Merk Shares New Album 'Infinite Youth'

Park yourself next to the stereo and get comfy, Mark Perkins' sophomore Merk album is here and it's like a big warm hug for your eardrums. Infinite Youth follows Perkins' 2016 Taite Music Prize Best Debut winning album Swordfish and is his first collection to be released via Humblebrag Records. On the new collection Merk worked with producer Johan Carøe, who Perkins' says helped him shake off the lighthearted fantasies of Swordfish and pull him further into earnestness.

"In the past it felt like I was hiding, but now I'm trying to wear my heart on my sleeve a little more", Merk explains, and you can hear that in almost every track; there's a shift from stupidly catchy indie-pop to heart-squeezing sincerity at the drop of a hat. In album single 'GOD' it's the eclectic high-energy instrumentation dropping into the stripped back bridge, a whiplash moment of 'oh wait, this song really is about God'. Then hidden a little deeper into Infinite Youth there's 'Happiness', which will have you half expecting an inspirational turn around from the gut-punching acoustic guitar and "All of our friends are sadder than they were last year", BUT NO! Merk twists the knife with "Happiness will never come again" — that tragic problem of not remembering how it felt not to be sad. Merk has a way of conveying all this and a hundred other feelings in his songs, while providing just straight up wonderful pop music that can shape-shift into whatever mood you need. Listen to Merk and his tunes of requirement this May on his album release tour, proudly presented by us! Tickets and dates here, the tasty new music just below...

Undertheradar proudly presents...

Merk 'Infinite Youth' Album Tour

Saturday 15th May - Cassette 9, Auckland*
Sunday 16th May - Jam Factory, Tauranga [tickets available here]
Thursday 20th May - Meow, Wellington [tickets available here]
Saturday 22nd May - The Loons, Christchurch*
Sunday 23rd May - Dive, Dunedin*

*Tickets on sale HERE via UTR

Merk's sophomore album 'Infinite Youth' is out now via Humblebrag Records.