Gone No More: Craig Mercer and the Will Be Gones Return
WRITTEN BY: MITCHELL JODREY // THE BOOM AT NOON
Craig Mercer and the Will Be Gones (Contributed)
Craig Mercer and the Will Be Gones entered the music scene more than a decade ago as a songwriter-focused, roots-rock band. They released a handful of songs in the following years, hinting at an imminent debut album that never materialized. In 2015, the band prepared to unveil their first single, "Growin Weeds," and embarked on a small tour to promote the song, including a hometown single release show at The Company House. However, "Growin Weeds" only found its way onto SoundCloud, and soon after, the band, as their name suggests, was “gone.”
Craig, faced with a career change and the responsibilities of starting a family, had to put the project on hold. “It’s just lost momentum as things do. At the same time, I never really wanted it to end,” said Craig. “I had to focus on being a dad and my career. Unfortunately, this is one of the things that had to get left in the dust,” he added.
A fixture in the local music scene, Craig Mercer is widely known for his bands Scientists of Sound, The Jimmy Swift Band, and 80’s cover band Maximum Overdrive. He also works at NSCC, previously as faculty in the Music Business program before moving into his current role, where he oversees all of the Creative Industry programs at the College.
Seven years after the Will Be Gones last show, a near-death experience played a role in getting the band back together. “I got hit by a car in a crosswalk last year, and it was in some ways the catalyst for me coming back to this,” said Craig. “I was in recovery for several months, and it kind of gives you a whole different perspective on things when you have that something like that happen,” he said. “I wasn't nearly dead, but if I was hit five more inches in the crosswalk, maybe I would have been,” he added. “ One of the things that I thought about a lot was how I don't want to be that guy that didn't finish stuff and left a whole bunch of things in a pile unfinished.”
Flash forward to 2023, and the Will Be Gones will be back and finally releasing their long long-promised debut - “Never Not Letting Go.” “It’s amazing what eight years' time will do to your perspective on some artwork that you've done. Music is funny in that way - once you put it out, it's tough to change it. I mean, you could, but you shouldn't, and because it hadn't been released, it felt like an opportunity for us to go and tidy things up and make it as good as we could get it,” said Craig, noting that there are new elements to the songs since the first recording sessions. “There’s a bunch of new guitars that I put down. I changed the lyrics to a few of them - two of the songs significantly,” he added.
The band will make their return to the stage on June 23, at The Carleton, to release “Never Not Letting Go.” The band's lineup has remained mostly the same as it was eight years ago, featuring Roger Nelson on guitar, Nick Lawrence on bass, and Pete Davidson on keys. “We've remained really close friends over the years. I was kind of hesitant to call people and say, ‘Hey, do you want to do this?’ Because it's a lot of work,” said Craig. They’ll be joined by new members, Julian Maranette on drums and Sidra Martin on backing vocals.
This isn’t the end of the road for the Will Be Gones following the release of ‘Never Not Letting Go,’ Craig says there is more new music on the way and is already working on a follow-up full-length album. “I think that this coming back to this product has kind of given me a new spark on this. My entire musical career has been playing that late-night slot at a festival for kids that want to party, and that's not really where my life is right now. And don't get me wrong. I still love that, and I'm still going to continue to do that. But what I'd like to see happen with this project is that I start to showcase songwriting a little bit more.”
Celebrate the release of “Never Not Letting Go” with Craig Mercer and the Will Be Gones at The Carleton on June 23. They will be joined by Rudy & The Pacé Family Orchestra.
You can also catch Craig at The Marquee on July 22, playing with the Jimmy Swift Band and doing a “seamless sets show” with Grand Theft Bus. The stage will have dual setups and inter-woven changeovers, creating great moments of improvisation and experimentation.
Never Not Letting Go is now available on Bandcamp.
