Native Tongue Music Publishing has today announced the signing of Mark Perkins (pka Merk), coinciding with the news of his second album Infinite Youth.

Merk is the musical moniker of Auckland, New Zealand artist, multi-instrumentalist, screen composer and producer, Mark Perkins, who began his career as a touring member of Tom Lark and Fazerdaze before releasing his debut album Swordfish in 2017. Swordfish went on to win Best Debut Album at the Taite Music Prize (New Zealand’s equivalent of the Mercury or Polaris Prize), and led to tours with Cub Sport, Marlon Williams and Julia Jacklin in Australia and NZ, as well as signing to Australian-based management company Heartstop Music, which is home to Marlon Williams, Julia Jacklin and The Weather Station. Mark has also recently worked with Williams, composing the score for feature film Juniper.

Mark Perkins said of the signing: “After having been adjacent to Native Tongue for many years playing in other bands who worked with them, it feels really great to officially be adopted into the family. I’ve known the team for a long time and so working together feels like a very snug, natural fit. I’m looking forward to seeing what we get done!”

“Having known Mark for many years, it’s a pleasure to be working together in an official capacity. We look forward to helping Mark achieve great heights as a songwriter, producer, artist and screen composer,” added Native Tongue’s Managing Director Jaime Gough.

On Infinite Youth, Merk examines the blurry line between adolescence and adulthood, and all the clarity and mess that accompanies that blurring. This is a record that thrives on a certain simplicity of rhythm, melody, and lyric, and is compelled by contrast: pop songs influenced by art music, an album about adulthood that reflects heavily on what it is to be young, and a sonic world that is both expansive and deeply intimate.

Infinite Youth is out April 9th 2021 via Humblebrag Records/AWAL, pre-order here. New single ‘Laps Around The Sun’ is out now – watch the video or stream here.

Self recorded and produced, Hit or Miss is the stunning debut album from Alexander Biggs.

The album serves as a map, documenting a relationship throughout all its stages.

With distinctly gentle vocals, stinging lyricism, and melodic ingenuity, this record encapsulates the themes of loneliness and distance.

They’re quiet songs that cast a spell, providing a few moments of calm in the chaos of the real world.

Listen to Hit or Miss now.

Native Tongue is pleased to announce the signing of Sophie Curtis (aka ASTON) for the World.

Sophie comes to Native Tongue with an impressive catalogue of works. As a songwriter she has written for the likes of Cosmo’s Midnight, Jordie Ireland, and Rikki Lee.

Born and raised on NSW’s Central Coast, Sophie’s ambition and hard work have secured her a number of sync placements to date, including ‘Next Level’ in Fast & Furious: Hobbs and Shaw, ‘Original’ in NBA 2k20, Netflix’s ‘Insatiable’ and ‘Lucifer’, ESPN USA, BMW China and more.

This week Sophie releases ‘Girl Is A Gun’, the debut single for her artist project ASTON.

“I’m thrilled to be signing with such an incredibly hardworking team! One that I’ll be able to grow with not only as a songwriter but also as an artist,” adds Sophie Curtis.

Native Tongue’s Head of Creative Services Matt Tanner said,”Sophie is a rare writer that is equally as comfortable in the studio as a songwriter and artist. With the drive to match her incredible talent we look forward to an exciting future.”

‘Girl Is A Gun’ is out now. Stream on Spotify.

Kingswood are rounding off what has been a massive year of music for the band with their take on some Christmas classics with A Kingswood Christmas.

This album is Kingswood’s tribute to the music that has soundtracked many a classic festive season. The idea of creating a Christmas album is one that Kingswood have been ruminating on for some time. With a year as unpredictable as 2020 finally coming to an end though, it feels like the perfect time for them to release a record that is both fun, warming and hopeful.

Stream A Kingswood Christmas here.

Fresh off his 2020 sophomore album, HOLY WAVE, Kuren seeks to translate his experiences in FORMULA 5 to represent how art, nature and science are the unbounded links that make up our daily lives. Working tirelessly over the lockdown period in Melbourne, he feels this release is the culmination of years of hard work and finding the right songwriting formula.

This EP merges the producer’s affinity for rich elements of lyrics and harmony, emotive storytelling and his signature electronic sound.

Stream FORMULA 5 here.