Mt. Crushmore Records and New Jersey-based rock band Mercy Union have recently released the excellent White Tiger, the trio’s second full-length studio album. Inspired by memories of frontman Jared Hart’s formative years and the connection to late-nineties/early-aughts radio rock his older sister would blast in her car, the songs on White Tiger not only capture the spirit and essence of those years and the powerful magic of its music, but are bursting at the seams with it. A homage to that pivotal time in Hart’s life, White Tiger is a wide-eyed and windows-down rush that ties in his new found confidence as a musician with the music of his youth. We caught up with the band, one of our local favorites since we've all been fans of The Scandals (Jared Hart) , Rocky & The Chapter (Rocky Cantanese) and Shithead's Rainbow (Nick Jorgensen) , and got to ask Jared Hart what makes him tick:
How did the band form and what does the band name mean?
The band seemed to accidentally form when me and Benny [Horowitz] decided to swap a cup of coffee with going down into a basement and jamming together. Over the next few months, we'd end up fleshing out the majority of a record and one day we looked up and said "I think this might be a band?" We brought Nick [Jorgensen] and Rocky [Catanese] into the fold and that was it. The four of us had been in a bunch of bands previously and this one came together quickly. Naming the band was the hardest part. We must've gone back and forth for weeks about it. I hadn't had the chance to name a new band since I was a teenager, and I was overly anxious about it. I always liked two-word band names and we wanted it to feel like it was an umbrella term for the ideas we were translating into songs. Most, if not all, of the songs I write are about the human experience, whether it's my own or someone I'm close to and I think being able to relate to those experiences is what keeps us sane. Mercy. We also wanted it to feel like a crew, a union. We slapped two words on a t-shirt and Mercy Union was born. 
Previous musical projects? How'd you first get into music?
We've all been in a lot of different bands. I spent a majority of my life in a punk band called The Scandals that I started with some of my best friends in 2004. We went through a few iterations and put out some awesome music. That band took me around the country and later outside of it, and I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunities and friends that it gave me. I also actively perform as a solo artist and have filled in on guitar and vocals for other bands.
First concert that you ever went to?
The first show I went to locally was a battle of the bands in my hometown of Bayonne, NJ. There were bands from every genre but there was a punk band called No Say that made my 13-year-old self stop and say "Oh shit, I want to do THAT." Mix that with falling in love with Op Ivy's Energy and we were set. The first national concert I ever went to was Buddy Guy, I think, but I was super young. Warped Tour was probably the first time I got to see national bands in that world.
What's your writing process like?
My writing process is pretty simple. I play guitar as much as possible, and usually when you're just playing around, a riff or a melody will show up. I usually make a voice demo of it so I don't forget it, and then later I'll sit down and flesh out the skeleton of a full composition around it. If I like where it's going, I'll layer as many tracks and ideas on top of it until I think I either butchered it or I have something worth rolling with, and then I start adding the words on top of the melody. At that point, I'll send it around for input from people and most of the time that leads us to the finish line.
What other artists or songs inspire your music?
That's a question that would take years to explain, but in the context of our new record, White Tiger, we had a pretty specific goal that we were trying to achieve. I grew up missing out on an extremely important era in the mid 90's- early 00's where post-hardcore was king. Its influence bled into mainstream radio and would be the first current "popular" music that I would find and love on my own at a young age. It wasn't until years later when I was working and spending all of my time at the Court Tavern in New Brunswick, NJ where I'd learn about all the bands who built that scene. They all came from hardcore and punk bands but their songs simultaneously morphed into more melodic, hook-laden, and emotionally aware bangers that in my opinion have stood the test of time. When I found all of these bands later on, it was like opening Pandora's box. A missing link was discovered and I fell in love with all of the unique ways that these bands found to connect emotionally but also keep the music heavy and energetic. When we were writing White Tiger, we wanted to try and tap into that space. Having both Popeye (Farside) and Jeff (Gameface) sing their harmony from Farside's "Seven-Day Constant" felt like the perfect bridge to that time and I'm incredibly stoked that they were down to do it. Those bands along with Samiam, Ex Number Five, Knapsack, Sense Field, Elliott and more became the soundtrack to a lot of my life over the last ten years, and I have all those New Brunswick buds to thank for it. When the hooks and riffs are equally heavy, it's a good day.
What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be it's own thing?
Our philosophy of a live show is for it to feel like four people playing loud music live in a room and for those four people to leave everything they have up there. I want it to feel like a party and a release for everyone involved. It doesn't matter if there's five people or 500, the show should never be phoned-in and the energy should always be as high as possible. I also think there's a happy medium between being true to the original song and changing things up a little to give the crowd a unique experience. I'm not saying we should go all Bob Dylan on it where you can't understand what song is being played until the third chorus, but as a music fan, I appreciate when an artist I like tries new things.
Has the band tour? What has the touring experience been, best shows? worst shows?
Mercy Union tours have been pretty fun and we've been fortunate to play some really great shows. The best have to be our hometown ones over the years. We played our first show as a band at Crossroads in Garwood, NJ and our first ever headlining sell out was there as well. Those shows just feel different and the party usually goes until the owner kicks us out. Other than those, the Troubadour in LA with Laura Jane Grace is on top of my memory list as well as Every Time I Die's "TID the Season" fest a few years back. Our worst show was probably in London after our gear had been stolen a few hours before. We had just gotten there to start a tour and then BOOM everything was gone. We borrowed all of our friend's gear and played the show as best as we could, but I couldn't even imagine how it sounded. I think I had tried to stack two different tube screamers to try and achieve some sort of breakup on a high wattage amp that I had never used. You won't catch that rig rundown in Guitar World any time soon...
What's up next for the band?
We are in Europe supporting Dave Hause and the Mermaid. White Tiger came out a couple of weeks ago so we plan to hit the road as much as possible in support of it. We also have some cool music to put out down the road and hopefully it will pan out to be a busy year for Mercy Union.