[Cover photo credit to Alexa Viscius]
Los Angeles-based alternative R&B duo Mermaid, composed of Brittany Campbell and Candace Quarrels, have announced their debut album Iridescence. Set for release on October 20, 2023 the project invites listeners to enjoy the “free-spirited intention” of the duo in exploring genres.
Alongside the announcement, Mermaid have also shared a the single + video, “Purr. The track shares Campbell and Quarrels’ feelings of “powerlessness in a society where no one is listening.” The accompanying music video features the duo “dancing in sync with black and white footage projected onto them, as if they are existing between the realities shown in the footage.”
The duo shares:
‘Purr’ started with our cat Splatt…she has this very loud, deep purr. It developed into this silly song that we’ve mumbled over for a long time without knowing what it was about. Then George Floyd happened, and that’s when the lyrics came to be. It’s a song that started off quite playfully but became more so about what was happening in the world and being stuck inside the house and ingesting all this darkness through Instagram. Even outside of the pandemic, it’s about feeling stuck and seeing everything that’s happening in the world and wanting to scream about it all the time…But also feeling like there’s nothing you can do and that the powers that be aren’t listening as much as they pretend to. It’s a song about being lost and stuck in the system.
After individually moving through the worlds of theater and Broadway, appearing in shows such as A Christmas Carol and The Book Of Mormon, the duo met while starring in the Chicago production of Hamilton. The pair went on to form Mermaid.
For Mermaid’s 13-track debut album Iridescence, the majority was recorded in their Highland Park home studio. Teaming up with co-producer Sam Hoffman (Mereba, Durand Bernarr), the project ranges from Soul and R&B to Alt-Rock, Jazz, Punk, Pop, and Metal.
They comment:
This album is for anyone seeking the catharsis of a scream, a sigh, a moan, or a triumphant shout. Mermaid should be a space that feels boundless and free. Mermaid is a journey in love, openness, and friendship. It’s us having fun and sharing our hearts.
