Bonnie Mercer

Melbourne, Australia based guitarist Bonnie Mercer explores the worlds of unrestrained feedback, hallucinatory white noise and hypnotically evolving sonic guitar experiments. Her next release, Mystic Decade 2007 - 2017, is a retrospective of solo recordings due out on Psychic Hysteria December 2018.

“In her capable hands, what some consider an intrusive technical malfunction turns into a viscerally potent and seriously hypnotic weapon.”

A founding member of three-piece Grey Daturas (2001-2010), the band became renowned for their feedback soaked live performances which incorporated drones, hypnotic rhythmic passages and psychedelic guitar lines, all produced at extreme volumes. Before disbanding in 2010, Grey Daturas undertook several tours of Australia, the USA, Europe, New Zealand and Japan, released 3 full-length albums, as well as countless ancillary releases here in Australia and overseas.

Whilst Bonnie Mercer’s recorded solo catalogue is at this stage still limited to two self-released CDR’s and one cassette, her tracks have appeared on many compilations in Australia, Canada, and the USA.

In 2012 Bonnie Mercer was invited by Dylan Carlson to open for Earth (USA) on the east coast dates of their first Australian tour, and again in Melbourne in 2014. Bonnie Mercer has also been the main support act for a range of other respected artists including Shellac, Sleep, Boris, Grouper, Thrones, John Wiese, Pete Swanson, and Black Boned Angel. 

Other notable collaborations and performances have included:

– Section conductor for Rhys Chatham’s Crimson Grail performance for 100 guitars at Sydney Festival 2018.
– Showcasing artist at SXSW 2015 in Austin, Texas.
– Current guitarist with bands Little Desert, The Dacios, Hospital Pass, Breathing Shrine, and Paul Kidney Experience.
– Contributed to the ‘Dumb Numbers‘ album, which also features members of Melvins, Dinosaur Jr, Best Coast, Magic Dirt, Useless Children. Also member of the Dumb Numbers touring band who were the main support for My Bloody Valentine on their North American tour in 2013, and Lemonheads in 2015.
– Occasional guest guitarist and collaborator with legendary Sydney band Scattered Order.
– Contributed to Magic Dirt’s album “Roky’s Room”, and appeared in the accompanying short film “Paradise” by Glendyn Ivin (premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2008).
– Final Grey Daturas album, ‘Return to Disruption’ (2010) released by the band Neurosis (USA) on their record label ‘Neurot Recordings’.
– Yellow Swans/Grey Daturas collaboration ‘Copper/Silver’ listed as one of the best albums of 2005 by ‘Wire’ magazine.
– Performed live in Oakland, California with Damo Suzuki(best known as singer for the German krautrock group Can).
– Participated in the 2009 & 2015 Melbourne Fringe Festival’s‘Guitarelay’(a unique improvisational performance consisting of 30 guitarists).
– Performed in the What is Music? Festival  ‘50/50 – Fifty artists in fifty minutes’