Favourite Things: Merpire

In this feature we're asking artists to share an insight into their world, running us through a few of their favourites things; from inspiring ephemera to their most cherished items.

Merpire is swiftly gaining a reputation as one of Melbourne's finest indie-pop gems on the rise. With much of their recent work focused on mental health issues, latest release Dinosaur saw the singer-songwriter tackle topics of anxiety and low self esteem.

You can read our take on Dinosaur as part of our March Playlist here.

Hedge

There are only a few things in life that can really bring me to the present and turn an anxious or sad mood upside down. Golden Retrievers, stopping to smell flowers and these beauties - hedges. I am aware that I’m living in entirely the wrong country to be surrounded by hedges but I think if I was surrounded, treasures like these in Melbourne wouldn’t be as noticeable and day-changing.

This is a hedge across the road from a friend’s place. The few days that I once house-sat for her just happened to be the same time this hedge was due for a cut. I dropped a note into the hedge-owners’ mailbox (perfectly nestled into the hedge, of course) that night to thank them for their upkeep.

Fern The Fender

This is Fern. My first and only electric guitar. My music really stepped up when I started writing with it. It’s a short-scale Fender and I love it ever so much. It fits perfectly to me and we’ve written countless songs together. It sounds incredible whether I’m gently plucking it or thrashing ear-splitting power chords! I picked up this stunning strap to go with it in London when I was there last. It’s also perched in my favourite spot to read in the morning light.

Period Queen by Lucy Peach

My clever, empowering friend Lucy wrote this book after performing a show she wrote, ‘My Greatest Period Ever’ for Fringe Festivals all over the globe. Reading it in lockdown last year changed my life. Turns out women aren’t crazy, we were just never taught how to tune into our bodies, be proud and open about our periods and to prepare for different hormone levels and emotions that come up depending on the week in your cycle. Highly recommend it to everyone, not just bleeders! After keeping a journal about different emotions that pop up from week to week, I now do my best to organise my life around my period cycle, knowing when I might have more/less to give to the world.

Nostalgic Trinkets

I often forget I have these things but in a couple of little nooks in my room there are small, old boxes of trinkets past. Here we have an interestingly designed box my Mum brought me back from Japan one time, a costume bracelet from primary school, a whale pendant from when I wanted to be a marine biologist for a year or so, a shell pendant - same reasoning, a dragon’s tear I used to keep under my pillow when I was little to try trap dreams in, a festival wristband, a silver bell pendant I thought was definitely from that song ‘Mary, Mary quite contrary’, a skull ring my brother won for me from a lolly vending machine in the supermarket when we were kids, an ‘Unfuck the World’ badge from when I was learning to find my voice as a teenager at one of my first music festivals, a fire-cracker and my school sports captain badge.

Merpire Tee

I would apologise for this merch plug but how can I when this is the best t-shirt ever made!? I wore it on stage for a show the other night when I got them delivered to the venue because I’m so proud of it!! The older I get the less I worry about what I think I should/could and shouldn’t/couldn’t do. This is a big deal for me, a class A worrier. I’m slowly turning that word into ‘warrior’, and this t-shirt to celebrate my last release, ‘Dinosaur’ proves it.

You can find Merpire on Facebook and Instagram, and stream Dinosaur here.