Irritating: Oh Mercy’s Alexander Gow likes to pen lyrics that get up listeners’ noses.
By Cherie Donnellan
CREATING fictional characters inspired Oh Mercy frontman Alexander Gow to pen the band’s third album, Deep Heat.
Gow joked that the “conservative listener” might think the third track My Man sounded like a “homosexual love song” despite being written from a female viewpoint.
“It’s about a woman with an obsession for this man,” Gow clarified.
“It’s about the sweet and cruel things she’d do for his attention.”
Gow believed the song’s “provocative nature” challenged the band’s pop rock genre.
Many contemporary pop songs were failing to inspire listeners to debate the lyrics’ meaning, he contended.
“I’m happy to irritate listeners if it means they’ll think about the lyrics and want to respond to them.”
Gow said Deep Heat featured “groove-based” melodies.
“Drums and bass are so important in this album.”
Gow reminisced about playing Geelong gigs “many, many times”
He described the band’s fans in the city as “passionate”.
“They get really into it and you can tell it’s exciting for them, which is exciting for us.”
Gow confessed he “always wanted to be a singer”.
“Watching people on the telly singing and playing guitar” influenced his skill and style.
“I never had an option B, so it’s lucky I’m actually okay at it and managed to turn it into a career,” he joked.
Gow laughed remembering some of the “awful” lyrics he wrote as a teenager.
“I got the bad ones out of the way and started getting good at about 19.
“We recorded out first album when I was 20 and I think that was the first time I was happy with where my lyrics were taking.
“The rest is history.”
Oh Mercy plays Geelong’s Bended Elbow on October 19.
