Project Description
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MERCHNTS.
embrace outsider energy
with new album
‘NEVER GOING TO FIT IN’
(Album Review)
(9th May 2025)
Review by Audrey Songvilay
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There’s something electrifying about watching a drummer step out from behind the kit, especially when that drummer hails from Gold Coast, Queensland. Enter Liam Chapman, now emerging under a bold new moniker: MERCHNTS. The name ‘Chapman’ is a synonym for a “merchant” according to his surname dictionary.
NEVER GOING TO FIT IN (out May 2) sounds like a manifesto. The 9-track rock mixtape surges with angst, confessions, and an introduction to an artist finally owning his voice.
MERCHNTS. draw influences from the glitchy nu-metal breakdowns like Linkin Park to the punk vibe of YUNGBLUD and early Bring Me The Horizon, there’s a wild eclecticism that still manages to feel cohesive. It’s rock, but with a post-genre bite.
Hey Kid, Look Alive
The album kicks off like a shot of adrenaline with “Hey Kid, Look Alive.” Built around killer guitars and snares. The lyric “What’s the point of never playing songs that I never write on stage” is a mission statement. It’s raw, meta, and defiant. Hometown shoutouts like “From the Valley back to Vinny’s” bring it all back to something real. There’s a subtle call-and-response in the mix that adds to its gritty edge, and the layered guitars crescendo into a chorus that feels mosh pit ready. It’s a letter to those who never quite blended in…and probably never planned to.
Hollywood
Built on a slow-burning, gritty intro that would play perfectly at a dive bar at 2AM, “Hollywood” is all mood. The bassline slinks under your skin while the guitar sounds distorted, just enough to make us feel on edge. Lyrically, it’s a middle finger to the illusion: “Never let Hollywood consume me” and “My friends, all they do is play pretend” paint a picture of disillusionment. You can almost hear the artist demanding to be seen for who he really is. No filters, no fakery. This one preaches for an authentic spotlight.
Black Hearts & Hexes
This track runs at high speed. There’s a real magic in the vocal layering here. The tempo is relentless, with tight hi-hats and a kick drum that never lets up. The production leans industrial at times, but the melodic hooks keep it grounded in alt-rock territory. Lyrically vague but emotionally charged, it captures that chaotic feeling of being hexed by your own choices. It’s angry, addictive, and just the right amount of unhinged.
Little Devil
You know this one’s going to hit differently the second those drums come in. This one’s punchy, aggressive, and alive. “Little Devil” leans into a darker sonic palette: minor key guitars swirling around the vocals. The vocal delivery is especially biting here but it’s controlled enough to not sound chaotic. There’s something almost theatrical about its dynamics; the way it builds tension and releases it in the chorus is masterful. One of the album’s standout moments, this one feels like staring your own demons dead in the eye and daring them to flinch first.
Pretty Boy
Brilliantly, “Pretty Boy” is a lot of fun. The chant of “jump, jump, jump” is pure rebellion, the kind that gets crowds climbing barriers and hearts pumping. It’s fast, fiery, and fun but there’s a wild sadness underneath the bad decisions and one-night highs. The guitars are fuzzed-out and frantic, the drums clatter like the inside of a young mind. This is the soundtrack to bad ideas with good intentions.
Bloodsuckers
Now we’re getting internal. “Bloodsuckers” peels back the bravado and reveals something more fragile: insecurity, reflection, and a desperate kind of healing. The track floats on dreamy guitar work and synth textures. There’s something intimate in the way the vocals sit slightly above the mix – like he’s letting you into his head for just a moment. The lyrics dissect the damage: the names, the shame, the survival. It’s self-analysis wrapped in a low-key groove, and it aches in the best way.
Beni, You’re on the Wrong Side of the River
From the static snippet at the start to the explosive “Y’all ready for this?” intro, this track is all energy. It moves forward with fuzzy riffs, drums, and a chorus that hits like adrenaline. But beneath the brightness is a heavier message – about overstimulation, refusing help, and the quiet hell of keeping it all together. “I sold my own soul to make peace” feels like the thesis statement of a generation trying to balance art, identity, and survival. The instrumental breakdown toward the end is pure sonic catharsis.
Hold A Grudge
Another drum-led entry, “Hold A Grudge” opens with tight snares and builds into a track full of barely contained tension. Lyrically, it’s about biting your tongue. There’s a push-pull in the rhythm section that mirrors that emotional tug-of-war: say it or stay silent? The guitar scratches in the background, and the chorus is a scream for clarity. It’s messy, honest, and full of unresolved conversations.
