From Old-time to No-boundaries: The Little Mercies
When it comes to music, it seems as if The Little Mercies do not see boundaries. This trio of young instrumentalists sets no firm genre limits. While what they do is primarily roots, it springs forth from various cultural and musical traditions. Folk. Bluegrass. Reggae. Jazz. You’ll hear hints of these elements, and more.
Hailing from Tallahassee, Florida, the trio includes Bronwyn Chelette, Shanice Richards and Rosalee Walsh. Their varied backgrounds bring life to a mixed-roots approach.
“We all have different musical backgrounds, and I think that's part of what makes our sound distinct,” Walsh explained. “When we met, Shanice was performing mostly vocal jazz and funk and writing songs of every genre. Bronwyn was singing her heart-wrenching originals and ballads like a modern Townes Van Zandt. I was performing mostly with orchestras and string quartets. While we all love old-time, I think our skill and love for other genres allows us to expand and create new sounds.”
They’d been playing quite a bit at contra-dances, where things were quite regimented and traditional. They’ve had a good time “breaking out” of that and including different instrumentation and using a broader range of techniques.
“We’ve enjoyed making tunes really groovy and danceable,” Walsh said. “We've started using a cajon with a pedal to create a kind of bass-drum effect, giving a steady pulse like you'd find in house music. I'll usually play mandolin, but instead of doing a bluegrass chop, I'm trying to emulate the banjo uke sound you hear in the 'Ithaca Oldtime Groove.' The steady drum allows Bronwyn to have rhythmic freedom on the bass, or if she's playing the banjo, she'll even start drumming on the head. All the while, Shanice will be going off on the fiddle, taking the tune to new improvisatory heights.”
“To me it still feels like old-time,” she continued, “because you're achieving that trance-like state similar to what you get in a really good jam, but our different influences make it distinct to us.”
That attitude – of being distinct, of pushing the boundaries – is what caused the three young performers to come together. They recognized these traits in each other when they were all part of the Tallahassee old-time dance scene.
“We were all going to the contra dances and the local old-time jams at the Blue Tavern, and I think we stood out to each other as young talented musicians who were also playing old-time music in a different way…pushing the boundaries of a tune,” Walsh said. “Really, we all just wanted to be friends at first. Then, after playing in a bunch of different configurations and dancing together, we thought it might be fun to see what happens if the three of us played as a trio.
“Turns out it was a lot of fun,” she continued, “and we had musical chemistry in addition to our attraction as friends.”
While the band has already released an EP, they’re working right now on a full-length album and part of that is a “writing retreat” in Mississippi. The holidays will be a time of “rest and family,” but Walsh hinted that some “very exciting” performance dates that are not yet announced are on the books for 2027, and some of the group’s touring will take them “beyond the east coast.”
Walsh said one of the things that really has meant a lot to the band is the traditional music community.
“The old-time music community, especially in Florida, was so welcoming and fun that we were all drawn in,” she said. “The old-time jam at The Blue Tavern gave us all a place to be ourselves musically and as people and be welcomed for it.”
Walsh said the trio would like to give back to the scene that has already given so much to them. They look forward to opportunities to participate in interactive programming and music camps.
“In addition to performing,” she said, “we're really dedicated to making sure our music is a part of communities.”
