In September of 1988, Bobby McFerrin released his hit single, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” Ronald Reagan was president. The United States was experiencing one of the hottest heatwaves on record. The Soviet Union was marching steadily towards its collapse. Donald Trump was a real estate mogul and wrestling promoter. Somehow knit fedoras were a thing.
Fast-forward to July of 2020. Mear have released “Perfect Mess”, their debut single as a duo. The song’s mantra-like chorus of “Don’t worry, don’t worry, don’t worry” speaks a world of difference with the omission of just two words.
Which is fair; the two songs are worlds, and 28 years, apart. The two would be completely dissimilar, except for a pair of words in the chorus and a shared ability to embody a universal and prevailing sentiment.
McFerrin expressed a communal angst brought on by a tumultuous decade rife with entitlement and underhanded political dealings, albeit in a round-about way, with a phrase borrowed from the mystic Meher Baba. At the same time, the song reaffirmed the positive, with its ebullient whistling.
“Perfect Mess” is, naturally, better suited to the current climate of 2020. With the song’s simple, repetitive chorus—”Don’t worry, don’t worry, don’t worry”—it’s as if we’ve skipped over the second stage of grief, straight from denial to bargaining. The optimism is gone, and in its place we have pleading strained through a feigned smile.
Mear describe “Perfect Mess” as a sad and nostalgic song, with a thread of upbeat hopefulness, but has taken on new meaning since shooting the video pre-COVID.
“The song is about a breakup. Two people who have been together for a long time and realizing that they need to let it go and the things we tell ourselves as we sustain something that isn’t working ‘don’t worry don’t worry’,” explains Mear’s Greg Harrison (Taktus, grej, Jeremy Dutcher).
“The song and video obviously took on a whole new meaning with COVID – we filmed the video on the busiest night of the ex – it’s like a distant memory of being in large crowds. We were going to hold off, but we thought that the essence of the song would translate into the shared struggle were all feeling.”
Holding off is Mear’s natural state. Greg Harrison and Frances Miller met five years ago when the two were both working at Massey Hall, and have slowly been working on producing an album for the last three of them.
“I was an usher, she was a bartender,” says Harrison. “Some mutual friends were always poking at us to collaborate. Eventually one day she sent me a track for me to produce/lay some percussion on. I tried that but instantly rebuild it into a whole new vibe with electronics etc. When I sent it to her she basically suggested we start a project.
“She released an EP as Mear a few years ago and we decided to continue with that name. She’s currently doing her Ph.D. in ethnomusicology. […] ‘Perfect Mess’ was actually I tune I wrote and pitched to her. So, lately, we’ve been writing songs together which seems to be coming quite naturally for us.”
The video for “Perfect Mess”, as might be judged from the crowds of people, also took plenty of time to come into the world.
“Last year Fran decided she wanted to shoot at the Canadian National Exhibition. I’ve never been, even after being here for 11 years. So, we made a night of it. Her boyfriend filmed us going on rides and playing games.”
And, much like 2020, or a relationship that has run its course, or the exaggerated over-the-top experience of a carnival, all tend to lose their appeal in a hurry. Like a rollercoaster ride that’s gone on a bit too long for comfort, sometimes the most we can manage is not to worry. Being happy sounds like the business of another year.
Mear expect to release their yet-to-be-named album in the Fall, with plans to release a video for every song on the album.