Mercurine

Fans of the dark side of pop might recognize the name Mera Roberts from her work as a cellist for Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Faith & the Muse, or the Cassandra Complex. When Roberts moved to Los Angeles in 2000, she decided it was time to form the band she had always wanted to hear, one that combined the energy of New Order and the introspection of the Cure with the darker edge of the bands from her past. Searching for a likeminded musician, she eventually partnered with keyboardist/guitarist Byron Brown, who had worked with Kommunity FK and his own band, Human Rhythm Composer. Scheduled to record their demos around September 11, 2001, the band experienced a pause they had not expected when the Twin Towers were attacked. The duo looked at the post-apocalyptic imagery of lost innocence in their lyrics, regained their focus, and finished recording. The band released their self-titled debut EP at the end of 2001, with the full-length Music Is Chemical following in March of 2003. ~ David Jeffries