named Bruce McKeen. We formed a duo called Jeezum Crowe. We played mostly my original work with a few classic blues and folk tunes thrown in. We had a lot of fun, and we played some very respectable venues in our area. But after about two years we went our separate ways.
'Boondock Blues'...
The winter of ’05-’06 I finally reached the point where, thanks to support from my wife Molly, I could afford to record my first album. I called on Justin Ward. He is a good friend, and an excellent percussionist. Justin has jammed with Ray LaMontagne, and he recorded for Red Kite Records with Kreg Viesselman. Justin brought in his friend Steve Pullan. Steve plays banjo, mandolin, slide guitar, harmonica, jaw harp, and even a little fiddle. My friend Siiri Soucy from the band Tree By Leaf came in and added some amazing backing vocals. We got together for three days in December at Studio E Z in Freedom, Maine. Ezra Rugg did the recording, added the bass, then mixed, and mastered the CD. I had it duplicated at Five Masks Multimedia in Portland. Now it’s finally here and ready for sale. Please let me know what you think of it.
Current Band...
I now have a pool of talented musicians that join me from time to time for gigs. Check out the photos of the other band members in the gallery. Thanks for stopping by, and please leave an entry in the guest book. Let us know what you think of the site, the songs, and the CD.