End of July (ft. Nikk Jacobs)
The closer is slower, more spacious, and emotionally raw, “End of July” is built around sparse guitar lines and an echoey atmosphere that feels like wandering through your own memories. “Could you leave me alone?” becomes a heartbreaking refrain about isolation, about not knowing why you’re wired the way you are. Nikk Jacobs adds an aching layer of vocal depth that softens the track’s edges without losing its sting. It’s a song about escape, about giving up, about the brutal honesty of wanting to disappear without needing to explain yourself. A devastating end to a chaotic, beautiful ride.
It’s refreshing to hear an artist be so transparent about their journey. Chapman doesn’t pretend this album came easily. NEVER GOING TO FIT IN is the result of three years of grind, personal reflection, and jamming with a tight-knit group of friends on the Gold Coast.
With the album release around the corner, this is Chapman’s reckoning as a stand-alone artistic identity, complete with its own bruises, self-reflection, and heart.
MERCHNTS. – NEVER GOING TO FIT IN drops May 2.
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MUSIC
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Before MERCHNTS:
MERCHNTS. (Liam Chapman) was born and raised on the Gold Coast and he started learning drums at 12 years old and took an interest in songwriting at 18 while studying for his Diploma of Music Performance at Tafe Queensland.
After graduating from Tafe, Liam focused on drumming for many other artists and tribute bands in the SEQ region and would later find himself working for Triple M Gold and SeaFm radio in the promotions and events department.
At an early age, Liam’s father would introduce him to artists such as Megadeth, The Doors, Beastie Boys and AC/DC, whereas his sister would expose him to the rap scene and Nu Metal scene with the sounds of Tu-Pac, Jay-Z, Gorillaz, KoRn and Limp Bizkit.
Liam claims his favourite artists to be Bring Me The Horizon, Blink-182, Nothing Nowhere, Twenty One Pilots and YUNGBLUD and praises them for their originality, unique identity, and ambitious sounds.
All of these artists sat in Liam’s core when creating MERCHNTS and during the writing process of ‘NEVER GOING TO FIT IN’.
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The Meaning behind MERCHNTS:
“My last name is Chapman. The name ‘Chapman’ is a synonym for a “merchant” according to the surname dictionary. (Ironic since I used to work in retail for 7 years)
I believe that the value of some things can’t be bought or traded with just money. Everything and everyone has their value and as life goes on; some memories and people in our lives are worth more to us than we can comprehend – and we don’t realise the value of something or someone until it’s gone… The best we can do is give the best we’ve got and enjoy some things while they last.
I want to be able to let people come and go into my life as they please and create memories that hold value to them and myself. My vision with MERCHNTS. is all about sharing valuable times, lessons and reflections with those we care about; even with people we only meet once.
I had another music project before MERCHNTS. but over time the project shifted and warped into something that I didn’t feel like was able to maintain a sustainable identity.
As an artist, I want to be able to have an original identity which reflects who I am, what I advocate; and to have an outlet for my creativity with the help of my friends and family and those who support me doing what I love doing.” – Liam Chapman
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What’s Next?:
“For the next few months I’m going to be living in America around the upstate New York area and I’m set to come back home in October.
While I’m overseas, I’ve made a playlist supporting upcoming Australian artists and I’ll be sharing and promoting it as well as my album while I’m travelling the USA. I’m currently brainstorming ideas on how to bring MERCHNTS to the stage. All my friends want to see me perform these songs live (and go nuts while doing it) so I don’t want to disappoint them. When I’m back from overseas I’ll have a new mind and will put that into creating my next record as an independent artist.”
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MUSIC
NEVER GOING TO FIT IN
Track List:
Hey Kid, Look Alive
Hollywood
Black Hearts & Hexes
Little Devil
Pretty Boy
Bloodscukers
Beni, you’re on the wrong side of the river
Hold A Grudge
End of July ft. Nikk Jacobs
MERCHNTS. release their revival debut Mixtape/album ‘NEVER GOING TO FIT IN’ on May 2nd Globally on all streaming platforms.
Keep connected with the artist via social media HERE
LISTEN TO ‘HEY KID, LOOK ALIVE’ HERE
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Follow MERCHNTS
Instagram – Facebook – Spotify
Youtube – Personal Youtube
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Press Release 2nd May 2025 (below) HERE
Debut mixtape/album
from Gold Coasts
Alt-Underdog-Newcomer-Drummer
MERCHNTS.
MERCHNTS. Makes a bold entrance with his debut 9 track mixtape/album ‘NEVER GOING TO FIT IN’ which will be available worldwide on MAY 2nd – PRESAVE HERE
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