mer marcum – You Never Did Anything Wrong
Rising Brooklyn indie artist and producer mer marcum announces You Never Did Anything Wrong, her new EP, slated for release May 1.
Today, she shares the second single from the project, “stay away!,” produced by mer marcum and Pearce Gronek (Hudson Freeman, Hollis Howard)– listen here. Accompanying the track is a VHS-taped video filmed in NYC, depicting ideas of rumination and toxic habits, airing out the dirty laundry and smoking too many cigarettes, directed and edited by Brooks Travers.
“This song is about a characteristically parasitic relationship. About a love, sweet and sticky, attracting ants. It’s about giving as much as you can to someone who willingly takes and takes and then meets your kindness with cruelty. This relationship left me feeling pathetic and empty, embarrassed, and confused, and upset enough to write this song called “stay away!” both a command and a question that dragged on far too long before I finally understood the only way to get out was to cut it off,” marcum says.
The new track follows the initial offering “Body (ft. Jia*)” which has received support from BBC Radio 6, Spotify’s New Music Friday, All New Indie, Fresh Finds Indie, as well as Apple Music’s Acoustic Chill and more. Last month, mer opened for Devon Again’s sold-out show at Baby’s All Right in NYC, following recent dates with Hudson Freeman, Renni Conti, Deloyd Elze, Hollis Howard, Bay Faction, and more. Next month, mer will join the SXSW Official Artist roster playing SXSW’s Official Digital Twang Showcase as well as open for Darryl Rahn at Mercury Lounge on March 21.
Rooted in Brooklyn, the Waco-born singer-songwriter has crafted an artistic identity defined by a DIY spirit and an alt-folk core with indie-rock leanings. After graduating from college, she made the leap from Texas to New York City, immersing herself in the city’s creative culture while at Berklee NYC’s Audio Engineering program and establishing her own artistic fingerprint. She’s self-produced her music ever since. Now, the thoughtful singer-songwriter is on the cusp of her biggest release yet — her debut EP, You Never Did Anything Wrong, set to arrive May 1.
The seed of inspiration for what would become the rich seven-track collection began with the photography of Nan Goldin. At an exhibition, marcum was struck by a photograph of a tombstone for Goldin’s cat, which bore the epitaph that would become the title of the EP: “You never did anything wrong.”
Speaking about the record, marcum shares, “I was thinking about the idea of giving yourself permission for not knowing what you’re doing. Life constantly asks, ‘Who are you? What will you do? Who will you be with? What will you accomplish?’ To ease that tension, it’s helpful to remember that we’re all just out here trying.”
The collection of music is centered on marcum’s childhood, balancing themes of grief, love, heartbreak, and identity with explorations of loss, innocence, and the universal uncertainties of growing up. Tracks like “Holiday, 2008” and the title track — which bookend the EP — act as mirrors of each other, charting a journey from struggle to forgiveness. “The first song starts in a place of a lot of uncertainty,” she explains. “By the time we reach the last song, it feels like a big sigh of relief; coming to terms with forgiveness, grace, and empathy.” Marcum co-produced the EP herself and took full creative control on its track “What Is It About Me,” which she self-produced entirely.
On this journey to catharsis, marcum lays herself bare throughout You Never Did Anything Wrong, mining from moments like a near-death incident she survived, paralleled with one her sister endured. With melancholy and vulnerability woven into strong guitars and production, her songs deliver release in headphones and in live performance settings alike, recalling the determined authenticity of Wednesday or poignant writing of Julia Jacklin.
“The cool part of being an artist is figuring out how to approach universal themes in a way nobody’s ever expressed them before,” she shares. “And maybe, in doing that, someone out there will feel understood.”
#mermarcum