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Tender Mercyes started out in Longmont, Colorado in the early nineteen eighties in several transformations begining early on as, Midevil Thunder with Doyle Scott Smith on drums, Jim Sublette, guitar, and Rodney Boken, bass. It eventually became, Pi and as bassist Boken went off to join the military, J. D. Dirks stepped in to play bass, while originally a drum player the band began a funk, and rock fusion trio brought on by Dirks' rudementary funk bass lines. The band morphed several more times changing players as the years passed. Eventually the band split up and members Rodney Boken and guitarist Jim Sublette moved to Phoenix, where Sublette pursued a recording engineers degree. There wasn't much activity until Smith came to Arizona for a brief time, and formed the band once again. Eventually, Smith returned to Colorado and the band was remained dormant for a second time, sometimes playing music with other musicians. In the meantime, Sublette created Sound by the Pound Production Studios at his home in Scottsdale, and began producing his own music as well as other artists in the area. In late 2001 Dirks arrived in Pheonix unaware that his old band mates still lived there and it was Smith that told Dirks where they were. By this time, Dirks had acquired some other instrumental skills and began recording and writing his solo efforts with Sublette as engineer. Smith returned once again and recorded some of the old Pi music and later reformed the band with Sublette and Boken. Recording sessions alternated between Dirks and Boken playing bass and Dirks and Smith alternating on drums. Smith formed the trio for a third time and returned to Colorado for the last time in mid 2006. With out a drum player and vocalist, Dirks was asked to fill in the position. The band has remained as this trio ever since. Years and familiarity have created a bond between the members and that is reflected in the music, which varies sharply from reggae, to punk, to death metal, to funk, and alternative. Mostly original, deriving from many influences, the music begins in impromtu sessions each of which are recorded and then listened to, so that the likely tracks for playing out can be used. It is a great desire for the Tender Mercyes simply to play this music that at times has it own original style.
