Austin Sound

Whatever spirit is inspiring the McMercy Family Band, it’s beyond compare to almost anything else in town. Founded last year by Ted Hadji, the sextet testifies their raucous gospel with sly wink, but the harmonies and energy that the group delivers in their tunes transcend beyond typical string band jams. Lindsey Verrill’s high nasal whine delivered behind her thudding upright bass caricatures Old Time Appalachia, but melts perfectly into the soft harmony of her sister Kristen, while Dan Grissom, Ryan Conlin, and Adam Rader supply strings and lower timbers. The McMercy Family Band live is a revelation, albeit a slightly demented one. Witness the power and the glory for yourself this Saturday, August 2, as the McMercy Family Band joins Black Irish at the United States Art Authority behind Spiderhouse.

Profile: McMercy Family Band

Year Formed:
2007

Members/Instruments played:

Brother Dan Grissom-banjo and spirit
Brother Ryan Conlin-guitar and spirit
Brother Adam Rader-guitar and spirit
Reverend Ted Hadji-drums and spirit
Cousin Michael Rubin-harmonicas and spirit
Sister Lindsey Verrill-string bass and spirit
Sister Kristen Verrill-spirit

Former Bands/Side Projects:

Larkspur
The Insect Fable
some say Leland
Ted Hadji and the Wholly Ghosts

Albums:
Maybe someday. We’re waiting for a sign from God that he wants us to record His music.

Influences:
The Jesus Lizard

Strangest comment or comparison ever made about your music:
Once while we were playing at Room 710, there was a couple having sex in plain view of the band. It was almost as though they were making a statement about the McMercy Family Band. This was by far the strangest. Most people just think we’re a Christian band.

Favorite local bands:
FOOT PATROL!!! Wino Vino, Rogue River String Band, the Electric Mountain Rotten Apple Gang, That Damned Band, The Gospel Silvertones, The Lonesome Heroes, The Shake Em Ups, Frank Smith, The White Ghost Shivers, Green Mountain Grass.

Favorite local venue:
We like to play at Room 710 even though our crowd won’t set foot in there. They don’t like pentagrams or blood. The bartenders seem to like us though and often you will see people having sex in time to the music while we play there.

Upcoming shows scheduled:
August 2nd at Art Authority with Black Irish
August 8th at Independence Brewery
August 9th at Hole in the Wall with the Lonesome Heroes
September 2nd Secret Show

Shows over the next month that you’re excited to see:
The Secret Show lineup that we are playing with on September 2nd is going to be mind numbing. Wax Museum Pandemonium. Wino Vino. Green Mountain Grass. We are going to have to pray hard to keep up.

Some of your favorite albums from the past year:
We used to try to listen to records but we broke our gramophone trying to spin some of those new fangled silver ones. I guess that’s what you get when you try to change something that was already good.

Ideal band (past or present) to open for on a national tour:
We would like to tour the nation sometime. Unfortunately we have some trouble with venues. Many are friendly with the drinking and many are friendly with the Jesus but few are friendly with BOTH. It would be blessed to hop on the tail end of a barn burning Tent Revival with lots of fire and snakes. That would be our ideal tour-mate. Or maybe if God started a band we could tour with Him. That would be great. McMercy Family now on tour….with God!!

Austin Sound questions:
What religious denomination (or combination thereof) do y’all think best fits the McMercy Family Band?
We often think less about religious denominations and more about religious DOMINATION. We want to DOMINATE the religions of the world.

Who would be y’all’s top five favorite family bands of all time?
Anyone that can turn a family into a band is a true blessing in the changing seeds of time.

Song Introduction:
Thank you Smooth and Demented for making the only recording of the McMercy Family Band!

Sound Off:
We came up singing in church when Uncle Daddy started teaching us the shape notes. Then the Jesus provided us with instruments and the ability to play them. We became very popular in churches until we took to the bottle. The drink actually seemed to improve our playing so we started to play in bars and more secular venues (like Room 710) where we could encourage people to allow Jesus to come inside them. Many persons wanted us to start a ministry because of our special ability to “speak to the Jesus” and “reply with His voice” but we knew our place was in the music. As of today, Reverend Ted Hadji has baptized over 1000 souls.

Mp3:
McMercy Family Band - “Old Time Religion (Live on KAOS)

Website:
Myspace