Merchant collaborates with Duran Duran's John Taylor on new single 'Dead Days & Gatorade'

When I first heard this track last week, I was immediately enthralled by it. Then I saw who was involved and I was very impressed. Get the lowdown below...

"Dead Days & Gatorade," the debut single for Merchant (Nate Merchant), is out now.

The first of a collection of songs crafted with legendary Duran Duran bassist John Taylor, who plays on and serves as coproducer for Merchant’s upcoming EP, the tune also features a sax solo by two-time Grammy nominee Mindi Abair.

“I had written the chorus [to Dead Days] about two years ago and I put it to the side because I thought it was too personal. Fast forward to working with John and he was really pushing me toward lyrics that were more honest and open. Right then, I knew I had to go back to 'Dead Days' and finish telling that story,” recalls Merchant, in a prepared statement.

For the music video, Merchant recruited legendary director Nick Egan, known for Oasis’ “Live Forever,” Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know” and Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World,” among others.

The video immerses Merchant and Taylor in the illusory allure of LA after dark even as the song uncovers the false promises the City of Angels is famous for whispering to young talent yearning for stardom. But as the song progresses, the listener senses a new, more grounded, reality has arrived even while the singer holds fast to the hope that, just maybe, there are diamonds amongst those hypnotic lights shimmering in the dark valley below Mulholland Drive.

Watch the music video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8njzD49XckU

In the Fall of 2020, as COVID-19’s second wave loomed, the collaboration between Merchant and Taylor began. Sifting through an array of self-penned musical ideas presented by Merchant, the pair embarked on weekly sessions in a Westwood studio, arranging, recording and polishing the tracks.

With Taylor’s guiding hand and bass playing, Merchant’s vision was fully realized in a collection of six synth-pop songs. Taylor remarked, “From the moment I heard the music, I felt that it deserved a big audience. Nate is an extremely talented young artist — a great storyteller, and a very accomplished musician. We’ve had a fantastic time working on this together.”

The resulting EP, will be released in the Fall of 2021.

About Merchant:

After music school, Nate moved from the Pacific Northwest to Los Angeles where he honed his songwriting and production skills working with Grammy award-winning songwriter Sam Martin (Maroon 5, Jason Derulo, One Direction), ultimately co-producing Martin’s debut album for Atlantic Records.

Nate’s first band Papa Ya made the Top 10 on the Spotify Viral Charts with their debut single “Sunny.” Papa Ya’s songs garnered over 40 million plays across all platforms, leading to two national club tours opening for chart-topping pop acts like Max and Rozes. You’ve likely heard Nate’s music on television shows like NFL on Fox, Bravo’s Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce and Showtime’s Shameless as well as in commercials for GNC, GoGoSqueeze and Yellowtail Wine’s Super Bowl 51 commercial - yes, that one with the Kangaroo DJ that did so well they ran it again for Super Bowl 52.