After becoming one of the most unlikely success stories in Australian rock this decade, Perth duo Old Mervs have finally shared their self-titled debut album. The team of schoolmates turned best friends vocalist/guitarist Dave House and drummer Henry Carrington-Jones have already notched up Hottest 100 placements and some eye-watering chart positions in their quick ascent, and Old Mervs is the sound of the pair realising both their greater potential and grander ambition.
Of course, the band – like all before them – stand on the shoulders of giants. To commemorate the album coming out, the pair shared five songs with Music Feeds that inspired what you hear on their all-killer-no-filler debut album.
1. Hole – ‘Malibu’
This track was particularly influential on ‘Parched’. We were envisaging the music video when we
were writing it, which helped get in touch with that 90s surf-rock punk scene. This song was super
influential, particularly after revisiting Hockey Dad‘s rendition from when they covered it for Like A Version on triple j; always cool seeing a two-piece spin on something!
2. The Kooks – ‘Naive’
This was influential primarily from a production point of view – particularly in regard to creating
space in our songwriting and having raw guitars and vocals. It’s a really classic indie-rock sound
that so many of us 90s babies had the pleasure of growing up with. I [Henry] can remember my sister showing me the song at a young age, and it was one of the first moments of really loving indie
guitar-orientated music.
3. The Wombats – ‘Moving To New York’
This track is such a good poppy guitar song and such upbeat, catchy and anthemic songwriting. We
had this track in mind when we were writing and recording ‘What You’ve Lost’ and ‘Don’t Go’ in particular. It’s a super-fast, melody-driven song, and the constant upbeat tempo really pushes these kind of tracks along. That’s what we wanted when writing – especially if that encourages people to sing along.
4. Palace – ‘Rabid Dog’
This track has laid-back energy and slick production . We listened to this a lot in the car on the way to and from the studio when we were recording, and it we loved how it really allows the base of the song to be raw but emotional and powerful.
5. The Temper Trap – ‘Fader’
This was a reference point in trying to write a big, anthemic song that would sound really good at
a festival with everyone singing along. It has a great driving drum beat, too – which is something we
referenced with the track ‘Everyone Will See It’. We don’t often look to that style of a drum beat all the
time, so this really allowed for a different sort of feel for us.
Old Mervs is out now via Dew Process. The album can be streamed, downloaded and purchased by clicking here. You can also catch the band live throughout May, June and July on their national tour – see all the dates and purchase tickets by clicking here.
Further Reading
Bassinthegrass 2025 Line-Up: Hilltop Hoods, The Amity Affliction, Cyril + More
Old Mervs: The Reflective and Introspective Songs That Inspired ‘Get Better’
Eggy Take Us Track-By-Track Through Their New Album ‘From Time To Time’
