Merk & band to play the Whammy Bar with special guests Imugi + Antony Jeffares to raise funds towards their trip to SXSW 2020.
Brightly-lit, home-spun and fun is the sound and ethos of New Zealand artist/ producer Merk.
As an intern working 15 hour days, Merk (Mark Perkins) learnt the ropes of recording and producing under Neil Finn between cleaning and coffee-making duties at Finn's Roundhead Studio. In the early morning before anyone would arrive and late after each session ended, Perkins could be found at the piano tirelessly crafting song after song. From there he went on to pack boxes in exchange for use of a store basement which he converted into a recording studio. In the safety of this basement studio, the project Merk was born.
The debut album, Swordfish, was written, produced, performed, recorded and mixed, by Merk. As a body of work it sensitively rides the line of being DIY at heart while retaining hi-fi pop sensibilities. On the surface Swordfish is an album of whimsical, psychedelic alt-pop tunes, however beneath the glitchy childlike exterior is a depth of emotion and musical complexity that sets this debut apart from the status quo.
Since releasing Swordfish, Merk's songs have taken him around the globe to play shows through the UK, France, Australia, NZ and Montreal (as a participant of the Red Bull Music Academy). Swordfish also won a prestigious Taite Award in 2017 for Best Independent Debut Album.
