The Scots singer promoting out gigs

He’s writing songs with Lewis Capaldi and swapping sweets with Teddy Swims, however anybody desirous to hearken to rising pop star Kerr Mercer’s music has an issue – as a result of he hasn’t launched a track but.

The Lanarkshire singer’s piano-led songs have seen him promote out gigs throughout the nation and earn help slots with main bands.

However he is determined to attend earlier than bringing out any music so he can “construct an actual fan base”.

“I simply discover it insane that individuals are wanting to return see me with none music being out,” admits {the teenager}, who’s from Uddingston.

Nonetheless, his uncommon strategy hasn’t stopped him being backed by Lewis Capaldi, who has labored on a tune with the 18-year-old after a mutual connection within the music business helped arrange a collaboration between the 2.

“Lewis has been completely class with me,” he advised BBC Scotland Information.

“We met just a few occasions and have now written a track collectively. After I was beginning out I used to be protecting his songs and now we’re writing collectively – it is a bit mad to have folks at that degree fascinated by what I am doing musically.”

Aside from video clips shared on social media, no-one can hear Kerr’s delicate piano-led songs – a deliberate resolution.

“I’ve seen so many artists on TikTok firing out a track per week however then not be promoting out 200-capacity venues”, he explains.

“I would relatively promote out a tour than have 1,000,000 streams on Spotify. One factor that’ll by no means change is that actual folks wish to go see gigs so I’ve simply completed a number of exhibits and supported people.

“We did two headlines in Glasgow, promoting out King Tut’s. Then it was Saint Lukes, which is double the scale of Tut’s, after which a UK tour. I spoke to a couple folks and determined to attempt to push it out additional with one other tour.”

That tour will finish on Sunday on the Storage in Glasgow, his largest hometown gig but.

He jokes most people coming to these gigs are members of the family, which gently performs down his rising reputation.

Nonetheless, he has had loads of household backing, taking singing and piano classes as a baby and getting a style of the humanities by showing in pantomimes as a teen, treading the boards at the Pavillion theatre.

It got here naturally to somebody who admits he was “at all times the category clown” in school, and loved being the centre of consideration.

By the age of 10 he was singing at a neighborhood track membership, performing a Queen monitor on his first look.

His musical roots come from the college run, nonetheless.

“I used to be in major faculty in Uddingston and my sister was in secondary at Uddingstoon Grammar, so I had half an hour to attend earlier than my grandad picked her up. He had a Sam Cooke document that may simply play and earlier than I knew it, I had all of the phrases off by coronary heart.”

That led to a love of traditional soul – Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Etta James – that Kerr says is “imprinted” in his music to at the present time.

Whereas he cannot credit score his household with blessing him with musical genes (“there’s not a lot music in my household apart from karaoke” he laughs) that hasn’t stopped mother and father Kirsty and Robert providing help.

And in his mum’s case, some criticism…

“I might do the Brits and she or he’d inform me if I wasn’t good,” he says.

“As quickly as I write a brand new track I will ship it to my mum and pop first. My dad is chill, he likes all the pieces however me and my mum are very comparable, so if I’ve not completed my finest, she’ll inform me.

“I’ve performed to hundreds supporting Tom Walker and my mum was like ‘you were not at your finest tonight’ however then different occasions she goes ‘that was excellent’.

“Extra folks are actually telling me all the pieces’s going superb however I solely imagine I’ve completed effectively if I get the seal of approval from my mum.”

He has been backed by excess of his household now, having racked up help slots with various pop music heavyweights like Teddy Swims and Myles Smith.

The recommendation of Stargazing singer Smith – the person with the best-selling British single in 2024 – has offered an enormous enhance to Kerr, even when these phrases of knowledge are typically delivered tongue in cheek.

“I used to be dwelling for Christmas and unsure what to do now that the tour was over. I acquired a message from Myles that merely learn ‘why do not you launch a track, ya soften’.

“He is nice although. It is not just like the help act is at all times chilling with the headliner, however Myles was superb about it. I used to be sitting in my dressing room and Myles burst in and was like ‘why are you right here, come have a beer with us’ – then we’d simply sit speaking about songs.”

He is now writing with an array of collaborators, and beginning to document materials with the intention of lastly releasing songs later this yr, including that he is being a “perfectionist” about what ought to come out after such a wait.

“It is nice enjoyable too – you go for a day, write a track collectively after which go to the pub. There’s not many roles the place you get put with two folks you’ve got by no means met, have a remedy session after which write a track about it.”

His new colleagues embrace Luke Pritchard, the singer with indie veterans The Kooks, whereas on the manufacturing aspect he is been helped by producers and engineers who’ve labored on releases by the likes of Ed Sheeran and Adele.

Regardless of his younger age, the singer says he is simply making an attempt to relish all the pieces because it occurs.

“I used to be watching the Grammys and Teddy Swims was on – I have been consuming wine gums in his dressing room with him.

“I am simply loving each minute – even when it ends tomorrow a minimum of I’ve had a blast doing it.”