Hey Mercedes

Hey Mercedes was an alternative rock band that rose from the ashes of the legendary band Braid. Three of the four members of Braid were in Hey Mercedes: Vocalist and Rhythm Guitarist Bob Nanna, Bassist Todd Bell and drummer Damon Atkinson. There were joined initially by Mark Dawursk on lead guitar, who was eventually replaced with Michael Shumaker. After releasing an EP on Braid's former label Polyvinyl, the band signed a deal with Vagrant Records in late 2000. Vagrant Records was home to newly popular acts such as The Get Up Kids, Saves the Day and Dashboard Confessional. While Braid had broken up in 1999, former touring friends The Get Up Kids had found their biggest success in "Something To Right Home About". Hey Mercedes hoped to join the rising tide of success that had come to the scene in the wake of Braid's break up. Hey Mercedes was more melodic while retaining the edge that made Braid special. The band joined producer J. Robbins for their 2001 debut album "Everynight Fire Works". The band toured through 2001-2002 promoting the album, playing over 200 shows. While the album was well-received, distribution plagued the label at the time of release. The band reconvened for another album in 2003's "Lose Control", teaming with producers Radiohead producers Sean Slade and Paul Q. Kolderie. While the album was also received well critically, commercial success continued to elude the band. After touring heavily on the album, the band announced their break up on January 20th, 2005. Since then, they've continued to play sporadically. In 2016, the band celebrated the vinyl release of "Everynight Fire Works", undertaking a tour.