LIVE (Photos): Cherym @ Paper Dress Vintage, 24.02.2024

Having just released their debut album, Take It Or Leave It, last month via Alcopop! Records, Northern Irish trio Cherym have been big faves of ours since I first fell in love with them playing Paper Dress Vintage back in 2021. And I was lucky enough to re-live this experience last Saturday as they returned to the venue, delivering an even more wonderful set to an even bigger and adoring crowd. Fizzing with all the colourful punk-pop energy we’ve come to know and love, whilst offering fierce reflections on gender inequality and violence against women, as well as their own lived experiences as Gen Z queer folk, both the album and their live set continue to cement Cherym as one of the most exciting bands around at the moment. And I fully expect to be seeing and hearing lots more of them throughout 2024 – find out more here.

As well as immersing ourselves in their captivating raging joy at the gig last week, we were lucky enough to have a quick chat with Hannah and Alannah from the band about the tour and the new album. See our photos of the night, including excellent support from new faves Brutalligators and Hamburg’s Get Jealous, and snippets from the interview below…

Hannah: “The tour has been really, really good – we sold out our first ever Manchester headline show which was really exciting, and we also sold out our London show which is incredible. For me, it just sort of confirmed there has been a growth for the band and that more people are starting to hear our music which is amazing, and it’s a really exciting thing that’s starting to happen. We’re currently just back from the Netherlands which was really cool, there were loads of people we got to see that we haven’t met before that we’ve seen online and stuff. It was just really exciting.”

Hannah: “We wanted this album to be our truth. We wanted to be unapologetically ourselves, and I feel like that’s what we stuck by. People always used to label us as being a political band based primarily off the fact that we were all femme presenting people. We were all women and non-binary people within the band, and we were all also queer, but we never outwardly said we were a political band, we just got labelled as such. So I think with this record we were like, ‘you know what, we’ll give you political’. We have songs like ‘Alpha Beta Sigma‘ that’s very reflective of everything that’s been happening, like the atrocities of the church back home, and songs like ‘The Thing About Them’ which is about Nyree’s experience as a non-binary person, and we just wanted to speak our truth on a lot of issues.”

Alannah: “The fans have been really supportive. The new fans especially have really grasped onto the album and it’s been really lovely to see that we’ve connected with so many people. The fans that have stuck by us for a really long time have really resonated with it as well. A lot of our fans tend to be one of two people – old punk rockers who feel nostalgic about the new punk scene, and then the other side is younger fans who can relate to the lyricism and style of music that we play. When we were teenagers we really had nobody to look up to, or if there were they would be hidden between all the mainstream artists who were white men. It’s kind of nice that we’ve been able to showcase queer punk because we all come from different backgrounds, and it’s nice to see younger fans identify with that.”

Alannah: “I think our festival season is going to be really interesting this year with the new album out in the world. We’re hoping to go abroad this time again when it comes to festivals, some bigger and better things — climbing up that ladder -, which we’re really excited for. There may be some announcements coming soon too…

Hannah: “Yeah new adventures in new territories! Next for us is the Enter Shikari shows in Ireland, so we’ve got two shows in Dublin and we’ve got a show in Belfast as well, which is just insane because we’ve all been fans of this band from when we were teenagers, so to be selected to be one of the support acts for this tour is incredible. And we’re playing with Meryl Streek as well, which is going to be amazing – we love Meryl and we love his music and everything he stands for, so it’s going to be really cool.”

Alannah: “We also have something exciting in the bag that we recently announced… Our cover of Doja Cat’s ‘Boss Bitch’ which is coming out on International Women’s Day, so we’re really excited to see the reception for that! We’re also doing German dates with Get Jealous and we’re also playing again in Germany later this year with The Undertones – I think that’s all we can say without getting in trouble for now!”

Get Jealous:

Brutalligators:

Massive thanks to Hannah and Alannah from Cherym for chatting to us, and putting on such a wonderful show at Paper Dress Vintage last weekend! Take It Or Leave It, the new debut album from Cherym, is out now via Alcopop! Records – order here.

