Music / Features
Track by Track:
Merpire - Endless Chatter
Merpire - Endless Chatter
We’re really excited to exclusively premiere Merpire’s debut EP Endless Chatter, ahead of its official release tomorrow. Bursting with sparkling synthesisers, woozy guitars and mastermind Rhiannon Atkinson-Howatt’s illuminative vocals, it’s a dazzling collection of euphoric dream-pop that immediately asserts Merpire as an act to keep an eye on.
When Merpire burst onto the scene in 2017 with her breakthrough single ‘Holding Breath’, people were quick to pay attention. The sudden success might seem somewhat unlikely considering the single was only her first release, however, with a sound that was both self-assured and refreshingly unique, it made sense for people to take notice. And now, with the release of the debut EP Endless Chatter, it’s clear that Merpire is an act heading towards big things.
Kicking off with a steady bass groove and glistening synths, ‘Hauntways’ is a glorious introduction to Merpire and shows off her intoxicating vocals over layers of woozy dream-pop. Next up is ‘Holding Breathe’, and it’s clear why this song resonated so suddenly. As hypnotising synthesisers jut in and out while a brooding bassline crawls underneath, the track has an indescribable ebb and flow that simultaneously draws the listener out while sucking them in.
The pace shifts slightly at ‘Invitation’, and keys are replaced by guitars. It’s a side of Merpire you wouldn’t immediately expect from the previous tracks, although as Atkinson-Howatt pulls off the mood shift with such passionate assertiveness, the track never feels anything but completely authentic. Endless Chatter concludes with the blissful ‘For The Best’, a track that glides between charming indie-folk and enigmatic psychedelia. As the song comes to a close, it strips back to just voice and guitar, and leaves us with the gentle reminder that although the EP is so full with mesmerising layers of sound, beneath it all is a really impressive musician and a masterful songwriter.
To get a better insight into Endless Chatter, we had a chat with Merpire to find out what inspired each of the EP’s tracks.
Kicking off with a steady bass groove and glistening synths, ‘Hauntways’ is a glorious introduction to Merpire and shows off her intoxicating vocals over layers of woozy dream-pop. Next up is ‘Holding Breathe’, and it’s clear why this song resonated so suddenly. As hypnotising synthesisers jut in and out while a brooding bassline crawls underneath, the track has an indescribable ebb and flow that simultaneously draws the listener out while sucking them in.
The pace shifts slightly at ‘Invitation’, and keys are replaced by guitars. It’s a side of Merpire you wouldn’t immediately expect from the previous tracks, although as Atkinson-Howatt pulls off the mood shift with such passionate assertiveness, the track never feels anything but completely authentic. Endless Chatter concludes with the blissful ‘For The Best’, a track that glides between charming indie-folk and enigmatic psychedelia. As the song comes to a close, it strips back to just voice and guitar, and leaves us with the gentle reminder that although the EP is so full with mesmerising layers of sound, beneath it all is a really impressive musician and a masterful songwriter.
To get a better insight into Endless Chatter, we had a chat with Merpire to find out what inspired each of the EP’s tracks.
Holding Breath
This song was written at a time when I was deep in Logic land, discovering the production universe, new instrumentation and moods that would soon define my Merpire sound. It was the first song I explored outside my boundaries with. I loved how I could deepen the up and down emotions of the song with pitch-bending violins for instance. It was the last song I chose to send to Andy Bull to record. In fact almost didn’t send it, unsure of the confidence I had in this new found glory. I’m glad I sent it.
This song was written at a time when I was deep in Logic land, discovering the production universe, new instrumentation and moods that would soon define my Merpire sound. It was the first song I explored outside my boundaries with. I loved how I could deepen the up and down emotions of the song with pitch-bending violins for instance. It was the last song I chose to send to Andy Bull to record. In fact almost didn’t send it, unsure of the confidence I had in this new found glory. I’m glad I sent it.
Hauntways
From the writing of this song to its release, it’s changed the most out of any song I’ve written. I actually recorded the original version in Nashville with Neilson Hubbard. You can listen to this version on my Bandcamp as part of the bonus tracks on my EP. I love this version too - it’s very different. ‘Hauntways’ was one of the first songs I started working on with Alex (producer). I quickly learnt that he was someone I wanted to work with, due to what seemed at the time like radical ideas in re-shaping my songs. This one felt like a Frankenstein experiment. We sped up the tempo, added some synths and a bridge. Alex wrote those backing vocal lines too, which are one my favourite parts of the song now. Alex completely reignited the excitement for this song and I trusted him wholeheartedly with my songs from then on.
Invitation
‘Invitation' is one of those songs that feels like it was begging to come out, just waiting for me to find the right time. I wrote it in a day just singing whatever came out over the chords. I was mourning the loss of a relationship and struggling to find my feet as a single person. As the chorus says, I would “fight the need to be alone”; afraid of who I was or the lack of who I was without someone else there. It was a very cathartic process to write it and though my life has changed since then, I feel a very strong connection with it, a connection I don’t hold back on when performing it live, either solo or with my beautiful band.
From the writing of this song to its release, it’s changed the most out of any song I’ve written. I actually recorded the original version in Nashville with Neilson Hubbard. You can listen to this version on my Bandcamp as part of the bonus tracks on my EP. I love this version too - it’s very different. ‘Hauntways’ was one of the first songs I started working on with Alex (producer). I quickly learnt that he was someone I wanted to work with, due to what seemed at the time like radical ideas in re-shaping my songs. This one felt like a Frankenstein experiment. We sped up the tempo, added some synths and a bridge. Alex wrote those backing vocal lines too, which are one my favourite parts of the song now. Alex completely reignited the excitement for this song and I trusted him wholeheartedly with my songs from then on.
Invitation
‘Invitation' is one of those songs that feels like it was begging to come out, just waiting for me to find the right time. I wrote it in a day just singing whatever came out over the chords. I was mourning the loss of a relationship and struggling to find my feet as a single person. As the chorus says, I would “fight the need to be alone”; afraid of who I was or the lack of who I was without someone else there. It was a very cathartic process to write it and though my life has changed since then, I feel a very strong connection with it, a connection I don’t hold back on when performing it live, either solo or with my beautiful band.
For The Best
I wrote this song in drop B on my old housemate’s guitar. He’s in a doom-folk band and often played at home in alternate tunings for menacing heavy metal moods. I guess the only mood I carried across from the guitar’s purpose was the heavy part. The lyrics are direct references to moments that occurred during a break-up. They’re from – what I imagine to be – both sides of the story. As indulgent as it sounds, I actually cried when some words came out so easily. The chorus and title of the song, ‘For The Best’ represents the simplicity of what always seems to be the most complex, impossible situation to work out.
I wrote this song in drop B on my old housemate’s guitar. He’s in a doom-folk band and often played at home in alternate tunings for menacing heavy metal moods. I guess the only mood I carried across from the guitar’s purpose was the heavy part. The lyrics are direct references to moments that occurred during a break-up. They’re from – what I imagine to be – both sides of the story. As indulgent as it sounds, I actually cried when some words came out so easily. The chorus and title of the song, ‘For The Best’ represents the simplicity of what always seems to be the most complex, impossible situation to work out.
Have a exclusive listen to Endless Chatter above, and you can catch Merpire on Saturday June 30th at the Wesley Anne alongside Georgia Fields, Pheno and Matilda Abraham as part of their Winter Pop Up Tour. Otherwise, chuck Merpire a follow on Facebook to keep up to date with all of her upcoming shows, including some soon-to-be-announced EP launch shows.
