Mercy Bell: Folk, Americana, and Queer Country Musician in Nashville
Queer, Filipino-American, folk, Americana, country musician and singer-songwriter based in Nashville, TN.
Some Press...
"Another distinct voice with a potent, progressive take on emotive, modern folk"
-Marissa Moss, Rolling Stone
"Country lyricism at its finest"
"Bell [spans] fetching folk-rock melodrama… and indie pop"
-Jewly Hight, NPR
"Emerging Nashville elite [musician] Mercy Bell…has a power and craft all her own"
"A queer Filipina making country music in a Linda Ronstadt vein. Mercy Bell's inspiring ballad [Chocolate Milk & Whiskey] affirms that little pleasures and big love make it possible to 'remember to myself be true'."
"Bell manages to evoke Rosanne Cash, The Zombies, girl-group singles, alt-country and rock ’n’ roll…sonic and thematic work of the highest order"
Click here for more press...
About
Mercy Bell
Mercy Bell is an independent, AAPI (Filipino-American), gay musician and singer-songwriter whose work spans multiple genres: indie, pop, folk, queer country, rock, Americana, and musical theater.
Music
Mercy has released two albums and two EPs: All Good Cowboys (2011, produced by Danielle DePalma) Mercy Bell (2019, produced by Bell, Trace Faulkner, and Abby Hairston) Golden Child (2021, produced by J.R. Bohannon) and the Leather Daddies (Songs from the New Musical) (2023, produced by Alex Caress and Jonny Stax).
Bell also co-wrote and co-released the viral protest song “Jesus Was a Drag Queen”(2023) with Melody Walker. A radio version of “Jesus Was a Drag Queen“ was also released, featuring queer musicians Mya Byrne, Aaron Lee Tasjan, and Autumn Nicholas.
Mercy's music has been featured on NPR, in Paste Magazine, American Songwriter, Rolling Stone Country, the documentary The Sound of Us (2021, directed by Chris Gero), and more. She’s been an official showcase artist at AMERICANAFEST, SXSW, Nashville Pride, and Mission Creek Music Festival. She also appeared in the “New Money Goals” NerdWallet commercial (2021).
Leather Daddies
Mercy is currently co-writing the new gay musical Leather Daddies with Scott Bradley. It is a rock opera about the underground gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender sexual revolution in 1950s/60s Chicago led by Chuck Renslow and Dom Orejudos, also known as Etienne. Leather Daddies is based on the book Leatherman by Tracy Baim and Owen Keehnen .
The Leather Daddies: Songs from the New Musical EP was produced by Alex Caress (Little Bandit) and Jonny Stax. It features Aaron Lee Tasjan, Mike Maimone, Joshua Hedley, and more.
Leather Daddies received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest to produce an Actors Equity Workshop at About Face Theatre in Chicago. Read more about it here: “AFT holds workshop for new Leather Daddies: The Musical | About Face Theatre“.
More About Mercy
Mercy, which is short for "Mercedes", has lived in California, Massachusetts, New York City, Arkansas, and Nashville, where she currently lives with her partner, two cats, and a dog. She moved to New York City to pursue music with a backpack, an air mattress, and a guitar. After several years of exploring the singer-songwriter scene in NYC, she moved to Nashville, where she refined her songwriting craft. She is passionate about advocating for mental health issues such as sobriety, grief, ADHD, OCD and anxiety, mood disorders, anxiety, trauma, and more. As a musician, her music touches on these subjects. (Many folks ask about her traditional Filipino-style tattoos; the designs are ancient, the tattoo artist is Hunter Soltes.)
Work Experience
Aside from being an independent musician, Mercy has worked on the administrative and data-entry side of the music business at Sony/ATV and United Talent Agency. She is also a freelance writer and copywriter. (If you want to hire her, here is her copywriting portfolio.) Visit her LinkedIn for more work experience. Like many other artists, she has also spent many years as a bartender.
Booking and Contact
Mercy is always up for a playing shows, collaborating, or co-writing if the vibes are right. She is happy to connect and expand her music repertoire with other pop, rock, indie, folk, commercial, musical theater, and country musicians to collaborate on new work.
If you would like to book, co-write, hire, or collaborate with Mercy, send her a note.
Video
"Skip to the Part" - Mercy Bell (Official Music Video)
Skip to the Part Music Video
Director: Tyler Varvel
Director of Photography: Caitlin Brady
Production/Creative /Costume Design: Tyler Varvel
Music: Mercy Bell, Trace Faulkner, Abby Hairston, Megan Elizabeth McCormick Gaffer: Joshua Black Wilkins
Hairstylist: Tyler Varvel
Makeup: Hannah Draeger
Editor: Jill Pugh
Post Production Assistant: Seraphina Bell
Shot in Nashville, Tennessee. August 2019.
"Codeine" - Mercy Bell (Official Music Video)
"Codeine" - Mercy Bell - Music Video
Video Credits
Director - John Mason
Director of Photography - Peter Leninger
Makeup - Jill Pugh
Hair - Jill Pugh
Production Assistant - Jill Pugh
Editor John Mason
Filmed in Franklin, Tennessee 2021
"Jesus Was A Drag Queen" Melody Walker and Mercy Bell (Official Music Video)
"Jesus Was A Drag Queen" Melody Walker and Mercy Bell (Official Video)
Melody Walker - guitar, vocals
Mercy Bell - vocals
Michael Majett - bass
Tiff Minton - drums
Jacob Groopman - electric guitar
Kiran Gupta - organ, keys
Directed by John Mason at Granite Mouse
Engineered by Sean Sullivan at the Tractor Shed
Mastered by Justin Perkins at Mystery Room Mastering
Video
Mercy Bell Live at Paste Studio Atlanta
"Black Dress" - Mercy Bell - Mini Docs
MINIDocs presents Mercy Bell playing "Black Dress". Recorded at the Blackbird Studios, Nashville, TN.
"Chocolate Milk & Whiskey" Mercy Bell
"Chocolate Milk & Whiskey" Mercy Bell
Videographer/Director - Patrick Hubbard Editor/Make-up Artist - Jill Pugh
Guitar Tech - Bailey Griffith
Written by Mercy Bell
Mercy Bell Musician Black Cat Logo Designed by Seraphina Bell.
Contact
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