Meryl Streek with support from The Revolt
‘Songs for the Deceased’ cited by Metal Hammer as one of the ten best punk albums of the last decade. Produced by Dan Doherty(Fontaines D.C)
Stictly over 21’s event.
Arriving in 2022, Irish artist Meryl Streek was unaware of the impact his clash of
experimental electronica and explosive punk would have on the music scene around
him. Armed with just a microphone and a laptop, in less than a year the Dublin based
producer went from playing his first show in a local squat to performing live at
Kentish Town Forum, London, supporting post-punk legends Public Image Ltd.
Meryl Streek’s debut album ‘796’ (2022) cemented itself as one of the most visceral,
important political records of the decade so far, with one critic praising it as “the most
incendiary and important punk rock album of the year” (Paul Brannigan/Louder).
Though rooted in Irish socio-political commentary, the album’s themes resonated
with people around the world, leading to live performances across Europe and as far
as Gran Canaria.
‘Songs For The Deceased’ once again saw the Irish artist enter Darklands Audio with
producer Dan Doherty (Fontaines D.C.). The outcome is a kaleidoscopic fusion of
news samples, distorted guitars, electronic beats, and traditional Irish music, all
laying the foundation for Streek’s impassioned spoken word performance.
To push the music into new spaces, Meryl Streek invited guest musicians to
collaborate. Benefits’ Kingsley Hall provides spoken word to the album’s ‘Interlude’,
Cal Graham from UK punks The Chisel appears on ‘Dogs’ and influential guitarist
Oliver Ackermann (A Place to Bury Strangers) delivers a feedback soaked outro for
the song ‘Murder’.
Lyrically the songs veer from the deeply personal (‘Paddy’ is a tribute to his uncle
Paddy, a unique individual who chose to live life by his own terms) to historic
tragedies (‘Stardust’ remembers the victims of the fire that took place at the Stardust
venue Feb 14th 1981, killing 48 people and leaving families begging for answers as to
why the disaster happened in the first place). “This is a collection of stories about
Betrayal, Murder, Injustice, and Corruption around my hometown of Dublin.” explains
Meryl Streek. “It’s not just happening in Ireland, it’s happening around the world and
we’re supposed to just take it lying down?”. Politically charged and sonically vibrant,
‘Songs For The Deceased’ isn’t just a statement about Ireland, it’s a call to arms
around the world and very much needed in this current world.
