Hey Mercedes

Emerging from the remnants of the acclaimed Chicago emo band Braid, Hey Mercedes confronted considerable obstacles at the outset. The sequence opened in the middle of 1999 when Braid elected to disband after original guitarist Chris Broach departed. They wrapped their run via multiple well-received, thoroughly recorded hometown performances, after which Broach turned to the Firebird Band. Guitarist-vocalist Bob Nanna, drummer Damon Atkinson, and bassist Todd Bell tried resuming everyday routines, yet within months the three opted to reassemble, giving rise to Hey Mercedes. They brought aboard Milwaukee native and former Alligator Gun guitarist Mark Dawursk, formally launching the group in April 2000 before promptly entering the studio for a four-song EP on Danville, Illinois-based Polyvinyl Records. The self-titled release merged Braid’s churning syncopations with newly developed melodic frameworks, spotlighting Nanna’s exceptionally steady vocal delivery and a more relaxed yet authoritative approach from the remaining players. Steering clear of their earlier aggression, Hey Mercedes cultivated an accessible, melody-driven identity that soon endeared their material to a younger audience swept up in the expanding emo movement. Established ties secured high-profile support slots with Jets to Brazil, Saves the Day, and Alkaline Trio, quickly resulting in a contract with Vagrant Records, the genre’s influential powerhouse imprint. Early 2001 found the band back in the studio with producer J. Robbins tracking their debut full-length, the potent 11-song Everynight Fire Works, ultimately issued by Vagrant in October 2001 after repeated postponements. The album sustains the group’s strong post-emo songcraft and appears to close the chapter on Braid’s influence, confirming Hey Mercedes as an independent force. That standing was reinforced by the Weekend EP the following summer and by periodic updates on the band’s website. Michael Shumaker assumed Dawursk’s role in 2002, performed on the 2003 full-length Loses Control, and stayed through occasional reunion appearances.