Starting Over
Another September and I find myself starting another college course. This time I will be commuting to the Dun Laoghaire Institute Of Art Design + Technology for their micro credentials offering of a Certificate in Radio and Podcast Production. Wish me luck!
Also, starting over is ‘mer marcum’ who I recently caught up with on my podcast. The Waco, Texas-born indie rock, singer, songwriter, and producer is now Brooklyn-based and dabbling in alternative folk. Having emerged into the New York City scene after trading her small-town roots for Brooklyn’s bustling music scene, she is actively carving out her own niche through her introspective music.
“It’s been only about four years, so I still feel pretty fresh here. I’m settling in. And it is a big change, obviously, but something I was really chasing.”
Spending the past two years playing a multitude of live shows commanding attention from her live audience, her first single, “Starting Over,” under her new alias was released in October 2024. This was followed by “Hours Off” and 2025’s “Junkyard Dog” and “Green Saturn” via Acrophase Records & Secretly Distribution. You can listen to our conversation over on Mixcloud:
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The Human Recommendation interview #41, with mer marcum by The Human Recommendation | Mixcloud
The Human Recommendation is a weekly radio show on Flirt FM 101.3 in Galway city showcasing the best of indie & alternative music from Ireland and around the globe. But in this special interview side project, host Damien had the opportunity to talk with Brooklyn-based alt folk indie rock, singer, songwriter, and producer Meredith (mer) Marcum who has emerged into the New York City scene. Trading her small-town roots of Waco, Texas for Brooklyn’s bustling music scene, mer set out to carve her ow...
Buttondown
Buttondown posted my testimonial for their newsletter platform, not sure I'm succeeding.. but I am "endeavoring to uplift" and support emerging indie artists!
https://buttondown.com/stories/damien-joyceGAZEFEST
In my last newsletter I wrote about the GAZEFEST day of music in Belfast and it’s now great to see the live video performances as captured by Rob M Chapple are up on YouTube including this set from Whitelands. Check out the footage here:
New Music
Release wise, there has been a glut of new music the past few weeks. I tried to squeeze in as many as possible into Monday’s Human Recommendation radio show #32 on FLIRT FM.
There were 3 EP’s that caught my attention that dropped last Friday, they are all very different from each other but I've been totally engrossed in each for different reasons.
1. Funeral Lakes - 'Mountains Turned to Dust' is a short EP that sounds a bit like “countrygaze”. I wrote a review of the EP over on my music blog and I will be talking to Sam & Chris later in the week.
Dispelling the myth of the North American frontier | by Damien Joyce | Sep, 2025 | Medium
Funeral Lakes new EP ‘Mountains Turned to Dust’ is a transportive listen
2. ‘bloom effect’ are an exciting shoegaze trio act based in Vancouver consisting of Jula Lafit (bass/vocals), Craig Weighman (guitars)and Tom Rappa (drums). Following up after their excellent dream pop/shoegazy E.P called 'Portents' the band released ‘oscilón’ which is even better. Everything is dialed up and the band are in a great place which is reflected on this record.
3. Since seeing ‘how r u’ perform in Belfast, I have been listening to more of this slowcore side project of Irish singer-songwriter and producer Thom Southern. In his latest EP 'hell bent or heaven sent' he collaborates with Portland based artist vhs ghost. This is stripped back, minimalist guitar at it’s best.
Other releases include Dublin’s SCATTERED ASHES dropped a double AA side single called ‘We Sell Silence’ / ‘Prisoners’. (The band kindly provided me permission to use part of one of their earlier tracks ‘Kingdom’ from their ‘All That Is Solid Melts Into Air’ EP as my radio show opener.) Back then they were a quartet but after having changed their music direction for a more abrasive post-punk / darkwave electronica sound, they are now a duo.
If you missed the Human Recommendation show #32, you can catch back up with all the new releases with the playback link on Mixcloud
Playlist details below:
The Human Recommendation show is available on 101.3 FM in Galway city and streams from flirtfm.ie at 8pm, each Monday.
#TEAMHUMAN