Kevin Bronson on July 30th, 2009

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Over the course of three-plus years and three releases (two EPs and a single), Mere Mortals have cultivated a gritty-but-pretty take on Britpop, one that in another city and perhaps another era might earn them the keys to Madchester. Alas, L.A. tends to take bands like the Mortals for granted, seeing as they’re not chasing the latest hot sound, or performing shirtless, or sporting Day-Glo attire.

• ||| Exclusive downloads: “Sunspots” and “Come Down Easy”

Not that frontman Axel Steuerwald is discouraged. First, the quartet recently landed a deal in Japan with ZEAMI Entertainment – their “Rebel Radio” EP will be expanded from seven to 10 songs and be released as an album across the Pacific. And, over the past year and half, Steuerwald and mates have been working on a full-length album with producer Scott Gilman, aiming for a fall release. They’ve also been finding open ears by playing shows with shoegaze/psych-rock acts such as A Place to Bury Strangers, the Black Angels, Spindrift and the Warlocks. “It’s funny, we’re exactly a psych-rock band, but we’ve been playing shows with them a lot,” Steuerwald says. “Maybe that is [informing] the direction we’re going.”

If Mere Mortals’ new material is growing on the psychedelic side of the

Verve/Primal Scream/Oasis family tree, it might have something to do with the addition of guitarist Jason O, who counts membership in the Brian Jonestown Massacre among his many credits. “He’s a really good guitarist, and a good singer too,” Steuerwald says. “We’re not going to turn into the Byrds or anything, but the interplay we have with Jason’s guitar, and the weaving-in-and-out quality, have added a lot to the songs.”

The overseas deal materialized after Japanese bassist Mimi Star put out feelers in her native country. The small company’s CEO, “Vince” Daichi Yokoyama, visited the U.S. and even went on a mini-tour with the Mortals, including a jaunt to Las Vegas that resulted in, well, a degree of hilarity.

Meanwhile, the band, first touted by Steve Jones on the late Indie 103.1 and still championed by the likes of NME.com and Big Sonic Heaven’s Darren Revell, continues to grow its local support.

||| Live: Mere Mortals perform acoustic sets tonight at the Silverlake Lounge and Aug. 11 and 12 at the Mint, opening for Black Francis.