London-based indie rockers The Last Dinner Party burst onto the scene with their first single “Nothing Matters” in April 2023. “Sinner” followed in June. Now, they’ve recently released their third single, “My Lady of Mercy,” which comes with a heavier sound and an exploration of The Last Dinner Party universe.
Videos by American Songwriter
“We are expanding the world of The Last Dinner Party to encompass a darker, heavier atmosphere,” according to the band, which consists of Abigail Morris, Lizzie Mayland, Emily Roberts, Georgia Davies, and Aurora Nishevci. “The lyrics explore the anguish of a teenage crush that can only be described through the bloody, carnal language of religious experience, as the soundworld takes cues from Nine Inch Nails, PJ Harvey and Roxy Music.”
The single is decidedly PJ Harvey-esque, alternating between guttural verses, heavy guitar, and lilting, ethereal choruses. The lyrical imagery is rich and visceral, going hand-in-hand with the soft purity of the religious allusions. Paired with the black and white bacchanal of the music video, “My Lady of Mercy” creates a world that shines a light on the queer, anguished, girlhood experience.
“‘My Lady of Mercy’ is about being a girl,” the band explained further. “A girl looking up at a painting of Joan of Arc for the first time and thinking that she looks so brave and so beautiful that she wants to kiss her. And maybe she also wants to kiss the girl who stands next to her at the school choir.”
Nothing says Catholic high school quite like wanting to kiss the girl in the pew next to you. The Last Dinner Party meshes religion, identity, passion, and the agony of a crush in “My Lady of Mercy,” calling forth the essence of Kate Bush, Ethel Cain’s “American Teenager,” and a touch of glam metal.
The Last Dinner Party is still a fairly young band — they formed in London in 2021 — and they’re still discovering their sound. But even though they only have three officially released singles, they embarked on a U.K. tour on October 8. There, The Last Dinner Party is testing out currently untitled material to the delight of their growing fanbase. The tour started in Blackpool, and will play at venues in Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds, Hull, London, Cambridge, Cardiff, and Bristol, according to Far Out Magazine. They also have a handful of U.S. dates, and are expected to provide support for Hozier on the EU leg of his tour.
Photo by Jim Dyson/Getty Images
