An Interview With The Mermaids
The new release from The Mermaids is a beautiful blend of synth -pop and with a smooth disco undertone and R&B undertones that all come together to create an almost cinematic retro bordering radio pop track.
"L'auntre" features some plucking guitar lines, and loads of vintage synth sounds all with a vaporwave sheen and a colorful soundscape.
The song is addictive and incredibly fun and boasts a genuine aesthetic as vocals are almost whispering the indie pop chorus and lush keys fill the air.
This track feels like a love letter to pop singles of decades passed and they really nail the sound and bring it into today's world.
With a youthful energy and a laid back atmosphere, "L'auntre" has a sultry feel to it and is very danceable to boot.
The track comes at the right time as it sounds like a sunset on a summer day with shades of purples and oranges fusing in bliss.
This single puts you at ease to an extent. It's got this amazing tonality to it that speaks volumes for The Mermaids as songwriters and producers.
This is a pretty much flawless single release and a massive debut for The Mermaids as a whole.
With such a wonderfully woven song, we wanted to talk shop with the guys to find out where this all came from.
TSWS: Let's start with "L'auntre". This track has some retro vibes going with excellent
synth work and an indie-pop radio vibe. Where did this track come from?
Thank you! The track started out with Martin Broström coming home from a late night out.
He put down some chords and a basic beat and got inspired to sing some made up
French phrases (Martin doesn't speak French). I (Erik Odelberg) put down some
additional chords, made a song structure and produced the track the best way I could to
catch Martin's French vibe. The two other band members Gustav Bladlund and Erik
Helsing contributed to finish the track, as well as Jens Broström who did the mastering.
TSWS: This is a debut single for you guys right? Anything coming up?
Yes, we're working hard to finish a couple of ideas that we've been working with. We're
planning to release our next song in about a month.
TSWS: I'm hearing some great styles of songwriting on this track. Who are some of your
actual biggest musical influences?
Thanks! We're all coming from quite different places, I'm a huge fan of Frank Ocean and
Jai Paul, just to name a few. People need to listen to Str8 Outta Mumbai. I'm not sure
whether you can hear that influence on L'auntre though, haha.
TSWS: How did this all start for you?
The Mermaids basically started out with Martin Broström (after another late night out)
sending me a photo of me and another friend when we were in Amsterdam, looking kind
of cool but also kind of annoying. We actually looked mostly annoying. Martin sent a text
along with the picture – "The Mermaids – annoying band" – and I responded – let's start
that band immediately.
TSWS: Now that things are slowing down pandemic wise, will you be focusing on any live
performances?
Our focus right now is to release more songs, but we'll definitely do some live gigs after
that.
TSWS: What are you doing when you're NOT working on music?
I'm a lawyer and spend a lot of time suing people.
TSWS: What's next for you as a band?
Creating and releasing more songs.
TSWS: Who are you listening to right now?
Tame Impala, Erik Satie, Roy Blair, Thundercat, Kaytranada, The 1975, Alex Cameron,
Papooz and many many more.
TSWS: You wake up in the middle of the night starving. What's your go to midnight snack?
(This is a question of character)
I'm always awake in the middle of the night. And I'm always starving. I usually go for
popcorn.
TSWS: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
Big thanks and keep listening!
