Old Mervs: Surfing Into Success
Old Mervs have been riding the Aus indie-rock wave since 2017, surfing through the noise of the industry to become one of the fastest rising acts in recent years. Now, they're coasting into shore in tow with their hotly anticipated self-titled album. The two-piece tell all on what it takes to build a genre-blind debut LP.
Interview Dakota Griffiths // Photo Andrew Briggs
Old Mervs couldn’t be further from their start jamming in a farm shed in Kojonup, a tiny town southeast of Perth that less than 1000 people call home. Since 2018, the two-piece - comprising David House and Henry Carrington-Jones – have been building a global fanbase through their unfiltered storytelling and unmistakable surf rock sound.
It’s a pursuit that’s seen them sell out venues across Australia, tour the UK and be nominated for Best New Artist at the Rolling Stone Australia Awards. But now, the duo are on the cusp of releasing their biggest adventure to date – their highly anticipated self-titled debut album, released on March 21.
Uprooting from their native Western Australia, Henry and David travelled over 4000 kilometres to complete the LP alongside ARIA award-winning producer, Chris Collins, in Byron. “We were looking for a new dynamic,” reflects David on the band’s time in the shire.
That new dynamic came from the duo creating a simple yet invigorating routine – surfing each morning before retreating to Collins’ studio to tinker on songs they’d written over seven years. Across 11 tracks, Old Mervs surge between sun-soaked Australian indie, Brit-pop and ‘90s West Coast alt-rock. But the consistent thread throughout the expansive collection of songs is the two-piece’s commitment to producing sound that feels authentic to them.
With a 20-stop Australian/New Zealand tour locked in, the band are stepping into their next chapter with new confidence. Old Mervs is more than a debut album; it’s a celebration of where the band came from, where they’ve been and where they’re headed.
Congrats on your self-titled debut album Old Mervs! You left your hometown to record the LP in Byron Bay. How did the scenery influence the sound of this album?
David: The scenery influenced our mental health. It made us feel happy.
Henry: We would go out surfing with [producer] Chris Collins every day… we would surf, get a coffee and rock up to the studio two hours late. It’s amazing what surfing can do to you in the morning – just the excitement of the waves. It puts you in a great frame of mind.
David: There was no pressure. It felt like you were just there with your mates, completely secluded, having fun.
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Some of the album’s songs came to fruition in 2018, while others were written more recently. How did you decide what tracks made the cut?
David: We had about a month before heading to Byron Bay to do everything. We had a whiteboard with all our songs and had to nail it down from 20 odd.
Henry: It was a bit corporate, wasn’t it?
David: Yeah, it was a little bit methodical, which is not usually our style. We went to record with maybe 15 ideas, but once we got there, it went completely off-field. We even wrote some songs [in Byron]!
Henry: We were adamant we wanted fun, upbeat songs and a slow track. There was only one we nearly didn’t [pick], which was my song, ‘Waiting’. But then we ended up recording it as an acoustic track. It was a pretty here, there and everywhere process.
‘Waiting’ really stood out to us – the fact that it’s recorded in one take is amazing, too. Can you walk us through the process of writing and recording it?
David: This was a song we jammed out in 2017. We found it on our camera roll and took it to Byron Bay. One day, I was sitting outside on the verandah and Chris set up the mics. We were just writing it on the spot and putting words together. Once I had it down pat, we [did] three takes and one worked! It was nice doing it like that. There are imperfections in the song, which is really cool. Plus, there are bird sounds in the background because we recorded outside!
You’re taking this album on a 20-stop tour across New Zealand and Australia. Do you have a particular city or venue you’re most excited to play?
David: I’m keen to go to Darwin for Bass In The Grass. I haven’t been there before and you can go 130km/h on the highway!
Henry: Sydney will be cool. I’m also keen for Adelaide, that’ll be exciting because of Hindley Street Music Hall. Hopefully, we get some people down to that.
David: Adelaide actually is the best city.
You’re kicking off the Australian leg in Adelaide. What has been your favourite gig here?
Henry: Our first gig was Lion Arts Factory with Ra Ra Viper, which was insane. It was probably one of the most fun shows I’ve played in my life.
David: It was a really engaging crowd and Ra Ra had such a good set. Everything just went so well.
Henry: But our Crown & Anchor show was sick, too! It’s like a concrete box – that’s fun shit. Adelaide’s an awesome place to play.
David: I feel like it’s similar between Perth and Adelaide. When a band comes, it’s really appreciated. Other cities get bands all the time, but you can feel how stoked Adelaide and Perth are to have you there
Old Mervs play Hindley Street Music Hall on May 10. Tickets on sale now via Moshtix.
