The Bigger They Are (The Harder They Fall) is a brand new single from alt.country band Mermaid Avenue. The song is (singer) Peter Clarke reminiscing about growing up growing up watching Rugby League with his Father and Grandfather. The release is especially poignant as since recording the track, Peter’s Dad has passed away.
Mermaid Avenue
Mermaid Avenue are an indie rock/alt.country band hailing from Brisbane/Meanjin, Australia – formed in 2015 around the songwriting of Peter Clarke. Since first cutting their teeth live in 2015, they have become a regular feature on the Brisbane scene driven by the prolific songwriting of singer Clarke and musicianship of current members Chris Wong & Mike Kearey (guitars), Mark Egan (bass), Casey Lee (keys) and Nathan Poetschka (drums).
The Bigger They Are (The Harder They Fall)
The song is (singer) Peter Clarke reminiscing about growing up growing up watching Rugby League with his Father and Grandfather. Reflecting the simple joy of those moments, the song also builds to become a heartfelt lament that about watching his much-loved father succumb to dementia. The chorus serves as both an axiom of the game as well as an acknowledgment of his father’s descent to the terrible disease. In the period since the song’s release, Pete’s dad has passed away. The track is soaked in nostalgia and features Peter’s distinctive warm and expressive voice over an alt-country vibe.
He sings about relationships, life, and social issues, often with a touch of humor and irony. Here is a sample of the lyrics from the song “Sugartown” :
Let it drift on by
A life that was once worthwhile
See there’s nothing to do here now
They’d rather dig it up from the ground
Sugartown you were once good to me
Wrapped me in your arms so tight I couldn’t breatheWhen asked about future musical plans for 2024, Peter told Countrymusic.co.uk that: Our plans for 2024 include getting back out in the live scene as well as continuing to record and release songs for the new album (title ‘Jacarandas’ – due mid/late 2024).