Local Music Spotlight: Mersey Wylie

We have featured this local artist on our TV and radio show many times and 2016 is looking very bright for Miss Mersey Wylie. Not only does she have the coolest name in the world, not only is her Dad Liverpool music legend, Pete Wylie, but she also has also just been featured in the month’s Mojo playlist. We had to get her back in for another chat about what the next 12 months hold.

I do, but it’s lovely being in the city where it comes from and means so much. Means I don’t get mistaken for Mercy and Maisy as much as well even if I am greeted with some funny looks!

Music’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. I think growing up around it and around so many creative people, it was inevitable that I’d end up in that field in some way. It wasn’t until I was at uni though, and found myself accidentally on path to becoming a classical saxophonist whilst I was discovering neo-soul and disco and funk for the first time, that I realised I needed to actively make some decisions. So I packed up and came to Liverpool and pursued singing and writing and this is 5 or so years into that journey!

He’s just always been really supportive of me going for it and encouraging me to get out there and introducing me to loads of music that I otherwise wouldn’t hear.

It’s soul music, with elements of jazz, funk, blues and whatever else I’m listening to at the time. I try to listen to everything and take the elements that I like into my own music even if it’s just a feeling or an idea. I hope I never stop exploring and discovering and trying new things, that’s the most exciting part for me.

It is such a great city to be a musician in! The scene itself is so supportive and like one big family, everyone’s rooting for each other. And there’s always something going on, we are incredibly lucky.

There are so many! But it’s great seeing the soul scene here getting stronger year on year. It’s easy to think of Liverpool as a rock or indie city but there are great artists like Mic Lowry, Esco Williams, Amique, Christina Malley, Xam Volo and so many others that are making incredible soul music and getting that scene visible.

That’s always a tough one but I think it’d have to be Jill Scott’s 2nd album, “Beautifully Human.” That’s how I first got into her music and it completely changed the way I thought about music and wanted to make music. She writes lyrics so poetically and pairs them with really interesting melodies but it’s all centred over these great grooves and arrangements. And I don’t think she’s ever afraid of trying something different.

I think revisiting anything you listened to when you were younger will always bring up that nostalgia and everything you were feeling at that time, regardless of how good the music actually is, so I’ll still belt out a bit of Spice Girls or S Club 7 on demand, but I can’t say I feel guilty about it!!

I’ve got some really exciting things planned for 2016 but none of it’s been announced yet so I can’t say! I will definitely be doing some more recording though so keep an ear out.

I’m Mersey Wylie on everything: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Soundcloud. The new song can be found at soundcloud.com/merseywylie/dontgiveuponme and is available for a free download!

Find out more about Mersey and her music here