New York, NY (Top40 Charts) New Zealand artist, multi-instrumentalist and producer Merk (a.k.a. Mark Perkins) has released new single "But She Loves You" today, premiered by Under The Radar. The song finds his plaintive vocals playing gently over plucky disco instrumentation wrapped in a 60's pop ballad blanket. It is the final offering before the release of his debut global album Infinite Youth this Friday, April 9 via Humblebrag Records. Previous album singles "Deep Dive" "H.N.Y.B", "Laps Around The Sun'', and "GOD" have earned critical acclaim spanning CLASH, SPIN Magazine, Northern Transmissions, BBC
Radio 6, and Spotify playlist support across New
Music Friday, Bedroom Pop,
Fresh Finds and Indie Arrivals. An album that will capture you on first listen and then reward your every repetition, Infinite Youth reintroduces Merk and invites you, warmly, into his orbit.
Merk shares, "But She Loves You' is a cathartic dance song. This is the "pocket symphony" of the album. Its origins lay very much in the 60s pop ballad universe and after much experimenting it became the orchestral sad disco song it is now. The song is probably me at my most passionate and dramatic. To me it has an apocalyptic, mountain falling into the ocean level of heartbreak feelings. I hope this song provides people with an opportunity to dance away their sorrows."
Infinite Youth is a record that thrives on a certain simplicity of rhythm, melody, and lyric, and is compelled by contrast: pop songs influenced by art music, an album about adulthood that reflects heavily on what it is to be young, and a sonic world that is both expansive and deeply intimate. He has also announced his headline New Zealand tour, celebrating the album release, he will be playing across five cities in May. You can find tour dates and tickets.
Perkins began his career as a touring member of Tom Lark and Fazerdaze, and later learned the craft of recording and producing under the stewardship of Crowded House's (and now Fleetwood Mac's!)
Neil Finn while working at Roundhead Studios. His debut album Swordfish went on to win Best Debut Album at the Taite
Music Prize (New Zealand's equivalent of the Mercury or Polaris Prize), and led to tours with Cub Sport,
Marlon Williams and Julia Jacklin in Australia and New Zealand.
