Sit in a room when Mercy Bell is singing, and you know you’re experiencing something special. Bell’s songs are deeply intimate, asking us to bear witness to her lowest lows and soaring heights. So it makes sense that for her new album, Golden Child, which is out tomorrow, Bell is turning the focus away from herself and creating character sketches — a la ’90s country. With J.R. Bohannon at the helm for this one, Bell’s pulling out all the big guns to make sure these erstwhile characters have the musical firepower that’s their due.
In this interview, Mercy fills us in on the album and some the greatest honor of her life.