MERMAIDENS
New Zealand trio share ‘Millennia’ and UK tour dates
New album Look Me in the Eye out via Flying Nun Records 6th September
New Zealand trio Mermaidens share new single ‘Millennia’, the second track from upcoming album Look Me In the Eye, out September 6th on Flying Nun Records. Pre-order the album here.
Riding electric guitar and bass loops in ‘Millennia’, Mermaidens disguise confronting abstractions on modern-day connection and communication in a deceptively upbeat track. “I wanted us to explore the mess of feelings I have around this twisted intersection of social media, identity, privacy, and a warped sense of reality,” Lily West (bass and co-vocals) explains. “The hole of hunger that a social feed leaves in your mind; you should be a better version of yourself, you should be younger and more successful, busier, and you should share all this so everyone knows.” Mermaidens dismantle the idea of ‘exterior masks’ created to exist online, calling falsehood by its name in the chilling line “hallucinations rule your world.”
Mermaidens are also proud to announce the release of a limited edition, custom Mermaidens effects pedal, aptly called ‘Moon Cycle’, built and designed by kiwi amp-maker, Emerald Rose.
Pre-order the limited edition gatefold pressing of Look Me in the Eye through Bandcamp to be entered into a draw to win the custom effects pedal! Pre-order HERE.
UK Tour Dates
Saturday 21st September – Elsewhere, Margate
Sunday 22nd September – The Library, Oxford
Monday 23rd September – The Hug And Pint, Glasgow
Tuesday 24th September – Picture House Social, Sheffield
Wednesday 25th September – Old Blue Last, London
Look Me In The Eye sees Mermaidens scale new territory and fearlessly pushing sonic boundaries. Drawing on influences such as Warpaint and PJ Harvey, the three-piece have produced a body of work as severe and progressive as it is vibrant and exhilarating. At the heart of the record lies the thematic exploration of female voices, as band members Gussie Larkin (co-lead vocals/guitar), Lily West (co-lead vocals/bass) and Abe Hollingsworth (drums) expose motifs of exterior masks, human relationships and power dynamics with unflinching fervour. The title of the new album is intentional in its double-meaning, as notions of confrontation and intimacy collide to unearth the tangled paradoxes of human connection. The voices and perspectives of both front-women shape the record with equal footing, creating a dialogue around female collaboration and friendship.
Look Me In The Eye was recorded with long time collaborator, audio engineer James Goldsmith at Blue Barn Studio in the trio’s hometown of Wellington. Predominantly writing songs independently and then coming together as a trio to work through arrangements and develop ideas, Mermaidens mobilised their strengths in collaboration to produce a body of music that is every bit as experimental, as it is accessible and uniting.
This year has also seen the release of their 7” split single ‘You Maintain The Stain/Cut It Open’. The A-side, ‘You Maintain The Stain’ (featuring the now precursory hint lyric “you won’t look me in the eye”) secured the #1 spot on New Zealand’s Alternative Airplay Chart, as well as topping the nation’s Student Radio Network Chart, following their mini tour of Aotearoa.
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