Watch Mermaidens' Futuristic Video For 'Bastards'

Mermaidens have unfurled spectacular new visuals for their song 'Bastards', drawn from the Pōneke trio's 2020 Taite Music Prize nominated album Look Me in the Eye. Directed by Ryan Fielding, starring Micah Barnes and created with the support of NZ On Air, the vividly realised clip shows Barnes navigating a perilous London re-imagined as a Neo Tokyo style, neon-drenched technopolis – complete with towering digital billboards featuring band members Gussie Larkin, Lily West and Abe Hollingsworth as smiling icons of a disquieting late capitalist hyperreality.

Ryan Fielding shared his original concept for the video: “I originally pitched the band - ‘A textural neon-soaked fever dream’... I was excited to tap into the mood of the song and the interweaving melodies, experimenting with dualities in terms of characters, tone, and textures.”

Co-vocalist and bassist Lily West unpacked the feelings expressed with 'Bastards': "I wanted to create something contemplative led by this strange and dominant bass part... (the song acknowledges) the difficulty and sometimes suffocating nature of being in love. Acknowledging that your love is just as complex an individual as you are is the most rewarding thing."

'Look Me In The Eye' is out now via Flying Nun'.