Photo Credit: Paul Dawes / @GRNDglass

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LIVE: Cherym / Brand New Friend @ Paper Dress Vintage, 06.10.2021

Only my second time at a gig since the ‘Big C’ and my first north of the river, venturing to Hackney from the depths of South London proved to be most definitely worth it, once safely ensconced in the ever-kitsch, Twin Peaksy vibes of Paper Dress Vintage. 

After sampling some local pale ale downstairs, my ears were treated to the uplifting, punk-pop energy of the night’s co-headliners Brand New Friend. Announcing “we’re gonna do a rock show!” they soon kick off with an infectious jubilant charisma into the lilting, impassioned emotion of ‘She Always Comes Up Smiling’. Expressing thanks for all who’ve made it out, as well as Simba on sound and their van saviour Steve-o, the band’s endearing modesty and gratitude just makes them all the more loveable as they assure us that if we don’t like what we hear, they’ll “keep it off the second album…” 

In a beautiful kind of symmetry the band’s last gig “before ‘rona” was also with Cherym, so – as we’re left hoping there’s not another world catastrophe after tonight – they dedicate the next song to their pals as their glistening vocal harmonies and swirling hooks ooze a joyous, scuzzy energy; a comforting hug in sonic form. 

Honoured to be treated to the new, first song that Lauren’s written (it’s s good ‘un) and a taster of the new album in the form of ‘Lucky’, amongst the fizzing melodies of older favourites such as ‘I Was An Astronaut’ and ‘Girl’, and heartfelt odes to grandparents past (“… this is the part of the set where we’re at Glastonbury and it starts raining and the crowd fuckin’ erupt!”), the entirety of Brand New Friend’s set exudes a wonderfully life-affirming charm. Interweaving a raw, nostalgic emotion with a refreshing euphoric zest, it’s simply impossible not to sing and bop along to their incessantly catchy offerings and become utterly immersed in their shimmering, buoyant energy. 

And the euphoria doesn’t end there. As Derry trio Cherym take to the stage in their matching sports jerseys, they blast into the swirling driving force of ‘She’s Enough Going On’. Immediately capturing our attention with their unique blend of anthemic, honey-sweet punk-pop mixed with a gritty riotous power, I’m filled with a teenage excitement (a rare feeling for someone who’s not been a teenager for many years) to be seeing this refreshing new band – one all too deserving of the acclaim they’ve received so far from the likes of NME and Radio X’s John Kennedy. 

Continuing with the fuzzing, catchy hooks of 2019 single ‘Abigail’, and the jangling tongue-in-cheek wit and driving beats of 2018’s ‘Pretty Boys’ (dedicated to Brand New Friend’s da), each offering blasts out from the trio with a vibrant spirit and colourful, charismatic musicality; sticking in your ears instantly. Encouraging some crowd participation for personal fave, ‘Listening To My Head’, Cherym showcase their ability to create instant singalong anthems. With an uplifting, empowering energy, frenzied hooks accompany Hannah Richardson’s luscious angst-driven vocals; a sunny slice of witty lyrical storytelling (it’s inspired by the Netflix series Dirty John) combining a fierce sense of rage with a bubbling, sugar-coated nostalgia. 

Alongside the exuberant energy of songs like this and the fiery spirit of ‘Weird Ones’, drummer Alannagh Doherty takes a moment of calm to introduce the exquisite harmonies of ‘Gone Girl’, sharing with us that the track addresses domestic abuse; assuring us that we’re in a safe space here. A stirring and all-too-resonant message right now, and one that I’m grateful that bands such as Cherym are addressing openly and with such passion. 

Resuming a sizzling energy with the scuzzy, noughties-indie-reminiscent hooks of instant earworm ‘Kisses On My Cards’ and the buoyant beats of heartfelt celebration of queer love ‘We’re Just Friends’, Hannah, Alannagh and Nyree then draw the set to a close with the buzzing, elevating joy of ‘Take It Back’. A master class in pure, perfect punk-pop. 

And what a superb way for the trio to celebrate their new debut EP Hey Tori (one of my albums of the year for sure). Seeing both these Northern Irish bands has left me with a smile on my face and a spring in my step; desperate to hop across the pond to see more. 

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Y-Control Photography

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