The Mercers This Island Price CD: CDN$23.95 Qty:

TRACKS
The Mercers' recording includes a mix of traditional and original tunes including: Paradise Lost (Instrumental), Will The Circle Be Unbroken, John's Pond, Tribute To Newfoundland, Wildwood Flower, Reason To Stay, Bluegrass Medley, My Island's Calling, The Cliffs Of Baccalieu, Saltwater Joys, Diamonds In The Rough (Accapella), and Paradise Lost (Reprise).

Nominated for Folk Roots Artist of the Year 1998 by the Music Industry Association of Nfld & Lab!

The Mercers are a father and son duo born and bred in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Both Bruce and his son Chris are singer-songwriters, as well as accomplished guitarists and multi-instrumentalists.

Bruce hails from Springdale, Green Bay, and currently resides in Baie Verte, White Bay on the North-East coast of the island. He has been singing, writing, and playing for over 30 years, and is known for his powerful lyrical writing and his virtuoso guitar playing. As well as being a consummate musician, Bruce has worked as a journeyman welder in Labrador City, and as a certified teacher in Newfoundland. He holds degrees in Education, Religious Studies, and Philosophy.

Chris, the younger Mercer (!), grew up in Baie Verte and Labrador City. He has been singing, writing, and playing for about 20 years. Chris is well known for being a versatile guitarist and a powerful vocalist. Like his dad, Chris also has a life outside music. He is a registered psychologist and a guidance counsellor at the College of the North Atlantic in Stephenville, where he now resides. Chris also travels extensively, and has recently returned from a visit to Ireland, Scotland, and England.

Together, Bruce and Chris form the nucleus of a unique musical family, which includes Sarah and Craig (of the immediate family), and an ever-growing "extended" family of musical friends and neighbours. The extended family includes vocalists Wish Downey, Dave Pye, Jim Dobbin, John Lake, Wayne Nesbit, Kerry Thorne, Wade Blagdon, and players like Mark Campbell Peddle (of The Gravel Pit Campers, and The Ennis Sisters), Frank Maher (of Figgy Duff, and Tickle Harbour), and Paddy Moran (of The Punters), and many more. Most of the music recorded for This Island includes The Mercers large circle of friends, who help bring the true spirit of Newfoundland and Labrador to each song. Bruce and Chris believe that their best music comes from the heart, and they have captured some of this exceptional music to share with others.