“Breathe For Her” - Mercy Kelly
Photo Credit: Artist EPK
Originating from Oldham, Mercy Kelly have been quietly building a reputation for emotionally charged, stadium-ready indie that doesn’t chase trends — it bleeds them dry. With echoes of U2’s sweeping emotional landscapes and The Killers’ cinematic urgency, “Breathe For Her” pushes Mercy Kelly into that sweet spot between heartbreak and euphoria.
Jack Marland’s vocals are all tension and tenderness, breaking just enough to make you feel the weight of every lyric. You can practically hear the ache in his delivery, the sound of someone singing to remember rather than to forget.
Recorded at the legendary Kempston Street Studios (formerly the iconic Parr Street, home to Coldplay and Justin Bieber sessions alike), the track benefits from producer Alex Quinn’s careful balance of clarity and grit. Everything sounds widescreen — the drums punch like heartbeats, the bass hums with quiet intensity, and those guitars soar without ever feeling overdone. There’s restraint in the mix — space for breath, for heartbreak to echo.
But what makes “Breathe For Her” really stand out is the emotional sincerity. It’s not about chasing radio formulas or pretending to be something bigger — it’s about becoming something bigger through sheer honesty. There’s a line of inheritance here: from The Chameleons’ introspective melancholy to The Verve’s spiritual ache and even touches of early Coldplay’s fragility. Yet Mercy Kelly sound entirely like themselves — young, driven, and unafraid to feel too much.
Thematically, “Breathe For Her” captures that moment when love and loss blur into one — when remembering someone becomes a ritual of survival. It’s cinematic in scope but intimate in tone, a song that could fill a field yet still feel like a whisper in your ear. As a follow-up to their well-received single “Speak Too Soon,” it’s a clear artistic leap forward — more polished, more mature, but still unmistakably Mercy Kelly.
Coming off a successful Kendal Calling performance, the band feels like they’re standing right at the threshold — one foot in Manchester’s deep indie lineage, the other stepping into the future.
“Breathe For Her” isn’t just another indie single — it’s a statement of intent. It’s Mercy Kelly proving they can channel personal emotion into something universal, something that sounds ready for both BBC Introducing playlists and late-night festival singalongs.
If the northern sky could sing, it would probably sound like this — aching, hopeful, and endlessly alive.
“Breathe For Her” is available now on all major streaming platforms
Photo Credit: Artist EPK
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