The nice guys of Australian music, Thirsty Merc, are back on the road relentlessly promoting their Mousetrap Heart album, already playing 11 shows out of their 24 show, Spring Tour.

Known for their hits like Someday, Someday and In the Summertime they already have a huge fan base, and are currently touring the country visiting their old fans and certainly making new ones.

Mousetrap Heart was recorded in Los Angeles in the beginning of 2010. They teamed up with super-producer Matt Wallace who has worked with bands such as Maroon 5 and Faith No More. Guitarist Matt Smith said it was an amazing experience for the band. “The main thing I noticed over there was the level of production was so high. They make albums so well, and so quickly.”

Matt, who joined the band just over a year ago, didn’t know he was even going to L.A to record Mousetrap Heart until a week before they left. “It was crazy, I got the call about a week before we left, so I was super excited. It was awesome.”

You could imagine that joining a band that has more than eight years of history and over 200 000 record sales behind them would be a daunting task, but Matt said it has been easy. “They’re nice guys so it’s been easier than I thought it was going to be. It seems right now, it doesn’t bother me at all.”

Before joining the band Matt played with a reggae band, The Strides. “I’ve never really played in a pop band, or even in a rock band.” He met the lead singer Rai Thistlethwayte after one of The Strides shows. “He came up after the gig and said hello and we should play together sometime. I think because Rai was writing a lot of the new songs on the piano there was room for a guitar player to come in and play more rhythmic sort of stuff.”

Mousetrap Heart has a more jazz and groove feel than the group’s previous albums, but still retains the heart-felt lyrics and catchy hooks they are famous for. Matt said their aim was to make an album that people could dance to, while still having lyrics the audience can connect with.

Thirsty Merc’s Spring Tour covers a lot of Australia with gigs in smaller towns like Yamba and Dubbo. Guitarist Matt says that a lot of their fans are from regional areas, so the band loves to go and visit them. “As soon as we get out to those parts like Dubbo and Leeton, heaps of people come and it ends up being a massive party. They’re some of the best gigs!”

After each show the band almost always hangs around to greet their fans, sign autographs and pose for photos, giving them their reputation for being one of the nicest bands in the business.

The band is excited for their upcoming Canberra show, stating that the last show they did here in June was one of the best of their tour. “Canberra goes off! I’m really looking forward to playing at the ANU Bar,” Matt said.

Thristy Merc will be playing at the ANU Bar on the 17th of November. Tickets can be purchased from Ticketek for $35.90 + bf.