Mercy, the Sexton is a Canadian indie pop

Indie pop

Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...

 band from St. John's, Newfoundland

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...

, founded by brothers Luke and Duncan Major in March 2007. The other band members initially were Chris Johansen and Jon Hynes. The band is now a five-piece, including the Major brothers, Hynes, Mat Lacombe, and Jamie March.

Their debut album, Another Month, produced by Jody Richardson, was released in April 2008. In December 2008, Another Month won the inaugural Atlantis Music Prize

Atlantis Music Prize

The Atlantis Music Prize is a music award annually given to the best full-length album from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, based only on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label. The award, established in 2008 by St. John's-based alternative newspaper The Scope, includes a...

, a juried award based on the concept of the Polaris Music Prize

Polaris Music Prize

The Polaris Music Prize is a music award annually given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label...

, but given for album of the year in Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...

. Other acts on the shortlist included Hey Rosetta!

Hey Rosetta!

Hey Rosetta! is a six-piece Canadian indie rock band from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Known for its energized live shows, the band creates a massive, layered sound by incorporating piano, violin and cello into the traditional four-piece garage rock sound.-History:Their influences include...

 and Duane Andrews

Duane Andrews

Duane Andrews is a virtuosic guitarist who melds traditional Newfoundland folk music with Manouche Gypsy Jazz similar to the way that Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt infused Jazz with Gypsy melody...

.

The band has toured Eastern Canada as opening act for bands such as Two Hours Traffic

Two Hours Traffic

Two Hours Traffic is a Canadian indie rock band, based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. They are named after a line in the prologue to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Although often described as the band that Halifax guitarist Joel Plaskett took "under his wing", they have increasingly...

 and Mardeen. They played at Pop Montreal

Pop Montreal

Pop Montreal is an annual music festival occurring in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in the early fall, usually at the end of September or the beginning of October. More than 400 acts are scheduled to play in more than 50 venues across the city, mostly located in the Mile End area...

 in 2008, and Canadian Music Week

Canadian Music Week

Canadian Music Week is an industry conference and music festival held over four days in various venues throughout Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-History:...

 in Toronto in 2009.

Their single "Yr Best" has been played in rotation on CBC Radio 3

CBC Radio 3

CBC Radio 3 is a radio station that consists of two parts devoted to Canadian arts and music: a radio service which is available on Sirius Satellite Radio and streaming audio, and several daily and weekly podcasts from the CBC Radio 3 website...

. Both Luke and Duncan Major were previously in the band The Nordic Beat.

External links

• Mercy, the Sexton official site
• Mercy, the Sexton on CBC Radio 3
  CBC Radio 3
  CBC Radio 3 is a radio station that consists of two parts devoted to Canadian arts and music: a radio service which is available on Sirius Satellite Radio and streaming audio, and several daily and weekly podcasts from the CBC Radio 3 website...