Mercy Bell Interview | Women Who Rock | Tonight @ 12th & Porter

Let your weekend live on a little longer with a fantastic line-up tonight at 12th and Porter with this month’s installment of the Women Who Rock series. This time 3 is indeed the magic number because on the 3rd day of the 3rd month of the year you can treat yourself to the soulful sounds of 3 of Nashville’s finest female voices — Mercy Bell along with Elizabeth Eckert and Heidi Burson rounding out the bill.

Again this go around Anna Haas, (curator extraordinaire of WWR) has helped us out with conducting some interviews on our behalf! We helped you get to know Heidi and Elizabeth already and now we shine a little light on headliner, Mercy Bell. Enjoy this special interview and grab your tickets now for the show!

No Country: Who are some of your greatest musical influences?
Mercy Bell: Patty Griffin, The Dixie Chicks, Leonard Bernstein, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Sufjan Stevens.

NC: Who’s your favorite female artist of all time?
MB: Patty Griffin!

NC: Any up-and-coming/indie artists that excite you?
MB: My friends. Nashville band Moseley and NYC artist Christine Hoberg, look em up! Christine just released an album this month, and Moseley are a brand spankin-new band that are working their butts off.

NC: What have you been doing to keep warm this winter?
MB: Lots of jumping around in my living room with my girlfriend listening to Katy Perry.

NC: Who’s put on the most fun show you’ve ever been to?
MB: Everybody at Bonnaroo last year. Tom Petty is badass dude.

NC: What’s the last great book you read?
MB: The Bedwetter by Sarah Silverman and Before the Rain, which is a memoir about journalists in the Philippines in the 80s.

NC: Do you feel that being a woman in the music industry provides any particular challenge?
MB: I’m lucky that I’m a folk musician surrounded by very, very supportive people. I watch friends in the pop/country scene struggle, which sucks. Folk and Americana have been good to me.

NC: What are you working on/promoting at the moment? Any new projects in the works?
MB: An EP that I hope will be done by the summer.

NC: Ok, SCREW, MARRY, KILL- The Golden Girls (Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, Sophia.) Go…
MB: They terrify me. Can you imagine being that fierce at their age. I hope I’m on the right track.

NC: Is there any particular cause or charity that you stand behind?
MB: I’ve done and still do a lot of volunteer work for Amnesty International and Oxfam.

NC: What one piece of advice would you give to new and aspiring artists?
MB: Be brave! And have lots of fun.

Be sure to check out Mercy Bell at Monday’s Women Who Rock Showcase at 12th & Porter and check back for interviews with the other ladies on the bill, Elizabeth Eckert and Heidi Burson! Tickets to the show are just $10 if you grab ’em in advance here and the show gets going around 8pm!