Anaria Artist Spotlight with Jessica Mercy
by Athena Hardy of Celtic Wolf Queen Reviews
by Athena Hardy of Celtic Wolf Queen Reviews
Today I am featuring a metal band from the New England area called Anaria. Questions have been answered by Jessica Mercy who is the very talented and lovely singer of the band. She's always got some creative project going on whether it's making music, making art or making costumes.
CWQ: When did the band first form?
JM: Anaria has been around in some form or another for many years, but in earnest since about 2011. It began as a purely symphonic power metal project called Evince Ethos, and I am the only remaining member from those days.
CWQ: Did it take you a little while to figure out your sound or did everyone pretty much click right away?
JM: Anaria has been through a multitude of lineup changes, which is a fairly frequent thing in the music industry. The current trio is comprised of myself, Sergio Salvucci (my husband), and Dan Spinney. Our approach to sound is to not limit ourselves to one particular genre, an approach we all very much agree with based on our experience in the industry. The three of us get along great and are able to cohesively work as a team to achieve a vision, in spite of having day jobs and other projects. With previous lineups, there were definitely bumps along the way, but I think the group is the best incarnation it’s been and we are certainly unified in vision.
CWQ: Which bands would you say Anaria is most influenced by?
JM: In the past, we were influenced by bands like Nightwish, Lacuna Coil, Within Temptation, and Evanescence. We have maintained many of those heavy Gothic elements for sure, but to list influences nowadays would be tough. I am personally influenced by a host of artists, including classic opera singers from the mid-1900's, rocker ladies from the 80's and 90's such as Pat Benatar, and of course pop queens like Celine Dion, Lady Gaga, and more. Sergio is influenced by bands like Opeth, and probably has the most “metal” background of the three of us having played in death metal bands for years. Dan is influenced by so many different bands, including Avenged Sevenfold and on the opposite end of the spectrum, Lakestreet Dive.
CWQ: You have done some New Age/Celtic music as well. Will you be doing more of that in the near future?
JM: I will be producing a lot more New Age/Celtic music! “To the Ancients” is the Celtic New Age project my husband and I created, and it’s kind of like the Gothic/epic version of Loreena McKennitt. We published a great album called “Invitation” in July of 2019 and have been sporadically producing singles since then. We have a few new singles in the tracking process, and a dynamite cover medley which I think people of nerdy inclination will especially appreciate!
CWQ: Are there any other genres of music you would like to experiment with?
JM: I have experimented with many genres, and plan to continue that trend in the future. I’d love to record some jazz. I’m also very into electronic music and pop. I have another project I’m working on which fuses Gothic music with electro-pop and downtempo pop. It’s largely inspired by the soundtrack of the TV show “Lucifer” which overall has this wonderful darkness and tragedy of human emotion with tones of sensuality. So far in the songs I’ve written, there are little bits of HIM influences in there, along with Delta Rae, Halsey, Florence & the Machine; it’s very “me.”
CWQ: Is this something you are hoping will completely replace your other jobs or are you doing this more as a hobby that you can just enjoy without the rigors of a full touring lifestyle?
JM: The short answer is yes; I would love for music to be my full-time career. But doing art as a career comes with its own challenges, so I think being a “full-time musician” looks a bit different than simply touring, and a lot of artists are not making much money doing tours nowadays. It relies a lot more on things like film placement and royalties to create sustainable income. Obviously this is my art, and I will always do it regardless of monetary gain because it’s far more important to me to create good art and inspire audiences and other artists.
CWQ: Do all the band mates like to socialize together on days other than times you are actively creating music together? If so, what types of things do you enjoy doing together?
JM: When all three of us are together, we have a great time, but we don’t spend a lot of time socializing outside of getting music-related tasks accomplished. I see Sergio daily as we are married and live together, so our lifestyles are very much fused with the business aspect. We have a studio in our basement and we’re just always working on art, whether it’s music, photos, or videos.
CWQ: What would you say has been your biggest accomplishment so far?
JM: Personally, I’ve always been striving for that “big break.” And I haven’t really had that yet. But I wouldn’t look at it as a failure or a shortcoming, there have been lots of little victories leading towards what I hope is imminent success. Every song we’ve recorded has been an accomplishment. Every show we’ve played has been an accomplishment. We have opened for Flyleaf and Lacuna Coil; that’s pretty awesome I think! For me, studying classical voice, performing each recital along the way, and seeing my voice progress from being a self-taught novice to a professional has been an accomplishment. I finished my first Gothic romance novel this year, that’s definitely an accomplishment. I’m proud of how far I’ve come, and how far the band has come, and I truly think we will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years.
CWQ: Did 2020 interfere with any of the bands goals?
JM: 2020 interfered with everyone’s goals, didn’t it? For Anaria, it did not impact us as much as it could have or as much as it impacted some of our friends in the industry. We don’t have a full line-up for shows, so shows probably weren’t happening this year anyway. It has given us the time to focus on getting the album done, and getting ourselves ready physically and emotionally to play shows again in 2021 (we hope).
CWQ: Do you have any special plans for the upcoming year?
JM: I plan to release a lot of music and videos this year, and make some awesome dresses and costumes. As a nerd convention-goer, that part of my life has been on hold due to the pandemic. So I’ve been sewing, singing, doing photo shoots, and writing. I’m really excited about all of it! It keeps me busy and helps me continue to grow as a creator.
*** Photo credits to A Curious Production and 41st Casanova Productions (Gerry Vincent) ***
