There’s something electric about the “what if?”—that jittery, breathless space between knowing and guessing, between locking eyes and staying up all night just to maybe cross paths again. Melbourne’s Merpire aka Rhiannon Atkinson-Howatt leans into that liminal thrill with her new single “Leaving With You,” a restless alt-pop fever dream that captures the emotional high-wire of desire in motion.
Out now with a nostalgic, nervy music video directed by Brooke Painter, “Leaving With You” hits as the final teaser before Merpire’s second album Milk Pool lands on July 4. Sonically, the track pulses with an adrenaline-rushed indie-pop monologue, that shapeshifts into a dark-pop explosion. Merpire charges through restless guitar lines and cathartic vocals, capturing the jittery chaos of crush-lust in full technicolor, especially when the feelings just might be mutual.
“’Leaving With You’ is about those feelings you get around a crush when you have an inkling they feel the same way,” Merpire says. “You’re wondering if they’ll turn up to the party you’re at, is both unnerving and exhilarating. You’re not sure if you’re hiding it well, [as] nothing fills you with more energy than your crush being in your vicinity. You think about going home—you’re tired—but then they turn up and suddenly you could stay all night, living in this space where the probability between hooking up with them and not hooking up with them feels perfectly even.”
That cinematic spiraling restlessness is no accident as Painter’s video channels it through a Y2K-tinted lens of tension and teenage fever dreams, complete with a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo from fellow artist Ruby Gill. Think 10 Things I Hate About You meets a midnight walk home, heart pounding in your throat. Co-produced with longtime collaborator James Seymour (Pillow Queens, Elizabeth M. Drummond), and featuring Jess Ellwood (Julia Jacklin, Alex Lahey) on instrumentation, the track dives headfirst into Milk Pool’s recurring themes: longing, transformation, and romantic overdrive.
After “Premonition” and “Bigger”, “Leaving With You” doesn’t just round out the teaser trio, it solidifies Milk Pool as more than just a sophomore album. It spirals through a coming-of-age moment, wrapped in alt-indie shimmer and shadow. Merpire sharpens her signature tightrope walk between raw emotional detail and sweeping relatability, and this track might be her most magnetic balancing act yet.
With three UK tours under her belt, national support slots for Julia Jacklin and Spacey Jane, and co-founding the beloved ISOL-AID livestream series, Merpire’s path has never played by the rules, and Milk Pool doesn’t either.
Pre-save/add Milk Pool and stream connect with Merpire on Instagram!
Craving more indie gems, pop culture deep dives, and music that hits right in the feels? Head over to Lyrical Muse for your next obsession.
Let us know what “Leaving With You” stirred up for you on Instagram and X (@LyricalMuseBlog).
Leave a Reply