Brought together by long-term friendship and a shared love for pushing the boundaries of audio-visual creativity, Mermaidens are the trio of Gussie Larkin (guitar, vocals), Lily West (bass, vocals), and Abe Hollingsworth (drums). Arising from Aotearoa New Zealand's Wellington, Mermaidens have released three studio albums to date via the legendary Flying Nun Records imprint—Undergrowth (2016), Perfect Body (2017) and Look Me In The Eye (2019), the latter record finalist for their homeland's prestigious Taite Music Prize.
Bedazzling and powerful in the live realm, Mermaidens' regularly sold-out events roam from transcendent cinematic passages to amp-blasting post-punk / psych / metal blowouts (often in the same song). Their soul-searing sonics and gut-punching lyrics are embodied on anthems 'Soft Energy', 'I Might Disappear', 'Satsuma', and new single 'I like to be alone'—addressing with poetic resonance such thorny themes as work dynamics, self-image, entropic relationships, and the merits of solitude.
Shining stars of NZ's noisy underground, Mermaidens gather their community close via their hugely popular multi-city boutique festival Mermgrown, hosting peers including Womb, Hans Pucket, Vera Ellen (Girl Friday) and Kōtiro from 2021 onwards. They've been invited to share the stage with Death Cab For Cutie, Sleater-Kinney, Gang of Four, Parquet Courts, Lorde and The Veils, and have toured extensively in Europe, the UK, and Australia, including a slot at Brisbane's Bigsound festival.
Extending their artistic vision beyond the studio, Mermaidens make their own immaculately executed music videos, artwork (West's work for Look Me In The Eye won the 2020 Aotearoa Music Awards for Best Album Artwork), and even have their own custom Moon Cycle guitar pedal. Using the turbulent past four years productively, Mermaidens have crafted their self-titled fourth studio album with producer Samuel Flynn Scott (The Phoenix Foundation, Hunt for the Wilderpeople soundtrack), launching in November 2023. The charming Canadian tuxedo-themed clip for lead single 'I like to be alone' was conceptualised by the band, directed by Larkin and filmed by her partner, Earth Tongue bandmate Ezra Simons.
Previous releases on Flying Nun
Limited Edition transparent red vinyl with poster
No Export outside of North America
