White Rock based musician Kieran Mercer is excited to open Vancouver pop band Marianas Trench’s new 18 date Canadian tour in support of their CD “ Astoria,” which comes to the Enmax Centre, March 29 with Walk Off The Earth.
“It’s a great opportunity, so I’m really excited to get on the tour,” Mercer said.
“It’s going to be a good time.”
He is thankful Marianas Trench frontman Josh Ramsay’s support has allowed him to open the shows on this tour. “We’re label-mates and Josh has always been a big supporter of my music. On this tour he wanted to give someone a leg up. This time it was me,” he said.
“There are three acts on this tour. I’m up first, then Walk off the Earth, then the Trench.
I don’t even know if the house lights will be out when I play. With opening acts, you’re playing to people trying to find their seats and people sitting there wondering who the heck you are. It’s my job to change that — to warm up the crowd and get my music out there,” he said, noting he will be accompanied by a bassist, a keyboardist and drummer.
Mercer just released a six song EP last week which he recorded in Los Angeles with producer Jon Levin who has worked with One Direction and Rachel Platten and who used to play in a band called the Philosopher Kings.
“He brought quite a lot. I trusted him 100 per cent. When you work with a producer, it can go one of two ways. A lot of times you can’t agree on anything and you’re fighting for your own ideas to stay. Other times you make a connection and you can write together,” he said noting the latter was the case with Lavin as they co-wrote all six songs together.
He visited Los Angeles twice for a week at a time.
“ It was an amazing experience. We wrote three songs each time,” he said.
The first single and video “Bang, Bang” was released last year. the current single is “ Hey, Stay.”
Marianas Trench, Walk Off The Earth and Kieran Mercer play the Enmax Centre,Tuesday, March 29 at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $47.50-$79.50.
