Melbourne singer/songwriter Rhiannon Atkinson-Howatt, who performs a Merpire, has released her second studio album Milk Pool. It’s layered in synth-pop dreaminess, leans on the hallmarks of relationship bust-ups and riffs on a grunge era of slacker-dom. She’s got a hankering for dark pop ditties; a kind of romantic serenading that’s heart on sleeve defined.
She spoke to The Write Drop for our At the Bar series.
MY CITY
I’m lucky enough to live and create on the lands of the Wurundjeri Boonwurrung people of the Kulin Nation in Naarm/Melbourne. I love the arts community, their creativity and generosity. I’m forever empowered and inspired by fellow artists and their passion to share rather than compete. I also love the food, parklands and the ease of getting around.
FAVOURITE FOOD MEMORY
I haven’t stopped raving about the perfect garlic bread found at 1800 Lasagne on High Street in Thornbury. It’s been there for years and I only tried it for the first time a few weeks ago. The lasagne was incredible but the garlic bread, wow. A crunchy crust, super soft in the middle with ample garlic, butter and salt all the way to the edges. Heaven.
FAVOURITE BAR
I love Eydie’s on Lygon St in Brunswick. It’s a bunch of my friends’ regular haunts. One of my housemates also works there so you know, there’s perks. If I really want to have a night, I’m ordering a classic margarita or a classic negroni.
DRINK THAT DESCRIBES YOU
I would say a ‘Spider’ – you know, a fizzy drink with an ice-cream float. I think because I’m a kid at heart, I can be excitable but then, like the foam from the fizzing ice cream, I can deflate and sink pretty quickly if overstimulated.
BEST HANGOVER CURE
A jump in the ocean followed by a hot shower, coffee, orange juice, and eggs benny or vegemite on toast and The Simpsons.
BEST INTERSTATE BAR
I really like Preachers in Hobart. It’s got that old English pub feel about it. They’ve always got great beers on tap. There’s an outdoor bit with heaters that faces north so when the sun goes down it’s beautiful. There’s also an old bus out the back that you can sit and drink in!
A HOT TIP FOR AN OVERSEAS BAR
The Dying Cow in Wicklow, Ireland. It was such an adventure. My Mum, my partner and I had many pints of Guinness and just people watched in this tiny, tiny, ancient pub, so full of character.
FAVOURITE WINE
Yugen Wines – the ‘Lunar Pool Party’ Pet Nat.
FAVOURITE WINERY
Hither & Yon – Wilunga, South Australia. I didn’t go to their winery as such but they have this cute little venue/shop where I played a small show a few years ago. It was really beautiful.
NEXT DESTINATION
My next destination is solo album tour time on the East Coast of Australia, starting in Brisbane at The Junk Bar on August 15th. I’m then heading to Sydney, Canberra and finishing up in Melbourne where I sold out two shows in three days! If people want to come to the remaining shows, they can head here. My next dream destination post tour would be laying on a beach in Portugal somewhere with nothing to do but swim, eat and read books.
THREE SONGS ON THE NEW ALBUM
FISHING. This song came together while reflecting upon the devastation of lockdown on the arts community. I watched friends lose so much – big tours, financial stability, a chance to release music and develop as artists and humans in general. I was and continue to be deeply inspired by their ability to keep going, keep sharing with each other, and keep working on their art despite how much we’re up against. It’s my observations politically, environmentally, and societally. I remember feeling the pain while writing lyrics like, ‘Like the quiet in the cupboards and we’re back to playing covers.’ There was so much sacrifice that we gracefully or shamefully kept hidden. Like aiming to buy enough food for the week, or living on noodles and rice for a while to save for a new pair of runners or guitar strings but we’d always find a way to support each other.
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CINNAMON. This is about halfway through the new record was a real surprise to write. I wrote it on a friend’s guitar in London. The words, ‘Who’s cooking with cinnamon?’ out of nowhere. To be honest, I didn’t like that line but every time I tried something else, it kept creeping back. Once I got to writing the chorus I was like “Ooooohh shit, that’s heavy, we’re onto something here”. I didn’t know what the song was about at all until the chorus came out. This song is a perfect example of something out there in the ether delivering a small clue for a song that you may not understand at first but when you have the patience to follow it, it can be really something.
RETRIEVER. Like many lyrics in my songs, these came up when out on a walk. Like the lyrics suggest, my neighbourhood is bursting with front gardens of houses that have character and weirdly feel nostalgic, like I’ve been there. I love the positive escapism, taking in the air, looking at lawns I could’ve sun-baked on, eaten food on, or snuck through in a different life. It’s also about restlessness, and mentally escaping reality in a dark, melancholic but comforting way when physical change doesn’t seem like an option. I often get this escapism listening to songs I associate with that and I’ve always wanted to write songs that can be that for someone. I like to think most of this record can be that escapism for someone listening.
