The city of Newcastle upon Tyne in the industrial heartland of northeast England has a long established reputation as the spiritual home of blues, rock and roots music. In the sixties, Eric Burdon made his name here with The Animals before moving to California where he toured and recorded with War. “Spill The Wine” was one of their biggest successes and launched the band’s career. Over sixty years later, Newcastle continues to enjoy a burgeoning music scene with many venues hosting the local community of amazingly talented creatives.
Ouseburn in the east of the city has almost become a Greenwich Village in miniature with its live music culture centered on the two historic Cluny venues and surrounding pubs. One of the musicians is Tommy Arch, drummer with the iconic indie folk rockers Holy Moly & The Crackers who have thrilled the entire nation for over a decade with their unique sound and high-energy performances.
Tommy has also reimagined and reinvented himself as a highly credible solo artist. He is a vocalist, lyricist and guitarist with immense stage presence whose reputation and fan base are increasing at a rapid pace. It all started in 2021 with his breathtaking video rendition of “Anywhere I Look” from the internationally renowned concert hall The Glasshouse, where Tommy was offered a residency to write and perform.
Tommy continued to carry the burden as well as the benefits of his hard earned wisdom on his 2023 single releases, “Lucky,” “Rolling To Ruin,” and “Got It All Wrong.” In January 2025 Tommy opened for Appalachian multi GRAMMY-nominated American Roots musician Daniel Kimbro at The Cluny.
The evolution and maturity of troubadour Arch’s compelling vintage sound and clever lyricism are reflected in “Mercy On Me,” his brand of music containing elements of country rock, blues, and soul but unmistakably and distinctly his own. Tommy sings with expression and passion, his guitar work fiery and fluent. The arrangement, including the harmonies, is impeccable, with the band matching him every step of the way. Keyboard supremo Calum Howard excels on ‘honky’ upright piano whilst string instrumentalists Ben, Tom and Ted from the eclectic, early 20th American-influenced band Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra add swing and panache.
Tommy explains the context of the song:
It’s a funny one. I always introduce this song live by saying “here’s a cheesy country song I wrote hungover on a train” and that’s pretty much the truth of it. I’d been down in London finishing ‘Got It All Wrong’ and got predictably drunk. The next morning on the train home the song just came into my head somewhere around Stevenage and I spent the rest of the trip writing it. I guess being hungover on a train is the perfect place to write a country song about failure and unrequited love; it felt authentic.
I started playing it live occasionally for a laugh and loved it, so it stuck. So, when I started working with Alex Blamire at the newly renovated Polestar Studios, I knew I wanted to record it to tape and as live as possible. We got the band in, rolled the tape and bashed it out! It was probably the most fun I’ve had on a session and I think you can hear it in the recording.
Credits:
This is Tommy Arch’s first single to come out of a new relationship with Polestar Studios, a recording studio run by father and son duo Robert and Alex Blamire based in Byker, Newcastle Upon Tyne.
Producer and Composer- Tommy Arch
Musicians are all friends living in the local area. Their roles in the recording are as follows:
Tommy Arch – Drums, Acoustic Guitar and Vocals
Ben Fitzgerald – Baritone Guitar
Calum Howard – Piano
Tom Cronin – Mandolin
Ted Harbot – Bass
