deryk releases moving and captivating debut EP “WOMb”

by | Music, Music Reviews, New Music

Rising star deryk wows again with the release of her debut EP Womb, following on from the success of her debut single “Call You Out” from earlier this summer. The UK-born and New Zealand-based musician is gaining a strong reputation as one of the most exciting new talents in music right now.

One of the most exciting new talents in music right now.

Ethereal yet melancholic, the song “One Star”, one of the singles off the album, deals with loss, betrayal and recovery, and deryk’s beautiful and powerful but ever-soft vocals guide every listener through the ordeal like a beacon of light. A slow beat which is sustained throughout is accompanied at the chorus by lush piano chords, building rich harmonies and a dense atmosphere.

A tale of heartache and lessons learnt from past relationships, the song ‘goodtimes’ manages to be both melancholic and uplifting – like only the best multidimensional pop music can. The fuzzed up, out of focus vibe of the video reiterates that complex question of memory.

“Writing WOMb was me trying to make sense of what was happening in my life over a strange time. I suddenly felt very detached from myself and my inner dialogue was waaay too loud. I wasn’t really sure what I was doing and I couldn’t comprehend why switching off was so difficult for me, forever stuck in a maze with no ending. Restricting my feelings and opinions constantly, left in confusion, burying myself in a busy routine and a constant agitation that had almost become a personality trait. My angst wasn’t fueling my days anymore, I was on my last legs and still didn’t know what I was meant to do. When I met Justyn and we started playing together, catching up just became an outlet to talk and create and just exist without the surface fuck around I felt like I had to do with everybody else. A protective mechanism probably, lol wow. Justyn and I created a still space for us when everything outside was spinning and in that stillness, WOMb was made.”

Beautiful and powerful but ever-soft vocals guide you through like a beacon of light

deryk says of her inspiration: “Loss and betrayal can stop time… the rest of the world continues and it judges you if you don’t recover in two minutes. It can be very isolating, and with that mindset I wrote ‘One Star’”. Her natural flair for expressing and exploring deep, hidden emotions is palpable.

With an idiosyncracy which is hard to find in newcomers these days, deryk has created her very own sound, having been influenced by English culture such as ‘Bristol in the 90s’ and musicians like PJ Harvey, Fiona Apple, Esperanza Spalding, Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell and Börk. deryk’s unique music is both contemporary and timeless, it’s slow music for fast-moving times.

Slow music for fast-moving times

“One Star” and “Goodtimes” come from deryk’s EP “WOMb”, out today (October 2nd). Written in conjunction with co-producer Justyn Pilbrow, ‘WOMb’ is a culmination of deryk’s thoughts and feelings of navigating life as a young woman in 2020.

deryk on Facebook | deryk on Instagram | deryk on Youtube

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