Entrancing Wellington three-piece Mermaidens have so far exposed only the very tip of their creative iceberg. Yet, their intricate songwriting, assured production and hypnotic live synergy come as fully formed as though they’d been in it for a lifetime. After a furious couple of years following up from a widely acclaimed debut EP, Mermaidens are set to release their debut album Undergrowth this Friday 18 March on Flying Out.

The band’s sound offer a mesmerising dip into realms of post-punk, grunge and gothic blues, the entangled riff-based melodies of Gussie Larkin and Lily West driven by Abe Hollingsworth's fluid and dynamic percussion. Recorded and produced with James Goldsmith at the Blue Barn in Wellington, and mastered by Chris Townsend, Undergrowth is a formidable announcement of Mermaidens’ arrival. Recent single Undergrowth premiered on UK blog The 405 last week, hailed as "a compelling statement from a band with the songwriting and performance chops required to go the distance."

An enticing new video for the latest single is available to view here.

A coastal stroll along haunted shorelines, Undergrowth sees reverb-washed guitars shift between the sinister and the ecstatic; vocal harmonies and formidable lyrics a warm embrace atop the band’s instrumental bed. “Imagine if Sleater Kinney were a pagan Goth band”, Noisey wrote of album single Seed. “Dream-like layers of vocals and guitars accompanied by thundering drums… conjure up an otherworldly soundscape”, said Under The Radar of Under The Mountain II.  

Since forming in 2013, Mermaidens have played countless live shows around the country, captivating audiences and capturing praise along the way. “Mermaidens are riding on the back of a storm of noisy, exuberant and well-received live gigs, giving the underground music scene of the country's capital a well deserved backhand across the face”, said NZ Musician. With a reputation for dynamic, drawn out jams that leave audiences in raptures, their shows include support slots for accomplished international acts Mac DeMarco, Sleater Kinney, Death Cab for Cutie,Windhand and Die! Die! Die!, as well as at festivals Camp a Low Hum and Chronophonium. 

Streaming live now over at Noisey, the album is available on Flying Out from 18 March. The band are taking their new album on tour around New Zealand, with dates listed below. Don’t miss out on these shows from one of NZ’s most promising and charismatic young garage rock acts. 

BUY UNDERGROWTH ON FLYING OUT
BUY UNDERGROWTH ON BANDCAMP
LISTEN TO UNDERGROWTH ON SPOTIFY

Mermaidens - Undergrowth - Album Release Tour

Friday March 18th: Wellington - San Fran w/ Hex & Womb
Friday April 8th: Auckland - Whammy/Backroom, Double album release w/ Kane Strang
Saturday April 9th: Mt Maunganui - Imbibe Bar w/ Threat.Meet.Protocol
Friday April 15th: Palmy - Great Job w/ Token Effort & Fruit Juice Parade (All ages)
Saturday April 16th: Whanganui - The Old Arc w/ Robin