Plastic Mermaids

Hailing from the Isle of Wight, the five-piece psych-pop outfit Plastic Mermaids weave together layers of synths and samples into an unconventional sonic palette. Brothers Jamie and Douglas Richards first brought guitarist Chris Newham into the fold to create the electro punk trio Magic Octagon. Evolving tastes eventually steered the project toward gentler psychedelia, prompting a name change to Plastic Mermaids. An initial attempt to perform as a trio relying on drum machines and synths proved challenging to reproduce convincingly in a live setting, leading them to recruit bassist Tom Farren and drummer Chris Jones and complete the lineup. Their first EP, Dromtorp, surfaced in 2014, followed by Inhale the Universe in 2015 and Everything Is Yellow and Yellow Is My Least Favourite Colour in 2016. By 2017 the group had considerably enlarged its stage presentation, placing strong emphasis on visual elements such as costumes, lasers, and glitter cannons. That theatrical approach caught the eye of Wayne Coyne, who contacted the band after witnessing one of their shows and initiated a collaboration that began when Plastic Mermaids built him a custom guitar pedal. In 2018 they joined the roster of Sunday Best Records, which issued their debut album Suddenly Everyone Explodes the following year.