Sun Merchant Premiere Their Debut Music Video, “Hold My Sober”

It’s the dawn of a new era today with the premiere of the music video for Sun Merchant’s debut single “Hold My Sober.” A nicely shot performance video, the band wastes no time displaying what accomplished musicians and instrumentalists they are.

There is a lot of standout guitar work from guitarist Aury Livingstone, and the video is a nice look at the band as a trio, with the recent addition of drummer Jamie Ryan as the full-time drummer. They are rounded out by bassist Stephen McGrath, of the well-established Irish blues rockers Crow Black Chicken. “Hold My Sober” was actually the first song that McGrath and Livingstone wrote together, emphasizing their instant chemistry with each other.

Commenting on the song, McGrath states:

“We’re really excited to premiere our debut single ‘Hold My Sober’ on V13. The song is about growing up in a society that tries to bring you down to the low levels of addiction and failure, and how easy it is to fall into the trap, because it’s almost tattooed on your body that you’re going to fail to rise above. So it’s like an anthem of rising above and overcoming the expectation of failure.

“We recorded the drums for the song in a studio, but did everything else in my home studio, which was a really rewarding experience. I dropped some money on a few nice mics, and we just got to work creating crazy bass and guitar sounds. Aury really cooked with his guitar parts, and after listening to the single, I think people will agree he is one of the best players in Ireland. We couldn’t be prouder of this single and have lots more to come, especially now that we have settled on a final lineup with Jamie Ryan on the drum throne.”

McGrath and Livingstone first crossed paths in the city of Cork back in 2023. While McGrath became well known for his work with Crow Black Chicken, Livingstone was well regarded for his contributions to The Underscore Orkestra. They have spent the last couple of years getting comfortable with each other as musicians and playing live locally as much as possible. Far from a one-trick pony, Sun Merchant is a diverse band that is not genre-specific. They come from wide musical backgrounds and try to incorporate vastly different genres into their sound. Some of their primary influences include alternative rock, blues, and gypsy-based jazz music.

“Hold My Sober” is not just the band’s debut track, but it’s the first single from their debut album. The record is still being finalized, but will be announced soon. Rest assured, it will quantify and qualify the trio’s expansive and nimble musical style to its full extent.

Tour Dates:

09/26 – Applefest, Clonmel, Ireland
10/24 – Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, Coughlans
11/01 – Arthur’s, Dublin, Ireland

Sun Merchant “Hold My Sober” single artwork