Portland minimalist post-punk trio MERWULF have shared their third single, The Mountain Lion, out now via Moodkiller Records — and it’s exactly the kind of track that makes you want to disappear into it. The song explores grief and the pull of disappearance, two heavy themes the band handles with the taut, purposeful restraint that’s become their calling card. It’s the latest preview of their upcoming album ‘In the Golden Age,’ due May 15th, a record where dark subject matter sits comfortably alongside humour and irony.
The band — Merri Garcia (vocals, bass), Misty (keys, vocals), and Larry R. (drums, vocals) — built their sound around a deliberate absence: no electric guitar anywhere in sight. Instead, heavily distorted bass, vintage-style keys, and forceful drumming carry the whole thing, creating something stripped back but surprisingly expansive. Think “Halloween in summertime,” as some fans have put it. The references are telling too — Le Tigre, Screamers, The Doors, Suicide, B-52s — a lineage that runs from NYC no-wave grit to post-riot grrrl directness and back again.
MERWULF (yes, it rhymes with werewolf) came together in late 2022 when Garcia pivoted from piano and synths to bass, writing through a period shaped by political anxiety, pandemic fatigue, and the particular weight of being a mother and educator in an unstable world. That restlessness lives in every track — concise, present, and emotionally loaded. After their debut EP ‘All Zen +2’ and full-length ’On a Night Walk’ (which got a vinyl release from Moodkiller in early 2025), the band is hitting their stride heading into album two.
Watch the Mountain Lion video below, and catch them live in Portland this spring.
Upcoming Shows
- 05/22 — Portland, OR @ The Kenton Club w/ The Shitfits + Tim McBride & The Divide
‘In the Golden Age’ is out May 15th via Moodkiller Records. Follow MERWULF on Instagram, Bandcamp, and Spotify.
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