What Derry pop punk trio
Where Derry
Why At Belfast's Output festival last month, where new bands showcase their wares at night after a day of engaged conversation and panels, Cherym, from Derry, were among the bands that left the biggest live impression.
Performing on the rooftop of a boutique hotel, the three-piece led with a racket that reflected Northern Ireland’s close affinity to DIY punk and rock music.
Built on those foundations and with an ear for a pop melody, Cherym's live performance was a gut-punch of energy and Riot grrrl DIY enthusiasm. Those characteristics are echoed in the first four recorded songs by Hannah Richardson, Nyree Porter and Alannagh Doherty.
The Northern Irish accent shares a closeness in tone to North American pop punk vocals and Cherym’s debut single Take It Back has some of the DNA of music that cuts through the buzzing riffed noise with excitable catchy vocals. Think Be Your Own Pet, Hole and Screaming Females.
Take It Back features on the trio's debut 2018 EP MouthBreatherz . It was immediately taken up by radio supporting emerging music and cut their teeth at NI festivals like Stendhal and Swell Festival.
Accompanied by tracks Telepathic Kelly and Pretty Boys (choice lyric – “I ain’t trying to be your mom”), the EP led to the band being recognised locally in the Best Single and Oh Yeah Contender categories in the Northern Irish Music Prize.
A new single Super Queens, released in January solidified the charm of their offering with less than three minutes of a sugar rush of youthful noise. Catch them at Ragefest at Drop Dead Twice in Dublin on May 11th.
YOU HAVE TO HEAR THIS
Arthur Valentine: Selfish
"Am I being too selfish when I ask you to love me more than your dog?" is how Luke Aston, artist name Arthur Valentine opens his impressively minimal R&B single. With clean guitar lines and little else, Selfish recalls the confessional tracks of Frank Ocean. Not a bad look for the debut song from this new Cork artist.
Tierra Whack: Only Child
Having made one of the albums of 2018 by embracing 15 songs in 15 minutes, the Philadelphia artist's new single is a novelty at four minutes' running time but loses none of the off-kilter charm that made her a going concern.
Only Child is a song that draws from rap, R&B, lullabies and pop, features the hook “You must be the only child because you’re so stingy”, and doesn’t fit into any singular category. Four minutes doesn’t feel enough.
