Colin Hay, the Scottish-born former frontman of Australian rock band Men at Work, has enjoyed a resurgence as a solo artist over the last couple of years, marked by the success of his 2015 solo album Next Year People. Hay’s song Overkill, arguably the most fondly remembered number from the Men at Work catalogue, has been at the forefront of his recent work, with Hay performing it live on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and during a breathtaking session with Choir! Choir! Choir! (which can be enjoyed below), but he continues to write and record new music.
Last week, Hay announced his new album Fierce Mercy, which is scheduled for release on 3rd March via Compass records. Recorded in both Los Angeles and Nashville, it’s Hay’s thirteenth solo album and one which he feels captures a nice blend of the two recording environments. As he told Billboard ‘I always want to make the next record better than the one before — otherwise why would you bother making another record. Better may be the wrong word — you want to do something different, something that is in some way, shape or form different from what you’ve done before. You want to take some kind of leap from the last record that you made.’
As well as addressing climate change with the title Fierce Mercy, the subject matter of the album touches on other poignant topics, like the killing of Trayvon Martin; an event which stayed with Hay during a period of touring. His new song I’m Walking Here, which features contributions from Joe Manuel “Deploi” Lopez, was the song that resulted from Hay’s feelings on the topic and can be streamed via Billboard.
Having played an intimate concert at St. Philip’s Church in Salford last year, Hay returns to Manchester for a show at The Dancehouse Theatre on 6th May.
