The Shins' James Mercer stars in 'Some Days' indie film, ramps up Broken Bells

James Mercer in a still from "Some Days are Better Than Others"

If you've been wondering what's been up with The Shins, you'll find your answer from at least the indie-rock group's frontman James Mercer.

The singer-songwriter has gotten involved in a non-music endeavor by starring in forthcoming indie flick "Some Days Are Better Than Others," which will debut during the film and music portions at the South by Southwest Film + Music Festival, March 12-20.

Carrie Brownstein, current NPR contributor and former guitarist/singer for Sleater-Kinney, stars alongside Mercer in the low-budget, feature-length film, the first film written and directed by Matt McCormick.

"Some Days" "explores ideas of abundance, emptiness, human connection and abandonment while observing an interweaving web of awkward characters that maintain hope by inventing their own forms of communication and self-fulfillment," according to a release. It is produced by Neil Kopp and David Cress. The score is composed by Eluvium frontman Matthew Cooper.

This likely won't be the only project Mercer will be promoting at SXSW. He has a new music outfit with producer/Gnarls Barkley member Danger Mouse, dubbed Broken Bells, signed to Columbia. Their first, 10-track self-titled album will be released March 9; the first single, "The High Road," is already out there, and even has an accompanying music video, below. It's pretty dope, making us eager to hear the rest of the album. Considering Danger Mouse's wide-ranging swath of projects, who knows what comes next.

Katie Hasty
Managing Editor

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After five years as a columnist and editor at Billboard, Katie Hasty joined HitFix in 2009 for music and film reporting out of New York. The Midwest native has worked as a writer, music promoter and in A&R since 1999 and performs with her band Numbers And Letters.