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“This song is about being gaslit while in such a deep stage of denial,” says vocalist and guitarist Brendan Scholz of Las Vegas-based pop-punk outfit MERCY MUSIC on the band’s sludgy new single “Found Out I’m Useless” taken from their upcoming fourth full-length album What You Stand To Lose out June 30, 2023 via Double Helix Records/SBÄM Records. Scholz adds that the song is about convincing yourself the situation is still salvageable even though, in your heart of hearts, you know it’s not, “The truth is right in front of you, but you constantly refuse to accept it.” The lighthearted sarcasm of lyrics such as “I fit the pieces, but still fail to excel / Unwanted  / I stay the course, and sail the ship straight to hell / Don’t want it” helps counter the overall frustration. Bassist Jarred Cooper adds, “[The song is] a little bit of a departure, but I think it fits well on the record. It really gives me ’90s slacker vibes.”

What You Stand To Lose was produced by Bill Stevenson (Descendents, ALL, Black Flag) and mixed by Jason Livermore (Descendents, Propagandhi, NOFX, Hot Water Music) and similar to the album’s singles, there’s an underlying theme on the album that sees of the physical and mental pain that comes with heartbreak and the emotional growth that follows. Throughout these 11 tracks, the band (Brendan, who penned all the songs; bassist Jarred Cooper; and drummer Rye Martin) find inspiration in the fact that nothing should be taken for granted, no time should be wasted, and there is everything in the world to lose by not collectively fighting hard enough to succeed.

The album title itself refers to the many monumental changes in vocalist and guitarist Brendan Scholz personal life since it was “flipped upside down" between this album and their last (2020’s Nothing in the Dark). He says the album is about “coming face to face with one of your worst fears, learning from the experience, and hoping you come out the other side a better person.”

When all is said and done, Scholz, Cooper, and Martin are just good people who care a whole lot about the people who depend on them – all three of them are devoted fathers, the latter two to very young children – and they also care a whole lot about the people who turn to Mercy Music for solace. Cooper adds, “When people listen to our new album, I want them to feel happy, sad, inspired, and depressed. Then I want them to feel happy again. That last part is critically important.”