Mermaidens Unveil Self-Titled New Album + Video 'Sour Lips'

Mermaidens — Pōneke’s inimitable team of Gussie Larkin, Lily West and Abe Hollingsworth — today unleash their self-titled album following a blazing run of lead singles. Samuel Flynn Scott of The Phoenix Foundation lent production and mentoring expertise to their latest long player, recorded mostly at Surgery Studios at the band's own pace between 2019 and 2022. The trio today also share a '90s-inspired music video for ‘Sour Lips’, directed by Ryan Fielding and made with support from NZ On Air.

Close collaborator Ezra Simons' 16mm footage captures the essence of MTV visuals, conspiracies familiar to the X-Files, and the vivid aesthetic of 7-Eleven stores, filmed around Golden Bay. The tune sonically twists the Mermaidens’ more withheld inner monologue into a demanding and upright cry that doesn’t shy away from speaking its mind. With slushies that drip like the earworm they visualise — pierced by moments of violence amidst sickly sweet imagery — the clip displays the shared bond the polymathic group have over creating gutsy audio-visual works.

Pop on the fully-charged Side A to hear the razor-sharp instrumentation and smooth harmonies of reality-check track ‘Sister’ and SRN chart-hitting highlight ‘I like to be alone’. Then, flip it over to serenaded by Side B’s more unconventional experimentations of ‘Push It, ‘Tear it down’ and the healing pulse of closer 'Siren Song'. Mermaidens will be touring their record over four dates from 25th November, commencing in Ōtepoti to then swim up towards their windy hometown before breaching the waters of Tāmaki. They’ll be joined on the North Island legs by Louisa Nicklin (Dimmer, D.C. Maxwell) on additional vocals and guitar. Take a pit stop to the Merm-E-Mart with Mermaidens album release tour below (plus pop up shop events in the capital this weekend)— and check out some of their swish merch available HERE…

"The past few years have been a lesson in patience and not putting too much pressure on myself to create fast" — Gussie Larkin

“Not being able to take leaps and strides with our lives led us to create much bolder music. I really relished in the longer process of writing and recording the music." — Lily West

“Working with Mermaidens was very rewarding. Covid threw the process out of whack but ended up being a strange blessing where they all got to workshop ideas at home without the time and financial constraints of the studio. I love three piece bands, especially ones who’ve been playing together since they were young. There’s a symbiotic nature to the music, and there is always this suave where, even if the music is pummelling there is still room for the songs to breath. I learnt a lot from the album and I’m so proud of what they have made.” — Sam Flynn Scott

UTR and 100% GOOD proudly present...

Mermaidens

Saturday 25th November – ADJ0, Dunedin
Sunday 26th November – Space Academy, Christchurch
Friday 8th December – Hollywood Avondale w/ Earth Tongue, Power Nap
Saturday 9th December – San Fran, Wellington w/ Bleeding Star*

Tickets available HERE via UTR
*Wellington tickets via moshtix

Mermaidens' self-titled album is out today on major streaming platforms — order the deluxe limited transparent blue vinyl LP edition HERE.