Wailing City Spotlight: Interview with John Speziale of Sweet Mercy!

Published February 16, 2023
Interview by Meghan Killimade

Sweet Mercy! is a roots Americana influenced band, lead by John Speziale of Stonington and featuring multi-instrumentalists from all areas of New London county and Westerly, RI. The band performs as an acoustic trio or quartet and sometimes as a full band featuring electric guitar and drums. Sweet Mercy! has opened for prestigious acts, including The Hoolios and The Carleans and they’ve shared stages with such talented song writers as Dan Blakeslee and Haunt the House. The band’s hot licks and harmonies earned them a New London, CT Whalie Award for Best Roots Rock Band in 2016. More recently, Sweet Mercy! have been playing shows around the area in support of their new self-titled album released in September of 2022. 

From their bio: 'Sweet Mercy!’s first album, appropriately titled 'Sweet Mercy!', is a compilation of songs reflecting the cultural, regional, ethnic and musical influences that have combined to make the Americana genre. Nola’s in there, along with blues, Cajun, Tex-Mex, rock and roll… There’s a murder ballad, and even a song inspired by the circus. Eight of the songs were written by John, the ninth song is a rocking rendition of a traditional Americana classic.'

Wailing City recently asked John Speziale about the band, the songwriting/recording process and what's coming up for Sweet Mercy!...
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