With vivid harmonies and rhythmic serenity, Mercy River will undoubtedly sail you away to bright places. The fresh sounds created by this new trio ebb and flow with an honest delight and lyrical clarity.

“This music is so full of joy,” group member Brooke Stone says. “Joy in the world around us. Joy in our hearts. Joy in the gospel. We know life can be hard. But we also know that if we can each just stop, and really look around – life is brighter than we realize.”

Taking the time to stop and look around is exactly what brought these women together. All three had come to a place in life where they knew they needed to be doing something new, something different.

“I had been praying for a while that I would be able to use my talents in a new way,” group member Soni Muller says. “I didn’t exactly know how that would happen, but once I stopped to actually find the answer, this opportunity presented itself.”

As members of the Jenny Phillips Choir, Brooke, Soni, and third member, Whitney Permann had become close friends as they performed throughout the United States and around the world. The fact that they already shared a mutual love for inspirational music and that all three wanted to create something new for the industry was a perfect foundation to form a group.

“All three of us have been affected in some way by Christ-centered music,” Whitney says. “We’ve felt the power of it, the spirit of it, and the joy of it. Our greatest hope is that our music will offer others a new way to experience those same feelings. We’re excited to see where this ‘River’ takes us and others.”

So far, this “River” has taken them into the studio to record their self-titled debut album, available in stores April 1, and appears to be headed toward a bright horizon. Already flooded with performance requests for 2008 and 2009, Mercy River is quickly becoming a highly sought after addition to the inspirational music scene. Listeners seem drawn to the harmony – and the hope. “This music really is like a river,” one fan said. “At the end of the ride I find myself a little bit happier. A little bit brighter. A little more buoyed up – ready to embrace the day.”

Brooke, Soni, and Whitney currently live in Utah. Each is a wife and a mother.