Deserter's Songs - Background

Background

When Mercury Rev returned home from touring behind their 1995 album See You on the Other Side, they were a band in disarray. Sales of See You had been disappointing and, as a result, the band had requested to be dropped from their label. To make matters worse, the band’s manager was gone, longtime drummer Jimy Chambers had left the band, their lawyers had recently been let go, and Mercury Rev was in debt. As frontman Jonathan Donahue slid into a deep depression, communication between the band members was virtually non-existent.

In the depths of his depression, Donahue began listening to some of his favorite childhood records, including Tale Spinners For Children, a collection of spoken-word fairy tales set to classical music. Influenced by this decidedly non-rock musical source, the frontman started composing and recording simple melodies on the piano. These demo recordings would prove to be the first steps in the new direction Mercury Rev would take on Deserter’s Songs.

Donahue was approached at this time by The Chemical Brothers and asked to play on a song of theirs called “The Private Psychedelic Reel”. Shocked that someone not only remembered Mercury Rev but also wanted to collaborate, Donahue enthusiastically dove into the project. It would be the boost that he needed to restore his confidence and focus on making music again.

Following his Chemical Brothers collaboration, Donahue reached out to Mercury Rev guitarist Sean “Grasshopper” Mackiowiak, and the two began sharing and recording musical ideas. Donahue has since revealed that creating Deserter’s Songs was more about reestablishing his friendship with Grasshopper (whom he considered his best friend) than anything else. Grasshopper also mentioned that both men were struggling with drugs and relationships at the time.