The Little Mercies

On a Saturday afternoon in March, three musicians stood on a wooden stage built around the base of an old-growth sycamore tree on an idyllic piece of property outside of Kosciusko, Mississippi. They were playing for the kickoff of Heart Farms, the passion project of Terry Hunt. “I call Rosalee Walsh my niece,” Terry says. “I just knew I had to get her band to play today.” 

It was the end of a week of teaching for The Little Mercies, the band Rosalee has with her friends, Shanice Richards and Bronwyn Chelette. The three spent the week teaching students at a camp hosted by the Congress of Country Music, a project by Marty Stuart in his hometown of Philadelphia, Mississippi. Several children in Neshoba County participated in the weeklong camp during spring break, making art and learning the art of songwriting.

“We finished the week with a show on Friday, on the same stage where Dolly Parton played,” says Shanice. “That was super exciting for us.” Equally exciting was teaching the kids and seeing how well they responded to learning how to put their feelings into words for a song. “It was a week we’ll always remember.” 

Multi-instrumentalists songwriters, Bronwyn, Shanice, and Rosalee met at the Blue Tavern in Tallahassee at an old-time music jam. “There weren’t many women there, and certainly not many young women,” explains Rosalee. “We gravitated towards each other, and we began hanging out as friends.” Before long, they united through their love of old-time music, and they started playing together. “The idea of starting a band together just happened naturally.” 

Both Bronwyn and Shanice were in the healthcare field. “I have a degree in nursing, and I worked in labor and delivery,” says Bronwyn. “And I was working on my master's in music therapy,” adds Shanice. “I had the opportunity to play so many genres of music in Tallahassee, but music therapy seemed like a more stable career plan.” But both Bronwyn and Shanice became disillusioned with the healthcare system and began to consider music as a career when they started the band three years ago. 

Because they had an upcoming gig, the band needed a name. “We played off our names, looking up the meaning of each person's name,” says Rosalee. Bronwyn means White Raven, Rosalee means “Rose Garden,” and Shanice means “God is merciful.” They homed in on merciful and came up with The Little Mercies. “We checked, and there was no other band by that name,” laughs Shanice. “So we went with it.” Rosalee adds, “We joke that one day we’ll grow up and be The Big Mercies.” 

While they bring individual expertise in a variety of genres, including bluegrass, classical, folk, reggae, and jazz, their collective sound pays homage to tradition while blurring genre lines. Their old-time and bluegrass stylings come from an honest place. “I grew up going to bluegrass festivals in Colorado,” says Rosalee. 

“My mom sang old American ballads to me when I was young, and I always loved that,” Bronwyn recalls. “I learned to love singing. In high school, there was no marching band, only a bluegrass band. So that’s what I leaned into.” 

Shanice says she loves the rhythms of bluegrass. “I played in my parents’ church in Hollywood, Florida, and in high school I learned to play classical violin.” When she began to learn how to play the fiddle, it opened a whole new world to her. “The rhythms of the fiddle felt like a different instrument from the one I had previously tried to master.” 

Another factor in learning to love the music came from the dance floor through their interest in contra dancing. “Shanice and I were in a clogging troupe called the Hot Pepper Steppers,” says Rosalee. “The more we danced, the more I got into the music.” 

For two years now, The Little Mercies has been a full-time gig for Bronwyn, Rosalee, and Shanice. “We still have passion projects on the side,” explains Bronwyn, “but we put our main focus and energy on The Little Mercies.” 

When asked what influences them musically, all agreed that the old-time players they’ve met while traveling and other friends in the music scene are their biggest influences. “And we egg each other on to be creative,” says Bronwyn. “We often try to sound like each other.” They all have individual influences, but their real inspiration comes from each other. Because they are all so proficient on so many instruments, there is room for experimentation that brings depth to their music.

They write songs, and that has become another way to develop their own unique sound. “Bronwyn and Shanice tend to write lyrics, and I am more into music arranging,” says Rosalee. “I am moved by colors, shapes, and feeling, to convey what is happening in the moment.” Shanice adds that she appreciates the storytelling aspect of folk music. “Other genres use a lot of metaphors, but folk music is pure storytelling about what’s going on in my life.” 

The band’s first official EP, The Little Mercies, was released on April 17. Recorded in Greensboro, North Carolina, the EP is available on all platforms. The EP features all original songs and one arrangement of a traditional tune. Each member brought two songs to the project, which they arranged together, and they wrote one song together. “We are already cooking on our first album,” says Bronwyn. 

In a short time, the band has grown from playing local jams to headlining festivals. Their distinct sound has brought them recognition and awards, including being finalists for the Freshgrass Awards and Official Showcase Artists for the Southeastern Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA). Known for their powerful harmonies, authentic lyrics, and energetic shows, The Little Mercies will, no doubt, evolve into the aforementioned Big Mercies.   

https://thelittlemercies.com