RIVAL SONS Share New Song 'Mercy' From Upcoming 'Lightbringer' Album

Two-time-Grammy-nominated band RIVAL SONS have unleashed a brand new single titled "Mercy", available on all streaming platforms now. It heralds the impending arrival of their new album, "Lightbringer", on October 20. It notably marks the group's second full-length offering to be unveiled in 2023, following June's critically acclaimed companion album "Darkfighter".

As an album standout, "Mercy" illuminates the group's uncanny knack for dynamics. Howling vocals toss and turn over a hulking guitar riff. Lyrically, it confronts pain passed down from one generation to the next as vocalist Jay Buchanan bemoans, "You know that anger moves like electricity."

Regarding "Mercy", Jay elaborated: "It's so conductive, the way trauma moves from person to person. Anger moves like electricity in a similar way, once it gets inside you it immediately seeks transmission to latch onto someone or something else. The verses have this cyclical friction to them and it brought this to mind; inherited trauma and its vicious, silent grip. Breaking these cycles begins with recognition and I wanted to sing about that. Try a little mercy, mercy never lets you down."

Guitarist Scott Holiday shared: "It's time to reveal yet another track (the last before release day!) from 'Lightbringer'! This round, we are sharing the song entitled: 'Mercy'. A song that deals with internal struggle and trying to connect with our 'higher' selves... to turn that energy within the struggle into something better. Musically this was a song I started very early in the writing process... Working with a similar tone that I used on the track 'Mirrors' from 'Darkfighter'. Yet, we didn't complete this song until the end of recording all the others. Like so many of the riffs I write, I hear the drums / groove immediately, and it's equally important / integral to the riff. Miley delivers a pretty deadly and infectious groove to accompany my guitar. One of the coolest drum / riff moments of both records in my opinion. I love the minimalism Jay attacks the song with. Really drives the message home for me. Also an inspired guitar solo, which I cut at home in my own studio. Please enjoy 'Mercy'."

"Mercy" lands in the wake of the upbeat and undeniable "Sweet Life" — available on all streaming platforms. Right out of the gate, it gathered over 376,000 Spotify streams and counting. Beyond plugs from Consequence, Classic Rock and many more, American Songwriter praised, "The heavy subject matter at the heart of 'Lightbringer' is temporarily lifted on their latest single, 'Sweet Life', adding "the groovy cut offers an energizing escape from every day worries," and Guitar Player spoke to Scott extensively for an in-depth profile.

About "Lightbringer", Scott said: "When you do two albums back to back like this, there are a lot of things to think about. The first record has to pack enough of a punch and tell enough of a story for the second half to have an even bigger impact. We balanced them out with energy and meaning, but the follow-up always needed to deliver a bigger blow. I think 'Lightbringer' provides this."

Jay added: "'Darkfighter' is a new RIVAL SONS, and 'Lightbringer' is the clear definition of what we are now. We broke ground on 'Darkfighter', but 'Lightbringer' is a step beyond the personal innovation and exploration. It goes a little further. We really took everything into our own hands and pushed to see how far we could go. It was a self-exploration to see who we were and who we'll be now. We had more friction and compromise than ever, because we isolated the bare essence of where we needed to go — and then we went there."

RIVAL SONS crafted "Darkfighter" and "Lightbringer" during the same sessions over the course of 2021. Once again, they recorded with creative confidant and longtime producer Dave Cobb behind the board. The band initially dropped "Darkfighter" to unanimous tastemaker praise earlier this summer. Classic Rock attested, "'Darkfighter' might just be RIVAL SONS' masterpiece," and Glide Magazine enthused, "'Darkfighter' is a lean hard rock album that condenses what RIVAL SONS does well into a brief attack." At the same time, they have piled up millions of streams across the likes of "Nobody Wants To Die", "Bird In The Hand", "Rapture" and more.

RIVAL SONS recently concluded a tour with THE SMASHING PUMPKINS and will be touring through the end of 2023 with select U.S. headline shows and festival appearances.

In 2021, RIVAL SONS celebrated the tenth anniversary of their 2011 album, "Pressure And Time", by performing the landmark long player live in its entirety on the "Pressure And Time" tour for the first time. They also lit up Southern California with a two-night livestream event, "Pair Of Aces", live from the historic Catalina Casino on Santa Catalina Island. They performed their debut LP, "Before The Fire" (2009),in its entirety on the first night and their self-titled EP, "Rival Sons" (2010),on the second.

"Lightbringer" track listing:

01. Darkfighter
02. Mercy
03. Redemption
04. Sweet Life
05. Before The Fire
06. Mosaic

Photo credit: Patrik Skoglöw