Merk

Mark Perkins (born 1994), performing as Merk, is a New Zealand singer-songwriter. In 2016 he attended the Red Bull Music Academy in Montreal. Merk won the Independent Music NZ's inaugural Auckland Live Best Independent Debut award in 2017. He has released two studio albums: Swordfish and Infinite Youth (2021).

Early life Mark Perkins was born in 1994 in Tauranga. He played music throughout school, and after graduating in 2011 moved to Auckland to perform with a friend.

Musical career 2016–2017: Early years and Swordfish Recognising his talent, in 2016 Red Bull sent Merk to represent New Zealand at the Red Bull Music Academy in Montreal. After which he graduated as an alumni.

In January 2017, Merk won the Independent Music NZ's inaugural Auckland Live Best Independent Debut award.

On 2 May 2018, the single "Lucky Dilemma" was released and added to subsequent reissues of Swordfish. On 5 May, Merk performed as support for local New Zealand musician Estère.

2018–2019: "Hang" In February and March 2018 Merk supported Australian pop group Cub Sport on their 'Bats' Australian tour. On 29 August, he released his new single "Hang", a so-called "anthem for hanging out in solitude" aimed at introverts. A music video for "Hang" was released on 26 September.

In January 2019 he announced that he was going on a four-date tour with Julia Jacklin starting 27 February, performing in Christchurch, Dunedin, Auckland, and Wellington.

2020–present: Infinite Youth On 21 February 2020, Merk released the single "H.N.Y.B." and announced his signing to new Australian record label Humblebrag Records, alongside announcing Australian and New Zealand tour dates and his official showcases at SXSW (which was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). The music video for "H.N.Y.B" was co-directed by Martin Sagadin and Merk.

On 28 January 2021, Merk released the single "GOD", which debuted in SPIN Magazine's "A Day in the Life" and was described as "strapped with a disco-indebted synth line, skittering percussion, bouncing bass and repetitive mantra-esque lyrics." The music video was released the same day, co-directed by Martin Sagadin and Merk. Merk announced his forthcoming album Infinite Youth on 25 February along with the release of his song "Laps Around The Sun", which premiered on Clash Magazine and was described as "a deft, sincere piece of songwriting, with Merk's heart-on-sleeve approach resulting in an incredibly endearing track." The accompanying music video for the song was created by Martin Sagadin, Abigail Egden and Merk. Merk's single "Deep Dive" was released on 18 March along with the announcement of his first ever national headline tour. "Deep Dive" was described as "syrupy sweet pop" and Merk praised as "a master at creating tracks that feel minimal and sparse, imbibed with hidden gems, giving head spinning depth." The music video for "Deep Dive" was released on 17 March and was written and directed by the New Zealand band Sports Team.

Musical style Merk's sound has been described and Bedroom Pop, psych-pop, and home-spun alternative pop. On Merk's Bandcamp site he tags his music similarly, with alternative, indie, pop, and psychedelic.

Discography Studio albums + List of studio albums, with selected chart positions Title Album details Peak chart positions NZ Swordfish Released: 18 November 2016 Label: Flying Out, Dew Process Format: CD, cassette, digital download, streaming — Infinite Youth Released: 9 April 2021 Label: Humblebrag Format: LP, CD, cassette, digital download, streaming —

Singles Title Year Album "Ash & Sand" 2016 Swordfish "No Better Reason" "Manchuria" "I'm Easy" "Lucky Dilemma" 2018 "Hang" "H.N.Y.B."2020 Infinite Youth "GOD" 2021 "Laps Around The Sun" "Deep Dive"

Music videos +YearSongDirector 2017 "I'm Easy" Parallel Teeth 2018 "Hang"2020"H.N.Y.B." Martin Sagadin and Merk 2021"GOD""Laps Around The Sun"Martin Sagadin, Abigail Egden and Merk"Deep Dive"Sports Team