From emotional roller coasters to fully immersive, indie-rock arrangements, Merpire is the musical brainchild of Rhiannon Atkinson-Howatt.
Conjuring magical moments in both the studio and on stage, Merpire and her predominantly female line-up have supported the likes of Julia Jacklin, Last Dinosaurs, Angie McMahon and Didirri.
With the recent release of her new single ‘Heavy Feeling’, Merpire next supports Gengahr at their Melbourne concert. Here, she shares two of her favourite tour snacks.
1: Boulders red wine and vinegar crisps
Boulders are the creme de la creme of crisps. They’re a little on the higher end of the chip market, but their flavours are worth every cent. I find them difficult to share, so if we’re touring I’ll hide them and buy other chips that I’m willing to share with everyone else.There’s nothing worse than when I’m looking forward to eating them sneakily and then find they’ve somehow made their way into someone else’s car and they are no more. This flavour in particular nails the sweet and salty combo.
2: Meat pie and sauce
A meat pie with tomato sauce – to be exact – is quite nostalgic for me. It had always been lunch on the road with my family growing up and my band is like my family now so it’s only fitting.We all have a different way of eating a pie too. One band member eats it with a knife and fork. Jess, my drummer, is really good at eating it with one hand while driving. If I’m really careful in the car, I like to spread the sauce on the lid, take the lid off, eat that, then more sauce in with the meat, mix it around and down the hatch.
3: Curried egg sandwich
James, my keys/ acoustic guitar player, and I have started having these on the road. Again, it’s a nostalgic thing. It’s a 1990s kid thing I think. They’re not the nicest smelling food for the people in the car who aren’t consuming the curry, eggy goodness but, that’s the way it is.4: Bananas
I feel like I don’t really need to explain this one. They’re mess-free, easy, clean and nutritious. You just don’t want to take your first bite when a truck stops next to you at the traffic lights.5: Baked beans
I realise by now that I like to choose potent foods for car trips. I am considerate in lots of other ways I swear.Baked beans are a great protein hit. The last road trip we had, I left my utensil in the back of the car and tried my best to eat it straight from the can with my mouth. I can’t remember who was driving, but they did not watch the road for that time.
